So, I have COVID, I feel like shit, but I had to post this because I can't get this idea out of my mind. Please, review! And take care, everyone. It really sucks.
Arcturus
"I still think we should have let Dumbledore on in this. We may need him." His brother-in-law complained from his seat, barely a couple of feet away from him. Had he been a lesser man, Arcturus would have snarled in response. However, being the Lord of House Black, he had to always show decorum.
Watching impassively as Charlus frowned at the stinging hex that he had sent him, but that in no way could be tracked down to him, Arcturus allowed himself to smile a little. His mood better than it had been in years. Decades, even.
"Seriously, Grandpa Charlus." A young voice chided, an almost mocking tone to it. "Even after everything I have told you, do you trust that man? I know I don't. I wouldn't trust him with a galleon, much less, much less with this."
Standing by the window, Arcturus could see the young and yet broad silhouette of a teenager who had come to their lives and caused quite a stirring, making him and Charlus slough off years of inaction and rustiness, replacing it with fighting form and ruthlessness.
The silhouette of a teenager who, by all accounts, shouldn't exist. Not yet at least.
"Old habits die hard, Henry." Charlus replied abashed, his eyes fixed to his glass of firewhiskey. "I have long considered Albus Dumbledore an ally. My father did, as well."
"And yet" Henry replied gently. "He has never considered House Potter an ally of his. Or if he ever did, it was long before me."
Arcturus rolled his eyes, having been witness of that conversation for more times than he had wanted. More times than it should have ever been held.
"It does not matter; you par of dimwits." Arcturus growled. "Charlus can cry his eyes out for all I care. I would have never allowed you to bring him into the fold."
"You speak as if you can force me to do anything, grandfather."
"I would remind you, that I still can, young man. You are not of an age for you to make your own choices without any amount of care."
"Perhaps. But I am at a power that it does not really matter who tries to stop me, I could do whatever I want."
Arcturus eyes were colder than ice, and yet his mouth was twitching, the man making an extraordinary effort to not laugh delightedly.
"Perhaps there is hope for you yet, Lord Peverell."
Henry just inclined his head, flashing his both forefathers a grin before disappearing in a swirl of color.
"No sound and bypassing the wards without actually tearing through them. I swear that the brat does it to mock me." Charlus sighed, his eyes twinkling madly, before visibly stiffening, tension slowly seeping into his body. "And now, it begins." Lord Potter said, his voice grim.
Arcturus nodded, his eyes still staring at the point that Henry Peverell had occupied less than a minute prior.
"It begins." Lord Black replied somberly. "The end of a Half-blood monster that should have never risen as he did."
Remus
"And then, bam!" Sirius said, punching the wall of their compartment and earning a squeal of a rather mousy looking boy beside him. "Grandfather Arcturus is all like, 'I'm Lord Black, and if I want to cast you out of the family, Walburga, I will fucking do it and smile while I'm at it!'" Sirius exclaimed gruffly, trying to imitate the voice of a man far rougher than him, before flopping back, laying on the back of his seat. "It was amazing." He concluded, his eyes twinkling.
Remus glanced at James, their eyes meeting, and the young student could see the same doubts in his friend's eyes.
"Sirius" He began gently, looking at the other boy directly in the eye to convey his seriousness. "Are you sure you are alright? Your mother was awful, but…"
"But she was still your mother." James concluded, patting Remus in the shoulder. The werewolf was once more unfathomably glad to have the friends he had. And in this case, he was glad that even though he had a goofy demeanor most of the time, James Potter wasn't as unobservant as he made himself appear.
"I'm fine." Sirius grumbled, something that earned him an incredulous look from his friends. "I really am! I mean…it was kind of hard, I guess. But it was for the best. Grandfather has always said that being a Lord means to sometimes do difficult things to the family, for the family. And father…father is better than I have ever seen him. He even came to see me off!"
"Huh" James said, scratching his chin, making Remus grin. "I guess that is pretty weird. I was wondering why Uncle Orion had wished me a good year when I ran into him."
"Did you run into him, Prongs? Or did you run into him?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows wiggling. James just snorted.
"I would never, ever, be caught dead running into someone, Padfoot. I have better reflexes than that."
"Unless it was Evans." Peter piped, causing both Remus and Sirius to guffaw.
"Then he would probably be using those better reflexes to crash into her. Oh wait, he did, last year."
"Shut up!" James whined, covering his face with his hands. "It was a faulty plan, I admit-"
"Yeah, one you tried like five times."
"And one I do hope won't be tried again" A soft voice said, announcing a red-haired girl entering the compartment. "Seriously Potter…I think you can do better than that. I might even be wooed if you really tried."
"Seriously, Evans" Sirius groaned, pointing at the blushing, stammering Potter. "Ever since you started to flirt back, his brain works far less than it used to. And it wasn't that great before, you know?"
"H-H-Hi, Lily"
Remus could only facepalm, chuckling when he heard other two facepalms.
"Anyway." Lily continued. "I just came here to say hi, especially to you, James, and to let you know that perfect's meeting was moved forward to just right about now, Remus. Something about a special situation this year."
"Stop breaking my friend! And stop taking my other friend! You are mean!" Sirius replied dramatically, letting himself fall backwards to be caught by a laughing Peter.
"This was coming, anyway, Pads." Remus replied, standing up. "See you later."
Remus waited a few seconds to get out of Sirius' frankly amazing hearing range, before turning towards an aloof Lily.
"So…you may even be wooed now, Evans?"
"Sh-shut up, Remus!"
Andromeda
"And with the arrival of Gryffindor's sixth year prefects, who sure took their sweet time getting here, we can begin." Head Boy Frank Longbottom said, his eyes scanning the prefect's meeting room. He opened his mouth to say something, but her best friend interrupted him.
"Were you trapped in a broom closet? Poor Jaimie, that's not very bro-code-ly."
"Shut up, Tonks." Lily said, glaring at the Hufflepuff. "What in Merlin's name is even the bro-code? And do you remember that you are the only one here that has been caught in a broom closet of us. Do you remember who caught you?" She ended her question with a victorious grin, one that made Andromeda's eyebrow twitch. Every time she remembered the incident, as she liked to call it, her wand arm got all tingly, Black spells coming directly from the family Grimoire appearing in her mind, as well as a tousled Ted wearing a stupid grin.
Ted laughed boisterously, and Andromeda was sure that a witty retort was already making the way from his brain to his mouth, but the Head Girl stepped right between him and Lily.
"Enough, both of you. Show some decorum."
A snort came from her side, and everyone's attention was drawn to a big man, one that in Andromeda's opinion didn't look smart enough to enter Hogwarts, let alone being the Seventh-Year prefect of House Slytherin.
"Is there a problem, Lestrange?" Alice Prince said with narrowed eyes, her jaw clenching.
"Of course not, Head Girl." Lestrange replied politely. "It's just that I don't think the mudblood here knows proper decorum. I would be willing to show her, however; perhaps in the perfect's bath?" He said, ending with the most lecherous smile Andromeda had ever seen. More than half of the room protested, while the rest laughed, and it took several shouts from the Head Couple to get them to settle.
"Pig." Frank muttered with tight fists. "That will be thirty points off Slytherin and one week detention with McGonagall. Now stop being a bunch of little children and behave!"
That caused everyone to straighten, and if Andromeda's was reading the situation right, it made the Head Girl all hot and bothered. She almost smiled, but she held it off. She knew it would do her no good to do so.
"Now that we can continue" said Frank, visibly calmer. "There is something of note this year. A new student-"
"Oh, like every year?" Someone snorted.
"Who will be entering his sixth year" Frank concluded, glaring at the boy who tried to play clown. "He is about to enter the school after being home-taught for years. His name is…bloody hell!"
Whispers erupted around the room, as Frank stared wide-eyed at the piece of parchment he had in his hands, Alice gasping and covering her mouth beside him. Gulping, he raised his eyes, and strangely, they met Andromeda's.
"His name…is Henry Peverell, Heir of House Peverell."
The Purebloods screamed in confusion or protest, while the muggleborns just looked around dumbfounded. Andromeda's shifting eyes caught a glimpse of Remus, her cousin's friend, muttering to himself, as if trying to recite the entire Peverell family tree just to get to said Heir. It was a cacophony of sounds, one that only stopped when a burst of magic silenced everyone's voice.
"Really, there is no reason to be uncivilized like this." A voice said, the slightest remnant of a foreign accent adorning it. Drawing the eyes of everyone, the room discovered a tall, well-dressed teenager laying against the wall, impossibly bright green eyes staring back at the rest of the students. "And well, it's Lord Peverell actually." He said, his mouth curving into what Andromeda classified as a charming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you all, I'm sure."