Sirius Black sat on the terrace of Black Manor. His feet rested on a table, and he held a glass of whisky in his hand. More than two years ago, he had destroyed the book of Guéris de Montalenfer. During this adventure, he had had two close brushes with death. The first time, he had been saved by Lucius Malfoy with a time-turner when he had fallen through the veil during the battle in the Chamber of Death at the Ministry of Magic. He then was presumed dead in the Wizarding World and had taken refuge with his family in the Muggle World. The second time, his wife had reverted to Montalenfer's Dark Arts and had guided him from the land of eternal sleep back to life. This coincided with the death of Lord Voldemort and from then on, his life had been quiet and pleasant, which showed in his appearance. In his early forties, he was tall, lean, and athletic. Usually, he dressed in black, which in combination with his slightly ruffled, lustrous, shoulder-length black hair, his three-day beard, and his delicately chiselled features made him look handsome and attractive, though he himself did not care much. Only the wrinkles around his mouth and eyes still bore witness to the years of hardship and torment of his past.
On the lawn in front of the terrace, his wife Mercuria, his sons, their nanny Lizzy, and their house elves Kreacher and Dinky were playing with the boys' toy broomsticks. Procyon and Asterion at the age of four were already experienced flyers, because their father had given them their broomsticks as a present for their first birthday. Phineas and Alphard were two and struggled to imitate their older brothers. All four boys had inherited his black hair and aristocratic features and bearing, but their mother's brilliant green eyes. Sirius smiled, as he watched Mercuria. Though she had given birth to four children already, she was still slender, well-shaped and outstandingly agile and physically fit. Her beautiful waist-long red hair was tied back in a braid, and she had a delicate complexion with fascinating emerald eyes. She wore slim shorts, a belly-free top with a deep neckline and no bra. It had taken them some time to find a common ground, but when they did, their partnership had given them everything they had ever wished for in life.
The last two years Sirius and his family had led a quiet and peaceful life. After the death of the Dark Lord, he had returned to the Wizarding World fully rehabilitated. In the confusion that prevailed at the time, no one had doubted his explanation that he had somehow survived the battle in the Department of Secrets but had suffered a loss of memory and had strayed into the Muggle world, where he had met his wife and started a family. He then learned that he had inherited the large country estate from his great great grand uncle Phineas Black, called Scarecrow, and without giving it a second thought, the family had moved to Yorkshire. To adapt life in a wizard's household to the requirements of his wife, Sirius had installed some equipment from the Muggle world inside and outside the castle-like mansion. They now had electricity to run the appliances Mercuria needed for her work as a jewellery maker. Lighting on the estate could now be operated with switches and they had a computer, a television set, a telephone, a fax machine and several other Muggle devices. Although they were rich in both worlds and could have lived comfortably without worrying about money, they both worked because they liked their jobs. Sirius owned a garage in the nearby Muggle town where he repaired and tuned motorbikes and race cars, while Mercuria designed and crafted jewellery in her studio. Therefore, they even more cherished their weekends off and the time they spent with their boys.
Sirius looked up as the Intruder Charm he used to secure his property alerted him that a visitor was approaching. When he recognised his cousin Lucius Malfoy, he lifted the protection from the estate to let him enter. Lucius landed his broomstick on the terrace and took a seat. Sirius greeted him and offered a drink. While time had been kind to Sirius, who looked younger than his age, it had left its marks on Lucius. His wife had died sometime after the events which had resulted in the death of the Dark Lord. His son Draco had married and consequently left the family home, leaving Lucius behind in Malfoy Manor. Solitude and sorrow now showed on his face and had turned him into an elderly man before his time.
Sirius did not know how to react to his visitor. For four years, Mercuria and Malfoy had had an affair. Though this had been, before Sirius met her, deep down inside, he still was jealous. On the other hand, Malfoy had saved his life during the battle at the Ministry. He pulled himself together and addressed his guest. "Lucius, what a surprise. May I ask what brings you here?". Malfoy had a look around and for a moment watched Mercuria and the boys. "After all, you're a very lucky man, Black. Nobody knows this better than I do". Sirius snorted. "To be honest, I take the last few years as a compensation for all the hardships I had to go through before. You know what? I think, I simply deserve all this". Lucius nodded thoughtfully. "I see your point". He sipped at his glass. "Have you met somebody from our world lately?". Sirius thought about the question. "Most of my family members are dead. All my friends as well. From those before I went to prison, Remus was the only one left anyway. And during the past two years, we didn't have neither time nor inclination to socialise. There is Harry of course, but we haven't seen much of him lately". Malfoy nodded, "Same with me. Since Draco moved out, there isn't anybody I see regularly. I pondered quite some time whether to approach you. But when I couldn't think of anybody else, I finally decided to come". Sirius raised his eyebrows.
At this, Mercuria entered the terrace. She kissed Sirius and looked surprised when she recognised their guest. "Lucius. Welcome. What are you doing here?". He smiled sadly and answered, "Hello, Curey. I came here to discuss something with you". Out of his pocket he took a photograph, put it on the table and shoved it towards Sirius. Carefully, Sirius picked it up and had a good look at it, while Mercuria peered over his shoulder. It showed an empty room. In front stood a small table with a casket on it which was mostly hidden by a chair. Suddenly the Dark Lord came into sight. He approached the table and opened the casket. They saw that the lid was decorated with an ornament showing the capital letter "R". Voldemort put something into the casket, waved his wand at it, then closed the lid, took the casket and left. The scene repeated.
There was a long silence. Kreacher entered the terrace and asked, "Mistress Black, will you have dinner outside?". Sirius said "No, we'll have dinner in the dining room. Lucius, are you staying?". "With pleasure". They went inside and sat at the table. On the walls hung portraits of James Potter, Regulus Black, Remus Lupin, and Sirius' ancestor Phineas Black. They were surprised to see Malfoy. He greeted them. Sirius filled their glasses and asked, "Now, will you tell us, what this is all about?". Malfoy hesitated for a moment. Then he said, "As you all know, Voldemort moved in with me for a while". Sirius interrupted "We call him Tom". Malfoy was confused, "Tom?". Mercuria explained, "Tom Marvolo Riddle. That's the name. A long time ago we decided not to call him by the aliases, he gave himself. Dark Lord. Lord Voldemort. He-who-must-not-be-named. It's just Tom". Malfoy gave a wry smile. "Anyway. He stayed with me. Apparently, he expected to return and left some stuff behind. Clothes, personal items, a book. I have examined everything carefully. To me, the stuff seems harmless. You should look at it all the same". "Why are you telling this now? He died more than two years ago". "When it was all over and he had been vanquished, we didn't care about his belongings. We didn't need the room and he had sealed its door with magic. To be true, we tried hard to forget completely about him and everything connected to him. But last month I finally decided to get rid of whatever he had left behind. It took me some time to break the Anti-Intruder Jinx on the door. At first sight, there wasn't anything of interest. But then a few days ago I discovered this photo. And something else".
"What did you find out?", asked Mercuria. "He took arrangements to secure his power after his takeover. Arrangements, which might be effective to this day as it seems. Not that he can profit from them anymore. Nevertheless, they are obviously still intact and sooner or later will spring into action. He would of course be able to control them, but I am not sure, whether the rest of us can". "What sort of arrangements?". Lucius shook his head. "I couldn't figure it out. That's why I turn to you now". Sirius considered this. He knew, how much of an effort it had cost Malfoy to contact them. "I am glad that you turned to us. What did you discover?". "To start with, I found part of a note with a sequence of actions. I don't know why, but obviously he was convinced that he was immortal". From his portrait, Regulus snorted. "Obviously by the time he wrote this note, he was immortal". Malfoy looked confused. Sirius explained how Tom had tried to gain eternal life through his horcruxes. "In the end, it didn't help him much, did it?", asked Malfoy. "No, it didn't". "By the way, did you ever tell anybody, how you survived the battle at the Ministry way back then?". Sirius shook his head. "No. Nobody except those present in this room know the exact circumstances. We told Harry that you had a hand in it. But even he doesn't know about your time-turner. Do you still have it?". Malfoy answered "Yes. But to be true, I'd rather not use it again. It always looks so easy to change the course of time. But one can never foresee the long-term results. You know, I've often been tempted to use it. Yet, the only time I actually did employ it was when Curey asked me to save you". Sirius smiled. "And then you didn't do it of your own free will. Mercuria blackmailed you to help her". Malfoy smiled sadly. "You know what Sirius? I would have given her everything she wanted. Yes, she blackmailed me to do the Unbreakable Vow. But when she asked me to rescue you, she didn't need to claim it. When I saw her so devastated and in shock, I would have gone to any length to help her. Even if I had to save your damned ass". Nobody said a word. Under the table, Sirius pressed Mercuria's hand.
Sirius leant forward. "Listen, Lucius. There is one thing I always wanted to know. You mustn't answer if you find it embarrassing". Lucius smiled sadly. "Why I didn't save Tom, when he lost his powers after he attacked Harry Potter, right?". He leant back in his chair and seemed deeply lost in his thoughts. "When I met Cissy, it was the perfect match. We had Draco and I was so proud; I didn't have words for it. But he was born at the height of the war. And the more savage the fighting became, the more I was appalled. You know what happened during Tom's last years. How many died. When your brother Regulus vanished without a trace, it really made me think, because I was convinced that Tom had turned against his own followers and had killed him. Therefore, when he lost his powers and disappeared, it came as a relieve to me that it was all over. I never considered to use the time-turner to save him. And I didn't have a single moment of regret".
They sat without a word. Finally, Malfoy said, "Coming back to Tom's note, by the time he wrote it, he was convinced that he would live eternally. His plan was to send every known opponent to Azkaban, to enslave all Muggles and to disarm all Muggle-borns. The Ministry had already begun to collect their wands while he was still alive, do you remember?". From his portrait, Remus said, "Yes, I do remember. But as we all know very well, a wizard can always do magic, even if he doesn't have a wand". They all nodded. Malfoy continued, "This was the part of his campaign, which he communicated openly. His followers identified with it because it perfectly corresponded to their self-concept. They would have also supported his idea that half-bloods and true-bloods should undergo some test of ideology. This is where his note sets in. He feared traitors in his own ranks. A revolution once he had established his reign. As possible candidates he considered half-bloods in the first line and true-bloods like Regulus and me, who at some point might turn against him. Tom never trusted anybody in his whole life. He was unfit and too psychotic to make friends. Comprehensible from his point of view because he regarded everybody as being inferior. But his sense of superiority impeded him from understanding other people's motivation. Still, he was clever enough to realise that even the most fervent follower might turn into an adversary. He took precautions against this. We must figure out what these were".
Sirius asked, "I understand. You have this list and the photograph. What about it? And is there anything else?". "Perhaps there is more. I want you to come to my house to help me search for it. I want you also to help me inspect the old Riddle house. When Pettigrew joined the Dark Lord, after you failed to nail him down and to prove your innocence, they lived there for some time before they moved to the home of Crouch senior and held him under the Imperious Spell. After Crouch junior was unmasked, they might have returned to the Riddle house before they lived with me. Perhaps something is to be found there too". Mercuria looked up, "Who inherited Bellatrix's vault? Harry told us that Tom hid one of his horcruxes there. There might be something else in the vault that belonged to him once". "Andromeda did. When the Lestranges died, both Bella's sisters inherited their belongings. On my intervention, Cissy refused the bequest. Therefore, Andromeda had it all". Sirius beamed. "Andromeda is the cousin, whom I always liked best. We should visit her". Malfoy shook his head. "We have never been on good terms. You should visit her". Sirius said, "Yes, we will. One more thing. As strange as it sounds, we are into this together. From my point of view, we should avoid telling anyone else. Except for Andromeda that is. If we want to check the vault, we need her. Besides, I guess that she might be interested in joining in. Her husband, her daughter and Remus are dead. She cares for her grandchild. Then our group would consist of two wizards, one witch, Curey, Kreacher and James, Regulus and Remus as counsellors".
When Sirius mentioned Kreacher, Malfoy looked surprised. "You want to involve the house-elf, who betrayed you and nearly caused your death?". Sirius nodded. "Allegiances can change, as you very well know yourself. Kreacher reconsidered his loyalty and he fought with Regulus and with us. He is a warrior and indispensable for our endeavour. Besides, house-elves have magic on their own". "Always at your service, Master Sirius". Kreacher, who had been listening attentively, inserted from behind. Sirius continued, "I'd strongly recommend to leave it at that. At least until we have discovered what this is all about. Tom has died but the Dark Arts have not. Though presently there is no one around with Tom's abilities, there are still some wizards, who might try to take his place and to pursue his way when they are offered the opportunity. Until we don't know more about these arrangements, we should keep it a secret". Malfoy nodded. "This is what I thought too and why I took my time to decide, whom I would tell about it. Well, I must leave. When will you visit me?".
Sirius said, "Before you leave, what about the list and the photo?". Malfoy leant back. "They date from different occasions. You have heard that Tom stayed with me when he returned with Pettigrew a few years ago. And so did Bellatrix when she escaped from Azkaban. But this was not the first time that we took him in. He visited us for a couple of days some two years before he attacked Harry Potter and disappeared. By then he was busy settling his affairs. He gave me his diary, and I know that he hid something in Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts". Regulus shouted, "The Hufflepuff horcrux". Malfoy looked surprised. "If you say so. The photo dates from his first visit. He then occupied a different chamber than during his second stay. The photo was shot in that room. Bellatrix came to meet him. She must have taken this photo secretly during her visit. Obviously, he was unaware of being observed by her. They left together in a hurry, and she forgot to take the photo. It remained in the camera, which eventually ended up in some junk room. I only discovered it a couple of days ago. When the film was developed, I found this photograph". "But what is so special about it?". "The casket figures on the note which Voldemort left behind. It is an important part of his scheme. He put something inside and then hid it. At least it isn't in my house anymore. After I discovered the photo, I searched the house all over again. And in the room, he had occupied during his second visit prior to his death, I found the note, which I had overseen before. By the way, this is it. He must have been sitting at the desk while he wrote it. I suspect that he took a few attempts before he finalised the list. The earlier versions he probably tore up, threw them into the fireplace and burned them. But one small piece obviously fell into the rack with the fireplace tools and must have escaped his attention". He took a piece of parchment off his pocket. Sirius read it out aloud.
Possible threats and countermeasures in case of loss of immortality
1. Restore Immortality - The Healer's Book
2. Revolution - Casket (Rivers of Flames)
3. Conspiracy - Radiant Feathers
4.
Here the paper was torn. The rest was missing. Lucius said, "I want you to come to my house and help me search it all over again. You know that the Summoning Spell doesn't work if you don't know what you are looking for". Sirius agreed and said "We can delete the first point. We destroyed the Healer's Book before he could use it to restore his soul and create more horcruxes. In the end he was mortal again. So, this measure failed". Mercuria inserted, "But we need to know, whether his other precautions are still intact, or if they died with him". Lucius said, "Since I found this note and the photo, I have a bad feeling about them. A very bad feeling. The crucial question is whether he must trigger his measures off personally or whether they could be activated by someone else or simply by chance. As in the case of the "Chamber of Secrets", for example". Sirius grumbled, "The experiences of the past have taught us that we must prepare for the worst. We can probably neglect the feathers for the moment. Tom is dead. How could there be a conspiracy against him? I'd say that we should concentrate on the casket and go in search of it immediately". "When will you visit me?". "Is tomorrow afternoon ok for you?". Malfoy agreed and thanked them. Before he left, Sirius said, "Lucius, next time you visit us, use the Floo network". Malfoy nodded and left.
