Hello everyone, here's the chapter!
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29th of January 1943
Arcturus POV
"You're not joining!" Arcturus roared as he closed the gap between his sister and he.
"You cannot deny me this Archie!" Dorea yelled furiously as she stood right in front him.
The impertinence! Father would have cursed her black and blue if she attempted this.
He looked down at her, her small figure only reaching up to his chin and yet the blazing violet eyes showed no fear only defiance and fury. She continued "This is what I have chosen to do in my life and joining the field healers will help me become better!"
He scoffed as he looked at her angrily "You lie Dorea" he hissed out as his eyes flashed dangerously "You do not join because you think you'll become better" he sneered in her face causing her to scowl "You're joining because of that Potter" he spat out the name as if he was cursing it to hell "is there. You're nothing but a misbegotten fool Dorea, a fool that has deluded herself that she is anything but a lovesick idiot!" he shouted at her with grim satisfaction.
For the first time he'd ever seen in her, her eyes grew colder and held a characteristically Black mad glint in her eyes. "Arcturus..." her tone was dangerously low and positively arctic. "How dare you?" she hissed out through gritted teeth as she trembled in rage.
"You belittle and reduce me and my desire to become one of the best healers St Mungos will ever have, my desire to receive one of the highest accolades in my field, as a front to...what did you call it? A lovesick idiot?" her eyes flashed murderously.
He should have backed down at that stage. He really should.
"Yes" he answered simply as he met her murderous eyes. Her eyes closed to slits.
"Do not mail me again." She said in such a soft tone that he almost could mistake it for affection but it was anything but.
She turned on her heels and walked towards the floo. "Don't you dare leave Dorea. We're not done. I am your Head of House, you will obey." She stopped mid stride and turned mechanically towards him.
"Archie, I do not like you right now. In fact, in this moment, I very well despise you." She said almost matter of factly and he suppressed a wince.
"We are done and until you apologise, until you ask for my forgiveness, there is nothing you can say to me." She turned back around and stopped again, her head looking over her shoulder. "Really, don't bother to mail or talk to me. Unless it is of course to inform me that you're going to disown me." She turned a little more as her eyes closed almost completely as she narrowed them "Are you going to disown me?" she asked in a low tone.
He clenched his jaw as he suppressed to throw something. "No." He forced out and she turned around without another word as she walked away and took the floo.
He sighed deeply and grabbed the bridge of his nose.
"Well, you made a mess out of that, dear brother"
He closed his eyes momentarily. Just the person he'd need right now.
He opened his eyes and turned around and Cassiopeia stood there leaning at against the frame of the door with a bemused expression on her face.
"Sister." He grunted out as he glared at her "Did you hear all of it?"
She snorted as she looked at him with raised eyebrows "Most of it" she answered.
He walked away from her towards the living room and dropped into a chair. "Kreacher" he bellowed out.
*pop* "Master?" the ugly elf asked in a reverent tone.
"Bring me a glass of firewhiskey." He sent a piercing gaze at the elf "Make sure it is kept topped up at all times."
"Yes master" the elf bowed and popped away and a glass of firewhiskey appeared in his right hand. He knocked it back and the glass refilled immediately.
He glanced at his sister who walked in who raised a dainty little eyebrow in question and he ignored it which caused her to snort but say nothing else as she took a seat across from him.
He stared at the glass of firewhiskey as his mind ran things over. He shouldn't have insulted her but she was truly testing his patience.
"I could have handled that differently." He mused aloud.
"You could have" Cassie agreed. "To be honest, I'm quite proud of you." She said in a laughing tone.
He turned his eyes to her sharply and she looked at him with mischievous eyes. "You managed to draw out the Black madness out of her. That was quite the achievement, dear brother"
He couldn't help it and chuckled a little before he shook his head.
"You weren't wrong you know" Cassie continued and he met her eyes. "Going to him is a factor. No doubt that she'll learn much in a dangerous and deadly environment, especially learning from some of the best healers we have in the country but in the end it was an opportunity, an opportunity that was sweetened by the presence of the man she is besotted with" she said with a curl of the lips as she crossed her legs.
His face soured as he muttered inaudibly before he took a sip of his firewhiskey.
"What am I do Cassie?" he sighed as he glanced at her.
"Well, you better figure it out and soon. I hear they're meant to go in the next few days." Cassie said blithely.
He glared at her. "Are you not worried about our sister?" he harshly questioned.
She narrowed her eyes as she thinned her lips "Dear brother" she purred mockingly causing him to suppress a twitch "There is a difference between being worried and restrictive" she shrugged lightly as she tapped her chin "In all honesty, I'm surprised she's taken this long to blow up on you"
He couldn't suppress a wince now. His relationship with his sister had been frosty for a little while. Whilst their father had not promised Dorea to anyone in particular, there was interest in for some time.
The death of father had resulted in frequent enquiries, several of the options were very enticing. Unfortunately, Dorea refused every single proposal without another word. It was frustrating to see her being so difficult when she'd never been like this in the first place.
Absentmindedly he wondered if she'd be this difficult with father. He scoffed. He doubted it. Cassie sent a querying look to him but he waved it off.
"I'm her Head of House" he began as he clenched his jaw, his hands wrapped around the glass a little tighter "I've not pressed her into a marriage like father would have and I have not demanded much from her. The way she is acting is unacceptable and would have seen her disowned by anyone else" he said with anger.
"Most likely" Cassie agreed "but then we both know that little sweet Dorea is both our favourite" Cassie said with a wry smile.
The fight left him "Yes...yes she is" he said with a sigh as he closed his eyes. Oh how his enemies would love to see him, defeated by a girl that has left him helpless on how to reign her in.
"It doesn't have to be this way, you know." Cassie began again after a moment of silence and he snapped his eyes open and looked at her. She continued "We can have her followed with some of our indebted contacts. Better yet, we can hire people to look after her."
"You suggest I give in?" he asked in a frustrated voice as he narrowed his eyes.
"Yes." She said plainly "We both know Dorea will not desist from this course of action unless you employ some of the more...unsavoury methods our grandfather used" She said that with a hint of disgust in her tone.
He winced. Their grandfather, Phineas had immensely controlling to the point that many of his children, particularly his daughters, had avoided being around him once they were married off. He'd used magic to coerce several of them and his nieces to marry them off to other noble families.
It wasn't an option.
"Tell me what you suggest. In detail." he said with a piercing gaze and so Cassie told him.
It wasn't a terrible idea all things considered. They'd been unable to get a contact in with the so called Knights of Mimpost as Atticus Sayre managed to filter them out, somehow.
Arcturus was certain that he was a Legilimencer of great skill. With the death of Marcus Sayre, most of the avenues of truly investigating the boy had been closed. Of course he was able to investigate via proxy.
He was aware of the school that was being built in Ireland, a school whereby it was a post NEWTS type school, unheard of. It seemed to be growing as well, now with the famous Flamels heading the school and that had been surprising to the say the least.
He had no idea that they were in contact with the boy and it only raised the necessity to find out what the boy was up to at all times.
The small village that was spawning in Devon, near Godric's Hollow, was filled with mudbloods and squibs and it began mostly as a simple farm home. He'd discovered that many of them were attending muggle schooling and had he not known the place was as a consequence of that boy, he'd ignored it further.
He knew it was linked to the boy's message about learning what the muggles know and the like but for the life of him, he could not clearly see what he was intending to do. He had suspicions but only suspicions…
The school in Ireland, that farmhouse in Devonshire, kicking off a firestorm in the middle of the Wizengamot and subsequently joining the war and then leading many important houses into war...
From a superficial point of view, it was clear he was intending to seize opportunities this war was giving, if you discount the assassination of his father for a moment. His message about magic and so on only confused him further when you counted his actions with mudbloods.
His so called knights had several mudbloods in his ranks, as far as he knew which amused him as several members of the Dark families joined him, even if they were mostly fringe members, so he was curious to see how that would go.
Cassie was suggesting that they approach Harfang who was married to Callidora, formerly of the House Black, and have several of their contacts accepted that would ensure the safety of Dorea.
Of course they expected that they'd be thoroughly assessed for any kind of subterfuge but it was a small loss in the wake of their sister's bullheadedness to go into war, even if it was as a healer.
"Very well." He nodded "We can do it your way." He knocked back the firewhiskey before he fixed a gaze on his sister.
"I've been owled by Riker Selwyn" he said with a smirk.
Cassie cackled as her eyes sparkled "Excellent" she purred as she leaned forward "There are few things we need to do but things are moving along very nicely" she said with a vicious smile.
He chuckled a little. The distant cousins of the Heir Selwyn were all several decades older than the boy who was in his third year. Riker Selwyn was in Cygnus' year and they'd already had a cordial relationship given the status of the Selwyns. With the death of his parents and several other family members that were closer to him in blood, he is quite isolated with only a older sister in her sixth year in his corner.
And the Selwyns are a Patriarchal family. Should he...have an accident, his sister could not inherit the title even if it's in his will. His sister's son could if he adopted the Selwyn name but the cousins could very well contest her claim and press her into marriage...to consolidate their claims.
And so, they were in a precarious situation and in need of protection. Unfortunately, he's already had Lucretia betrothed to Ignatius Prewett so he had no one else available to marry the boy.
Charis, his cousin via Pollux, had married Casper Crouch who had a son and two daughters whilst his other female cousin Lycoris had gone missing. He doubted she was dead. Of course she was far too old but she would have been fertile for another couple of decades at least.
Unfortunately, Dorea and Cassie were both non starters so that meant that he'd have to link their families in different ways.
"Do you think he'd go for it?" he mused to his sister as she eyed him.
"He'd have to. He's an orphan and his sister is not in a position to protect herself, much less him." She shook her head. "No, the alliance we're offering will ensure his survival, something he must be well aware off. Especially now that guardianship is rumoured to be set to go to one of the cousins. They'd lucked out during the summer where they could stay with their maternal family but the distant Selwyns have managed to bribe their way into the guardianship." She stated.
He hummed. That was the weakness of their system, the ease by which it could be subverted. It didn't help that that branch of Selwyns had deep ties within the Ministry given that it was their only route to a form of power.
Most families like the Selwyns did this and once in a while they'd marry back into the main branch to ensure ties are kept. It hadn't happened in the last three generations and it was clear to see it was a dangerous situation for the main branch.
Families like the Malfoys, Carrow, Nott and so on, ensured that the number of branch members was low at all times to avoid situations just as the Selwyns were in now.
His own family had plenty of situations that caused strife within the family, though most infighting was resolved by quiet assassinations. If there ever was a state of being that was bred within the family, it was paranoia and cunning.
Family was important, naturally, and things revolved around family but it did not blind people to what it could cause. None could harm you more than family, was the belief of most people.
He supposed that was why Dorea was so beloved by himself and Cassiopeia. There was not a single conniving bone in her body, a kind of innocence that didn't belong in the House of Black.
But then, of course, she'd show her teeth like she did earlier today to remind them all of her blood.
"Help it along" he informed his sister "Provoke the would be usurpers even further."
"Already doing that" she singsonged. He rolled his eyes but said nothing further on that subject. She straightened up in her seat and grew a serious expression.
"Grindelwald's left Belorussia" she said in a serious tone that was unusual for her.
He narrowed his eyes as he leaned back in chair "Do you know where he is?"
Her face showed her frustration "No. But it is obvious that he'll be making his way West again. With the collapse of his campaign in France, the ICW and the other Ministries will be pushing North."
"But you don't know exactly where he is" he returned to her and she glared at him for a moment before she affirmed it.
He eyed her carefully "But he has no idea?" he asked her sharply. She looked at him with displeased eyes and thinned lips.
"Of course not." She said in a harsh tone before she returned to a neutral expression "We are clear on that front."
"Good." He said approvingly "Whilst I don't care if he knows who had a hand in it, the longer we keep our involvement quiet, the more we can pull the rug from underneath his feet" he said with a vicious glint in his eyes.
They worked together with a number of contacts in Russia to destroy his movement there. It all began in the last summer where they'd met in secret with several pissed off Russian Purebloods, some of them related to the Dolohovs, and created a plan to destroy most of his movement in a fell swoop.
Gregori Rasputin had been key to that plan. The Mad Russian was powerful, easily one of their most powerful, if not the most powerful Russian and would be able to hold off Grindelwald for them to be able to counterattack without fear of Grindelwald being involved.
His elder brother Perseus had been important to Grindelwald with regards to the Romanovs, having aided the man in bringing both muggle and magical royalties down. Perseus, despite his apparent loyalty to Grindelwald, had kept meticulous notes on what happened and how it happened and he'd offered this to Rasputin who'd been wrathful at the loss of his favourite muggle pet.
Rasputin had suspected magical foul play, especially with the death of the magical Romanovs but he didn't know where it originated. His revenge was undirected, aimless, until he and his Russian friends had him informed of what truly happened.
Of course Rasputin wasn't stupid. He was aware that he was being manipulated – a man like that doesn't live as long as he has without being clever – but it was quite clear he did not care.
And so they weaved a plan to deal a devastating blow to Grindelwald.
"There will be more?" his sister asked in surprise but with a glint of anticipation in her eyes.
"Of course" he said with a rumbling voice as his eyes gleamed. He sipped from his firewhiskey and eyed his sister over the rim of the glass. "I've had contact with the Krums"
His sister's eyes widened before she peeled over cackling. It took a few moments for her to settle down again. "Do tell" she demanded as her eyes glinted in intense interest.
And so he told her about how they talked about Durmstrang and how it was time to liberate the school from the yolk of Grindelwald and his fiends.
"That will be monumentally more difficult to pull off, even if that Russian, Vladimir Dukesvky, is supposedly in Italy for the moment." She commented.
"True. But we have time to pull it off" he said with a smirk.
She smiled at that "Kreacher!" *pop*
"Yes Mistress?" The elf asked with reverence.
"Bring me a glass from the same year as what my brother is drinking" she ordered and soon enough, she was also drinking.
"May we continue chipping away at his powerbase from under his feet." she said as she raised her glass which he matched.
"Soon enough he'll be dead and six feet under. We'll see to that" a hateful glint entered his eye and his sister smiled in response.
-Break-
30th of January 1943
Albus Dumbledore POV
He frowned as he exited the pensieve for the sixth time. He sat down in his chair and pondered on the problem.
He'd taken the memories of Belsing of the times that he found that mausoleum and he'd reviewed it again and again.
The memories were real, just as his investigations were real. The place did exist and from what he could tell, it was centuries old.
It may well be the location where the Resurrection Stone is held. Or at the very least it could lead to it.
The wards on the place were too powerful for it not to be. He wondered how it was powered in the first place. Given that it kept on moving, it had be some kind of anchoring wardstone that allowed it shift places. He wasn't certain however, that it shifted in the first place.
It could well be that it was some kind of transport system. He'd seen some kind of shimmering – the mists were clever obfuscation methods – that could explain the shifting.
In any case, he'd have to find out. Out of all the Hallows, the Resurrection Stone was the one Hallow that he wanted...that he needed.
This was the first time he'd found anything linking towards the Stone. He got up from his chair. He'd traced the Cadmus line and he knew the Gaunts had been descended from him through a granddaughter of Cadmus Peverell. But there was no evidence they'd ever had the Resurrection Stone.
In any case, the research notes that Belsing had and that Elphias had created as well, suggested that there was an arithmantic link to when the next location might be. It would also explain why it was never found, if it kept on moving on a designated schedule and location.
He'd looked into the Arithmancy and unfortunately, there were several areas where it might be next and he hadn't had the time to discover it. He'd of course obliviated Belsing of the knowledge and took his research, but it did not mean that others might not discover it.
Gellert already had the Elder Wand, from what he could determine from the pictures that he'd been in. The features of the wand were too obvious for him not to believe it to be the case.
Whilst Belsing had not informed anyone other than Elphias, it was known that he had found something. Should they discover that he'd been obliviated, it might well be investigated.
He shook his head. He couldn't think about that at the moment. He had to find out where this place was.
He clenched his fists. He'd finally discover if the Hallows were real and if they were...if he could see his sister again...
Perhaps...
Perhaps he could bring her back...Perhaps he could finally correct the mistake that changed his life so much. He knew, logically, that it wouldn't...that it could never be undone but there was a chance.
Gellert was lost, he knew this. There was no returning from his cause. He was lost to his drunken lust for power and conquest. He had not learnt the folly of power.
Perhaps one day he could convince him of his mistakes once he had time to reflect and admit his wrongdoings in imprisonment and they could once again work together like they should have in their youth.
Guiding the magical world to the path that they set for it.
Speaking of conquest...
The past few months have not been going well, not at all. The defiance of that boy has created significant change to the war. France was liberated, the last few weeks having resulted in significant loss of territory to the lands that Gellert and his followers held, including the French Ministry building.
'It was too soon'
Far too soon. At this rate, Gellert and his allies would not be able to sustain the war on so many fronts and his movement would collapse. The cost had already been high but he wanted it to be higher before he entered the war and took down Gellert.
His sources had informed him of the rising insurgencies that Gellert was facing amidst his failures. He would soon need a big win and he'd need to scale back, securing the territories he's occupying.
He was sure Gellert would realise this soon enough. He'd recognised early on that Gellert could not win a protracted war like this and Gellert must have known this too. Securing the support from the German, Austrian and Danish nobility had been critical to his success that bolstered his drive of conquest but it was going to collapse if he was not careful.
Gellert gutted most of the ministries he'd taken over and planted his sycophants in place but they were inexperienced with what was needed to keep control.
He despised the fact that he had not enough influence to halt the movement Atticus Sayre inspired. Just shy of two hundred individuals initially joined with his ridiculous Knights of Mimpost but many of them were powerful in their own right. The consequences of that act have already changed the nature of the game.
He sighed before he closed his eyes. The public were already looking at him in a different light...
Coward they call him. He gritted his teeth. Riddle was aiding to that opinion. He wasn't a fool, he knew what she was doing, what he was doing.
He'd have to enter soon before he'd forever lose the influence he needed to enact his plans. Riddle was already influencing the school more than he'd ever wanted. He knew she was behind the behavioural changes in Slytherin House, the way they no longer attacked muggleborns, may it be verbal or otherwise.
His colleagues only had praise for the girl and they didn't see that monster that lay beneath the skin.
He knew that she'd the next Dark Lord and there was nothing he could do about it for now. The change in behaviour from Slytherin could only mean that they have discovered her heritage and that was something he dreaded.
He saw the cruelty in the girl, the monstrosity that hid behind a veneer of politeness, eyes of devastating cunning and a mind geared towards domination. He did not believe Atticus Sayre would be able to resist her, not like he resisted Gellert.
He could only thank what deities existed that she hadn't absconded with the boy, keeping her here where he could watch her was vital for now.
He sighed before he checked the time. It was time for dinner and left the office. He knew he'd have to fight Gellert at some point but he'd hoped he'd have more time.
The Resurrection Stone...Riddle...Gellert. There was much to do. He smiled genially as students ran past him towards the Great Hall.
-Break-
3rd of February 1943
Sophia POV
She walked through the forest at a sedate pace, the sounds of the strange birds, the sounds of the light buzzing of unfamiliar insects filled the background noise as she was deep in thought.
She's been here, this huge underground place, for half a year now and she could honestly say time had passed very quickly.
When Atticus had brought her and their mother, unwillingly might she add, she'd never expected for her world to be even more off kilter than the death of their father.
Somehow her little brother had discovered the home of Morrigan, the purported Celtic Goddess – a wildly inaccurate statement but nonetheless her existence proved to be true and their links to her – and that had only been the beginning.
She came from a civilisation that so much greater than she'd ever thought possible, even now, her mind had trouble wrapping over the idea that her ancestors – even if they were so different to them as her people were now – sailed the very stars and had a population that she could not conceive. That the very same people were defeated by an equally great civilisation, an older civilisation even, had troubled her immensely.
In any case, all of that only touched the very surface of what she knew now and even then, she knew so very little. She doubted she'd had enough time to ever dive into the depths of that civilisation.
Ancient Humanity...
In the half year she's been here, she'd used the vast majority of that time to learn as much as she could. Magic – or neurophysical energy like that troublesome bucket of metal liked to correct – was not something her people knew much about, only that there was an even older civilisation that had been billions of years old that used magic in spades, in everything they did.
Some of the things they created...huge structures connected entire stars, huge structures were as large the Sun itself.
Other than those descriptions and images there was not much on them that she could make sense of, unfortunately. She doubted anyone could if those people couldn't. In any case, she used the opportunity and the free time to work through the projects that Atticus had dumped on her lap, a way to placate her if nothing else.
He had grand plans, the little arse. The businesses he was aiming to set up were going to be devoured by the masses, she was sure of it. And it was not just magical either. He intended to dominate several industries in the muggle world, especially communications. He'd outlined his reasons for it, that the muggles had to be monitored and what better way than to ensure that they could monitor them through their own little inventions.
That was something she found a little strange. With all the technology that they had access too, they could propel and own the muggle world but he'd answered that too. He implied that having the muggle advance, by our own hand no less, too fast would be detrimental to the magical world. Investing in their own companies, owning them outright but otherwise leaving them to their own devices was something that he preferred doing.
She did think it was common sense, especially given how much he used to prattle on about things muggles did. There was no need to get them to become even bigger dangers.
She knew that he was giving this to her not just to placate her. He wanted her onside, he wanted her with him in these ventures of his. She would have been flattered if she didn't know what he intended to instead of taking care of his little ideas and plots!
Oh yes, she was well aware of his desire to create a Merlin's damned floating island! When did he decide to want to do that, she had no clue. She'd seen the hologram – or was it holograph? – image of his island and she'd been gobsmacked.
She had to admit, it was beautiful and she'd love to call it home but really, she wondered if he was insane when Moira – she'd insisted on being call that than Morrigan from the first day – said that it was very feasible and it would not take nearly as long as she thought it might be.
According to her, Atticus had been planning this for years, possibly before even Hogwarts. Of course, Moira said that he didn't have the whole plan then, it was simply a concept more than anything else, she'd mused, but the idea had been there.
Suffice it to say, she was well aware now of the secretive nature of her little brother. At times she wondered if she ever truly knew her brother.
The visions and so on could not account for all that he did. How much else was he keeping from them?
She scoffed and shook her head. Probably a lot more than she could imagine.
She sighed. She hadn't talked to him for quite some time, the last time being sometime in October. Mother spoke to him every week or so, something she insisted and something she guilt him into, she thought amusedly.
After all, a recent widow who'd been sequestered away in a tall tower – or in this case, an underground cave, even if it was a fancy one – for her own safety by her son? Well, she had a lot of manipulation points that she could use.
And for Morgana's sake, mother knew that very well too and reminded Atticus frequently on it. She herself had been peeved with him the last time they spoke.
Atticus had censored the mirrors, preventing her from supposedly 'accidentally' telling Charles about the place...or anything pertaining really. She'd been offended that he had done so in the first place even if she didn't want to admit it was prudent safety measures. The lack of trust however galled at her.
And then he'd warned her if she tampered with it, it would break and she wouldn't be able to use it to contact him again. That had angered her.
She was in a cage, even if no one would admit it. She couldn't leave the place, the protections he'd put on it and the tacit cooperation of Moira put her in a situation she at times loathed.
She knew that it was being done from a place of love...she knew her little brother loved her immensely but she couldn't help dislike him a little. She was the older sibling, she was supposed to be the protective one.
Thankfully, she could speak with Charles – and her cousins Sara and Odette too – quite frequently when she wasn't busy with her work. Sara was a source of strength for her and she devoured every little thing Sara told her. From the state of the war, the muggle parties she still went to, everything.
Odette, interestingly enough had read a lot of archaeology books – the subject that Atticus had suggested when Odette told them of her interest of going around the world to study sites of old magical civilisations – and she'd told her, in excruciating but wanted and much needed detail of all the ways she was pioneering the curse breaking profession.
She'd jokingly said that she believed Odette was becoming a Tomb Raider and instead of being displeased of being referred to as such, she took a liking to it. It was kind of hard to believe the bookish girl was becoming such a thrill seeker. It seemed Odette was growing.
While she was stuck in this place...
She turned the corner on the path and saw her mother and Moira speaking to each other sitting next to each on a bench. She unconsciously smiled a little. She supposed there were a lot of positives beyond simply learning all of these things.
Mother had grown more and more back to herself and Moira helped a lot in that case. They became fast friends, bonding seemingly because they were quite similar in many ways.
She walked up to them and they saw her coming.
"Mother, Moira" she greeted as she took a seat next to them.
"Sophia" her mother returned before she eyed Sophia carefully "Restless again?" she asked in a sympathetic voice.
She sighed and looked away. She felt a warm soft hand on top of hers "Soph...It'll end soon enough, you will be free to do what you're best at in no time...just a little longer" her mother soothed.
It was easy for her to say. Sophia had become accustomed to not saying in one place for too long, even when she'd been restricted to the United States when the war began. She'd been free to travel to South America, to Australia, and more. Sure, she had security with her but it was to be expected.
"How long is a little longer? A week...a month, a year?" she said a little petulantly as she turned to face her mother, in a tone that was unbecoming of a woman that was approaching her mid twenties.
Her mother only smiled a little softly and gently as she tapped her hand. "If it needs to be." She sighed "Don't think I'm happy about this either. When this is over, Atticus and I have many things to talk about. We've not broached this subject when we talk, neither of us feel like doing it now, especially given the dangers he's been putting himself in" she said with a disturbed look.
She frowned as she looked at her mother "Has something happened?" she asked concerned. Her mother smiled and she shook her head.
"No, nothing has happened, he's still alright. I've had him give another mirror to Dayton so he could inform me if anything happened"
"Alright" she sighed, a little relieved but still unhappy.
"It's just..." she began as she looked into the distance "I don't see why I have to be here when our aunt and cousins – hell even Great Uncle Richard and cousin Millie – are fine in MACUSA. They haven't been attacked, even once and I don't see why we have to be here like scared kittens" she said in a frustrated voice.
Moira spoke up "Simply because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it won't" she said with a saddened tone "Chances are your brother is going to make himself into a nuisance for this man and vengeful angry men like this man tend to be vicious and predictable. Your brother likely saw an outcome like it and likely has made plans to deal with it. Unfortunately, if you were to surface, you'd make yourself in an ideal target and it would become significantly more attractive to cross the sea to attack distant family if you could be captured."
Merlin, she hated when they argued logically.
"Why can't you just..." she made a gesture with her hands "zap Grindelwald from the skies? You've got the technology to get away with it." She accused mildly.
Moira looked at with a tiny smile and a hint of disapproval "Atticus believed that Grindelwald needed to be defeated in front of everyone, that he needs to be shown to be defeated magically."
Her mother interjected "I don't like it but it is true Sophia. Our people are..." she trailed off as she thought it over for a moment "Our people are big on symbolism" she finally decided. "Should Grindelwald be defeated through subterfuge and killed in an accident, it wouldn't end, the war, that is. His supporters would go into hiding and things would be fine for a while but then someone might very well rear their ugly head and it'll start all over again" her mother sighed as she sat back against the back of the bench.
"So Atticus wants to defeat Grindelwald himself?" Sophia asked in an almost high pitched voice. And her mother was okay with this?!
"Yes, yes he does. The symbolism of the defeat would mean much, Sophia. Not only that, it would grant him a level of influence that has been unseen since the last individual who defeated a Dark Lord over a century ago." her mother said with a sigh, a look of weariness on her face.
"I'm not happy about this and I have my doubts about his reasoning and the way he is putting himself in danger." Her mother's eyes glistened for a moment "But I know that he won't stop." She smiled sadly "He's headstrong like that, foolishly so."
"Why?" Sophia asked despairingly. "Why does he wants this...all of this?"
Moira answered next "Why does he give you all of his business plans and projects? Why has he sought my advice and the technology here again and again? The world ship?" she posed to Sophia as she met Sophia's eyes intently.
Her eyes widened. "He wants to be able to be in a position to change everything..." she trailed off as she thought it over quickly in her mind "So he believes that defeating Grindelwald will get him in a position he wants...for the future?" she wondered.
"Yes. He intends to change much of the magical world" her mother shook her head "It's not something I wanted for him but seeing all this" her mother looked around with distant eyes "and the plans we've barely had a glimpse of..." she trailed off.
She suppressed a wince. If she felt like she hardly knew her brother, how did she feel when Atticus had kept all of this from his own mother?
Her mother shook her head, as if she was trying to banish away those thoughts and turned to Sophia "In any case, Atticus seems to be thinking very far ahead of time."
"Well, someone should remind him of the here and now" she muttered to herself.
"Speaking of the here and now, you asked not too long ago to see what we managed to save from Atlantis, in particular our observation recordings?" Moira changed the subject.
Her eyes widened and a smile bloomed. She'd wanted to see Atlantis in all of its glory and all the things that were available on it.
Odette would be so jealous, she mused.
"Yes! I'd love to." She exclaimed happily.
She hadn't bothered to ask for it until only earlier last month, completely lost in her work. Apparently a lot of the stuff the Atlanteans did, involved creating magical creatures.
Whilst that was fascinating, she wanted to know about their culture, their people and that took some time for that bucket of metal, Sparkly Dawn, to collate in a useful format for her that wouldn't leave her feeling like a dolt.
She had no doubts that little wretched thing took its time on purpose.
Moira lifted her hand and the metal armband on her right hand shimmered before she waved her hand over it and a display popped up. She tapped away before she turned to Sophia "It will be in your quarters for you to peruse" she smiled at Sophia.
Sophia got up "Thank you" she said gratefully. "I'll leave you to...to talk about whatever you were talking about before" she said a little bashfully and was met with bemused looks.
She turned on her heels and walked off. She'd read a little about Atlantis but now she had the opportunity to truly know what they were like.
She grudgingly decided perhaps she could bear this a little while longer.
-Break-
3rd of February
Charlus POV
He frowned intently as Atticus flicked his wand and slowly conjured the layout of Genelum Castle.
They now were going through the plans of capturing Genelum Castle, a castle that rested on top of a high hill that overlooked a valley from all sides.
It was a daunting prospect, Charlus mused but it was one that he was very much looking forward to. He'd been a chaser at school and he'd relished the combative nature of Quidditch. It hadn't been any wonder to his family that he wanted to become an Auror after Hogwarts.
When Atticus made the riveting speech in the Wizengamot, he knew then, that it was his chance to do something meaningful. He'd been thinking of joining the ICW after all the assassination attempts on his family anyway so joining was an easy decision.
The battles he'd been part of were far more than he'd ever thought possible…the death, violence and chaos that were unleashed cured him of any ideas of …euphoria being something he'd feel during the height of battle. When you saw a comrade fall beside you, killing curses and a plethora of dark curses heading your way, it quickly sobers you up to the grim reality of war.
Most of their casualties had been in those early battles, the naivety of his fellows had still been high as many tried to incapacitate their enemies and died mostly in this act. The subsequent battles were far more ruthless and careful as a consequence.
He glanced at Atticus as he rotated the Genelum Castle in the air. He'd been sceptical about his leadership qualities given that he was a quiet if brilliant student at Hogwarts but he'd been pleasantly surprised to see him fall into that role in a fast rate. Of course Harfang and Parkinson helped tremendously but ultimately, Atticus was the one who in charge.
Charlus glanced around the room in the tent. Assembled in this meeting were, from the nobility, Lords Eldric Carson, Marvin Garrick, Silas Merek, Harfang Longbottom, Serek Carson, Karl Merek, and Albert Bones.
The other senior individuals in their organisation were also in attendance, Parkinson, Lockhart, Dayton and Mittenmeier.
"This is the layout of Genelum Castle from the underground floors to the top floors" Atticus paused momentarily as he looked at the assembled individuals.
"How did you obtain it?" Mittenmeier asked with wide eyes as he glanced at Atticus "I thought that we'd gotten no information on it from the ICW?"
"We didn't receive information directly from the ICW but we did receive information from a relative of the previous Minister who'd spent a lot of time in the Castle" Atticus eyes glinted "My family isn't without its resources and I've managed to obtain more…recent intelligence" he smiled coldly at Mittenmeier who raised his eyebrows in surprise, along with others.
Another reminder that Atticus, despite his relatively noble nature, was still a Sayre, a member of the secretive family that passed his own family by almost two thousand years in age.
His father used to tell him about the Sayres who hadn't been to unlike his own family, a family that had been all but royals even amongst the nobility with the way they controlled much of Britain and the economy.
Their change in stance following the crushing losses they suffered that left their family nearly extinct revitalised the family but they remained on the periphery of the country's politics, allowing the likes of the Blacks, and then later on the Malfoys to a lesser degree, to impose themselves in Magical Britain's politics.
The Blacks were infamous for their spy network and he wondered how close the Sayres were with their own network.
"Anyway" Albert Bones interjected before clearing his throat, cutting through uneasy moment.
Silas Merek spoke up next "We're wasting time" he said sharply as he glared at several people "At this moment, it doesn't matter, just that the information is accurate" he looked at Atticus "Is it accurate?" he questioned intently.
"It is" Atticus confirmed as he met Silas' eyes. "The floors where the prisoner cells are not quite as accurate but that is mostly because of the number of guards that there are present making it difficult to correctly obtain the complete floorplan of the castle." Atticus tilted the conjured castle construct and flicked his wand at it, transforming the stone walls into glass.
"But that is not what is important anyway, at least in the beginning. Genelum castle has three access points and two secret access points" he tilted the construct around and highlighted the secret access points "Here and here. These are meant to be escape routes, routes that are difficult to access from the outside as it descends on a slope towards here" he highlighted on the map a region that was submerged under water as river runs through it.
"Ha!" Harfang bellowed as he looked at the map "That is not a bad way to leave yourself an option to escape" he mused as he narrowed his eyes at the map.
He glanced at the other access point "That access point seems like it would be guarded around the clock" he noted.
"It is" Atticus confirmed "At least it was when it was checked. It is near the kitchens where the elves work and where there are a number of bedrooms that are inhabited."
Marvin Garrick eyed the map intently "So we know where we can enter if we're not using the front doors" he glanced at Atticus and Parkinson.
"We're not using the front doors" Parkinson spoke up "We don't have the men for a frontal assault."
A musing silence rang for a moment.
"Do we even have enough men to do a covert operation? Not to mention the big Erumpent in the door" Lockhart spoke up for the first time.
"The wards" Dayton said simply and received nods around the place.
Eyes fell on Atticus as he sat back in his chair. Charlus narrowed his eyes. What else does he have up his sleeve?
"I am an elemental" Atticus stated as his eyes flickered to the men in the room "I am able to generate a massive lightning storm of great power that I will be using" he ticked off his fingers as he leaned forward "To tear down the wards by matching the magical pulsation frequency of the wards – that I obtained at the same time as I obtained the plans of the Castle – which will create a massive distraction allowing several teams to enter from the secret access points."
Deathly silence fell as they looked at him in shock. Charlus suppressed a snicker. Of course he was an elemental.
Elementals were exceedingly rare and it often was a bloodline gift. The tales of the ancient mages like Zeus and Poseidon clearly showed the devastating capabilities such mages had and throughout the ages their bloodlines were hunted down to prevent such powerful mages to exist.
"You're an elemental?!" Mittenmeir asked shocked.
"That's impossible" Albert Bones shook his head "There hasn't been an elemental for centuries." He eyed Atticus shrewdly "Do you simply mean you have an aff-" His eyes widened as Atticus simply raised his hand and lightning crackled around his hand.
"I am an elemental but it is a learned ability." Atticus paused momentarily "I would say that I'm more like Elmisson, the Lightning Mage or the mage that inspired Thor when it comes to lightning than the King of the Greek Pantheon. I can't quite use it in a great way beyond channelling great amounts of power and it's not as useful during battle." He said to a captivated audience.
The ancient Norse wizards weren't like the Grecian mages, they had no innate ability like the Grecians had but they were capable of performing great elemental feats. Charlus wondered how in Merlin's name he managed it. He'd been interested in the Norse, mostly because he was pretty good in Runes, but as far as he knew, the art of their magic was long gone.
He'd have to inter- ask him about it.
Harfang laughed loudly drawing attention to himself. Several individuals looked at him in amusement – including the typically composed Parkinson. Harfang's eyes sparkled as they met Atticus' "Lad, you are full of surprises. What next, are you secretly descended from a God of old?" He said with a teasing quality to his tone.
Atticus eyes glinted with mirth as Harfang's eyes widened but before anyone could say anything on that topic, Serak Carson spoke up next "Are you sure you can take down those wards?"
Atticus turned serious as he sat up straight "Yes." He hesitated for a moment "I don't have the power to take down those wards quickly" he mused aloud before he refocused "But I do have a little aid in the form of my familiar" he said with a smirk.
"You intend to use Fila for this?" He said in surprise. Atticus turned to him and nodded.
"Fila's abilities with lightning and the storm are stronger than mine" Atticus confirmed before he added "But I am able to channel the power she is able to create towards the Castle."
"Do you think you will be able to hit the right locations on the wards to bring it down even quicker?" Dayton asked curiously.
"I will be able to" Atticus confirmed. "The power compensates exactness in this case, I just have to time the strikes along with a large attack." Atticus continued to explain his reasoning and his plan before Lockhart interjected.
"They won't remain still for you to do all this" Lockhart said in a thoughtful tone.
"I am aware, which is why one of the teams will remain with me." He eyed Lockhart "It will be taxing on my body to truly channel this kind of power so I will be momentarily affected by it"
Dayton narrowed his eyes "I will remain behind" he said curtly and Atticus glanced at him for a moment before he gave a slight nod.
Charlus watched the interaction closely. He knew that Dayton had 'failed' the Sayre family and it was a subject that was very…sore with him. It made his slavish dedication to Atticus a little disturbing but he supposed it was his own way or regaining his 'honour'.
"How certain are you that you can take down the wards?" Silas questioned.
Atticus considered the question "Fairly certain" he answered. Charlus spied across the room and saw several looks of displeasure "I cannot say that I can, with certainty, take down the wards for it'll be the first time I'll attempt something like this." Atticus looked around the room, a challenging look on his face "Unless, of course, any of you have any better ideas?"
Charlus looked around and saw no one did have any other ideas. The problem with Genelum Castle was that the location it was in along with the strength of the wards made it exceedingly difficult to take down the wards in any other way than brute force. Castles like it were built for sieges rather than most homes which were protective but much smaller in scope.
"Even if I am unsuccessful in bringing down the wards, the routes into the castle will likely remain mostly free for you to get in that way. With the chaos I'd be creating, at the very least their attentions will be on me" Atticus continued calmly as he looked at each man in the eyes.
The rest of the meeting was effectively to discuss the minor details as who would be involved.
Eldric Carson, Marvin Garrick, Silas Merek, Albert Bones and Lockhart would lead the teams of seven, each with an assigned access point that they'll enter. Charlus would join Albert Bones team which would assault at one of the front entrances once the wards were down.
Dayton and Mittenmeier would remain with him with four others as he created the thunder storm.
The plan of execution would happen around the same time as several other ICW attacks that would be in Belgium and Germany.
Reinforcement into Switzerland would come when they had confirmation of capture of Genelum at which point they'd attack several other suspected bases before they met up with them at Genelum. It was expected that it would several weeks before that would happen and so they'd had to be able to hold out for that long.
He wasn't looking forward to that. Success seemed likely in capturing but then that wasn't the true goal.
"How many men did you discover were present?" Karl Merek asked.
"There are roughly 120 – 130 men and about 350 prisoners" Atticus confirmed. Harfang whistled loudly at that.
"That is a lot of men for us to take down" Charlus said grimly. He wasn't looking forward in dealing with that many. Especially in tight quarters that might well be rigged with traps.
"It is. Are we even sure we can do that?" Parkinson added.
"We have a few toys we can use" Harfang said with a lopsided grin before he turned serious as he glanced at Atticus for a moment before he met the eyes of Parkinson. "We have created several aerosol" he said the last word slowly much to Charlus' amusement.
He'd worked with Harfang to create several potions. Fleamont's skill in potions pretty much was forced on him so he wasn't too terrible at it – good enough to be able to become a Potions master even. In any case, Harfang was a positively genius in Potions – he'd actually helped Fleamont Potter obtain his mastery in Potions – and Atticus had come to them asking if they were capable of creating gaseous potions.
"potions that are capable of subduing large number of enemies within an area" Harfang finished.
"What potions?" Lockhart asked sceptically.
"Potions that can knock out an individual within three seconds for hours" Harfang said with a vicious gleam in his eyes.
"Will it be able to subdue them before they can cast a bubble head charm?" Mittenmeir asked carefully.
Harfang looked thoughtful and decided to wriggle his fingers causing Parkinson to roll his eyes "What an exact answer." He drawled in way that showed his mild annoyance.
Harfang only barked a laugh before he grew serious "The gas is almost colourless but it does have a smell unfortunately. But thankfully experiments have shown that it will knock them out almost immediately once it enters their nose." He shrugged "It's the best we can do to level the playing field." He said finally causing them all to mull it over.
"Alright" Marvin Garrick finally said "We've got no choice but to rely on it" he glanced at Atticus "This mission has a lot of risks Atticus" he commented mildly.
Atticus firmly nodded "It does but we will be able to achieve victory. Even if we had a couple of times more men for this mission, we'd run into the same problems. With a smaller team we can get by easier and using these potions" he nodded to Harfang before looking at Marvin Garrick "will mitigate some of the risk." He breathed in deeply as his eyes hardened "The risks are high but ultimately, it must be done" he smiled a sharkish smile "What better than the best of Britain to do the job" causing several individuals to chuckle softly.
The meeting ended not long after that as they finalised a few final points and Charlus left the room as Atticus remained behind with Marvin Garrick, Silas Merek and Harfang Longbottom.
He made his way towards Dayton who was seated on his own at a table in the makeshift dining area. Dayton looked up from the parchments as Charlus approached him and sat down. He grabbed one of the apples in the bowl of fruit that was on the table and bit into it.
Dayton looked at him unimpressed momentarily before he raised his eyebrow in question.
Charlus swallowed the bite from the apple and leaned on the table with his elbow as he turned to face him "What do you think of the plan?" he asked Dayton as he stared at the man.
Dayton turned away from Charlus and picked up the bundle of parchments, compiling them neatly before slowly and deliberately turning to Charlus.
"What do you want?" He asked Charlus curtly as he glared at Charlus.
Charlus shrugged carelessly. He was curious about Dayton and his…devotion. He liked Atticus, would even call him a friend but he wanted to know more of the Lord Sayre from someone who knew him. The plan hinged on Atticus' ability and he was worried. He knew he wasn't going to get much from Dayton, most likely anyway, but it was an opportunity.
Lightning elemental…all the other abilities…
How powerful was he?
He'd sparred with Atticus and whilst he never defeated him, he'd thought he was getting closer to him, at least in skill. Unfortunately, power and skill were very difficult to defeat, especially if you're facing an intelligent and cunning enemy, all of which Atticus was.
"Simply making conversation" Charlus said with an easy smile before he took another bite of the apple "You've been given another opportunity to making up to the Sayres" he said after he swallowed the bite and saw Dayton stiffen slightly "I just wanted to know if Atticus' plan had a chance of success."
Dayton lips thinned to a fine line as he met Charlus' eyes "I have faith in Lord Sayre" he said simply and made movement to get up. Before he left he turned to Charlus "He always has it in himself to surprise us all, even as a child." Dayton sent a piercing expression at Charlus "You'll see eventually" he finished before he left and Charlus watched him leave.
Charlus mulled over those words…always has it in himself to surprise us all.
He bit into his apple for the last time before he vanished the core, intent to think on the future battle that would have consequences for them all, whether it would be good or not.
-Break-
6th of February 1943
International Magical Press
EXCLUSIVE: HEIR OF THE FOUNDERS FOUND! LADY OF THE MOST ANCIENT AND MOST NOBLE HOUSE OF SLYTHERIN WALKS AMONGST US!
By Jules Jebson
In shocking and most welcome news, we can confirm to you all that one of the legendary Founders' heirs still walks amongst us after centuries since the last Lord of Slytherin!
*This was verified by the Goblins and by the Head of House ring that was worn.
The last Lord to hold the Slytherin title was Aldrich Gaunt until 1722 with none of his descendants being able to claim the title. There had been much speculation on what was required to hold the Slytherin title since then, given that it was well known many Ancient houses have some sort of requirements to be met in order to be deemed worthy of the title and none more so than the Slytherin Lordship (or in this case Ladyship).
Since then, the descendants of Aldrich Gaunt have gone into infamous obscurity, known for their pureblood supremacist views until they met their ignoble end with the death of Morfin Gaunt in a drunken fight and this reporter wonders if it had been indicative of why no other Gaunt had been found worthy!
You might be wondering who exactly is this Lady Slytherin?
Well, you're in luck!
In an exclusive interview, we introduce you to Emily Slytherin (Known as Emily Riddle) a fifth year student in Hogwarts who has been sorted in the House her ancestor founded, in the very school he helped built that all of Magical Britain cherishes.
Jules Jebson (JJ): Welcome Lady Slytherin. Thank you for taking this interview.
Lady Emily Slytherin (LES): Thank you Mr Jebson, I'm pleased to be here
[She gives a warm smile]
JJ: I'm sure I'm not the only one but I'd like to know more about you. What can you tell the readers about yourself?
LES: [Laughs kindly as she smiles]
Well, I am just someone who studying at the greatest school in the world for the moment!
[I give a disbelieving look which causes her to laugh a little louder]
Perhaps I am understating myself
[Her face twists into a small smile as she speaks in a humble tone that I found quite endearing]
But truly, I am simply enjoying my time at Hogwarts.
JJ: Well, you're definitely understating yourself. I have heard that you're a prodigy, not unlike a certain hero who fighting against the Dark Lord.
LES: [She laughs beautifully]
I am glad to be thought of so highly. Most of the teachers at Hogwarts are all excellent and they're always available if I have any further questions or advice so I can only thank them. They're a credit to Hogwarts.
JJ: Tell us about your early life? There is a lot of mystery behind you Lady Slytherin and if you would, please tell us.
[I gesture her on to begin]
LES: Well, my beginnings are not a tale for the faint of heart, Mr Jebson.
JJ: Please call me Jules.
[She nods with a tiny smile before she continues with a sombre expression]
LES: I grew up in an orphanage unaware of my heritage, unaware of magic but I had always known I was a little different from everyone there and unfortunately, everyone knew that I was different too. I only discovered I was magical when a Hogwarts professor visited me.
[I was a little bit shocked at this, no doubt many of you will feel the same. Lady Slytherin has long been hailed as a prodigy, a true credit to Slytherin from all accounts so to know she had no idea that she was magical until she was eleven was a surprise]
JJ: Where were your parents? Had they…
LES: My mother died in childbirth at the orphanage.
JJ: Your mother gave birth in an orphanage? How come she did not go to St Mungos? Was she not…
LES: She was magical. I found out much later, not too long ago in fact, that unfortunately circumstances had been against her and as such, she acted on the best option she had available.
JJ: I see…
[At this point, ladies and gentlemen, Lady Slytherin was composed during this difficult explanation but it was a sensitive topic, I could tell. I decided then to move on from this topic]
JJ: You mentioned you knew you were different?
LES: From an early age, from what I know now, I had quite a lot of accidental magic and growing up in a religious orphanage was not an ideal place for a magical child. You see, one of my earliest memories was that I had gone through an exorcism.
[I gasp at this and a bout of anger fills me!]
*Note: For those of you don't know what an exorcism is, it is the practice of evicting imaginary demons, ghosts or other metaphysical entities from the individual. It is a barbaric practice that has no real evidence of working and it is often used on magical children who find themselves at the mercy at muggles, much like Lady Slytherin had in her early age.
[She smiles in a reassuring way and I could only smile in return at this incredible Lady for having survived this]
LES: It had been a traumatic experience but it wasn't the most terrible experience either. Even as I learnt to unconsciously control my magic, the stigma of being considered a demon or a devil never really went away and as such, I was an outcast for reasons I could not understand. Growing up, I was quite lonely in more ways than one.
JJ: You had no friends or support as a child? [I ask this in a sympathetic tone]
LES: No I didn't. The orphanage was a terrible place in truth. There rarely was enough food for everyone and you really learn to depend on yourself. Perhaps in ways no child should have to but in the end, I needed to. I've witnessed my own fair share of deaths before I even turned seven.
The deaths that really stuck with me were a pregnant woman who died at the steps of the orphanage with her child too and a boy of six who died of measles.
With the contempt and disdain, received for being different, along with the deaths no child should see...It really forces a child to grow up.
However, ultimately it helped me become the strong individual I am today.
JJ: That's just terrible to hear! I am glad you overcame it.
[She inclines her head in a thankful manner]
JJ: So you received your Hogwarts letter sometime around your eleventh birthday, finally returning you to the magical world you belonged to, tell us about that.
LES: Well, when I was told I was magical, everything made sense to me. Why I never fitted into the muggle world, why I was able to do the things I could do.
JJ: You were able of doing magic before you knew it was magic?
[I ask a little bit amused and more than a little impressed.]
[She laughs softly]
LES: Yes. Growing up in that orphanage was rough, Jules. Especially for someone who was considered to be different and said to be demon like. That meant I was quite targeted by older boys and girls.
JJ: No one helped you?
LES: No one helped me. Why would they? After all, I was the demon child.
[She smiles in a sardonic way]
So my magic helped me instead. By the time I was eight, I was able to fend off their attacks and they'd left me alone eventually.
[She sighs sadly]
Unfortunately, that meant that the staff, particularly the head matron, did not like me because my magic mysteriously was able to defend me against boys who were taller, stronger and older than me. So head matron really disliked me for my 'unnaturalness'.
When a Hogwarts professor came to tell me about the magical world, they were given a certain picture about me that was unfair and lacking in context.
[She laughs a little]
When the professor came to tell me that I was accepted in a school, my thoughts immediately went to what the matron had threatened me with which didn't help either.
JJ: What do you mean? What did she threaten you with?
LES: She threatened to commit me to an asylum for the insane where someone as unnatural as me belonged in.
[I looked at her disbelievingly]
[She laughs]
I know, I know. It was petty and cruel of her, to take out her fears and ignorance on a child. So when the professor came to tell me that I had been accepted to a school I was suspicious and wary, and my magic rose to defend me and I wanted to know the truth.
[She smiles a little abashed]
I admit, it wasn't the best first impression you could give and unfortunately, it created a prejudiced impression of me, even more so when the professor discovered my hereditary talent.
JJ: Hereditary talent?
[My eyes widened as I understood]
You're a parselmouth?!
LES: I am. I hadn't known it was called that until much later as well. My best memories were actually when I made friends with a snake
[she smiles fondly]
It was actually my first friend.
JJ: So you did have at least one friend?
[I ask in a teasing tone]
LES: For a time. Unfortunately, he was killed by one of the boys at the orphanage.
[My look darkened at that. It seems that the orphanage really would not allow her anything good]
[She smiles at me in a sombre way]
On reflection, I think the snake would have been killed by one of the matrons had they ever caught him anyway. And they would have judged me even more as a demon given the ridiculous symbolism it has in their religion.
[She chuckles softly]
It's quite funny, in India, in Ireland, in much of Africa, Parselmouths are actually thought of very positively, even in the muggle counterparts. Often in those cultures, it represents great healers and shamans. But over here, the talent is considered to be very negatively.
JJ: Perhaps it's because of the negative attention parselmouths have gained here in Britain?
LES: Perhaps. But then, there are those who have been dark wizards and even some light wizards, often the evilest of the age weren't parselmouths and yet we don't judge all magicals for their deeds either. The talent is not what is dark, the intent is.
[I think that over and it makes sense. After all Dark Lord Grindelwald was a prime example of this. Not to mention Dark Lord Ezkridis who was the Darkest and most evil of the age]
After all, isn't that one of the most important lessons in Magic? That intent matters significantly and ultimately responsible for making magic light or dark?
[I nod in agreement. Perhaps chastising a talent merely because some people misused it was not the right way to go about things. There were plenty of house hold charms that could be deadly after all if misused!]
JJ: So returning to the topic at hand. You were introduced to the magical world by a Hogwarts professor and you got off on the wrong foot. Who was this professor?
LES: Well, it was Albus Dumbledore.
[I look at her in shock]
JJ: You got off on the wrong foot with Albus Dumbledore? I didn't think he had a wrong foot in him!
LES: [She smiles softly]
To be fair, I think we managed to move towards the right direction when he took me for my shopping, to get past this bad impression.
[She sighs]
Unfortunately, when I confided that I could speak to snakes, any chance of reconciliation seemed to be gone.
JJ: Why?
LES: I don't know honestly. But since then I kept my talent to myself given his reaction. It was only later when I discovered that I shared this trait with Salazar Slytherin that I became to understand why.
JJ: Because of his reputation.
LES: Yes. His reputation despite being a Hogwarts Founder has not been great over the centuries and it hadn't helped that his words have been twisted over the centuries.
[I look at her surprised]
JJ: Really?
LES: Oh yes. One of the great treasures that I have inherited are his diaries that he wrote in the later stages of his life, during his travels. This was after he left Hogwarts and he reminisced on the Hogwarts years and the time he spent with his friends and fellow founders.
[I look at her with amazement]
JJ: Such diaries are priceless! To read about the founders from their own perspective would be a great addition to our country.
[She smiles at me]
LES: I might eventually make them available at a later date. It would clear up a lot of the misconceptions that people had with regards to Salazar, one of the main ones of course being that he didn't hate or even dislike muggleborns as a whole.
[I look at her in shock.]
JJ: That can't be true, can it? Even the previous Slytherin Lords and the Gaunts espoused what Salazar was said to champion. Are you saying they're all wrong?
[I ask in disbelief. It is widely accepted that Salazar despised muggleborns]
LES: I am or at least they chose to hide it from the world. Also I think a lot of things were understood out of context. For one, in that era, there was no separation of magicals and muggles – we lived amongst each other.
Such close proximity along with the dislike and outright contempt the Christian religion holds for our kind made relations with muggles, on the whole a very tense affair.
Salazar had suffered as a child at the hands of muggles and then later on as a husband and father all because he and his family had been magical.
Salazar wanted muggleborns to be kept in the magical world fearing that their families would pressure them in betraying the magical world. He believed magicals belonged with magicals but the other Founders disagreed believing that magicals and muggles could live in harmony and work together.
It was this argument that caused him to leave – for the most part.
[I listened with rapt attention to this riveting story]
JJ: Amazing…
LES: I thought so too. It was quite the shock to read this from someone who I've come to understand has been wildly misunderstood over the centuries. I find it also quite interesting that he was right in the end given that we had to invoke the Statute of Secrecy almost seven hundred years later.
JJ: Yes, it seems he was well ahead of his time. So he wasn't a believer in pureblood supremacy?
LES: No. He believed in Magic and he revered Magic. Much of his travels around the world had him learning about all kinds of cultures that used magic in different ways. He thought Magic truly was something to be cherished, regardless of where it came from.
Of course, in his diaries he mentions that there were some muggleborns that he disliked personally but that was because they came to the magical world almost hating themselves because they were magical rather than anything specifically regarding their roots.
They didn't like the so called pagan traditions and the culture but he did make a note of it that it seemed to be almost like a defensive measure.
On the other hand, there were muggleborns who really integrated as much as they could in this new world they found themselves and some of those Salazar had noted had greater respect for magic than many of the magical raised.
In that era notions of blood purity were very rare. The community wasn't as connected as it is now so arrivals of new magicals was desirable for the most part. I suspect only when the threat of muggles increased more and more, did such beliefs really begin to take off.
JJ: The ones that hated themselves…Because they were coming in a completely different environment?
LES: Not as such…more like they had trouble reconciling the religion they grew up in that said magic was evil and that we magicals sold our souls to the Devil.
[She smiles a little wryly]
JJ: It seems not much has changed in the last thousand years then…given how you grew up.
LES: Perhaps.
In any case, Salazar thought that the new magicals should have been introduced to their world at an earlier age or even taken from their families if they were unsuitable and given what he wrote about religious parents denying their children to learn at Hogwarts and the eventual news that some of them died either because of uncontrolled magic – often causing the death of family members in the process – or others being killed later in life, there was merit in his thoughts.
JJ: Salazar believed muggleborns should have been taken into the magical world at an earlier age?
LES: Yes he did. Salazar as I said never had anything specific against muggleborns. He welcomed new blood to the small magical community. It was simply that he was unhappy that they weren't doing enough to protect magical children and the magical communities, regardless of their roots.
JJ: A lot of this is going to make big news around the country.
LES: I am aware but it was time at least to speak up about some misconceptions that was undeserved.
JJ: When did you find out about your heritage? About your family?
LES: I found out about my heritage in the summer of 1941. I learnt that my mother was named Merope Gaunt, daughter of Marvolo Gaunt and Marsepal Gaunt.
JJ: So you are a Gaunt. How did you find this out?
LES: I am a Slytherin before I am a Gaunt. I found this out thanks to my foster family the Sayres.
JJ: Ah yes, I believe they fostered you from the summer 1940 onwards.
LES: Yes they did
[She gave a small smile]
They were kind enough to offer me a true home and help me learn about the magical world and eventually helped me learn about my heritage.
JJ: How did you find the news that you were a Gaunt and having learnt that you were the last Gaunt?
LES: Happy that I finally confirmed that I was related to the great Salazar Slytherin but unhappy and disturbed about my mother's family.
JJ: Yes, the Gaunts…
LES: It was quite the shock to understand what my mother's House was and what they turned themselves into from the powerful ancient line that they once were. The Gaunts for a long time espoused and championed the pureblood cause and it truly poisoned them in almost every way. They married cousin to cousin, the closer the relation the better, and even in some occasions they married siblings as well and it reduced them in every way.
[I grimaced deeply as my face twisted in distaste.]
[She smiles grimly]
LES: Yes, when I discovered this, to say I was unhappy was quite the understatement.
All I know is that when an opportunity presented itself for her to escape, she did.
JJ: I'm sorry to hear about your mother. [I look at her with sympathy.]
LES: Thank you Jules.
JJ: What about your father?
LES: I do not know much about my father, simply that he was a wizard that was a cousin to the Riddles who were muggles. From the documents I could find from their marriage, all I know is that he was raised in Central America. The few people who met my parents told me that he'd been enamoured by my mother and offered her to take her away which she took.
No one is certain what exactly happened when they left but his death is confirmed to be some months before my birth.
JJ: A tragedy.
[I say solemnly]
Did your mother not consider going back to your ancestral home?
LES: As far as I know…no. The matrons, when I left, had told me, when I'd asked, that she'd said she needed to protect me from her family when she'd been on her deathbed. That suggests to me that it wasn't an option.
JJ: I see. I imagine they would not have been happy to see your mother elope.
LES: Certainly not. Especially considering that chances were high that he was not a pureblood.
JJ: You believe your father to be a muggleborn?
LES: I do not know. The Riddles were very involved in the British Empire, their title stems from their naval duties. Whilst records are sparse, I do know that the Riddles dealt a lot in Central America which as you might know has a closer relationship between muggles and magicals. In either case, it is clear that my father was unlikely to be pureblood.
*Note as the last eligible Riddle, Lady Slytherin inherited the muggle noble title
JJ: Many will be surprised to find out that the Lady of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin is not pureblood.
LES: I imagine so. But ultimately it doesn't matter a great deal. Magic is what matters and I have plenty of it. Like my Ancestor Salazar, I cherish and revere magic as any magical should and it is something that I will champion of course.
JJ: I understand.
Coming back to family, I suppose you found family in the Sayres in the end, something that you surely needed?
[She laughs in a delightful way]
LES: I did. [She smiles fondly]
The Sayre family truly are a credit to the magical world. They took in a supposedly nameless orphan and treated her as if she was their own. I can only have the highest praise for them.
The late Lord Markus Sayre was like a father to me and it saddened me deeply when the family had been attacked by the followers Dark Lord Grindelwald. He was a man of duty and cared for the magical world and it is a loss to our community.
JJ: Hear hear. I'm sure our readers have wondered about this, how did you manage to obtain the Slytherin Ladyship when so many of you ancestors were unable to?
LES: Simply because I was worthy and managed to pass Salazar's criteria. You must understand that Salazar valued certain things that later generations certainly did not. As I said, he wasn't a pureblood supremacist at all and this was something that the later generations of the Gaunts came to be known for.
Also, I must make it clear that the Gaunts had effectively been destroying themselves for generations with their practices and it took completely new and very unrelated blood for the talents of the Slytherin family to return to full strength as it has done in me.
All of this contributed to my worthiness of Salazar's Legacy. Magic was what Salazar cared for the most. Magical blood, regardless of purity was a second.
JJ: Amazing.
LES: And because of that, and because of my own experiences, it is why I am opening up a magical orphanage come this summer so that children could have a safe place to be amongst their own people.
I know that there are quite a few children in Hogwarts who are in orphanages around the country and I want to offer them an opportunity to be safe, happy and learning more about the magical world that they might not learn until much later in life.
JJ: I didn't know there weren't any magical orphanages at all.
LES: Well, from what I can understand, most magically raised orphans would have family, no matter how distant in the magical world that they can be sent to foster with. Really, the ones that are affected are muggleborns and perhaps the odd half blood.
I agree with Salazar in that magicals belong to magicals and I am doing my part in that regard.
JJ: I see. I'm glad someone is doing something about it! We have heard about the savage war that the muggles are fighting, it's not safe in the muggle world.
LES: No its not. So my message to those in orphanages, please send an owl or speak with me at Hogwarts so we can address these issues.
JJ: To end on a good note, I just wanted to congratulate you on your betrothal to Lord Atticus Sayre.
LES: Thank you. [She gives a fond smile]
JJ: If I may ask, how did that come to be?
[She laughs softly]
LES: I was curious about him. He was this incredibly prodigy that I kept on hearing about and I wanted to meet him. From there on, we bonded over our shared love for magic and eventually he'd learnt about my situation at the orphanage and asked his parents to foster me.
It was the first time someone truly did something selfless for me, until I learned about my mother of course, and that endeared me to him. From that point, things just evolved.
[At this point, I am wearing a large smile. A Most Ancient and Most Noble House has returned to Magical Britain, a Founder House too, and an orphan young woman who has had it tough to say the least was now part of our world like she should have been in the beginning.]
JJ: I'm glad that things are looking up.
[Her laugh was tickling]
LES: Yes.
[She grew serious]
But remember Jules, we are all in a precarious situation with the danger of Grindelwald on our shores. My betrothed is fighting for us all along with other loyal Britons against the scourge that has plagued the continent.
JJ: Yes true enough! Lady Slytherin, it was a pleasure speaking with you and I wish you all the best.
LES: Thank you Jules.
To read more on this interview see our analysts' commentary on Page 3…
Emily POV
She drank her glass of water whilst she subtly glanced at the arriving papers by the owls.
"And so it begins" Rockwood said in a giddy voice.
She glanced at him with an amused glint in her eyes before she turned her eyes to her inner circle who all looked to be energetic and impatient, all from the anticipation. She'd always got the IMP the night before they went out and she'd given the paper for her inner circle to peruse.
The tone of the interview needed to be shocking, to be sympathetic and to be thought provoking.
Much of it was intending to paint her in a certain light…a painting that would stick in the minds of the people even decades later. She despised using her own history like this but nothing was safe from furthering her agenda and the very first impression they had of her needed to be positive.
And what was more positive than an orphan who had it tough and a tragic personal history but remained a strong individual who then discovers an incredible heritage and works to prevent others from suffering the same way she did?
She had to out the…unsavoury elements of her personal history lest they be used against her. Controlling the narrative was important to ensure that her past would not be used against her.
The Gaunts had a terrible reputation to most of Magical Britain and she needed to dissociate herself from it in a way that would be most effective. Controlling the narrative was going to ensure that.
She lied…of course, regarding her father. When Lord Sayre arranged for the deaths of the Gaunts and the Riddles, all memories of the villagers and those who had contact with the Riddles had been wiped or modified. The scandalous rumours that existed of the union of her mother and father was completely wiped out and that presented an opportunity for her to create a fiction of sorts.
During her stay at Riddle Manor, she found out a lot of things about the Riddle family. For one, they were old. Perhaps not as old as most magical families, but fr muggles, they were certainly impressive.
From those records, she found out that the Riddles had been a family that had naval traditions, most of the men in the family having joined the navy for centuries so that part of the fiction was true as was the fact that the Riddles did have some connections in central America. Conveniently, she created the cousin to hail from that region, a region that still gives the ICW troubles in terms of the laxness in the upkeep of the Statute.
As such, creating her father was not a difficult prospect given that her great uncle died there during a fever with his native wife…a wife with no verifiable ancestry. Excellent for her purposes.
It removed the stigma of being born to a muggle father whilst remaining true to her half-blood status even if it was disputable. It removed most of the ammunition against her.
If her father rejected her, why should she not reject him in return?
As far as she knew, only a few had investigated her origins and most of it had been well after they'd dealt with the people who would know that her story was false.
Benedict would not say anything given that it was not to his advantage nor would it endear him to his great grandson. Marcus Sayre told her that Arcturus knew she was half blood and assumed she was born to the muggle Riddles and she doubted that they'd have any evidence to deny her version of the story.
At least in a way that could do substantial damage.
The return of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House was more important than being a half blood. Status meant more than your background in many ways and people would overlook her blood status in the future.
"I hope you're ready for Slughorn to become even more insufferable" Carrow murmured.
Dolohov snorted "He'll never leave you alone again, my Lady" he said with a smirk.
She made no outward reaction but she winced internally. Dolohov was annoyingly right. She'd be paraded like a damn trophy in the next Slugfest party.
Though, she mused, she suspected the kinds of individuals that would be coming next time would certainly be worth suffering through. No doubt many would want to meet her.
Slughorn would be useful in that regard. He'd be able to shield her from the excessive attentions that would now be generated. After all, she was still a Hogwarts student.
"Who will you assign as your proxy?" Malfoy inquired. She turned to him. It was a good question and one she'd thought about extensively about.
Ideally she'd have assigned Benedict Sayre but she knew that he certainly didn't like her, even if they'd soon become family.
"I will leave it unattended, for now" she answered. There were several individuals, namely people who she interacted with that worked for IMP that she could name as proxy. These individuals owed her much and she intended to capitalise on it.
The noise in the Great Hall rose as the students looked at the paper disbelievingly before stealing glances at her, many whispering furiously. She glanced at the staff table and she saw many of the teachers stare at her with wide eyes.
Slughorn looked immensely giddier than Rockwood had been a few short moments ago and she knew she'd like talk with him after breakfast. She looked at Dumbledore and saw that he was seemingly unaffected.
She doubted it was his true feelings.
"Slughorn's on his way" Malfoy commented and she looked up and saw the rotund man walking towards them.
He paused momentarily as he hesitated for a moment. "Lady Slytherin" he said with almost an awed tone.
"Professor" she returned with a small smile.
"The Headmaster has requested to meet with you after breakfast." He informed her.
She nodded "That is fine. I expected as much" she said with a hint of amusement in her tone.
He laughed a little startlingly before he looked at her with a serious expression, an expression that belied his intense interest that she could pick from his mind as he kept leaking strong emotions. "If you could come and meet me at the end of the day, I'd like to discuss a few things with" he said in half a whisper.
"That is fine professor." She paused momentarily "Are you going to be coming with me to the Headmaster?" she inquired.
He shook his head "No. I have classes then." He halted as he eyed her curiously "I can have my apprentice take over the class for the duration if you want me there?" he queried.
She thought it over for a moment before she decided "No professor, I will be fine" she smiled at him and he bowed his head formally as befitting for when one was addressing someone above their station. Her eyes almost twinkled at the sight.
She could get used to that, she mused. Hogwarts was home to many heirs but no one attended that was currently Head of House that would warrant such formal deference.
Breakfast was soon over and she made her way towards the Headmaster's office. The Slytherins had known of her links to the founder of their house since a few days after she spoke in parseltongue and the more astute understood what that meant…why other heirs were so revering of her.
This now would leave no doubt in their minds…in everyone's mind.
She walked up the stairs that lead to the Headmaster's office and she saw that both the Headmaster and Dumbledore were there.
"Headmaster" She greeted as she walked a sedate pace to the seat in front of the desk.
He got up and bowed deeply "Lady Slytherin." He said respectfully causing her to smile a little. She turned to Dumbledore with a raised eyebrow and used her hand with the ring on it to brush her lock behind her eye as he stared at.
His eyes flickered to the Slytherin ring and he paled just a little before he met her eyes again and finally bowed "Lady Slytherin" he said stiffly.
"Deputy Headmaster" she said in a demure tone that hid her delight at seeing Dumbledore bow to her.
The portraits greeted her as well and her eyes flickered to the portrait that resembled Orion Black quite a bit. He was scrutinising her quite closely. She turned away and faced the Headmaster.
"Lady Slytherin, please take a seat" the Headmaster said and she did so. The other two in the room followed.
She crossed her legs and sat back in the chair and eyed the two men intently. "May I ask what this is about?" she asked a little innocently.
The Headmaster uncharacteristically snorted. "My Lady, may we be frank?" Dippet asked of her.
"We may" she said with the tiniest of nods.
"Your…revealing is going to have far reaching consequences, none more so than Hogwarts during a perilous time" Headmaster brought his hands onto the desk, his hands entwined.
"I cannot help but wonder if you're upset that a Founder House has returned" she said in a mild tone.
Dippet looked unimpressed "Far from it my Lady" he shook his head "It is a great day for a Founder to return to our Isles."
"But?" she prodded slightly.
"But I have to ask…why now, why not wait until you've graduated?" Dippet asked sharply.
She sat back in her chair. "It was a decision I did not take lightly. I'm aware of the…political ramifications of a returning Founder house. Ultimately, I believe the return of my House will only be a boon for Hogwarts" she smiled lightly.
Her eyes drifted to Dumbledore who was staring at her intensely, his entire presence were tightly coiled at the moment.
"I see" Dippet said frowning. "Do not think we have not noticed the…change in behaviour in Slytherin House, particularly against muggleborns" he paused momentarily as he stared at her "I presume they have known for some time?" he asked keenly.
"Some of them yes." She confirmed. She saw no reason to lie about that "The…behaviour of many of my housemates were…not what my ancestor would have wanted either so once they knew, I informed them of what the principles the house was built on, at least in Salazar's mind" she smiled easily.
"I suppose I should thank you for that. The relations between Houses has certainly improved, given the…continuous deterioration I have observed over my long life, it is quite welcome" Dippet told her. She smiled in return.
"Quite. The Founders might have had their disagreements but they built the school together. They would not have wanted the school to be as divided as it were." She told him.
Dippet looked at her strangely "I suppose you would know what the founders would have wanted, at least if your claim to having access to Salazar's journals proves to be true."
She said nothing further and a silence washed over them until Dumbledore broke it. "You say the return of your House would be a boon for Hogwarts" Dumbledore interjected, drawing attention to himself. "I can't help but wonder what you mean by that?" Dumbledore said evenly.
She smiled at Dumbledore, her eyes sparkling "Deputy" she said in a demure tone before she smiled as she tilted her head "Surely you're aware that the Gryffindor Lord and Slytherin Lord own the castle equally?" Dumbledore gritted his teeth. So he was aware of it, she thought privately. She wondered if that was part of his dislike for her…that she could well make the possibility of him becoming Headmaster an distinct unlikelihood.
"Yes…that is in the charter" Dippet said a little warily. "Do you intend to exorcise that right?"
She shook her head much to Dippet's and Dumbledore's relief. "I am not…however I do expect certain changes to the school, come the new academic year" she told him blankly.
Dippet frowned "Such as?"
"The return of the traditional celebrations, namely the Yulitide, the Samhain and Beltaine celebrations" she listed off.
"Those have been banned from the grounds of Hogwarts by the Ministry" Dumbledore said unhappily "To return them would put us in conflict with them."
"Hogwarts is not beholden to the Ministry. They have the right to qualify students in examinations but they do not have control over what happens within the school unless a crime occurs" She pointed out to Dumbledore.
She turned her eyes to Dippet "Besides, they are not banned…as such…simply" she paused for a moment "Simply…disapproved of, especially by the boards of the past and as Lady Slytherin, I can overwrite any protests they have in that regard. Hogwarts is more than a simple school of magic. It is where the future generations of Magical Britain, the best and brightest, go to study magic. And how else will they learn that there is more to magic than simply wand waving if they do not see for themselves that there is more to magic than spells?" she posed to them.
"You will not budge on that?" Dippet finally asked after a moment of pause.
"I won't" she confirmed "Traditions should never have been removed from Hogwarts and I intend to ensure they return". It was one of the main agreements she had with her circle, and one of the only ones that she truly agreed with. Muggle traditions had no right to be in their world. She continued "In the future, we may well work together to return Hogwarts to the exemplary school that it was once way but for now, that is all."
Dippet stared at her for a moment before he nodded "Very well…Lady Slytherin. I will…speak with the board about this, informing them that we will returning these events to the school. I will warn you that many of them will be unhappy about this"
"I'm aware" she confirmed before she smiled thinly "I'm prepared to aid you in this should it be needed"
He nodded simply.
"Armando…" Dumbledore began as he looked at Dippet "This will fracture the peac-" Dippet raised his hand.
"Albus, it's already been decided." Dumbledore flared his nostrils but said nothing further in a mood. Dippet turned to her "Thank you for your time Lady Slytherin." He paused momentarily "If I were you, I'd expect a summons by the Wizengamot sooner than later."
"I'm aware" she nodded. She knew that she'd be summoned by the Wizengamot, likely within the next few days. She'd meet with the Minister as well. Her revealing would have long reaching consequences and no doubt many would seek to capitalise on that.
Certainly the parents of her circle would be those that would seek to build on the relations their heirs built with her.
"Good" Dippet nodded.
She left the Headmaster's office with a calculating glint to her eyes. The next few days would set the tone for her rise within Magical Britain and she intended to ensure that she took full advantage of it.
