In the Light of The Dark

How to Raise Wolves

Chapter Nine – The Battle of the Blacks Part Two

Sirius moved silently after the two sisters as they ghosted through the manor. They seemed to know where they were going, so he hung back to follow, instead of getting in their way. He could feel his grandfather's presence behind him and was momentarily stunned at the realisation that his connection to the family magic had never been stronger. He shook the feeling off, he'd been distracted enough this evening and he needed to focus.

"Its strange isn't it?" Arcturus whispered from his side. Sirius shook his head, failing to comprehend what his Lord was talking about and Arcturus chuckled at his obliviousness. "The charm to skew your focus. It's one of Rabastan's I believe." And, he tapped Sirius on the head with his wand. The world came back into sharp relief and he sucked in a breath, nodding his thanks once he'd regained his bearings. They'd discuss it later.

There was a short countdown from the sisters in front before a huge explosion blew the double doors off their hinges, revealing a grandiose bedroom furnished with a king-sized bed. He and his grandfather moved to cover the sisters as Bellatrix wasted no time in providing a lethal string of curses to keep them occupied. He could hear the sounds of battle coming from the room next door and knew that Lucius, Cygnus and Druella had also found their targets with ease.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" Bellatrix shrieked as she let out another string of curses towards her sisters.

"You almost killed Aunt Cassie!" The momentary shock after her heated reply was all Narcissa needed to gain the upper hand on her eldest sister. With a twist of her wand; Bella was wrapped up like a Yule gift, stunned and wandless within a matter of seconds. Seeing that the two women had their sister under control; Sirius turned his attention to the sounds of fighting, still emanating from the next room and made the snap decision to enter the fray himself. He nodded to his grandfather as he turned to leave and braced himself to take on the two LeStrange brothers.

He had not expected to find what he did, but then life seemed to be throwing all sorts curveballs today. Not only were the two LeStrange brothers already bound and being covered by Druella's wand; a naked Barty Crouch Junior was also in bonds and shouting his head off at Lucius, who seemed to be fighting to keep himself from laughing.

"Cygnus is canvassing the rest of the building." Druella said coolly as he approached. "These three were going at it like muggles in heat, and I am quite glad I skipped supper." Sirius couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter at that, also setting Lucius off and the two of them shared an uncomfortable chuckle before turning to the task at hand.

"The rest of the house is clear." Arcturus said as he stepped into the room. He raised an eyebrow at the three men who were all bound and now silenced (thanks to Druella) before turning to Lucius for an explanation.

"We found them in bed together. We'll spare you the details as it was not an image I ever wanted, and now one I will never forget."

"Get some robes on them; best you can, and we'll take them with us. We need to move before Bella's dear sisters take her apart. We'll hold them at the manor for now, until I decide what to do with them."

"I can take the brothers." Sirius said with a nod, even though Arcturus's statement was only partially directed at him. "The quicker we get them secured the easier I'll feel."

"The sooner you can get back to your half-breed you mean." Lucius sneered under his breath, and Sirius's wand twitched in his hand.

"That is my mate you are referring to Malfoy, and if I remember correctly your grandmother had Veela blood, making you as much of a half-breed as Remus. At least he is fully in tune with his wolf, all you have to show for your creature heritage is your pretty hair." Druella snorted at that and Arcturus looked a mixture of irritation at Lucius and amusement at him, at least his big mouth hadn't got him into too much trouble. "Also, for your information; I have no intention of returning to Remus or Harrison this night, there is too much happening within the house that requires the heir's attention."

"Please take the brothers and go Sirius." His grandfather said mildly. "Before Narcissa ends up having to scrape what's left of her husband's dignity from the floor." Sirius nodded and strode over to the two LeStrange brothers, whom Druella had managed to somehow robe, under their bonds. He grabbed the scruffs of their collars and apparated out of the manor, leaving a beet red Lucius and a bemused lord behind.

O_o_O_o_O

Remus settled down in front of the large fire, a book in his hands and a hot chocolate steaming on the mahogany coffee table. He'd been in the manor less than an afternoon, and already he knew he'd found his favourite reading spot. The library stretched two floors, with a mezzanine running around three walls. The only wall not covered in books was the one on which the main doors were situated, and instead was covered by canvases of stunning landscapes.

The seating area in which he'd stationed himself was to the right of the door; the bookshelves stopping to make room for the enormous fireplace and chimney breast, and the floor was covered in a huge royal-blue rug. The definite theme throughout the manor was blue and purple, their jewel tones complementing the rich mahogany and dark ebony from which most of the rooms seemed to have been constructed. Most of the ceilings were panelled; with the exception of the ballroom, and the Black's family raven featured heavily in the intricate carvings found around the manor. The whole place was warm, cosy, richly decorated and there was at least one bookshelf in almost every room. Remus loved it.

After his short nap, he'd left Harrison sleeping, under monitoring charms and in the hands of a young female elf named Pelly, who promised to take good care of the boy; and had taken a wander through the manor, waiting on the Longbottoms and Minerva to make an appearance for dinner. The only place he'd yet to visit was the Planetarium, saving that for when the rest of the family, including Sirius joined him. He knew that he was going to see a lot less of his mate over the coming months as Sirius worked on integrating himself back into the family, and proving himself to be a worthy heir to Arcturus.

He couldn't really complain. It had been him who had made the suggestion that Sirius approached his grandfather in the first place, and now they were all reaping the benefits and sacrifices of that decision. He placed his tome down on the coffee table and instead took out his shrunken black book. He'd started carrying a ledger around ever since their meeting with Arcturus the previous week, and had been making notes on everyone within the Black family; including the Longbottoms.

He flipped to an empty page near the back and drew a line down the centre with a pencil. Then, he started making a list of the pros and cons; recent events had thrown up. They were all safe, for a start; they had the manor, he and Sirius had finally sorted out their relationship issues, they had Harrison, they had the Longbottoms; the list grew until finally he thought he could start working on the other side. So, he had less time with Sirius, he'd had to come face to face with the Malfoys, more people knew about the wolf than he liked (although that had also gone on the other list as all of them had been nothing but respectful), he had less time with Sirius. Okay so that was on there twice, however it had seemed like a short list compared to the pros, and he'd wanted to fill it up a bit more (always the pessimist).

"I see you have found your favourite spot." He whipped around to see Alice at the doorway, leaning on the frame with a smirk. "What are you doing?"

"Writing a list of the positives and negatives that this move has provided us with." She frowned and pushed herself off the doorway to take a seat on the second sofa near the fireplace.

"How bad is it?"

"I'm struggling to balance the book." He replied, passing the journal over for her to read.

"Is this a ledger?" She asked, turning it over in her hands.

"I thought it best that one of us start to keep one of everyone we come across. You, Frank and Augusta are in there, along with Minerva, Sirius, and everyone we had dinner with last night. The boys are also in there as I can keep track of their lessons and natural talents, if they show any."

"You don't have my sense down." She said with a frown, flipping to her page. "I could feel the magic in the Black manor last night, the same way I can feel Hogwarts and the wards around this place and Oxford."

"You can feel the wards?"

"It only usually happens in places where I've spent a lot of time, but I seem to be more in tune with this place than I am with the Arboretum." She handed him the book back and he scribbled a note in her page for further research into her ability.

"I'll have a look and see what I can find on the matter, and if it's something worth working on. You certainly saved our behinds this morning in Oxford."

"I don't know if it's an ability, or whether I just have a high sensitivity for wards. What I was feeling at Black manor last night was certainly different to anything I've experienced before."

"Harrison was affected by the family magic last night as well. Melania said it would settle down now that he's here with us." Alice nodded and they lapsed into a comfortable silence, each deep in their thoughts as they watched the fire dance in the hearth. The pop of a house elf startled them for a second but Remus soon calmed seeing that it was Pelly.

"Little master is being woken up Mr Wolf sir, he be quiet but I think hungry." Remus thanked the little creature and told her that he would be right up.

"We'll meet you in the kitchen downstairs." Alice said standing up with him. "I think we could all do with some food." He nodded and they parted ways at the door; Alice going to knock for Augusta and Minerva whilst he went to collect Harry from the fourth floor. He would have to get used to all the stairs again.

O_o_O_o_O

He was at a loss for what to do. His investigation of the flat in Oxford had yielded no sign of the Black boy or his pet wolf, worse; it appeared that they'd moved altogether and a feeling of dread started to settle in his stomach. He took a breath to try and calm his nerves, just because they had moved didn't mean that they'd gone running to Old Man Black. They could have left the country like the Longbottoms, or just gone into hiding elsewhere, this didn't mean anything.

In the end; it took him an hour, almost a full bottle of Firewhiskey and a rather large rant to the portraits in his office before he finally settled back behind his desk. With the death of the Potter boy, he needed to plan a way for the Longbottoms to move back to Britain, that was; when he could get an owl to deliver a message to them; the bloody birds just kept looking at him as if he was stupid when he attached letters addressed to Augusta to their legs. He'd almost been tempted to roast the one that had squawked at him angrily.

With that thought, a brainwave hit him like the Hogwarts express (though with less broken bones involved, obviously).

"Could you deliver a letter to them?" He asked Fawkes; who was sat grooming his plumage on his perch. "Could you get a letter to Frank, Alice and Augusta?" Fawkes trilled in the positive and he swiftly let out a sigh of relief, handing three letters over to his Phoenix; who promptly burst into flames to deliver the letters.

It was much later that night, when the buzz of the Firewhiskey wore off, and his head cleared; that he realised his beloved familiar hadn't returned, and once again, the hundred and twenty years of curse words he had learned were used to their full effect.

O_o_O_o_O

"Please tell me why I shouldn't cast you out and hand you over to the Aurors to be fed on by a Dementor." Arcturus hissed as he strode into the cell, flicking a reviving charm at a chained Bellatrix. His anger was nearing peak levels and only the affection he held for her two younger sisters were currently keeping his niece alive. "I cannot begin to tell you how much trouble you have caused me in the past twenty-four hours."

"Narcissa said Aunt Cass was hurt." Bellatrix replied with a stoic expression. "What happened?"

"You happened." Arcturus replied angrily. "One of your blasting curses breached the Chateaux's annex. Cassiopeia turned up here last night covered in blood and has been in a magically induced coma ever since she passed out in one of our armchairs. You have so much more to answer for than that though, you impertinent child; attacking the Longbottoms, the business with Barty Crouch Jr, the Dark Lord, and anything that has happened since you disappeared off to France three weeks ago. I will be contacting the French ministry tomorrow to explain that it was you that caused so much damage last night. Their body count is nearing three figures whilst I try and work out why I shouldn't just hand what I leave of you over."

"The Longbottoms deserved everything that was coming to them." Bellatrix snarled. "The blood traitors should never have been allowed to live. As for my husband's fucktoy; you made it pretty clear in our contract that I was under no obligation to sire an heir, so he and his brother have been finding pleasure in each other and the piece of shit they have been keeping as their pet ever since our wedding night. You denounce my following of my Lord, yet you did nothing to stop me from taking his mark, and what should you care about a bunch of muggles living on the other side of the channel?" Arcturus took a deep breath as he started to unpack all of that and he conjured a stool to sit down on, more so that he could look the woman in the eye than for his own comfort.

"The Longbottoms have Black blood, regardless of their leanings they are family; and off limits to all of us. I made that perfectly clear to you the instant Pollux told me what your Lord was planning. I never stopped you taking that mark, but I am ashamed of some of the things you have done whilst under his instruction. Our family motto has always been about keeping things like this in the family, and Cassie turning up last night, needing desperate treatment forced me to take her to Mungo's, risking the integrity of our house. Your contract also stated that you had primacy in your marriage, and instead of using that to taunt your husband I had hoped that you would use the brains magic gave you and take it upon yourself to assert your dominance of that household; past getting him to let you do what you want. I am more disappointed in you than you can possibly imagine right now."

"Please Uncle, I want to see my sisters."

"You will see no one until I say so!" Arcturus thundered; flying up from his stool. "You will stay down here until I have deemed you worthy of re-joining our family. After that, your punishment will be decided. Your cell will be silenced and an elf will attend to your nutritional needs three times a day until I regard you as fit to be released. Maybe you can use this time to start showing repentance rather than defiance, until then; the only visitor you will have is me." He banished the stool and strode out of the cell, flicking his wand to close the door and lock it; before casting silencing charms and a barrier ward. It wouldn't do for Narcissa or her sister to have murdered the woman before he had the chance to deal with her.

"What are you planning for her?" Sirius asked from where he was sitting, at the bottom of the stone staircase. The manor's dungeons could only be accessed by the steps that led into the elven kitchen, and seeing as though the elves were constantly around to monitor them, they had never accidentally lost a prisoner in the history of their house.

"Some time to consider her options before she is moved into the country estate to care for the woman she almost murdered." He grouched, peering down the corridor to the other three occupied cells.

"I can deal with them if you like. It's been a long day, and you should get some rest." He eyed his heir with caution, trying to deduce whether Sirius had any other intentions; the man's eyes were open and honest though and there was no deceit that he could detect. "Look, I promise nothing permanent and at least with a bit of roughing up, I might have information for you by the morning." His grandson said with an easy shrug.

"You are speaking of torture Sirius."

"I am a Black by birth, my magic is grey at best, and it's nothing I haven't wanted to do to that slimeball Crouch for some time now."

"Nothing permanent then, and you are to inform them that I am considering their options. Any information they can give on the whereabouts of Abraxas Malfoy, the Dark Lord and the possibility of Horcruxes, may just help their case."

"Horcruxes?"

"I'll explain when I know more. This is merely fact-finding Sirius are you sure you are up to it?" Sirius squared his shoulders and lifted his jaw. "Good." Arcturus said with a nod. "You may debrief me in the morning. Ask Nip to show you to your suite once you have finished; lest you get lost." Sirius nodded and stood up to allow his grandfather upstairs.

O_o_O_o_O

Amelia could have screamed herself hoarse in frustration as she signed the documents that confirmed the death of Harry Potter. The high concentration of magic in what was supposed to be a muggle area had the ministry alarms blearing out across the office. It had been fortunate (or not, depending on how you looked at the situation), that she was still working, finishing up some paperwork to start unravelling the case of James and Lily Potter. Susan was with the Abbots, and she had forgone her planned afternoon off in order to finish up. The moment the alarms had sounded she'd had a hit-team ready within the minute and taking the lead herself; they had departed for Surrey.

The fact that she'd felt the lingering magic in the air that told the tale of strong wards, and that the house ablaze; was registering with strong magic she thought she recognised; meant that they were in the right place. Muggle firefighters were already at the scene, so she'd ordered two of her team to follow her into the house; obscuring spells, bubble-heads and flame-freezers in place. The high concentration of magic registering from the cupboard under the stairs meant that it was the first place they concentrated on, and the results of her scanning charms almost had her bringing the rest of the house down around them. That this little boy was here and not with Sirius Black was a crime unto itself, that the charred remains were in a cupboard rather than a bedroom meant that if any of the muggles living at this address were still alive, their chances of not meeting her wand were slim to none.

"Boss we have what we came for, we need to get a forensic team in here." She liked Kingsley; he was often a steadying presence when a case like this infuriated her.

"Let's go." She said with a nod, taking his arm for them to apparate out of the house and back to the rest of their awaiting team.

"We found a body, and considering that there is no other trace of magic other than what's left of the illegal blood wards means we have found what we came for. I have an ID but I am declaring it need to know, for the head's eyes only. You guys stay here and follow Shack's lead and I'll go report my findings to the boss." The rest of her team nodded in acceptance and started to secure the area.

Amelia had gone back to the ministry with the information that Harry Potter was dead, and the signing of her last piece of paperwork meant that there was no way she could be able to call the last twenty-four hours a bad dream. She needed to find Sirius, she needed to find Dumbledore and she needed a stiff drink. The war might have been over, but the situation they found themselves in was going from bad to worse. Her information was telling her that Bellatrix LeStrange was now wanted in France for over 90 accounts of murder (and that number was growing rapidly by the hour), that the Longbottoms had disappeared, that Sirius Black had betrayed the Potters to their death and that Dumbledore had been MIA from Hogwarts for most of the past three weeks. This was a political nightmare, as well as a legal one, and she didn't know whether her choice to remain in her house seat was going to pay off, or leave her skint broke.

O_o_O_o_O

Sirius took a deep breath as he pushed open the door to his first cell. He'd erected silencing charms around the whole corridor, so that Rodolphus and Crouch remained uninformed about his identity whilst he worked over Rabastan. He could only admit to himself that he was looking forward to what he was about to do. He knew that he had a vindictive streak a mile wide, and was now letting that side of him take over as he revived his cousin's husband. Rodolphus's eyes only had time to widen slightly before underpowered cutting curses were leaving Sirius's wand in rapid succession. He made sure to stop before his prisoner had time to bleed out and he squatted down, almost coming nose to nose with the brown-haired wizard in front of him.

"You know that muggles have a handy little trick that they call salting the wound." He said with an unpleasant smile. "It is said that it hurts like a bastard, do you want to give it a try or are you going to tell me what you know?" Hs smirk grew when Rodolphus spat in his face, and he called for the little house elf that had so far been amazing with them all. "Nip, I would like to ask if I can pinch a bag of salt from the kitchens please?"

"You cans heir Black. I'll be gettings it for you now." Nip popped away, only to pop back seconds later with a rather sizable bag. Sirius dismissed the elf with a thanks before using his wand to slice open the top of the bag and levitate it dangerously close to the other wizard.

"Do you want me to repeat myself?"

It was much later that night, when he finally dropped into bed with information for his grandfather and a satisfied smile on his face that he considered how much his life had changed over the past few weeks. He knew that the house magic was probably affecting him more than his rational thinking could currently comprehend, however he'd enjoyed himself that evening, and was looking forward to playing once again with the newest residents of the Black family manor.

O_o_O_o_O

The whole table jumped in fright when a ball of flame erupted over their meal, and only the comforting sounds of Fawkes's trill kept any of them from drawing their wands. The bird circled around them once, dropping letters in front of each of the Longbottoms; before landing on the back of Harrison's highchair to play with his black hair; much to the delight of the child.

"If Dumbledore can find us here, we're in trouble." Remus worried as Frank, Alice and Augusta opened their Phoenix-delivered missives. Fawkes trilled at that, sounding half irritated and half resigned. "Does he know where we are?" Remus asked the bird, sighing when a trill in the negative filled him with relief. "Will you tell him?" Another negative trill and the rest of his fear was banished.

"He's writing to tell us that Harry Potter is dead, and that it is safe to come back to Britain." Alice said, looking over the top of her letter to her mother-in-law.

"He's telling me that Neville is the child of the prophecy and that I should be leaning on you both to return."

"Birdy!" Harrison suddenly babbled out and reached out to touch Fawkes's head. A blinding light filled the room as child and Phoenix bonded, and what arose from the ashes was nothing like any of the room's occupants had ever seen before.

O_o_O_o_O

Sirius groaned as he rolled out of bed; the next morning. A bed, which was far too comfortable to be getting out of in his opinion, but it was just after half six, and he knew that Arcturus was going to expect him at breakfast for seven. He had slept like a baby after the action he'd had the previous night, and the first signs of doubt had only just started to curl in his stomach. He'd tortured three men last night; enjoying their screams as his creative choice of spells had them bleeding all over their cell floors. Once he'd obtained snippets of information from each of them, he'd warded their cell doors so tightly that only he, his grandfather and Nip could get to the three men. He had to admit to himself that his decision to use an overpowered Nox Maxima was inspired; and he knew that the sensory deprivation he had caused was going to be getting to the three men by now.

He stood under the shower spray for much longer than strictly necessary, before getting dressed into a clean set of black day robes. He'd never worn casual robes as much as he had in the last two days; his school uniform and Auror robes didn't count and he much preferred jeans and his AC-DC shirt when he was at home. He made his way down to the dining room and was pleased to see that only Melania was in attendance at breakfast so far.

"Good morning grandmother." He said, taking a seat next to her. He had yet to interact with her much; Arcturus having monopolised all of his time up to this point. "Did everything go smoothly yesterday?"

"Much smoother than your day, by the sounds of things my dear." She replied with a smile, taking a sip of her tea as she turned the page of her Prophet. "Alice and Minerva warned us of Dumbledore's arrival with just enough time for us to get out of Oxford. Everyone arrived at Caddington safely, and they were all on their way for a nap when I left them."

"I'm glad they're safe, and I know that I have you and grandfather to thank for their safety. What you have done for Harrison alone in the past seventy-two hours is more than I ever thought possible. You have my sincere gratitude."

"We're not out of the woods yet Sirius. Politically things are going to get dicey from here on out, if you don't think you can handle it, you need to tell Arcturus now, or risk putting our house in danger." Her piercing blue eyes seemed to be peering into his very soul, and he could do nothing but answer truthfully.

"Last night I tortured three men into giving me information. I sat there and enjoyed their screams as much as I enjoyed causing them. I know that I am not the most politically minded person, but it is my aim to learn all I can from grandfather so that I may be ready to sit in our house seat. Grandfather will not steer me wrong in these things, and I will work hard to repair some of the trust that I damaged so long ago. You have my word on these things my Lady." Melania nodded, satisfied and a bright smile lit up her face.

"A fourth child was discovered yesterday. Tell me of your thoughts regarding byhan Hok's (little Hawk) existence."

"It was a shock, but I think I have a better handle on things than I did. I know that it's grandfather's intention to sit down with Andromeda today to discuss matters. If all are agreeable, I will make the offer to adopt her as my daughter. James was adamant that her and Harrison grow up together."

"Dorea foresaw something." Melania said with a nod. "Those of us with similar gifts to your aunt have known something is about to happen for a while now. She would have Seen more than I, my gifts are not as potent, however; I know enough to confidently say that there are five children who are destined for greatness. You have two under your care, Narcissa is raising a third, this girl is the fourth and there is one more yet to come. You would be wise to make the move to adopt Athena as quickly as possible."

"Just how important are these five going to be?" He asked. Not that he doubted her word; his grandmother was known for her gifts; they had always run within the MacMillan bloodlines; he was just struggling with the idea that five children could possibly be as important as everyone kept alluding to.

"I cannot go into details, but I can say that the very fate of this world may come to rest in their hands. Therefore, I must implore you to do everything in your power to ensure they grow up close. That includes talking not just to Andromeda, but to her sister as well. The outcome of the approaching conflict may well rest in just how close Fate's Five truly are."

"I will do all that I can." Sirius said with a nod. "Even if it means that we end up hosting everyone at Caddington. I remember visiting as a child, with the size of the place there should be more than enough room for everyone. Besides, the more the merrier, and I would value different perspectives on the matters at hand."

"That is a wise decision my grandson." Arcturus said, sweeping into the room grandly. "However, I must implore you to think it through and talk to your mate before proceeding. You may end up playing host to Malfoy, the Grangers and as yet, an unknown fifth party. It is not something to leap into blind."

"I've always enjoyed a challenge." Sirius said with a shrug and a grin. "Besides, it will be much easier for everyone to get along if we all have a common goal to work towards. You have said it yourself; the Black family look after one another, and especially their children, any arguments can be settled in an open forum."

"I can't decide whether that's more Gryffindor or Hufflepuff." Melania said with a smirk and Arcturus snorted at his wife's wit. "Seeing as it will be just the three of us for breakfast, why don't we review last night's proceedings?"

"I gained information as you asked my Lord and Lady." Sirius said with a nod. "Bellatrix was given the cup of Hufflepuff for safekeeping, though Rodolphus swears it was more than just a founder's trinket. He seemed terrified of the mere mention of it. They were sketchy on the details of their Lord's fate, they seem to be labouring under the impression that he wasn't gone, but none of them could give me a reason why they thought that. As for Abraxas; they reckon they haven't seen him since their last meeting, just before Samhain, but that he seemed very interested in a black ledger the Dark Lord gifted his son, again they seem terrified to even talk of it."

"That's because both it and the cup are Horcruxes." Arcturus said with a nod. "Narcissa gave me as much information about the book as she could; Lucius is tied under an unbreakable vow, as no doubt Bella will be, but the Dark Lord has never given much thought to the power a spouse holds."

"What is a Horcrux?"

"It is a soul anchor. That is the simplest way to describe it. To create a Horcrux, one splits the soul and places it in an inanimate object, thus preventing death as an incomplete soul cannot cross to the other side."

"So, he's not gone? They are correct in their assumption that he is still alive?"

"It is my belief so, yes."

"Do we intend to attempt to resurrect him?" Arcturus eyed his heir over his cup of tea.

"Do you think me to be a blind follower?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, nodding satisfied when Sirius blushed and shook his head. "I have no intention of raising an insane man back to the living." He sighed before placing his cup down and crossing his fingers over his breakfast. "The thing about Tomas is that he wasn't always mad with blood lust. He had ideals, which most of us would like to see put in back in place. He didn't want to exterminate muggles, he just didn't think that they had a place in this world. He thought that First-Generations should be brought into our world as soon as they showed signs of accidental magic, their families would have all knowledge of them removed and they would be adopted into various lines, strengthening our magic with new blood. It was never about breeding for him, it was about power, and magic."

"But he murdered hundreds." Sirius replied, stunned. "And, anyone who opposed him was added to his shit list and branded blood-traitors."

"Language at the table Sirius." His grandmother rebuked.

"Sorry grandmother. I'm just finding this a bit hard to swallow. So, he was once sane, what the hell happened?"

"Dumbledore happened." Arcturus replied. "Dumbledore is almost directly responsible for Tom becoming what he was on Samhain. I know that the splitting of his soul probably didn't help, but if it hadn't been for Dumbledore's machinations, I don't believe he would have done it in the first place."

"What did he do?"

"Allowed Horace Slughorn free rein for one." Melania tutted. "I never liked that man, always too many fingers in too many pies."

"Dumbledore always regarded Tomas with suspicion, even when he had failed to do anything wrong. Slughorn on the other hand doted on him, doted on them all really. Pollux, Theodore Nott, Abraxas Malfoy, Tristan Rowle, Matthew Selwyn, Herbert Rosier, Evan Parkinson; all members of his beloved 'Slug Club' and all put into contact with the Dark Lord in their formative years, with the exception of Theodore, who was at Hogwarts the same time as Tomas."

"They were his first inner circle." Sirius stated rather than asked.

"The Knights of Walpurgis they called themselves. They originally stood for magic, the old ways and the guarding of our secrets. They made a very convincing case, but Dumbledore wouldn't leave Tomas alone, if he'd had it his way, he would have done it all in the political arena, it was Dumbledore who pushed it to open warfare, and consequently pushing Tomas to take drastic actions to secure himself. I have no idea how he came across Horcruxes, but I can guess who sourced the information he needed to make one."

"Slughorn."

"Astute observations dear." Melania said, smiling at her grandson. "He's been puzzling it out all night." She nodded towards her husband who shot her a bashful smile.

"It made sense in my head, and brings it full circle. So, we wait to see what else we can discover before acting on the Horcruxes."

"We need to retrieve the one Abraxas has taken from his son. If the imbecile tries to resurrect the Dark Lord with a half-baked ritual then it could end up spelling disaster for all of us. I think the best course of action we can take is to gather as many of these things as we can and keep them safe until we know what to do with them."

"Remus can help with gathering more information into the Dark Lord. When he is in full research mode, there is nothing that escapes his attention. We can help grandfather."

"Very well, although there are larger discussions to be had in regards to your living situations first. I cannot in full confidence allow you to be courting without the proper traditions put in place. Nor can we allow your idea from earlier go unexplored."

"I will discuss with Remus upon my return to the manor this afternoon, for now though I would very much like to speak to Andromeda regarding her daughter."

"I had expected nothing less." Arcturus agreed with a nod, and they all finished their breakfast in a comfortable silence.