Harry and Ginny returned to Phoenix Nest to find it in utter chaos. They both thought that Death Eaters had attacked somewhere or some other disaster had struck in the time that they were at Hogwarts. But that was not the case because everyone was happy and dancing and drinking firewhiskey instead of running around like there was a crisis.
To add to the chaos, Kreacher had gotten a hold of some of Fred & George's Weasley Wizarding Wheeze's Wet Start Fireworks and setting them off in celebration. The little elf was laughing and smiling and acting so unlike he had acted before Harry almost thought they had entered an alternate dimension.
Harry finally had enough and set off a loud explosion in the entry hall. "What in the hell is going on here?"
Kreacher appeared and approached his master, with his head bowed low. "It is all Kreacher's fault Master Harry. Kreacher was so happy that he set off the redheaded devil's fireworks. Kreacher should be punished!"
Harry knew who the redheaded devils were, they were none other than Fred & George Weasley. 'That is a very fitting description for them' Thought Harry, but he other matters to deal with first.
"Kreacher you will not punish yourself! Now, can someone please tell me why one of my elvin friends wanted to celebrate in the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix? Did Voldemort die and no one old me? Or did we catch every single Death Eater that is out there? No? Then what in the hell is going on?"
This time Remus cam foreword "Ah Harry. The reason for all of the celebrations is because…I…asked… …Dora…to marry me."
"And she said yes?" Harry asked the werewolf, his voice going deadly quiet.
"Yes." Remus answered, suddenly aware that Harry was the Head of the House of Black and needed to be consulted before any courting or marriage proposal can happen.
"I see. Winky, how soon until dinner is ready?"
"At least two hours Master Harry sir; the meat for the roast was too dry and so I is cooking a new one" The elf replied, now somewhat nervous at Harry's cool stance.
"I understand. Make sure Dobby takes the old roast to Hogwarts for Hagrid to give to the animals."
"I take it that you were able to reverse the lockdown on the castle Harry?" Bill asked, trying to judge Harry's mood.
"Actually Bill, we did more than that. We were able to recharge and rebuild the Heart Stone of Hogwarts."
Bill's eyes flew wide at this announcement. He knew what Heart Stones were and how rare they were, let alone how much magic it would take to rebuild or recharge one.
"Nymphadora and Remus, please join me in my office please. Ginny, would you please explain to the masses what is going on?"
"Or course dear." Ginny kissed her husband on his check before heading off. Without a word to Remus or Tonks, Harry headed towards his study on the 4th floor. Once they were out of site, Ginny spoke up. "Ok everyone; first off, this is Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, not some pub or private home. Celebrating something like an engagement should not happen here unless it is cleared by Leader of the Order or his Deputy.
"Since neither Harry nor I had even known about their engagement, then there is no way for us to allow a party; this…event…is a major breech in protocol, which I am sure Harry is reminding Remus and Tonks at this very moment. Now, the larger problem is that since Tonks is a member of the House of Black, under wizarding law and custom, any suitor who wishes to court a member of a family must receive permission from the Head of the Family.
"Since Sirius' death, Harry has served as Head of the Black Family. I guarantee that Remus had not discussed anything about his intentions towards Nymphadora. I am sure that many you understand the possible consequences of this action."
Ginny let everyone think about it for a moment be continuing, "However, Harry loves Tonks, and he loves Remus so I do not believe that Harry will not allow this union to happen; he'll just toy with them for a little while and show that is indeed the son and godson of a Marauder.
"Remus needs to adhere to the ancient laws and traditions in order to protect Himself and Tonks, and by extension, the Black Family."
"Lady Gryffindor how does embarrassing Remus and Tonks in front of everyone protect them?" One of the other Order members in the room asked.
"You are a muggleborn correct? Ok, the Black Family is one of the oldest families in Europe. In fact the only families older than the House of Black are the Potter, Hogwarts Founders, Dumbledore, and Azkaban families. Because of this, many of the laws that were written by the Ministry of Magic do not apply to these older houses.
"Case in point, as you know Remus is a werewolf. He is registered as a dangerous dark creature. He cannot find work easily because of this fact. This also bars him from marrying, serving in the Auror Corps, or any number of things that we all take for granted, including going to Hogwarts. Albus pulled a lot of strings to allow Remus to attend. Now, if Harry gives his permission and blessing for Remus to court and marry Nymphadora, Harry will in fact make Remus a member of the House of Black, and by doing so, give him the same status as any other witch or wizard. This is very beneficial because as we all know.
"As for the benefit to the Black Family…With Remus as a member of the family, his magic, including his heightened senses, thanks to the wolf inside him, will be added to the Black Family Magic and spread thru the other members of the family. That means that Dora, Harry, me, and Dora's parents will all gain some sort of heightened senses and other increases thanks to Remus' magic. Also, once Remus properly asks Harry permission to court Tonks, Remus will be protected in case he somehow gets out of control during the Full Moon."
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While this was happening downstairs, Harry, Remus and Dora continued to climb the stairs to Harry's Office. Once inside, Harry poured them glasses of Cognac, a muggle alcohol, and sat down at his desk. Remus and Dora took the two guest chairs, still holding hands. After securing his study, Harry spoke to the nervous couple.
"So Remus, when were you going to come me and ask permission to court, let alone marry, Dora?"
Remus looked at Harry like he grew three heads. 'He can't be serious' Remus thought.
"What in the hell do you mean Harry. Remus and I love—"
"Hold you tongue Nymphadora! You are addressing the Head of the Black Family and you WILL show me respect." Dora, for the first time in her life, felt the power of the Black Family within her. It was forcing her to comply, though if looks could kill, Harry would be dead. Dora then felt herself morphing back into her natural look, further infuriating her because she knew this was Harry's will.
"Good. Now that someone is paying her Head of House they proper respect, we can continue. Remus, did you feel that since you are older than I am, and basically my second godfather, that you did not need my consent to start courting Nymphadora here? For let me remind you Mr. Lupin, that as the Head of the House of Black, it is my right to approve and disapprove any potential suitors for any of the women in my family. Did you forget that, Remus? What about you Tonks? Did you ever actually read the books about the Black Family? Because I know that Andromeda gave them to you many, many times when you were growing up" Harry's temper was rising and so was his voice. The magical control crystals within the room had already readjusted the silencing charms three times now.
"And let us also not forget that I personally placed both of your immediate families under my protection as Lord Gryffindor after the Battle at the Burrow. I remember I did it because I was so scared about Ginny that things were eerily clear for me to remember. Now because I know the Remus loves Nymphadora, and she loves you Remus, I am going to ask you both a question each. Remus, what can you offer Nymphadora?"
Remus was shocked beyond belief. Harry was so…cold towards the two of them. Maybe power had gone to his head, but he did have a legitimate right and Remus was sworn to answer him and to tell him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
"Nothing Mi Lord; I am too poor, too old, and not good enough for her. I do not even own a home or many clothes. Being a werewolf I am required to work small side jobs just to survive. The money I make is never much, but it will never be enough to support a family." Remus said defectively.
Remus turned to look at Dora and spoke with conviction "But I do know that I am in love with Dora with all my heart. I will do everything in my power to keep her safe and happy. Somehow she wormed her way into my heart. I don't know when she did it, but one day I woke up and knew that I loved her more than anything else in my life. Two days after that moment of clarity I awoke and I knew she was the one.
"She does not care about my Lycanthropy, and it is at the heart of this matter. Thank you for reminding me that I am a werewolf and as a werewolf I am not good enough for her" Remus stood and started to walk to the door. Dora was crying opening, but Remus was trying to ignore her as he walked away with tears in his eyes. He was almost to the door when he felt Harry lose his temper.
"REMUS JOHN LUPIN YOU WILL RETURN TO CHAIR OR I WILL HAVE GINNY USE HER SUPER CHARGED BAT BOGEY HEX ON YOU!!!!!!!!!"
Remus turned around and saw immense power radiating off of Harry. Dora too had seen this display of power and was just as shocked as Remus. Remus' inner wolf knew that his alpha had just given him an order, rather reluctantly; Remus dropped his head in shame and returned to his seat.
By the time Remus was back in his chair, Harry had regained enough of his temper and spoke. "Now that you have used up your daily amount of self loathing, we can get back to the business at hand. Remus, you may be piss ass broke, older than dirt and have a furry little problem, but you seem to forget the one thing that you can give Dora, your unconditional love. As far I am concerned, there is nothing more important than that." Harry said, with a smirk on his face.
Harry then turned to Dora. "Nymphadora what can you offer to Remus?"
Dora looked at Harry, then looked at Remus. "Harry, I am a trained Auror and make a good amount of money. I own a flat and I am head over heels in love with Remus. Some people do not believe in love at sight, but I do. The first time I met him, I saw how he looked, and I can say this with a doubt in my mind, he looked like shit. His robes were ripped, worn out, and it looked like they were about twenty years out of date. But he had an air around him. It spoke of knowledge, power, and of hardship.
"That intrigued me, but then he spoke to me and I almost wet myself. His voice, it sounded like phoenix song to me and those eyes, they say so much. One second of looking into his eyes and I knew everything there was about him and I was hooked."
Remus' jaw was lying on the floor; he had just fallen in love with Nymphadora Tonks all over again.
"Well, that is rather…enlightening to say the least. Well, because I love you Dora, almost as much as I love Remus, I think that I should give you both the blessings of Lord Black and the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." Harry stood up removed his wand and held it in his hand.
"Remus John Lupin and Nymphadora Aquarius Tonks; I, Harry James Potter, Lord Gryffindor and Head of the Noble Houses of Black, Potter, Flamel, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Azkaban, do hereby grant your request to marry with the following conditions:
That Remus takes his monthly supply of Wolfsbane from a trusted Potions Master from the Order of the Phoenix.
That you both continue to work for the Order of the Phoenix.
That Dora physically drag Remus' sorry ass to Gringotts to inspect his vault, and then go and spend some good damn money on clothes!
That Remus, and your first born son, serves as the Champion of the House of Black.
That you either name your first child Jonathan Harry James Sirius Remus Orion John Theodore Tonks, or you name my wife and me godparents.
"In return, I will make Remus a recognized member of the House of Black, with the rights and privileges involved. I will also give you, for your wedding gift, a brand new home in Hogsmeade where you can raise your children.
"Do you both accept?"
Remus looked at Dora then back to Harry, before smiling. "We accept, Lord Black."
The moment he agreed, Remus, Dora and Harry were surrounded by a silver light, creating an unbreakable vow between the three people.
Harry then stood from his chair and spoke, "Remus John Lupin, by the rights laid down by the First Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, I hereby declare you a member of the House of Black and also it's champion."
Remus' drably robes changed into exquisite black dress robes with the House Crests of Lupin and Black on the right breast. Sitting next to his chair was a sword in scabbard, with the Black Crest on it. However the strangest thing that happened was a screaming sound coming from Remus. It lasted only for a moment; when it stopped, a black mass escaped from an old scar on Remus' right shoulder where Fenrir Greyback had bitten him when he was a child.
As Moony tried to catch his breath, Harry quickly summoned the Black Family Tome and began to look thru it. Something strange had happened regarding Remus' Lycanthropy and Harry wanted to find out what had happened and why.
The Black Family Tome was the written record of the Black Family. Since its creation 1100 years ago, the Tome has been passed down from one Lord Black to the next, each one adding their own piece of history.
After a few minutes, Harry soon found the passages that he had been looking for. It was the record of Lord Lucifer Black and his family; they were considered some of the darkest members of the House of Black.
The Year of Our Lord Four Hundred and Fifty Four AD, today begins the rise of the next Lord Black, my son Septimus Black.
Septimus has been experimenting with potions and the properties of blood magic and has finally made progress. He has combined the blood of a black wolf and the blood of a shadow wolf with the blood of a deranged criminal whom had spent significant time in the vicinity of dementors. He then injected a small muggle boy with this combination. The result was a man-wolf that would only become a wolf on the full-moon.
Septimus has quickly discovered the limitations of the man-wolf. The wolf only shows during the full moon because of the shadow wolf's magic. Their magic gives them the ability disappear into any shadow, only during the full moon can they not shadow walk. However, there not enough magic in the blood to allow the man-wolf to shadow walk. The creature was also very allergic to silver of any kind, this is possibly due to the silver cauldron the blood was mixed in, and even in human form the man-wolf has heightened abilities; increased strength, smell, hearing and eyesight.
The creature does not remember what it does while as a wolf, it is almost as if the animals suppress the human mind. More research is needed, may need to infect more subjects. Recommend muggle men and women for more complete research.
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Today Septimus discovered that one man-wolf can contaminate any human, magical or not. Septimus described to me how Adam, his first creature, attacked two of his assistants. One was killed, but the other was contaminated and became a man-wolf. Septimus also told me that this contamination cannot be passed from parent to child. However the wolf form does enjoy mating with any female wolf creature, though no offspring is created.
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I cannot believe him; Septimus gone too far this time!!! He has released his…experiments into the wild. During the Full Moon two nights ago, Adam and his mate broke free of their cage. They bit or killed every uncontaminated person within the castle, including Septimus. However, my son was somehow immune to the disease.
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After spending three days in Black Castle recuperating, I spoke to my son today. Septimus feels that his own magic saved him from becoming one of those animals. He believes that since he used his magic to help create the blood potion then our magic, the Black Family Magic, has a natural immunity to Lycanthropy. Lycanthropy is the term Septimus has come up with regarding this disease he created.
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I found out Septimus was right about the immunity within our blood today. Septimus' home was attacked by a pack of Lycans last night. When I arrived this morning, I found my son's body to his two sons Remus and Romulus. Both boys were bitten, but otherwise fine. Septimus and his wife however were not fine. Numerous bite marks and scratches marked their remains.
When the next Full
Moon came, my grandsons did not transform like I had feared. They
felt fine and played the night away. The only things I found out that
night were that the boys do have heightened abilities. It may be
possible that these two boys are now; I must speak to Gregory Malfoy
about this.
Harry finished reading the notes and looked up at the hopefully former werewolf. Harry immediately saw that Remus' Aura had changed. The tentacles of black were gone, but there was still another color…it was still black, but it looked like fur. Harry realized what he was seeing; it was the shadow-wolf within Remus. Remus was now an Animagus, a shadow wolf; no more would he have to worry about the full moon.
"Ah Remus, you might want to read this. If I'm right, then your life has just gotten much easier."
Remus and Dora read the passages a number of times before Dora looked into Remus' eyes as Remus transformed into a beautiful Shadow-Wolf. He was all black with blue eyes. He remained a wolf for a moment before transforming back to his human form and kissed Dora deeply.
Deciding that the rest could wait till later, Harry asked Kreacher to take them to one of the other suites so that they could celebrate.
Harry left his office and went off to find his wife and tell her, and the rest of the family, the good news.