CHAPTER IV :

Lumena Walburga Black

Harry had never wanted to die.

If there was one thing that he had always been sure of, it was of his desire to live. Of his happiness when he had the permission to go gardening, to be outside and to look at the sky above him. When he saw this sky, always magnificient, so vast and so big, he thought of all the lives that could be lived on this earth. The sky never had pity for him, nor the earth under his feets and neither of them would wait for him.

It always comforted him to know that the sky looked at him the same way it looked at the Dursley and at all the other kids around him. The sky was fair, the earth was fair, life was fair, only men weren't. Once Harry understood that, he also understood that there were nowhere in the world of men where he could be treated in a just and fair way. Because in the world of men, nobody was equal to his neighbor and men didn't look at other men in the same fair and forgiving way the sky did.

Because under the eyes of the sky the world was on fire and the stronger men ate the weaker ones to be even stronger.

"Harry Potter died yestersay, do you understand ?"

The boy looked at Alphard Black through his dark and shiny locks and smiled before answering softly "I understand perfectly, uncle Alphard."

The man crouched before him and Harry looked at his handsome face. When looking at men like Alphard, he couldn't help but tell himself that if the sky was just, fate certainly wasn't. After all it allowed the birth of men like Alphard and Sirius, men for whom beauty, strenght, power and intelligence were like dogs loyaly following them.

Alphard passed a hand in the beautiful hair of his new nephew, pulling at them in a gentle way, his serious expression never leaving his face. "Now you are Altair Black. Do you know what it means ?"

"No, uncle."

Alphard gripped the shin of the child in a strong hand. "I said that I was going to offer you a life beyond your wildest dreams, and I was honest when I said this. The blood that now flows inside you is Black blood, royal blood. With this blood you can have more than you could ever imagine, you could even bring the world to his knees...In the Black House, every child is gifted with the name of a star and you are Al'Tair, the eagle. The eagle because you are meant to fly higher than anybody, to raise yourself above all..."

The boy looked absent-mindedly at the sky through one of the tall window of Alphard's manor and simply smiled. Fly higher than anybody...So after all this years looking longingly at it, the sky had finally see him too. "Altair..." whispersed the child.

"Are you sad, child ? That Harry Potter had to die ?" asked Alphard.

"Not really" answered Altair with a far too dashing smile for one of his age. "I never really liked him anyway."

§§§

Altair stood before the big mirror inside his bedroom.

The words were strange...His bedroom. He had never possessed anything in his whole life. Not a room, not a bed, not even his own life and body. To have was something strange, to have beautiful things was even more unsettling.

His bedroom was bigger than the Dursley's entire living room and more solemn and majestious than anything he had ever seen. It was covered in tapestries and ornated with gold and argent, his bed could fit more than ten boys like him and the mirror in front of him dwarfed him. But the reflection it was showing had its entire place in such a decor.

Because the boy in front of him wasn't the kind of boy who didn't possess anything. The boy who was in front of him was that kind of person you only met every centuries, because they were so perfect that The Creator had to take extra times to make them. Looking at them was like looking at stars, beautiful, untouchable, bright enough to daze but not enough to blind and make it impossible to admire them, but made to gaze at...They were the kind of person with whom sucess and beauty fell in love in the crib, their kisses transpiring at every moves they made.

The face of this boy had no imperfections and even the worse grimaces couldn't bring any fault to it. The skin was of an albaster white, pure and shining as a polished rock and contrasting strongly with hair and and brows as dark as a night sky and falling around on the perfectly sculpted face as it could on one of the museum's cherub. But what was the most startling was the eyes of the boy in the mirror, so intense, so beautiful that it didn't seem possible not to lose and drown oneself in them. Their unearthly blue seemed to live and move like sea water rolling under the wind.

"This face will bring you problems."

Altair turned rapidly to face the owner of the low voice that just spoke. Ho...It was this man. The one who knew his parents and was named after one of the brightest stars in the sky...Sirius. Even with tousled hair, bags under his eyes and a recovering body he wore his name well. He was one of thoses men you encontered every centuries. Too handsome, too regal, and maybe too mad looking. But with a face like his, he could take over the world without anyone complaining.

Sirius smiled weakly at the boy, he was pale and without a doubt weak from the blood loss. He sat on the bed and made a sign for the child to come next to him. The child approached slowly before sitting close to the tired man, looking at him with hopeful eyes. The man seemed to understand and his smile seemed to grow as he let his hand fall heavily on Altair's head in an affectionate pat.

"This face brought me problems" the man continued. "And also blessings. You see, this world we live in is the most vain thing to ever exist. People bow before a pretty face, begin to go crazy before a beautiful one but before one like ours...they would be ready to sell themselves. When I understood this...I despised them."

Altair looked at the man with curious eyes, he understood every words the man used, for he red as soon as he got the occasions and not often children books. The hand on his head started to comb through his dark locks as Sirius continued, his eyes bearing a faraway look. "I never thought that your face or body structure could make you different or superior to the person beside you, but it seemed people proved me wrong all my life. Even thought we were all born from a woman, even thought death would come to all of us, even thought we had the same sky and the same God above our heads...I discovered that in this vain, vain world, people would degrade themselves to slaves only for my looks, my blood, my name and my money. So I played with them. I wanted to show them how ridiculous they were, but they never seemed to think they fell low enough. Even my madness couldn't deter them. Even my mother was in love with this face. Sometimes I think this is the only reason she never tried to kill me."

"Will my face make slaves too ?"asked the child timidly.

"Yes it will" simply said Sirius "but your eyes...These aren't human eyes, these are eyes for which people ended themselves, eyes that caused the doom of many. Your face will make them fall on their knees, but for your eyes...they will all die for a look from them."

"What if I didn't wanted it...What if I didn't wanted people to become slaves or die for me ?"

"What if a tiger didn't want to kill ?" a musical voice intervened.

The two males turned their head to look at the owner of the enchanting sound only to find a more enchanting person. The mermaid. His mother, thought Altair quietly. The woman looked completely fine in opposition to Sirius, apparently blood loss didn't let her weakened for a very long time. She smiled of her own secret and dangerously beautiful smile and walked with an unearthly grace toward Sirius and Altair, sitting beside the boy and brigging him close to her side.

"You can walk now" said Sirius nonchanantly, a crooked smile bringing his full lips up.

"Oh dear...I'll have you know that I am quite a very fast learner" she answered with a smile of her own, who looked more like a predator barring his teeths.

She let her eyes fall once more on the child, Altair, her child... "My child...your heart is too soft. There are some things we cannot change, preys are preys and predators are predators. The most successful kings were tyrants, I saw them, intelligent tyrants, who took the power by force, and the people reverred them for their strenght. Look at what kind of animals the men admire...Are lions, tigers, bears and wolves nice creatures preoccupied by the well being of their preys ?"

"But they cannot help being what they are." defended Altair.

"No, they cannot" agreed the mermaid with a smile "Just as much as a prince cannot help being born a prince, and deciding to be something else would mean to negate himself."

"He still can choose." answered softly Altair. "He sill can choose between being a successful prince, or a good one."

The mermaid furrowed her brows "And you, what do you choose to be my son ?"

The boy looked at the dark sky through the window, heavy with thunder clouds, vibrating in power and majesty. "What is the sky ? Is he successful or is he good ? I think he is neither of it. The sky is above success and goodness, he is justice, wrath and majesty. And this is what I will be."

Sirius looked at the boy, brows high as he saw the thunder reflect in the deep blue eyes. A child didn't talk like this...James's child certainly would never have talken like this. But this wasn't James's child, this child was his. He had his face, his blood, Black's blood...This wasn't Harry, this was Altair Black and Sirius felt almost giddy with excitement. He took the boy in his arms in an almost violent embrace, letting his head roll back as he let out a loud and mad laugh. He did it...This was the proof, the proof that he was above them all, that he would rise above the ones that tried to destroy him, even in his descendance Sirius Black could only give birth to greatness.

§§§

Altair had great difficulties to understand his father.

The man was completely imprevisible. He was like a volcano, and no one could predict when he would erupt. But like a volcano he was fascinating, majestuous and for the lack of a better word, great. He found that even if he didn't understand him, the sometimes mad and intelligent glint in his intense eyes, or his handsome secret smile, it didn't bother him nor did he need to. Already the man that was his father, that gave birth to him in this new life, that gave him this new body, was like a king to him. And he was devoted to him like the most faithful servant would be to the most gracious king.

Altair also found that he had no difficulties to understand his mother.

Because it was always like this with mothers. You only understood that she loved you and this was enough. For a child a mother wasn't a woman that could be understood, she was only an angel, a home, and you didn't have problems to understand your guardian angel or your home, you only knew it was yours and it was enough. He was fascinated by her, by this creature of beauty and light that was his mother, by her ignorance of this world that was even greater than his but to which was allied the most unexplainable assurance that she didn't need to know it to be above it.

He was fascinated by her beauty and of how easily she could make people trip over themselves with one look. But more than anything he was fascinated by her eyes, these eyes that were the same as his but so different, full of love, prudence and possession when they fell on him, and full of anger, passion and burning with curiosity and need when they fell on his father.

He understood that their relationship wasn't the common married couple's one, but in some aspects it seemed much, much stronger. It was as if the room vibrated when they looked at each other. And he didn't need to understand more than that to smile and to know that everything was okay, because people that seemed to come alive when they looked at each other couldn't be without one another, and to know that for a child was plenty enough.

He also found that he had no difficulties to understand his uncle Alphard. He was a proud and prudent man, but one that with filled with malice and certainly a ruthless man if he ever found something to wake his long asleep ambition. He apparently founded it in Altair, and wanted to mold him to be the greatest Black who ever existed. When he looked at him, the boy saw this satisfied and avid fire rumbling, and these hands flexing impatiently to see what high he would access.

It was also very simple to comprehend what it was like to be Altair Black. He was a little prince, the portraits told him so each time he passed close to them, and born to be a king, Alphard repeated it to him at each lesson they spend together. These lessons took place everyday and at any moment, sometimes they even lasted all the day. Most of the time, Sirius and Lumena were also present to comment.

At night, when the time came where he had to go to sleep, only his mother stayed with him, telling him frightening tales of the life under the sea while Sirius and Alphard talked and plotted, neither of them sleeping for more than 5 hours each night.

Altair didn't actually have much time to spend on playing with the luxurious toys that were given to him, mostly pieces that could have their place in a museum or even in heaven if you asked him. His favorite one was his horse, human size and carved in ebene wood, the animal would come to life when he sitted on it, and go around the manor to accompagny the boy in the most amazing adventure in the wide and great property of Alphard Black. It was a very fitting toy for a little prince.

When it was the time eat, they all sat around a great table made in the darkest wood. They would eat the finest meal, always cooked to perfection by theses small and amusing creatures that the adults called house elves. Well beside his mother who seemed to have a neat preference for quality raw meat, bloody, and cutted in small pieces. The child didn't know what was the stranger, what she ate, or the grace and beauty she exuded when she did it.

Today, like always, Sirius and Alphard drank wine, speaking of strange subjects concerning politics, parlement and a trial...Sirius mostly took potions to fade the scars his imprisonnement had left on him but recently he had been able to eat, just as he seemed to become more handsome as each day passed. Today, Altair could see his father in all his glory, and it seemed he wasn't a normal king anymore, but much more than that, like these god-blooded ones that lived in the legends of the ancient days. His cheeks weren't sunken anymore, and his skin wasn't gostly pale, there weren't dark bags under his eyes but only a indecently beautiful face that seemed to carve itself with an all new perfection at each expression. And the imposing and remarquable figure of a man of action.

Everyday, his devotion for his father grew and grew and he could say without a doubt that if his mother had became his world, and that this world was governed by the absolute word of Sirius Black. But today was different, they were only three for the meal, Alphard being absent for urgent matters.

When he came back Altair was laughing at one of his father's joke and even Lumena had cracked a smile, but as soon as they saw the face of the older man, every sound of laughter disappeared from the room. The boy gave a lost look in the direction of his father who slowly stood up.

"What has happened, uncle ?" asked Sirius warily.

The man slowly took of his hat, and then his black leather gloves, all in a perfect silence. He then looked at Sirius, a grim expression on his face before answering in a strong voice. "Your mother...Her sickness is becoming worse and worse. And the medicomage said..."

"Stop. Stop right here." cutted Sirius, a dangerous look appearing in her eyes. "This mean nothing, she has been sick for years and she was always stronger than this."

"Never like this Sirius !" said Alphard raising his voice. "I know my sister, and...She doesn't even recognize us ! She is only ranting and she is becoming crazier each day..."

"She always was mad it doesn't mean anything !" screamed Sirius.

"This isn't only madness ! The illness is devouring her from the inside, it doesn't only damage her brains, her heart...her heart won't last long. She is dying Sirius."

There was a deafening noise as Sirius let himself fall on his sit once again, taking his plate and covers with him in his fall, the porcelain crashing in the ground.

Altair didn't understood much about death. But from what he knew, it meant that nothing could ever be the same anymore.

§§§

Altair thought he had see impressing, that he had see tall, that he had grand and luxurious, but it was because he never saw the Black Family Manor, Grimmaud Palace, that rose through the trees with its sinister greatness.

He had never seen its persian tapestries and turkishs carpets, neither did he saw its ivory stairs and ten meters windows, its onyx funitures and white marble floor. But this moment, he wasn't in a state that would permit him to be comfortably in awe in front of the décor.

His hand in Lumena's, he silently followed the two men before them, they finaly arrived before a great double door in ebene with argent locks. Alphard stopped before them and looked at Sirius one last time. "Are you sure you want to see that ?"

The young man didn't respond, only pushing the door open, entering the room. There on a luxurious and great bed a woman was laid, her breath labored, surronded by a group of fifteen persons all wearing grim expressions. They were all of great beauty so much that Altair started to think that perfection was the common measure with which each Black was created. Some of the women were sobbing and the men held their hat in their hands, their jeweled canes stuck under their arms. And even in her old age and pathetic state, with her gosthly pale skin, tousled black hair and fine white night dress, the woman lying on the bed was exceptionnaly beautiful.

When Sirius entered into the room, all the people present raised their heads to look at him, and on every face shock replaced grief. But the young Black didn't look to pay attention to the look directed to him or to the whispers that broke the precedent religious silence. For a moment he stayed at the door, looking at the woman laid on the luxurious bed with an expression that looked lost between shock and despair.

As he ran to the bed, it looked like he was falling at each step taken and this until he finally let himself completely fall to his knees close to the bed. He frantically took the weak and pale hands of the Black's matriarch "Mother...mother...mother ! Mother, can you hear me ? Do you hear me ?"

The dark-haired woman painfully opened her heavy lids before looking at the face of her son and saying "Orion...Orion is that you ? Have you come to lead me to death now ?"

Her voice was broken and rapsy like sandpaper, but without a doubt it had one day been a powerful voice, full of authority and obeyed without a whisper of protestation. Sirius shook his head desperatly as he tightened his grip on his mother. No matter what happened, no matter how he lived, a man could never forget his mother, neither could he seperate his heart from the body in which it was formed, forever he would remember her and love her.

It was a bitter love Sirius always felt for his mother, for he always hated that no amount of bitterness and anger could make it fade and disappear. He hurted her and she hurted him too and he hated to be in pain when she was in pain, to be ashamed when she screamed and to think about her and miss her when he was alone. As much as he would have liked to, he never hated her. But he always hated loving her.

And now, now that this woman who was always stronger than anything was weakened to this point he felt as thought as it was him who had lost all his strenght. Her hand rose to his cheek as she said "Orion...Orion where is Sirius ? Where is my son ?"

"This is me mother, I am your son. This is me, Sirius."

The hand lost all her softness leaving the handsome face to grip the hair and scratch the skin in a vicious hold. "You are not Sirius. Sirius left me. Sirius left me ! He left his brother to die ! He left me screaming his name for days ! If you are my son, then how are you going to take responsabilities for my heart ? How are you going to take responsabilities for my heart that you destroyed ?! How are you going to take responsabilities for the murder of the Blacks ?! You ingrate, you disloyal, you rotten son ! You killed us ! You killed everybody !"

The beautiful and weak face looked as if it had come alive with madness. The pale hands moved frantically slapping the arms and the neck of Sirius, who didn't try to duck and just closed his eyes under the hits. After what looked like an infinite amount of time, the slaps weakened, and Walburga continued with a tired and tight voice.

"Do you know how much I cried for you ?"

Sirius looked at his mother with haunted eyes "No, I don't know mother."

"I.." Walburga hitted her bust with her fist, her tired hand falling heavily over where her heart was. "I cried so much that I thought that I didn't had any water left in my body, that I thought I wouldn't be able to cry for your brother's death. I cried so much that I wasn't able to move from by bed for days, and when I could, I only haunted this house..."

Her voice broke and she closed her eyes. She stayed silent for a moment before her silver eyes fell over Sirius once again. "Never had I thought I would want to kill my own flesh and blood as much as I wanted to kill you. When I saw what you betrayed me for...I gave you life, I birthed you, my blood lives in you and the strangers you were so loyal to...What did they do ?" An almost cruel smile appeared on her dry lips. "You were a prince for me...But you prefered being a dog for them ! A dog for them ! The shame of it almost killed me ! It killed me !"

Sirius didn't raise his head looking in front of him with an empty expression as his mother violently turned in her bed. "What are you going to do about that ?" she finally asked.

It seemed as if it was the only question that Sirius was waiting for. He immediately raised his head and took his mother's hands between his. He looked intently in her eyes with his own silver ones and kissed them before saying. "I will resurrect the Black. I will make you see our lost kingdom rising from its ashes, like you always wanted. I will become the king you gave birth too and wash our shame in the blood of our ennemies. I will transform the wizarding world before your eyes. I will put your grieving heart to rest, mother."

The woman looked at Sirius with a blank expression before turning her eyes to see for the first time the two figures by the door, a woman holding the hand of a little child. She narrowed her eyes before asking "Who is this ?"

Sirius turned his head and looked at Alphard who immediately guided the woman and the child before the bed, their faces coming out of the shadows, illuminated by the light of the flames and chandelier. For what looked like the first time in years, Walburga Black looked shocked. Her eyes were fixed on the mermaid's blue one and when they fell on the boy her breath was immediately cut.

Before her, before her was the Black's glory, and it was all in the eyes of this little boy.

"Mother" started Sirius, tightening his hold on the pale hands. "Mother, I would like to present you to my wife Lumena Black, and my son, Altair Sirius Black."

The religious silence in the room was then again by the whispers of the Blacks present. All wanted to be assured that they were hearing and seeing well and that before them, Sirius Black had announced his union to a mermaid and presented the child who came from it.

Lumena didn't look very concerned or bothered by the whispers in the room and the insistent looks she received. Her eyes fxed on the woman before her and she smiled in a beautiful manner before saying simply. "You are dying...And really quickly. You already smell like death."

Sirius violently turned to his wife, his eyes sending thunder in her direction but before he could speak, she continued her eyes fixed on the dying woman. "But you aren't sick. You are just poisoned."

The face of Sirius became as white as a sheet and his hand gripped his wife's wrist. "What are you saying, Lumena ?"

Walburga only smiled before the magnificient face above her. "Sharks always smell blood and death better than others, don't they ?"

The mermaid only raised a brow and said with an amused smile. "Yes we do. You won't last 3 days, and in fact I'm not even sure to see you on tomorrow morning. Neverthless I am happy to have met you, and I regret not having known you before."

"Is that so ?" said the woman in a tired but surprised tone. "I didn't thought that sharks would want to have relations with other species."

"But they don't. Sharks only know how to recognize one of their own, madam."

" You flatter me, my girl. Never would I have expected to have my eminent death announced by my daughter...And neither would I have expected her to be one of your glorious race. Or thought that I had a grandson...Sirius, bring the child closer to me." she ordered with an imperious flick of hand.

Altair tightened his fist on his mother's dress, to leave her comforting presence to come to this cold and dying woman didn't look appealing. Moreover he too could smell it, death, this putrid smell that

impregnated the bed sheets. But only one look from his father was enough. In one look he understood that even in this death's stench this woman was like a queen to him, and that it wasn't permitted for him to refuse this request. This was his family, he thought as he let one time his eyes roam through the room. He let go from the silk of his mother's dress, took a deep breath and approached the bed.

The woman seemed to devour him with her grey eyes and soon she spread out her long arms and let touch everything she could touch from him. His black hair, smooth skin, aristocratic features...She seemed to evaluate his high height for a boy, his insolent beauty and finally his unatural blue eyes. For the first time since he arrived, and certainly the first time in years, a true smile broke through the aged face of the woman, and the boy saw a glimpse of the beauty which the heaven haved blessed her with.

"Without a doubt he is your son Sirius...It has been a long time since I have last seen a Black so magnificient."

She let herself fall back on the mass of pillows in her back and closed her eyes before saying with a contented smile. "I can die in peace...for I have seen before my eyes appear the glory of the Black. I have seen it reflect itself in my flesh and blood, and bloom is the eyes of a boy. Now I can meet my ancestors and face them with pride for my blood has not failed."

Her breath seemed more and more shallow in the sensitive ears of Altair and the woman kept her eyes fixed in his. Still looking at him she let a knowing smile adorn her dry lips as she let an heavy ring fell from her finger in the hands of Sirius. "You know what that means...I have always thought that you were a king. Even in death I will observe you my son, keep me content and be the king you were born to be, or I will haunt you."

She then turned her tired head in the mermaid's direction before saying "And you...I have a last gift for you. A parting gift from a shark to another...Consider know that you are Lumena Walburga Black. With this name I offer you, I am giving you strenght and authority to rule this house like the shark I was. You were right...You won't see me in the morning."

Altair looked terrified as the light progressively left her grandmother's eyes, the lids falling over them as an ultimate veil as her head felll heavily on the side. He didn't heard anything after that. Only silence. Death was a deafning silent that didn't leave the place for any sound, not a breath, not a heartbeart, nothing.

And then he heard it. His father's scream, like a wounded beast and he understood that the weight of this silence was enough to break a man's heart.

§§§

"Leave me alone"

"But we are alone." said Lumena in a calm tone.

Sirius rose violently his head and crossed the room with angry steps. He hitted the wall with his fist, cornering his wife, his face deformed by rage and grief. "Don't you understand the meaning of solitude, mermaid ?"

A smile came adorning her enchanting features as she simply said "But I understand it well. The dark and loneliness can do many things to a fragile heart, but none good. And this is because I know it so well that I won't give it to you. You should know it too. Didn't we met in the dark and loneliness ?"

The rage on Sirius's face seemed to crumble, and the weight of all his dark and loneliness seemed to fall upon him. It seemed to crush him as he let himself fall on his knees, his arms surrounded Lumena's waist as he pressed his face in her belly, crying there like a child.

The woman only stood there, looking at the man, asking herself why she felt her heart tighten before her sadness. It wasn't pity, after all she couldn't feel pity. What was it then ? Maybe it was this cursed name that this woman gave too her...Walburga. This name weighted on her heart. She also felt heavy, just like him.

She smiled to herself. Why fight against it ? She closed her eyes, letting her hands fall onto the silky hair. The arms around her waist tightened as Sirius's muffled voice rose "Don't leave alone again. Never again."

"I won't. After all, haven't we made a child together ? I think we are stuck together you and I. But after all it isn't so bad, is it ?"

Sirius looked at her with his bright grey eyes as a sad smile covered his lips. "No, it isn't."

§§§

"Sirius, I would like to speak to you. Privately."

The man who spoke was tall and at the opposite of the other Blacks, he had long blond hair. But he still had the characteristic aristocratic features and pale complexion of british nobility. His father looked at the man with tired eyes before following him into one the private room of Grimmaud Place, Lumena walking closely behind him, her hands engulfing Altair's small one.

The blond man closed the door behind them, and as soon that it was done, debarassed himself from his calm and complaisant expression. His features hardened, as he passed a hand in his long and almost luminous hair.

"Long time no see, Lucius." offered Sirius with a sign of head.

Lucius Malfoy turned a thunderous expression before he said in a strained tone. "I don't care for pleasanteries, Sirius. What I want to know is : do you mean what you just said to aunt Walburga ?"

"I mean it."

Lucius started to shake and passed a hand on his face to calm himself. "Well then I think you should know the state of the family." he said as he crossed the room to a small table, where he served himself a glass of firewhisky. "The Black family has now just 9 completely Black members without you and your family. The others persons you saw were only family by marriage which I am part of. Bellatrix is in jail, Walburga is dead, Regulus is dead, we don't now how much time Actarus and Pollux have left, Cygnus is sick, Andromeda was cast away because of her affiliation to a muggle, Cassiopea has no sense of politics, no sense of affairs and is only interested by dark arts..." Lucius took a deep breath, gulping his drink before turning to face Sirius.

"Lucretia is a Prewett now, and this is an influential family, you can thank Cygnus for their wedding. And Charis is married to the Crouch thanks to me. But that leaves absolutely no lady to marry and form alliances with. We need alliances, we need it bad because since Orion's death and your...little trip to Gryffondorland, Walburga negleted relations with other purebloods. Plus I spoke to Rodolphus as he was in jail, and he wants a divorce with Bellatrix, he wants me to find him another wife, another Black's wife."

"Divorce isn't possible..." started Sirius.

"But it is. It is if the wedding wasn't consummed and if he is complete the rare cases of adultry coupled with treason and dishonour. Stupid Bellatrix had several relationships with the dark lord, never gave an heir to Rodolphus in seven years of marriage and betrayed him by using Lestrange fonds to finance death eaters expedition without his consent."

Sirius slowly closed his eyes as Lucius continued. "Do you understand the situation ? For now the only links the Blacks have are Malfoy, Crouch and Prewett. Rodolphus and Rabastan are the only heirs of the Lestrange, you cannot lose them. Find them wives."

"The only Black of marriageable age that I know is Andromeda and...she is already..."

"Just fiancé." intervened Lucius. "Kill the guy, get rid of it, I don't care but this is her that Rodolphus wants, and then we only have to find another for Rabastan. This is how alliances are made. The ideal would be to gain control over small purebloods family and then give their daughters, it is possible, the Blacks still have money."

Sirius passed a hand over his face, shaking softly his head. Lucius clacked his glass against the wood. "What is it, Black ? Already too much for your Gryffondoric heart ?"

"My heart can bear more things than you can think of Lucius. I will do what I have to do to save my family."

"Good"he said drily. "Because it has been more than ten years since the government has taken restrictive laws against influential purebloods who hindered the ministry power. Regulation of the numbers of children, regulation of the contact with other countries's purebloods...What you have to fight against is the entire magical ministry, and what you have to remake isn't only the Blacks but the entire pureblood's status and lordship in Great Britain. So now I repeat my question ? . mean it ?

"I think I already answered this question. And my answer didn't change."

Lucius smiled in a strange manner before searching for something in his inside pocket. He finally got out a white paper that he put flat on the table before Sirius. "Then I will give you a chance to prove it. This is your calling, Lord Black, for a trial before the ministry and the entire magical world."

To be continued...

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