Chapter Four
The Queen's Tomb
"By flying, men often rush into the midst of calamities."
-Sir Roger L'Estrange
Summer, 1965
It hadn't been the same without Bellatrix.
Their older sister had left, the previous year, to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and for the first time in their lives, Andromeda and Narcissa Black were without her. They had plenty to occupy their time, of course, but they were so used to doing everything with Bella. It did allow Andy to give her younger sister more attention than she'd ever had, though, as she and Bella, being the oldest, had always been the closest. When Fall came, Cissy would be alone, as it would be Andy's time to join Bella at Hogwarts. For now, though, they were going to enjoy their time, together, with Bella returning for the Summer holiday.
Bella hadn't been out of touch, completely. She'd written, often. She loved the school, though she'd gotten herself in trouble, early on. Being Bella, how could she not? After her first detention, she'd been asked by Professor McGonagall if she'd learned her lesson. Bella had. From here on, she determined, she'd not get caught.
Yes, the faculty, afterward, had a model student in Bellatrix Black. Professor Slughorn, her Head of House, knew better, but found her antics amusing. As their parents expected, Bella was invited into Slughorn's prestigious Slug Club, that Spring.
Their mother, Druella Rosier Black, knew Hogwarts was about to be gifted with another talented troublemaker. She'd just caught Andy in one of the "forbidden" rooms of their estate, Eden. She was absorbed in a book she was far too young to read, so she didn't hear her mother enter.
"Ahem."
Andy looked up. Oh, crap!
"Mummy!"
Druella put on his Stern Mother Face.
"You know you're not supposed to be in this room."
"I know, Mummy," Andy said, using her Please Forgive Me Puppy expression. "I'm sorry."
Druella couldn't hide her amusement.
"You're sorry you got caught."
She couldn't be too upset, though. While the girl was a Black, she was also a Rosier, after all. But, she'd have to make it clear to her that things in this room were not to be toyed with. She decided to give her a tour, and some family history.
The Rosiers were one of the oldest magical families in Britain, dating to the Normans. Only the Celtic and Saxon magical families had been there, longer, and the family did have some distant Celtic relatives. The Danaans frequently had the shape shifting gift, indicating a common ancestory, so much of their history, as well as that of the Rosiers, was lost in myth.
How the myths were passed changed with the times. Those of the Wizarding world knew this, well. The great Merlin's, and especially Morgan le Fay's, reputations had been severely damaged since Mallory wrote his version of King Arthur's history to bring it into line with Catholic Church doctrine. So it was for the name of Rosier in the Muggle world, and, sadly, increasingly even in the magical one. The ancestor for which the family was named was now considered infernal. He, and his associates, were called demons, and evil, despite the fact that they had been advisors to the wise King Solomon, and helped build the famous Temple. Rosier was now called the Patron Demon of tainted love and seduction, the shape shifting gift, especially it's ability for the shape shifter to be male or female, now seen as proof of evil. Even the Wizarding world had taken to calling shape shifters "Metamorphmagi" to distance them from the connotations.
Rosier had broken some rules in arranging two marriages, that of David and Bathsheba, and Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. However, the first resulted in Solomon, and the second in Solomon's Song, a beautiful passage of the Bible. Surely, Druella thought, the results of her ancestor's actions were worth the means of achieving them.
Such an attitude, she did realize, was why Rosiers were always sorted into Slytherin House.
Andy looked at the ring in the case her mother was showing her. It was an ornate ring with what Andy thought was writing in ancient Hebrew, and two interlocking triangles forming a hexagram. She recognized this.
"The Seal of Solomon," she whispered. "With it, he commanded demons, genies, and could speak to animals."
Druella was impressed.
"Yes. It came into our family's possession, and has been passed to the oldest shape shifter, ever since."
This meant it would one day be Andy's.
"Why the oldest shape shifter?"
"We are the ones considered the true Rosier heirs. Your uncle Phillipus was very jealous that I inherited the gift instead of him."
"Like Cissy is of me."
"And Bella... Though she'd never admit it."
"But... How have we kept the last name, if the heir is sometimes a girl? Surely, you're not the first."
"No... Eventually, after enough generations have passed for it to be safe, we marry a cousin with the Rosier name. Don't worry... You won't have to marry Evan."
"Good!" Andy said, relieved. "But, if I have a daughter, she might have to marry a son Evan has..."
"We'll worry about that when the time comes, if it does. I'd be happy to take the old Celtic tradition of having a middle name as a Clan name, so we always have the name Roiser, as you do, even if it isn't your surname."
So, that was why she and her sisters had such long names instead of the usual three.
The first thing Andy and Cissy noticed upon Bella's return from Hogwarts was that their oldest sister had grown.
She wasn't simply taller, either. She was, as their mother put it, an "early bloomer". If Bella was feeling awkward about the changes in her body, she didn't show it. But then, Bella had developed a thing about showing any sort of weakness. Now, though, she had to steel herself for the inevitable. It was time for The Talk. At least she wouldn't face this horror, alone, as their mother decided Andy needed The Talk, too, as she would be going to Hogwarts, herself, at the end of the Summer, and there was a strong possibility she'd be an early bloomer, too. And, an early bloomer who could change gender on a whim was doubly dangerous. When Andy first figured out how to do that, she spent a week running around showing her newly discovered ability to everyone.
So, their mother sat them down and gave them the very embarrassing lecture about girls, boys, sex, pregnancy, and the available contraceptive charms and potions, which they would be required to have access to at all times. Andy also had the rules for shape shifters at Hogwarts explained to her, that she was not to ever be a boy in the dorms. With that said, her dormmates would be required to have access to the same contraceptive charms and potions. The girls really didn't want to think about how their mother knew that.
"Don't you trust us to be good girls?" Bella asked.
"No," Druella replied. "And Bella, take care of your sister, when her time comes, as you've been through this."
Bella smiled, wickedly.
"Of course. I'll show her off."
Andy looked frightened, and Druella, outraged.
"Bella..."
"Mum, I'm kidding! Besides, you know the Prefects would have my head for that."
"I have another important question, Bella, and please answer this honestly. Are you still a virgin?"
Now, it was Bella's turn to look shocked.
"Wha... Of course, I am! You know boys can't get into the girls' dorm!"
"There are other places to do things in that school, as you well know."
"Mum, I have not fooled around with any of the boys."
Druella still looked suspiciously at her.
"Or any of the girls, either! I'm not the experimental one."
It took Andy just a moment to catch the implication.
"Hey!"
"But," Bella smiled and said, "I solemnly swear to protect my sister from the amorous attentions of the other Slytherin girls."
"Good. See that you do."
"So, Lord Voldemort's lessons helped?" Andy asked Bella.
"You wouldn't believe how much!" Bella gushed. "Anything that didn't involve a wand, I was way ahead on. And Defense Against the Dark Arts was a breeze, of course."
"Did you find any of the secret places?"
"A couple of the ways in and out of the place. We'll find more. There are all kinds of stories about secret places, there."
Andy was looking forward to it. But, there was one secret place she was most interested in. Most dismissed it as a legend. But, that could wait. She had something to impress even Bella with.
"I got into a secret place, myself."
"Really? Do tell."
Cissy spoke up.
"She went into that chamber Mum told us we couldn't go into."
Bella was impressed, and chastised herself for not doing it, before. She then realized just where Andy was taking them.
"So, does it live up to expectations?"
"Oh, yes!" Andy said as they reached the door. "Here, I'll show..."
She tried opening the door. It didn't budge. It wasn't a normal lock, either. Voldemort had taught them some wandless magic, and she could feel the magical barriers in place. There was also a large hexagram that hadn't been there, before.
"Damn!" Andy and Bella exclaimed, together.
"You two know your curses," Cissy commented, and giggled at her own joke. "Mummy doesn't want you going back in there."
"No, no..." Andy insisted. "It's a test. It's just a challenge she's set for me to overcome."
Bella clapped Andy's shoulder. "That's the spirit! Maybe you'll learn something from Lord Voldemort's next lesson that'll help."
Cissy said, "Oh yeah, that's right. You just get back from school and you have to study, some more."
"I'm looking forward to it. Isn't he just the greatest?"
As Summer progressed, Andy found herself not only learning, but teaching. Her young cousin, Sirius, was spending the Summer at Eden. Now, most six year olds would be homesick, pretty quickly, but not Sirius Black. He had no desire to go home. Ever.
What Andy had been assigned to teach him was how to swim. She was given this task partly because she was the cousin Sirius seemed most comfortable with, and partly because she was the one most trusted not to let him drown. At the pond, though, he was especially noticing how Bella had grown.
Bella looked down at him and said, "No, you can't touch them."
"Like I'd want to touch them!" Sirius retorted.
Andy discovered, after a while, that she really liked the little brat, as much a pain as he could be. She decided to introduce him to the wonders of rock'n'roll, which he loved, immediately, as it touched his already rebellious, restless, spirit.
Summer was coming to a close, and Bella and Andy prepared for the next Hogwarts term. Upon learning she could have a pet, Andy asked Bella if she could have a boa.
"No, it's not on the approved pet list. I asked for one, last year."
Andy sat alone in the garden, thinking about the year to come. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice someone else enter the garden until she heard the familiar click of a camera. She looked up, and smiled.
"Lord Voldemort."
"Hello, Andy. You're looking pensive."
There was something she'd been wanting to ask, all Summer. Everyone else who might know either denied it's existence, or changed the subject, quickly. But, he'd know, and he'd tell her the truth.
"Knut for your thoughts."
Oh, go ahead and ask... "Lord Voldemort, is the Chamber of Secrets real?"
The girl was still full of surprises. He thought of an appropriate response.
"The time has come, the Walrus said, to speak of many things."
Andy raised an eyebrow. He did know something.
"Curiouser and curiouser..." she replied.
Voldemort sat beside her.
"Yes, it does exist." After her very pleased reaction, he added, "But, that is a rabbit you don't need to chase. It's guarded by a basilisk."
Oh.
He added, "It will follow the commands spoken to it, but... It has to understand you. And, as talented a witch as you are, you do not speak Parseltongue."
During the reign of Nero, Queen Boudicca lead the Celts in revolt against the oppressive Roman Empire. She was almost successful in driving them out, having won many battles, to the point Nero considered withdrawing the Empire from Britain, entirely. The tide turned, however, and Boudicca was defeated at Battle Bridge. She would remain, however, a symbol of Celtic resistance, and the Celts would ultimately sack Rome during the 5th Century.
In the time of the Celts, there was no separation of magical and muggle. The Celtic ruling families were magical. Eventually, the Celts fell, and the magical community would withdraw itself from the muggle society, for the most part, at least.
The magical community hid itself within the muggle world, with it's own laws, traditions, and government. There was still necessary interaction, though, as they were sharing the same cities and land. Only those who needed to in the muggle world knew of and dealt with the magical community. This, by necessity, included the reigning monarch, as the Royal family was descended from those very same Celtic Kings and Queens from whom the magical families of Britain were descended.
In the 19th Century, Victoria reigned. She considered Boudicca her namesake, as her own name was an English translation of the great Celtic Queen's name. Boudicca's legend would experience a revival in popularity, both in the muggle and magical communities. It was during this time that Isabel MacDougal Black, Minister for Magic, had an idea that she shared with the Queen.
Isabel MacDougal Black had been born and raised in Scotland, but now lived in London with her husband in his family's home on Grimmauld Place, about a mile from what was once known as Battle Bridge, but was now known as Kings Cross, the final resting place of Queen Boudicca. She decided that her noble ancestor's tomb would be a threshold, where all magical children would pass from the mundane muggle world to begin their journey to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even the purebloods would make this transition. A meeting with the Queen, and it was so. Kings Cross Station was built, for muggle transportation. But, where Queen Boudicca was buried, close to Platforms 9 and 10, there was a threshold, that led to a secret part of the station, where magical children took a special train, the Hogwarts Express, to begin their magical education.
Over a century later, one of her descendants, Andromeda Black, was preparing for her first term at Hogwarts. Her older sister, Bellatrix, was preparing for her second year. There was much to do, including a trip to Diagon Alley in London for school supplies, clothes, and Andy's first wand. There was also still some tutoring with Lord Voldemort. Rather than the usual lessons in wandless magic and the Dark Arts, today, the lesson was about music, muggle music, to their surprise.
Lord Voldemort told them that, since they were listening to muggle music, anyway, he was going to expose them to one of his favorite composers, Wagner.
Andy discovered she quite liked this music. It was epic, and told of great myths and legends. One in particular, Parsifal, was a tale of a great Wizarding family, one well known even to muggles.
She and Lord Voldemort were still discussing it in the garden, Perceval, the Grail Maiden, and the Fairy Folk who kept and protected the Grail, and guided the Grail Knight, as they were watching the sun beginning to set.
"All of us who are magical have Sidhe blood," he told her. "Though, some have more fairy blood than others. You'll notice how different than most of us the Ollivanders are, when you buy your wand."
"Why do they have more?" Andy wondered. Partly, she was curious, but there was also a touch of wounded Black family pride, that the Sidhe would value any families more than her own.
"When they withdrew from this plane, they didn't leave us, entirely, as you know. They planted their seed in us, but, from time to time, they refresh their blood ties. They do it with the Ollivanders, regularly, and the Ollivanders are the oldest family in the British magical community. It's a bit ironic, really, that they've been making wands for us, all these years, since the Sidhe specialize in Earth magic, wandless magic, what the Ministry," Andy noticed the contempt in Lord Voldemort's voice when referring to their governing institution, "labels the Dark Arts."
"Since they withdrew from this plane, the Seelie Court, anyway, why do they keep coming back, and getting involved?"
"Now that is the question, isn't it?"
Many, many, centuries ago, the Sidhe were divided. Those with a more benevolent view of the rest of the world became known as the Seelie Court. Those more hostile became the Unseelie Court. The opposing Courts had been in conflict, ever since.
"They're up to something," the Dark Lord said. "They are carrying out some long term plan. That's the advantage of their long lifespans. They can plan, for centuries."
The Unseelie Court, as Andy knew, had never left. Anyone who had ever been to Gringotts had encountered the Unseelie Court, as the wizarding bank was run by goblins. Given the past hostility between goblins and wizards, and the Unseelie Court being defined by it's ill will towards wizards and muggles, alike, some questioned the wisdom of giving the goblins control of the wizarding banking system.
"What do you think they're up to?" Andy asked.
"I think I know. The Seelie Court has turned up, several times, over the centuries. They were there with Eleanor of Aquitaine and her Courts of Love, spreading their romantic ideal... Terribly unrealistic of them."
Andy frowned, not liking the ideal of love being called unrealistic. The meaning of her very name represented love, as well as war, after all, and one of her middle names was Eleanor, after the Queen...
Voldemort continued. "They inspired Shakespeare. And, I'm certain, inspired Wagner to compose the piece we've been discussing. They've been very active in this plane for a little over a century, now, making their presence known even to the muggles."
"Isn't that violating the Statutes of Secrecy, making themselves known to muggles?"
"The Seelie Courts never agreed to the Statutes. The Unseelie Courts did, but the Seelie Courts just take the Statutes as... a suggestion. They have an older agreement with the Royal Family than the Ministry does, so the Ministry can't really touch them. It drives the Ministry mad." The Dark Lord smiled as he said this, taking an obvious delight in anything that upset the Ministry of Magic.
So, what do you think they're up to?" Andy asked, again.
"I think... No, I know... that both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts have been very offended by both the muggles and the various Ministries of Magic. It's only a matter of time before they put aside their differences with each other, and act in consort."
Oh dear, thought Andy. That was ominous.
"Don't the Seelie like us?" she asked.
"Compared to the Unseelie Court, yes. But, always remember, they can be as ruthless and dangerous as the Unseelie when they're offended. They're also attracted to beauty and potential, and have been known to carry off those that have attracted them." He smiled, and added, "You'll have to be especially careful, if you draw their attention."
"Have you met with the Seelie Court?"
"On occassion, and I always know when they're present."
"How?"
"Have you ever seen something, out of the corner of your eye... At night, or twilight... then turned to look at what caught your eye, and saw nothing?" She nodded. "Then, you've caught a glimpse of the Fae."
Voldemort paused, and looked around.
"As the muggles say, speak of the devil... It's twilight, their favorite time. Do you feel it, Andy?"
Andy felt... something. Something magical, lightly brushing her senses. She noticed it had become misty.
"Are they... here?" she whispered.
"They must have known we were talking about them."
"Do they... always know? Always come when...?"
"No. But, we were talking about them, the two of us. It seems they've noticed you. Come."
He started towards where the pond was, but saw Andy's hesitation to follow.
"Don't worry," he told her. "They won't try to take you as long as you're with me."
Reassured, she began walking with him towards the pond, as the mist grew heavier. She looked up at him, taking note that he was handsome, powerful, and quite brilliant.
"How do you know," she asked, "that they won't take you?"
"They've had plenty of opportunity, since I first encountered them as a child. Sometimes, I wished they had, when I was growing up in the orphanage. But, it seems, they just like to be certain I know that they're there."
When they reached the pond, she saw the most beautiful sight she'd seen in her young life.
"Shh..." Voldemort told her. "Don't disturb them. Just watch, and listen."
After a while, it seemed one of the dancing fairies was looking straight into Andy's eyes. She was blonde, an etherial beauty, with especially large silver eyes that seemed to look right into Andy's very soul, and never once blinked. Andy felt enchanted, and couldn't turn away. She was then startled to feel a hand on her shoulder. She quickly looked up to see it was Lord Voldemort, who was looking warningly at the fairy. The fairy simply smiled knowingly and continued her dance.
"So," Bella asked her, the next morning, "what were you and Lord Voldemort doing, yesterday evening?"
"Watching the fairies dance," Andy replied.
Bella rolled her eyes. As if Lord Voldemort would spend an evening watching fairies dance...
Today, Bella, Andy, Cissy, and their parents were going to Diagon Alley to shop for the older sisters' school supplies. First stop, Ollivander's, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. Andy remembered what Voldemort told her about the Ollivanders, and mused that, while the Unseelie Court had control of their banking system, the Seelie Court controlled the manufacture and distribution of wands in Great Britain.
Bella had already told Andy what to expect, the immediate recognition, the complete description of their parents' first wands, the explanation that the wand chooses the witch, and that every Ollivander's wand is unique. Andy was still startled by Mr. Ollivander's eyes, exactly like that of the Fae, large, moonlike, unblinking, and... invasive.
The wand that chose Andy was twelve inches, holly, with a dragon heartstring. Her wand, she was told, would be especially good for hexes, protective against evil, and good for those who dream. Well, everybody dreams, Andy thought.
"So," Bella said with the Panteted Black Smirk after they left, "our Andy needs twelve inches of wood."
"Hey!"
She didn't get the boa she wanted for a pet, but she did get a black owl. She named him Perseus.
Finally, it was the day. Before going to Kings Cross Station, they had breakfast at their Aunt's and Uncle's home in London. Not that the sisters were looking forward to breakfast with Aunt Walburga, but at least their young cousins would be there. Bella had warned Andy of the pre-Hogwarts lecture she'd get from Aunt Walburga, the one she'd gotten the year, before.
"Just nod, agree at the appropriate moments, and remember that the torture will end."
Sure enough, the stuffy woman gave her the speech about being a Black (Yeah, I know my last name), Toujours Pur (Yeah, yeah), her name, Andromeda, meaning "Ruler of Men" (Yeah, I know what my name means), family honor (Yeah, I'll try not to burn the place down)...
Eventually, the nightmare ended, and it was off to Kings Cross. Muggles, everywhere! But, Andy was able to spot the magical, among them. Right before the entrance to Platform 9 3/4, they ran into the Malfoys. Andy rolled her eyes as her old friend, Lucius, courteously kissed her hand. But, she understood. Their parents were watching.
Lucius Malfoy was content.
He was the son of one of the wealthiest and most respected Pureblood families in the wizarding community. He knew his place in the world. He was Nature's Nobility, one of the elite, above the muggles and halfbreeds, above those filthy Mudbloods who thought themselves true witches and wizards. He would live a life of wealth, privilege, and power, which was his by right.
That was unquestionable.
He was about to begin his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as his parents, grandparents, and many generations of his ancestors did before him. He would associate only with fellow students from the right families, of course. Hogwarts admitted all manner of riff-raff, but they mattered little. He would marry a beautiful girl from another elite Pureblood family, and produce children who would, in turn, live lives of wealth, privilege, and power, which would be theirs by right.
He even had a very good idea of who that girl would be. For as long as he could remember, Andromeda Black had been his best friend, and, he could tell from the way both sets of parents looked at them when they were together, they were expected to become more. They chatted until Bella came to collect them.
"Let's go, my ickle first years. Roddy's finding us a compartment."
In the 1600s, the first man to make journalism a profession was Sir Roger L'Estrange. He led quite a remarkable life. Sentenced to die under Cromwell, he escaped prison, and would prosper from the Restoration. His publications would be absolutely loyal to the Monarchy, and he would use his connections to suppress other voices. He had a reputation for vicious and personal attacks on his enemies, but his enemies gave him no more quarter than he did them.
When the magical community withdrew from the muggle one, the magical members of Sir Roger's family brought their journalism profession with them. To this day, the Lestranges dominated journalism in the British magical community, owning and running the Daily Prophet and other publications, like Witch Weekly. Critics would sometimes say their policies hadn't changed much from Sir Roger's, but few critics were in a position to have their voices heard.
Rodolphus Lestrange was finding himself in increasing agreement with the critics.
Roddy had two younger siblings, Rowena and Rabastan, three and six years his junior, respectively. As their family was responsible for reporting the news for the magical community, he knew much that most of his fellow wizards and witches didn't, things the Daily Prophet didn't report. He thought that, to be what was supposed to keep the magical community informed, the Daily Prophet did a lot of keeping the public in the dark. But, as Roddy was told, that was how the Ministry wanted it.
The Ministry wanted to keep the magical community uninformed about a lot of things, Roddy mused. He'd been studying at Hogwarts for a year, now, and had seen what the Ministry's restrictions had done to their educational system. Hogwarts didn't teach Latin, the very language of most of the spells they used. Students were taught to memorize the incantations, but didn't learn what the actual words they were using meant, the very components of the spells. Fortunately, the Ministry couldn't ban families teaching their children Latin, at home. Roddy, his siblings, and their friends had been. There were also tight restrictions on what magic would be taught at Hogwarts.
"It's about power," their tutor, Lord Voldemort, had told him. This old friend of the family had been instructing him in the subjects forbidden at Hogwarts.
"The Ministry has power, and wants to keep it. Knowledge is power, so they seek to keep that from you. If you don't truly understand how magic works, you won't be creating new spells outside of their control. But, you can choose to take power for yourself. Seeking power is our very nature."
And so, Roddy sought. The Ministry, try as they might, couldn't prevent him, if he was determined. And, Roddy was very determined.
He'd found a kindred spirit in Bellatrix Black, who, along with her sisters, was a fellow student of Lord Voldemort. Yes, the Ministry would never be able to hold this select, truly elite, group of young people back. They'd make their mark.
At first, Lucius was relieved to see Roddy. As much as he loved Andy, he wasn't able to follow the conversation she was engaged in with Bella. They were deep in conversation about muggle rock'n'roll bands, though why they would be so interested in something so trivial and muggle was something Lucius couldn't comprehend. Andy was going on about the genius of some Yank named Brian Wilson, and talking about someone named Bob Dylan as though he was some sort of leader and guide.
"When you hear him, it will be a revelation," Andy told him.
Lucius's expectations that conversations would be back to normal subjects was dashed, quickly, when they settled into their compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Lucius didn't understand the discontent with their world that his friends were developing. They were the elite. What concerns could they possibly have? Yet, Roddy seemed to see something missing from their world as much as the Black sisters did. And Bella was just egging them on.
Lucius had always been taught to observe people. Bella was a restless ball of energy. Her restlessness seemed to be infectious.
"The Prophet will be very different when I'm are in charge," Roddy told them. "No more being the Ministry's puppets. We'll tell the truth, what really goes on, there."
Lucius drawled, "My father says people don't want the truth."
"They may not want it, but they need it," Roddy responded. Bella smiled at that.
"Yeah!" Andy chimed in. "Like the Cuban Missile Crisis, a few years back. There we were, on the verge of being wiped out by the muggles, and almost nothing in the Daily Prophet about it!"
What? Lucius had heard about this little incident involving muggles, overseas. But, on the verge of being wiped out? Andy had obviously developed a gift for exaggeration.
Bella added, looking haunted, "If we didn't have other news sources but the Prophet, I wouldn't have known... I had nightmares, for weeks."
So much for Bella being the voice of reason, Lucius thought. Bella, admitting that anything scared her? Bella, scared of muggles? Muggles were weak. They couldn't possibly be a threat to Nature's Nobility. What had gotten into his friends? He suspected he knew. His father had expressed concerns...
"Dad had the story buried," Roddy said. "No need to cause a panic, he said. No need..." he scoffed.
"The muggles used those weapons at the end of the Grindelwald War." Andy said.
"So, what?" Lucius asked, unable to believe that his friends were worried about bloody muggles.
"I saw the pictures," Roddy added,. "It was... The ones killed by the blasts were the lucky ones. For the rest, it was slow, and painful..."
"And," Bella said, "they've made their weapons more potent, and don't even have to be close to use them. A push of a button, and we're dead."
"If they don't kill us slower with their pollution," Andy added, in disgust. "The land, the air, the sea... They've poisoned it. There's less green, every day. We need it. We need the trees. They're where the oxygen we breathe comes from."
"And, the muggles know this!" Roddy said, becoming quite animated. "Their scientists figured it all out, a long time ago, but the muggles are doing nothing."
"Sounds like the Ministry of Magic," Bella said, contemptuously.
"Yeah!" said Andy. "The world's going to hell and they're doing nothing! We have all this power, supposedly, all this magic, and what are we doing?"
"We used to rule this land," Roddy said. "I wonder what our ancestors would say about our sorry state?"
"I think you already know," Andy said, softly.
"I think," Lucius announced, having heard enough, "that the lot of you listen to a certain Halfblood, too much. The ideas he's putting into your heads..."
"Hmmph," Andy responded. "Things are going to change. I'll see to that."
Bella smiled and said, "Daddy thinks our Andy is going to be Minister for Magic. I'm not sure she'd settle for that."
"You should wait 'til you're out of school before taking over," Roddy told Andy, as they shared a smile. "And promise me the first exclusive interview when you do."
Lucius Malfoy was content.
He considered the concerns of his friends. Yes, he had to acknowledge some of them had a basis, but...
They were the elite, Nature's Nobility. The muggles were no threat to them. Nothing could alter their way of life. That was how it had always been, and always would be.
That was unquestionable.
Wasn't it?