Chapter Twenty-Two
A few things had changed in the weeks following the second task.
For one, Daphne had followed through with her promise to give her sister private lessons. Their time together had proven worthwhile, if Astoria's recent performance in class was any indication. Astoria had also managed to keep her temper in check, and her animosity towards Jason had all but disappeared. Instead, they tended to completely ignore each other unless forced to interact, and whenever they did, they were both overly cordial to one another.
The two of them essentially acted as if they were complete strangers at a society event - a standard that had been set by Jason, which Astoria seemed happy to follow. When Harry asked Jason about their new dynamic, he simply responded that he had enough crazy people to deal with in his own house, so he wasn't going to take any chances with her anymore.
Hermione Granger had recovered well enough from the trauma of Ron and Neville's deaths to leave the hospital wing. She had returned to classes with renewed vigour, though she largely kept to herself.
Ginny Weasley was still visibly despondent, but the twins had recovered some of their spark and were back to pranking. The difference was that the pranks now had a malicious feel, designed to humiliate their victims instead of providing amusement, and they almost exclusively targeted Slytherins. There had even been one incident involving a couple Slytherin firsties that had Daphne on the verge of unleashing Kael on the duo, though she managed to restrain herself. There were rumours that Malfoy, still desperate to create a power base for himself, had attempted to recruit the twins as the first members of his new 'inner circle', but there was no evidence he'd been successful.
The absence of Malfoy combined with the increased hostility of the Gryffindors had resulted in Slytherin House being more united than ever before, both in and out of the common room. The house had rallied around the new Lord Slytherin and his friends, who had the full support of the Triumvirate. Though he would never outwardly admit it, even Professor Snape felt some pride at the way his house had coalesced and was presenting itself to the world.
It was early in March when the boy responsible for most of the changes received an unexpected letter from his godfather.
Dear member of the Black Family,
I, Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Black Family, invite your person to a get-together taking place at the Black Ancestral Home, Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, a week from next Sunday.
In this meeting, we shall discuss the addition of new members to the House of Black, the continuation of our noble line, and the continuation of Lord Arcturus Black's great plan to revitalise the family blood.
I expect your presence on the aforementioned date.
With my most cordial salutations,
Lord Sirius Orion Black
Hey pup,
Forget about all the jargon if you want and consider yourself invited to a party here at Grimmauld. Don't expect it to be very fun, because I was forced to invite Draco Malfoy and his mother, who happens to be my cousin. I have to ask you to be on your best behaviour with him, but I am sure he doesn't need help embarrassing himself.
I would appreciate it if you could make it. Unfortunately, the invitation is for family members only, and that means you can't bring your lovely Ms. Greengrass. Please extend her my apologies. If you are wondering why you're invited, that's because you have Black blood, no matter how diluted, and you're my godson... I also named you my heir until I have a child, so that's that.
We'll sort out the details later, just come prepared to meet family.
Cheers,
Your Dogfather
"Well, this is certainly a new development," Harry mumbled as he read the letter from his usual place at the Slytherin table.
"What is it?" Daphne asked, and he showed her the letter.
"Well, apologies accepted. I don't mind," she replied, handing him back the letter.
"Lucky me, I have to endure being in the same room as two Malfoys," Harry complained.
"Any reason why the formal letter sounds colder than normal?" Millie asked Harry, who just raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean, it sounds colder?"
"Oh, yeah, I forgot you don't really know about this stuff," Millie replied. "Formal invitations are usually bland and a bit cold, but this one is absolutely frigid. And what's this about 'Arcturus Black's great plan'?"
"I have no idea. All I know is that Arcturus was Sirius's grandfather," Harry replied. "And maybe it's a normal thing for the Black family."
"Hey, Scarhead, tell your mutt I'm not interested in associating myself with inferior people and blood traitors," Malfoy said as he approached the table.
"Tell him yourself, Lord Malfoy," Harry replied sarcastically, glaring at the blonde.
"I can only assume that Lord Black also extended you an invitation to the family gathering, but I'm not your delivery owl. You're capable of writing letters, are you not? Or is it that you've already squandered the famed Malfoy fortune, so now you need to beg for favours from your peers and betters?" Harry asked coldly.
Malfoy's face started turning red, but Harry continued before he could respond.
"I'll have you know that I will be attending the meeting, not as Lord Potter or Lord Slytherin, but as heir of the Black Family. Hopefully, Lord Black will find himself becoming a father soon, and I'll have one less responsibility on my shoulders."
"WHAT?" Malfoy shouted in shock. "I am the Black heir!"
"Not according to Lord Black, you're not," Harry countered. "Now, if you don't mind, we're trying to have breakfast here and you're disturbing our peace."
Malfoy stomped away, complaining about something. According to Jason Hallys, the usual "My father shall hear of this!" had been replaced by "My mother will act upon this," a line that had been used quite a lot over the past few weeks.
"Bloody Malfoy," Blaise complained, taking a sip of his juice.
"Hey, hold on," Tracey interjected, reading the letter from Sirius. "He speaks about meeting new family members...maybe he's going to marry."
"Wishful thinking, Tracey, wishful thinking," Harry replied.
Once breakfast had ended, the nine packed up and headed to their Transfiguration lesson, which they shared with the lions. The group arrived at the classroom and promptly sat at their places while the Gryffindors loudly filed into the room. Granger directed an angry glare at Harry as she passed by him on her way to her usual seat up front.
"Good morning, class," Professor McGonagall said as she entered the room, looking more tired than usual. "I apologise for being late, I have been dealing with a few issues that required my attention."
The professor began her instruction, and as usual, Granger energetically raised her hand to answer every question. McGonagall showed her usual favouritism towards her lions, just as Snape did with his snakes, though in this case the Slytherins were ahead in their classwork. Once class had ended, Granger sped out of the room, rudely bumping Daphne with her shoulder as she passed.
"Watch where you're going, Greengrass," Granger sneered over her shoulder as she continued to walk away.
"What the hell was that?" asked Tracey.
Daphne shrugged and ignored it, packing her things for their next class, Ancient Runes. Fortunately, there was no further drama, and in no time, they were back in the Great Hall for lunch.
"I'm going to practice with my sister during our free period after Arithmancy," Daphne told Harry as she sat down next to him at their house table.
"You're doing a great job with her," he commented, and she smiled at the praise.
"Thanks, I had a good teacher."
"No, it's more like you are a good teacher. You just happened to have an amazing one," he replied cheekily, and they laughed together.
"Modest, too," she added. "So, what are you going to do?"
"I don't know, maybe I'll pick up a book or something," he added.
That afternoon, Daphne left to work with Astoria and Harry decided to take the opportunity to initiate the next phase of his plan. Once he was alone, he called for Dobby. The elf popped in next to him, and they walked side by side through the corridors, as they had done so many times before.
"What can I do for you, Master?"
"After careful consideration, and a lot of deliberation with Daphne, I've decided to forego the original plan for the third task and deal with my cousin as soon as possible."
"What do you need of me, then?" Dobby asked.
"Meat," Harry replied. "Take me to the Chamber first, then go find some."
Dobby nodded and popped Harry into the main room of the Chamber. The moment they arrived, they were subjected to a loud hissing sound echoing around the stone walls of the cavern.
"What the bloody hell?" Harry asked loudly.
"My pet! You're back!" Scylla hissed the moment she heard Harry, and excitedly slithered over to him.
Thanks to continuous feeding over the past few months, Scylla had grown several feet longer and was now thicker than a small cat.
"Did you like my singing?"
"That was singing?" Harry thought to himself, having understood only a few words of the so-called song.
"Let me sing you the rest."
"Stretched under the sun,
Coiled under the earth;
You better beware,
Don't you even dare;
Threaten me or I will be,
The last thing that you see."
"It's a pretty song," Harry agreed. "Where did you learn it?"
"I made it up all by myself," Scylla replied proudly.
Harry chuckled at the sight of the basilisk's childlike happiness.
~Flashback~
Harry's expression grew serious as his watched his serpentine friend retreat. Steeling his resolve, he drew his wand and marched after her. He loathed himself for doing so, but a basilisk was far too dangerous to be kept in a school, even if it was Scylla...
Suddenly, another thought occurred to him, and his face morphed into a grin. He had just been given an unbelievable opportunity, and he was not about to squander it.
"Hey, Scylla!" Harry called, waving his wand to transfigure a rock into a rabbit. "You need to learn how to hunt too."
Scylla hissed and attacked the rabbit, which avoided her strike and ran away, leading to a chase all throughout the Chamber. Harry grinned at the scene and stood in place, trying not to laugh too hard at the frustrated basilisk.
Part of him wasn't sure if keeping Scylla was the right decision, but he couldn't just kill her, especially knowing she could help him with his plans. He knew Daphne would support him, but it would be best if everyone else assumed she had been put down.
~End of Flashback~
"Nicely done," Harry told her. "However, I didn't come down here just to hear you sing. I came because I need your help."
"Of course, you do," Scylla replied. "As I knew you would."
"Yes, you're a very smart one, aren't you?" he asked, caressing the top of her head.
"What do you need from me, my pet?"
"Remember what I told you about my cousin, the evil man who wants to kill me?"
Scylla nodded.
"He used evil rituals to create magical artefacts called Horcruxes. These are very difficult to destroy, and only Fiendfyre or basilisk venom can do it."
"Hehe, and you have a source of venom right here," Scylla gloated. Harry gestured for her to follow him, and he guided the young basilisk into the living quarters.
"How much venom do you need, my pet?"
"Relax, Scylla," Harry told her as he opened up the Horcrux chest.
"In this box are all but one of the Horcruxes. The last one is a lot more complicated to get to, and it's with that one I'll need your help."
"You don't want my help to destroy these?" Scylla asked, and Harry could swear she was pouting, if snakes could even do that.
"Not yet, Scylla. A Horcrux is an object that holds a little piece of someone's soul. It's very foul magic and should not be attempted by anyone. We could destroy them right now, but we don't know if my cousin would feel their destruction and run away. No, I want to catch him unaware."
"Oh, I understand," Scylla replied, perking up. "Then what do you need from me?"
"The last Horcrux is a snake. Her name is Nagini, and she's a very big and very dangerous snake."
"Not more dangerous than me!"
"I want your help to kill it."
"I'll do it, my pet," Scylla replied fervently. "I will protect you."
"Thank you, Scylla. All you have to do is to bite her, and I think that will be enough. It won't be easy though, and you'll probably have to wrestle her into submission first. Do you think you can do it?"
Scylla glared at Harry.
"What kind of question is that, my pet?"
"Right, of course you can," Harry chuckled. "How about I tell you all about my plan?"
Scylla bobbed her head enthusiastically.
"You'll have a few weeks to prepare yourself, then I will take you to the place where I know he's hiding. I will give you an enchanted object that will allow you to contact me as soon as you kill the snake. As soon as it's done, me, my mate, and Dobby will go in to deal with the bad man and his servant."
"Don't worry, my pet. I will not fail," Scylla assured Harry, who had just started frowning.
"Oh, I don't doubt that, Scylla, it's that I only just remembered something..."
"What?"
"The call of the rooster is deadly to basilisks..."
Scylla perked up.
"I'll probably have to deafen you to make sure those damned things can't hurt you, at least temporarily."
"Why can't you send your elf to kill all the roosters before I go?" Scylla asked, thinking that was a far easier plan.
"Several reasons. For one, the muggles could simply buy more. Another is that if the bad man found out, he would be suspicious and might take precautions, but also because that wouldn't solve the problem forever. No, we need you to be big, strong, and nearly invincible."
Scylla had no problem with that logic. Being big, strong, and invincible was her goal in life, after all.
"So, first things first. You need to practice your fighting, your hunting, and learn how to move without being easily detected. I'll work on finding a way to make you invulnerable to the rooster's crow."
"Consider it done," Scylla replied happily. "I'm going to the forest to practice with Sereth and Narissa."
"Who?" Harry asked, confused.
"Didn't I tell you about them, my pet?" Scylla asked, and Harry shook his head and crossed his arms suspiciously.
"There's a path to the forest in the caves, which leads to a small nest. That's where I found Sereth, who's a large python, but not as big or as venomous as me, and viper called Narissa. When they saw me, they called me King of the Snakes and served me almost as well as you do. They are my friends, and they will gladly help me when I tell them how my pet needs me."
"Well, if your friends can help you then go ahead, but be safe, will you?"
"Don't worry, my pet," Scylla replied promptly, raising herself up to Harry's height and licking his face with her forked tongue. "I need to protect you, don't I?"
Harry laughed as Scylla slithered her way back to the main chamber, chanting her new song to herself.
"Stretched under the sun,
Coiled under the earth;
You better beware,
Don't you even dare;
Threaten me or I will be,
The last thing that you see."
"It really is a catchy tune..." Harry whispered to himself.
~BREAK~
"Stretched under the sun,
Coiled under the earth;
You better beware,
Don't you even dare;
Threaten me or I will be,
The last thing that you see."
"Enough, already," Daphne complained, giving Harry a gentle elbow in the ribs. It had only been a couple days, but she was already tired of his repetitive singing.
"I can't get it out of my head," Harry replied. The others laughed, but he wasn't joking in the least.
"Where did you even hear that?" asked Tracey. Harry shrugged; it wouldn't do to come clean on that just yet.
"I don't know, it just popped into my head."
It was quiet for a few moments, until Tracey started mumbling the song under her breath.
"Tracey!" Millie hissed, making the other girl blush.
"It's true, it gets stuck in the head," she whined, and Theo snorted at his girlfriend's antics.
"So, how's Astoria doing?" Harry asked.
"Better every day," Daphne replied happily. "This group was the best idea we ever had, and the way it's helping our grades makes it even better."
"True," Greg agreed. "My grades have gone up from mostly Acceptables to Exceeds Expectations in only a few months."
"Mine too," Vince added.
"You want to know what the most awesome part is, at least in my eyes?" Blaise asked. "It's true we're mostly snakes in the group, but we now have members from all houses and we're all sociable, dare I say even friendly with one other. That's the real win here."
"You mean exactly what the Sorting Hat has been trying to preach, every year since who knows when?" Theo asked, and Blaise nodded in the affirmative.
"Well, I blame The Lord Slytherin," Theo added with a smirk.
"I actually felt the capitalised letters in what you just said," Harry grumbled, and Theo laughed and clapped him on the back. The two had become close over the past few months and could almost be called best mates.
"Mon Dieu!" came a shout from the Beauxbatons delegation. Stumbling through the door was a beaten and bloodied Jason Hallys. Harry jumped up from his seat and ran to him, followed by Daphne and the rest of the Black Wands.
Before anyone could even say anything to him, Jason looked to him with pain in his eyes and collapsed. Luckily, Harry was quick enough with his wand to levitate him before his head smacked against the floor.
They laid him down on his back, and they were sickened by what they saw. There were open wounds on his face, some of which were still bleeding. He had a busted lip and two black eyes, and blood was running out of his left ear. His robes were also scorched in several places, evidence of spell damage.
"Jason!"
"Sorry..." Jason whispered before falling unconscious.
"Daph?" Harry asked, but Daphne shook her head.
"This is too much for me, Harry, we need Madam Pomfrey."
"Well, somebody send for her then!"
"I'm here, Mr. Potter," the matron replied, as she knelt down next to Jason and got to work.
"Who did this?" Harry asked.
"It's impossible to tell," Madam Pomfrey responded.
It was at that moment that Albus Dumbledore appeared on the scene, flanked by all of the heads of house.
"What happened here?" the old wizard asked, in his trademark grandfatherly tone.
"That's what I'd like to know," Harry replied coldly, rising to his feet as Madam Pomfrey levitated Jason out of the Great Hall and towards the infirmary. "I want to know what happened and who did it, and I want the perpetrator punished."
"Rest assured, Mr. Potter, actions such as this will not be left unpunished."
"You'd better actually do something this time, Headmaster, or I will," Harry warned.
Dumbledore and most of the staff were taken aback by his hostile tone. Snape lifted one eyebrow, but otherwise remained impassive.
"Mr. Potter, are you threatening the headmaster?" McGonagall asked testily as she glowered at Harry. Not one to back down, he drew himself up to his full height and returned her glare, his eyes now burning with anger.
"You, of all people, should agree with me," he replied frostily, making her gasp in indignation.
"That boy is one of your lions, a child whose safety is your responsibility. So, why is it that instead of being concerned for Jason's wellbeing and finding out who's responsible, you're more focused on my demand for justice?"
"Now see…"
"No! You will shut up, and you will listen!" Harry roared, cutting McGonagall off before she could respond. "I am Lord Potter and Lord Slytherin, and I demand an investigation into what happened! I want to know exactly who attacked one of my own and why."
"Mr. Hallys is a Gryffindor, Mr. Potter," Professor Sinistra pointed out, earning a glare from Harry.
"What's your point? He's also a muggleborn and my friend. Does anyone here have a problem with that?" Harry asked as he looked around the room. No one dared speak against him, though a glimmer of pride appeared on Dumbledore's face at Harry's pronouncement.
"Jason Hallys is one of my own," Harry announced, putting everyone in the Great Hall on notice. "One of ours. One of the Black Wands. You mess with one of mine, you mess with me."
"And with me," Daphne added at once.
"And me," Theo added.
"And me," Tracey replied.
"And me," Millie nodded.
"Me as well," Blaise agreed, stepping forward and crossing his arms.
"And us," Pansy said, speaking for her, Greg, and Vince, the latter two crossing their arms and looking more menacing than ever.
"And I!" Justin Smith said, rising from his seat at the Ravenclaw table.
"Me too," came another voice from the Hufflepuff table.
One by one, each member of the group stood and made themselves known. However, the surprises wouldn't end there.
"I vill stand with you as vell," Viktor Krum announced as he rose to his feet, his Durmstrang classmates nodding in agreement.
"Oui, et moi."
More than half of the Beauxbatons students agreed with their champion.
"Get those answers, Headmaster," Harry demanded. "Or else we will, and when we do, we will see to it that the culprits face the appropriate consequences."
With that, Harry turned and left the Great Hall, followed by most of the Black Wands. No order had been spoken, but they all knew where they were going – to the hospital wing.
Dumbledore was left standing with a look of concern etched upon his face.
"Headmaster?" Snape asked.
"I'm worried, Severus," Dumbledore responded. "Very worried, indeed."
"May I ask why?"
"Today, Harry Potter reminded me of another former student," Dumbledore replied.
Snape furrowed his brow, having an idea where the headmaster's train of thought was leading.
"His presence and ability to inspire devotion in others has shown him to be all that Tom Riddle ever was, or ever wanted to be. Frankly, I don't know if I should feel proud, or terrified."
"Then here is my suggestion," Professor Flitwick interrupted. "Investigate this horrible attack on one of our students before the students do it themselves, and then you don't have to feel either way. Do your job first, and then you can spend your time worrying about Harry Potter."
"You are correct, of course, Filius," Dumbledore conceded. "Minerva, I want you to speak with all your house, particularly the first years. Try to find out if Mr. Hallys had any enemies."
"Most of the house, no doubt," Snape scoffed.
"What was that, Severus?" asked Dumbledore.
"I said, probably most of the house. It's no secret that Mr. Hallys is friendly with several Slytherin students. We are all aware of the rivalry, of course. My guess would be that a Gryffindor took exception to one of their first years socialising with the enemy."
"And here you are, blaming my lions, Severus," McGonagall argued, attempting to defend both herself and her house. "How do you know it wasn't one of your snakes?"
"Because Harry Potter was known to be friendly with the boy," Severus replied flatly. "I can assure you that there are none in my house foolish enough to go against Harry Potter, Lord of Slytherin. Not after all we've seen from him."
McGonagall's mouth snapped shut.
"Then we shall do our best to find out what happened," Dumbledore stated, secretly agreeing with Snape.
McGonagall's investigation would eventually discover that Jason was well liked by the younger Gryffindors, but severely disliked by the older years - particularly the Weasley twins and the fourth year students. He had been the target of several vicious pranks by the twins, although he had never once risen to the bait. Having questioned everyone else in her house, McGonagall waited in the common room for nearly an hour to confront the twins, but they never showed up.
~BREAK~
When Jason Hallys woke up in the middle of the night, the first thing he saw were two sets of glowing orbs peering at him in the darkness, one green and the other blue. He shouted in alarm at the sight, only to be blinded by bright lights suddenly coming to life in the room.
"Everything is fine, Mr. Hallys," Madam Pomfrey reassured the boy, who immediately started fussing over him while his eyes slowly started to adjust. "I told them not to leave those snakes here, but they wouldn't listen."
Jason looked back down at the foot of the bed, and where he had previously seen four glowing eyes were two massive snakes. He probably would have freaked out, if he hadn't recognised them as the snake Harry could summon and the one that protected Daphne from Weaselette during the ball.
"What... What happened?" he asked, feeling his entire body hurting.
"You were assaulted, then somehow made your way to the Great Hall."
"Oh yeah, now I remember..." the boy muttered, before suddenly blanching. "Am I in trouble?"
"I don't know, are you?" Madam Pomfrey asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"Oh man, Captain Hallys is going to be pissed," the boy grumbled.
"Mr. Hallys, I need to summon the headmaster and your head of house. You seem to be well enough to answer a few questions."
The boy nodded morosely and laid back on the bed. Madam Pomfrey looked at him quizzically, but she refrained from comment and left to summon the headmaster. Minutes later, Dumbledore and McGonagall entered the room together, followed closely by Professors Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick.
"Ah, Mr. Hallys, I'm pleased to see that you're awake," Dumbledore said with a grandfatherly smile. The two snakes were apparently not pleased with the new arrivals, as they both took up protective stances in front of Jason.
"Mr. Potter and Ms. Greengrass gave orders for the snakes to defend Mr. Hallys from everyone except me," Madam Pomfrey informed them, once she realised what was happening.
"It seems that your friends care greatly about you, Mr. Hallys," Professor Flitwick observed, and Jason only nodded in embarrassment.
"So, um...am I in trouble?" Jason asked after a moment. The professors exchanged looks with one another before turning back the boy.
"You tell us, young man," McGonagall replied sternly, and Jason looked at her with a curious expression.
"You don't like me very much, do you?" he asked. The heads of house turned to McGonagall in surprise, though she herself was the most surprised of all.
"What... What nonsense is this?" she blustered. "I have nothing against you..."
"Well, you're not exactly the most approachable person," Jason complained with a snort. "Most of us don't really trust you enough to bring our problems to you, especially since Harry was re-sorted."
McGonagall was left gaping, while Snape looked as if he was trying to hold back laughter. The other two heads of house just looked at each other, both of them wondering how things in Gryffindor had gone so far downhill.
Dumbledore spared Professor McGonagall from further embarrassment by taking over the interview.
"Well, Mr. Hallys, would you care to tell us what happened, or would it be easier if we started? For you see, we believe we know what happened. We believe the Weasley twins pranked you again, at least in part because they wished for you to stop associating with Mr. Potter and his group, and then things got out of hand."
Jason nodded warily.
"Once they saw how badly you'd been injured, they ran away, allowing you to escape to the Great Hall. Alas, that is all we know, as Misters Weasley have yet to be found, so..."
"Not found?!" Jason interrupted. "Oh, crap... How long has it been?"
"A few hours..."
"Get someone to Gryffindor tower, fifth floor, in one of the abandoned rooms," Jason practically ordered. "Now, damn it!"
Shaking off his surprise, headmaster summoned a Hogwarts house-elf and send it to Gryffindor tower. A few moments later, the elf returned with the unconscious forms of both Weasley twins, who had both been stunned. They looked nearly as beat up as Jason, sporting several bruises and the appearance of a broken bone or two. The adults looked in shock from the twins to Jason, who seemed slightly abashed.
"How much trouble am I in?"
"Perhaps you should start from the beginning," Flitwick recommended. "You, er...caused all this?"
Jason nodded.
"How?"
"My grandfather is SAS...retired, of course, and he started teaching me when I was six."
Severus Snape raised an eyebrow, but he seemed to be the only one who understood what that meant.
"What's SAS?" Professor Sprout asked.
"Muggle army, special forces..." Jason replied sheepishly. "He was injured back in the eighties and honourably discharged. Since he had been a lousy father, his own words, he decided to try and be a proper grandfather. After my dad died, he did his best to help my mum with me, and... Well, he demands good grades, regular physical training, proper social conduct, and good behaviour. He always told me that I should avoid fighting whenever possible, but if someone starts one with me, I should always finish it."
"A sensible upbringing," Dumbledore noted, not knowing what else to say.
"It's harsh, but I know the old man loves me in his own way. I was planning on going to the military academy up until I received my Hogwarts letter."
"That still doesn't explain how this all happened," McGonagall said brusquely.
"Mr. Hallys, would you agree to submit a memory of the event for our review?" Dumbledore asked.
"A memory? How does that work?" he asked, frowning. Dumbledore smiled kindly and explained the process to the young boy, who quickly agreed to the request.
~BREAK~
The following day at lunch, Professor Dumbledore made an announcement explaining what had happened between Jason and the Weasley twins. Up and down the Hogwarts Great Hall, heads turned to catch a glimpse of the little boy sitting near the end of the Gryffindor table, surrounded by his awestruck year mates.
"Oh yeah, I forgot all about Jason knowing martial arts. Even so, taking on two older boys and coming out on top is impressive, especially for his age," Harry thought to himself.
"As for punishments, the staff has decided that Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley shall not be expelled for their unprovoked attack on Mr. Hallys. Instead, they will be put on probation for the remainder of the school year. All privileges are henceforth revoked, personal effects not having to do with schoolwork have been confiscated, and they will be kept under close observation by the staff. Any further incidents will result in immediate expulsion."
Harry grumbled to himself about what he considered a light punishment, even though he half expected Dumbledore to be even more lenient. He wondered if the heads of house had to push the headmaster to punish them even that much.
"Mr. Hallys, while technically the victim, will be serving detention with Mr. Filch until the end of the term, as punishment for his violent conduct," Dumbledore added. "Mr. Hallys is also forbidden from engaging in any sort of physical fighting."
There was some light muttering throughout the hall from students who didn't agree with Jason's punishment.
"The brat could teach a few Aurors," Moody grunted.
"Oh, come on!" Harry loudly complained, rising to his feet. "All the kid did was defend himself from two wizards several years older than him, and without a wand!"
"He viciously attacked Fred and George!" Granger shrilly retorted.
"Who attacked him first," one of the Ravenclaws pointed out.
"Those two needed to be taken down a few pegs anyway," someone declared from the Hufflepuff table.
"Yeah, the twins deserved it!"
"Yeah!" shouted many in response.
"Regardless, fighting of any sort is prohibited in Hogwarts, and Mr. Hallys must serve his punishment for breaking school rules," Dumbledore intervened, trying to regain control of the room. "This matter has been settled. Now, please continue with your lunch so that you have sufficient energy for your afternoon classes."
As one would expect, most conversations during lunch centred around Jason and the twins, with many finding the punishments unfair to Jason. Almost no one was sympathetic towards Fred and George, who were still in the hospital wing. Malfoy was openly mocking the twins, and Granger and Ginny were casting furious looks down the table towards Jason, who for his part, was answering questions from his friends but otherwise acting like it wasn't a big deal.
"Bloody brat," Theo complained, stabbing a piece of meat with his fork. "Making us all worry about him like that."
"Yeah, when he was the one who did the worst damage," Tracey grumbled, half annoyed and half amused.
Harry started snickering, which gradually evolved into a full-on belly laugh. One by one, the others joined in, until they were all practically doubled over. Harry looked over at the Gryffindor table and noticed Jason looking at him, so he raised his goblet to him in appreciation. Jason just smiled sheepishly and dipped his head in acknowledgment.
Astoria was also staring at the boy while picking at her lunch. Why was it that every time she thought she was improving, he always managed to pull off a surprise and prove he was still better than her? It was positively infuriating! Still, she had to admit she was glad he was okay. Seeing him all beaten up like that had been terrifying.
"He is pretty cute though, for a firstie," one of Astoria's friends shared, making the youngest Greengrass almost choke on her food. "Give him a few years and he might turn out really handsome."
Albus Dumbledore surveyed the Great Hall, as he often did, to try and get a feel for the mood of the student body. He noticed that several students seemed to be the centres of attention in their respective areas, and that many of them were those who identified themselves as being part of Harry Potter's little group - the Black Wands, if he remembered correctly. He turned his attention to the young man himself, who was currently laughing with his friends. Albus wondered what the future held for young Mr. Potter, and if that future was Light or Dark.
~BREAK~
Harry exited the floo at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, dressed in formal robes for the meeting Sirius had called.
"Lord Potter-Slytherin, Kreacher welcomes you to the House of Black," the elf said with a low bow. "Master said you'd be early, and that I was to inform him of your arrival at once."
"Thank you, Kreacher," Harry nodded, and Kreacher popped away.
"Who's there?" called a familiar screeching voice from down the hallway. Harry walked to the main entrance hall to greet the portrait of Sirius's late mother.
"Madam Black."
The painting frowned and narrowed her eyes as if examining him.
"You...You're my son's godson. I can tell that you have diluted Black blood in your veins."
"That I am, Madam Black. Harry Potter-Slytherin, at your service."
"I heard about that..." the painting said thoughtfully. "My son told me, yet I could barely believe it. I welcome you to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, Lord Slytherin."
"Thank you, Madam Black," Harry replied, finding it strangely odd that the woman was being so polite. He'd expected her to be outraged that he'd claimed the mantle of Lord Slytherin, or at least complain about his blood status.
"Ah, Harry," Sirius said jovially as he joined Harry in the entrance hall. "Are you bothering my mother?"
"Not at all, I hope. We were only making our introductions," Harry replied. "You neglected to do so the last time I was here."
"Ah, well my bad. Harry, meet my mother. Mother, meet my godson Harry, also known as Lord Potter, Lord Slytherin, and the vanquisher of the dark wanker you once worshiped."
"Who also happens to be a distant cousin," Harry added, not missing the frown from the painting.
"Now come with me, Harry," Sirius said, leading him away. "There are two new additions to the House of Black, and I want you to meet them before the others arrive."
Harry nodded, then turned to back to Walburga's portrait.
"Madam Black, it was a pleasure."
"Lord Slytherin."
"Who are the others?" Harry asked Sirius.
"The Malfoys and the Tonks family," he replied as they walked along the hallway. Harry looked back at the portrait one last time and saw Lady Black with a vacant expression, although there was a small smirk playing at her lips. How odd…
Harry followed Sirius into the sitting room and saw a woman he'd never seen before. She was quite pretty, with a tanned complexion and silky black hair. She was dressed in a finely made, long-sleeved black dress that gave her an almost regal appearance. Her blue eyes were looking at Harry curiously, and he couldn't help but wonder where Sirius had found her.
Sitting in another chair, dressed in formal black robes, was none other than Remus Lupin. Harry raised an eyebrow at the marauder's appearance, and Remus sighed.
"Don't ask," he said.
"Nonsense, Moony," Sirius declared. "Remus here has been a good friend for so many years that I decided to adopt him into the family."
Remus blushed slightly, and his expression made Harry want to laugh.
"And this beautiful lady is Señorita Isabella Vincenta Olivera."
The woman seemed somewhat embarrassed, but she offered her hand to Harry, who brushed his lips across her knuckles.
"She's a Spanish descendant of a branch of the Black family long thought extinct," Sirius clarified.
"A pleasure, señor."
"The pleasure is mine, miss...er...señorita?"
"Either is fine," she replied, with barely a hint of an accent.
"Isabella, this is my godson. The one I told you about."
The woman's eyes grew wide.
"Harry Potter?" she asked.
"Lord Black tends to exaggerate, so take anything he told you with a grain of salt. Anything you've read about me is almost certainly fiction."
"I've heard many things, most of which were hard to believe," she replied. "Lord Potter, Lord Slytherin, champion for a dangerous tournament…and all this at age fourteen."
"Believe me, I would've rather had it all happen several years from now, if ever," he replied.
"Lord Black surely does have an interesting family."
"Trust me, Isabella, some of the most interesting are yet to arrive," Sirius assured her, and Remus shifted uncomfortably.
"I don't know much about the Tonks, but how are the Malfoys interesting?" Harry asked.
"Doesn't the brat put his foot in his mouth every few words?" Sirius asked.
"Fair point."
"Anyways, before you arrived, Isabella was telling us about her schooling back in Spain and her duelling days back on the Spanish national circuit," Sirius said. Harry was now quite interested in hearing what she had to say, and he had several questions for her.
It turned out that Isabella was quite the accomplished duellist. In fact, in the short time they had known each other, she and Sirius had engaged in several practice duels. He was certainly no slouch, so it was impressive to hear that their duels had ended in a draw, more often than not.
"All because of a teacher I had in school, Señor Tavariz," Isabella explained. "He saw my talent and suggested I try out my skills in the leagues. I enjoyed doing it and had some success, so I kept up with it. It's not enough to make a living, but it's a good hobby that compliments my work."
"What do you do?" Harry asked.
"I am a policía...your Auror, I believe."
"Nymphadora is also in the training program for the Auror Corps," Sirius mentioned. He turned to Harry and clarified, "That's Nymphadora Tonks, my cousin Andromeda and her husband Ted's daughter."
Harry nodded. He already knew that, of course, but appearances had to be maintained.
"Master, the Tonks family has arrived," Kreacher announced, shortly after popping into the room.
"Lovely," Sirius replied, rising from his seat. "Please wait here, I'll return with them shortly."
"Is there something we should know about the Tonks?" Isabella asked.
"Andromeda Tonks was disowned by Lord Orion Black for marrying a muggleborn," Remus explained. "Ironically, their daughter was born with an exceedingly rare magical talent that would have been coveted by the Blacks."
"Really?" Harry asked.
"Yes, but I'll let you see for yourselves. Let's see, what else? Ted is a lawyer, Andromeda is a healer, and like Sirius mentioned, Dora is training to be an Auror."
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the other room. Walburga's portrait started shrieking, but she was soon silenced, and her wails were replaced by Sirius's laugher. Moments later, the familiar faces of Ted Tonks, Andromeda Tonks, and their daughter, (Don't Call Me) Nymphadora appeared.
"Let it be known that Dora has a talent for shutting up my mother," Sirius laughed, as he re-entered the room. In response, the hair of the girl in question shifted from pink to a violent red for a few seconds, before reverting back to pink.
"Metamorphmagus?" Isabella asked in surprise.
"Um, yes... I'm Tonks," she said, introducing herself. "Wait, are you the Spanish Auror?"
"Yes, my name is Isabella Olivera," she replied awkwardly.
"This is so cool!" Tonks shrieked, a wide grin appearing on her face. She immediately started grilling Isabella with rapid-fire questions about her work, while her hair rapidly cycled through all the colours of the rainbow.
"What's it like down there? What's your catch rate? What kind of problems do you have to deal with on a daily basis? How many raids have you been on?"
Andromeda sighed in exasperation at her daughter's behaviour, which made it seem like a regular occurrence.
"Harry, meet Andromeda Tonks and Theodore Tonks. That overexcited firecracker is Nymphadora..."
"Oi, what did I tell you about that name?" Tonks replied angrily. "Blimey, Harry Potter. Wotcher, Harry, I haven't seen you since the end of your first year. Call me Tonks."
"Hey, Tonks," he replied promptly. "Nice to meet you. And you, Mr. and Mrs. Tonks."
"Hello, Harry. Last time I saw you were such a small thing," Andromeda remarked, while Ted smiled broadly at him.
"Andy, Ted, you've already met Isabella," Sirius continued.
"Indeed," Andromeda answered. "It's lovely to see you again, Isabella. How are you adapting to Britain, and the Black family in general?"
"Britain is much colder than I expected, and to be honest I'm a bit overwhelmed," Isabella admitted, and Andromeda laughed amiably.
"I understand the feeling, believe me," Ted replied.
"Yes, the Lord Black told..."
"Sirius," Sirius insisted. "We're all family here."
"Of course...Sirius," Isabella smiled. "Sirius told me you were once in the same position I am."
"Well, not quite, as I only had to meet old man Arcturus, my lovely wife, and Sirius," Ted replied, and Harry perked up at what sounded like new information.
"I don't mean to intrude, but would you mind explaining a bit more?" Harry asked.
"Well, you see Harry, Ted here isn't a typical muggleborn," Sirius started, patting Ted on the back. "He's the son of two squib descendants from the Black family, whose meeting was a mere coincidence..."
"Or so we were all told," Ted added.
"True enough," Sirius agreed. "Many years ago, my grandfather Arcturus concocted a plan to monitor the squib descendants of the family for any magical births. His hope was that these children could be brought back into the family to reinvigorate our bloodline and bolster our family's strength."
Sirius sighed wistfully as if caught in a memory.
"He was great man with a great vision. Unfortunately, Voldemort happened, and the old man died before his plan could come to fruition. My father didn't share my grandfather's vision, but I do, and I will make sure it is finally realised. We will fill the ranks of the family with worthy wizards and witches of Black blood and make this family great once again."
Harry nodded along with the others in appreciation of the idea.
"Ingenious...and quite revolutionary," Harry remarked. "I like it."
"Ted was the first one identified. Isabella is only the second, but there will be more," Sirius responded. "Now, if only the Malfoys would show up, we could get started."
"Master, the Malfoys have arrived," Kreacher announced.
"Speak of the devils," Sirius replied, triggering a round of laughter from the others. "I'll be right back."
For Harry, one thing was certain – this little get-together was turning out to be much more interesting than expected. He sat back and observed the others while paying attention to the conversation. He had to stop himself from laughing out loud when he saw the covert looks Remus and Tonks were giving each other. Some things never change, he supposed.
A short while later, Sirius re-entered the room with a wide grin, followed by an irritated looking Draco Malfoy and his exasperated mother.
"Cousin, Lord Malfoy, I believe you've already met the Tonks family and Remus Lupin. This beautiful lady is Señorita Isabella Vincenta Olivera, a descendant of a Spanish branch of the Black family, long thought extinct."
A single raised eyebrow was enough to show Narcissa's surprise, though her son looked thoroughly disinterested.
"A pleasure," Isabella stated politely.
"I had no idea the Blacks still lived in Spain," Narcissa said questioningly.
"They don't," Isabella responded. "The family died out centuries ago, with the line being absorbed into other families."
"I see," Narcissa replied. "I trust the rest of the...family has welcomed you?"
"With open arms, yes. Lord Black has tried to make my stay as comfortable as possible."
"Yes, Lord Black has his moments," Narcissa affirmed, then turned her frosty gaze to her sister. "Andy..."
"Cissy," Andromeda replied, her tone equally cold.
"Wow, I've seen more cheer in a graveyard," Sirius remarked, calling everyone's attention back to himself. "Sit down please, all of you. I have some things to say."
They all obeyed, even if for some it was only begrudgingly, and then turned their undivided attention to the Lord Black. Sirius's eyes briefly flitted to the empty frame hanging on the wall across from him, which his mother had just quietly entered. He had suggested she listen in on the family meeting, though he didn't intend to inform the others.
"Once, a long time ago, my grandfather Arcturus began searching for the magical descendants of squibs from the Black family. His efforts yielded one result, our own Ted Tonks."
Narcissa and Draco looked at the older man in shock, who simply nodded to confirm Sirius's story.
"I don't know much about the details, but do I know that grandfather asked for Andy's help approaching him, as she was obviously much closer in age. The fact that they wound up falling in love was only a boon."
Ted smiled and took his wife's hand, who leaned into his shoulder.
"It's been a long time coming, but welcome to the Black family, Ted. Use the name Black with pride, for it is now yours by rights of blood and marriage."
"Thank you, Lord Black."
"Andy, you were brought back into the family within moments of me claiming the Black lordship, so no speech for you."
Andromeda nodded with a dignified smile.
"Nymphadora, and I swear I will curse you first," Sirius told Tonks before she could interrupt. "As the daughter of two members of the Black family, you are a Black yourself. Use the name Black with pride, for it is now yours by rights of blood."
Swallowing her annoyance with the use of her birth name, the Metamorphmagus nodded and looked proudly at her parents.
"Now, as far as I know, Remus Lupin is not related to the Blacks, nor is he the descendant of any known squibs. However, he's been family to me since I was a child, and I am the Lord Black. So, from this moment forward, Remus Lupin is a member of the Black family. So I say it, so shall it be. Use the name Black with pride, my brother, for it is now yours by rights of brotherhood."
Remus nodded gratefully, though Harry could tell he was embarrassed. He also didn't miss the grin from Tonks.
"Isabella Vincenta Olivera, you are the second Black descendant to be found as part of Arcturus Black's initiative. Should it be your desire, we welcome you to officially become part of the family."
"It is my desire, Lord Black," the woman replied.
"Then from this moment forward, you may call yourself a Black. Use the name Black with pride, for it is now yours by rights of blood."
"Thank you, Lord Black," she said, emotion clear in her voice.
"Now, Lord Malfoy."
Draco sat up straighter.
"As the son of Narcissa Malfoy née Black, you are entitled to the name Black. Use the name with pride, for it is yours by rights of blood."
Malfoy smirked smugly.
"Lord Potter-Slytherin."
"How may I be of service, Lord Black?" Harry asked promptly.
"Being related to the Black family by blood, you are entitled to use the name Black. However, you are also entitled to the name Black through the bonds of magic and brotherhood."
Harry nodded.
"Use the name Black with pride, for it is now yours by rights of blood and brotherhood. Also, as the Black line is patriarchal, precluding Dora Black Tonks as a possibility, I name you my heir until I have a child of my own."
"WHAT?" Malfoy jumped up from his seat. "Why him? I have the better claim!"
"And I am the Lord Black, and what I say is done. Do you have a problem with that, Lord Malfoy?" Sirius demanded sternly.
Draco grumbled to himself and sat back down. Once again proving to be his own worst enemy, Malfoy's simple tantrum had proven to everyone that he was the lesser candidate. Not one of them disagreed with Lord Black's decision, not even Narcissa.
"You can be sure of one thing, Draco Malfoy. You are only here because of your mother," Sirius asserted. Narcissa was savvy enough to understand the subtle warning in his words, though her son was not.
"As I was saying, Lord Potter-Slytherin, heir of the House of Black..."
"Would it be impolite for me to ask you to hurry up and have a child?" Harry asked, triggering another round of laughter.
"I'll put it on the list, right after finding the perfect woman for the job," Sirius replied with a grin. "Now, as I was saying, assuming Lord Potter accepts his role as heir…"
Harry nodded his agreement.
"Then family business is hereby concluded for the evening, so let's feast."
The painting of Walburga Black wore a smug grin as she admired Sirius's comportment from her borrowed frame. For a brief moment, she almost believed she was watching Arcturus instead of her own son. How could they have been so blind? How wrong they had all been about him.
As Lord Black, Sirius sat at the head of the table for the feast, with Harry on his right and Remus on his left. As an honoured guest, Isabella sat next to Harry with Andromeda and Ted on her other side. The Malfoys and Tonks were sat next to Remus, while the seat across from Sirius was empty, as for occasions such as this the spot was reserved for Lady Black. The Blacks ate, drank, and enjoyed each other's company well into the afternoon before returning to the parlour for drinks.
"So, Harry, do you have any ideas for the third task?" asked Ted.
"We haven't been told anything about the task itself, but I intend to win the damn thing. My entire house believes I can do it, and now I want to prove them right," Harry replied.
"Draco told me you were re-sorted to Slytherin back in November," Narcissa said deliberately.
"That's correct. Interestingly enough, it took less than a week for me to feel more at home in Slytherin than I ever did in Gryffindor. It helps to have the support of equally minded people."
"Indeed," Narcissa replied. "Draco also tells me that you were responsible for the movement to banish him from Slytherin house."
"I suppose that's one way to put it. You could also say that I simply alerted the house to the fact that Draco had brought a young basilisk into our midst, and the house responded accordingly."
"You punched me!" Malfoy whined.
"Yes, I did. I could've done far worse, but I decided to leave your fate in the hands of the house. As I recall, you were voted from the house unanimously," Harry responded severely.
"It's all your fault, Potter, and you know it," Draco spat.
"I disagree. However, if you wish for me to take a more active role with you, Malfoy, I'd be happy to comply. I'd wager that Zael missed you."
Malfoy blanched and immediately stopped talking.
"Zael?" Ted enquired.
Harry drew his wand and summoned the gigantic black snake.
"That is Zael."
With the exception of Sirius and Isabella, the others all leapt from their seats and tried to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the snake. Draco looked as if he was about to wet himself, and practically cowered behind his mother. Tonks even yelped as the snake hissed and coiled itself next to Harry.
"You may have seen her little brother Kael in the paper, after the whole debacle at the Yule Ball."
"Indeed, we did..." Andromeda replied, the first to regain her composure. She seemed in awe of the snake and stepped closer to examine it.
"What kind of spell was that?" asked Isabella. She leaned forward and used her left hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, a movement that struck Narcissa as familiar for some reason.
"The family kind, and not the Black one," Harry replied vaguely.
"Good answer," Ted observed, while Sirius chuckled.
"Harry is a well of surprises," Sirius attested. "Much more than his parents ever were. Believe me, I know."
"You two remind me of one another," Isabella remarked, looking back and forth between the Lord Black and his heir. The pair looked back at her in surprise. "I'm not sure exactly what it is, but there's something about you two that feels similar."
"Well, it can't be charming good looks, because he clearly has none," Sirius quipped.
"And definitely not wits," Harry shot back. "Since between us, I clearly have all of them."
"Oh, you can't be serious."
"No, I'm Harry. You're Sirius," Harry retorted, and Sirius burst out laughing along with Ted and Isabella. Narcissa gasped, recognising the laughter she hadn't heard in years.
"Merlin...it can't be..." she whispered.
"Dora, didn't you have an appointment?" Andromeda asked suddenly.
"You're right," Tonks said with a slight blush, standing to address the group. "I'm sorry, but I have an appointment in Diagon Alley. It was lovely to meet you, but I really must be going."
"Feel free to return any time you'd like, Dora," Sirius told her as she stepped through the floo. "Say, Remus, didn't you have that thing?"
"Thing? What thing?" Remus questioned, flushing slightly after a moment. "Oh..."
"Dumbass," Sirius snorted, laughing at his friend's awkwardness.
"Yes, actually, I do have that thing..."
"Floo closes at midnight," Sirius warned Remus as he said his farewells.
"Who do those two think they're fooling?" Andromeda asked.
"Extra DADA lessons I might have bought, but private duelling tutoring? Bah."
"It pains me to say this, but I also must be off," Harry said, noting the time. "It isn't long until curfew."
"As does Draco," Narcissa added hastily. "Perhaps you can leave together. How do you plan on returning to Hogwarts?"
Harry hesitated for a moment and glanced at Malfoy, who seemed affronted by his mother's suggestion.
"Sure, why not?" he responded, vanishing Zael with a wave of his wand. Dobby popped in next to him, drawing curious looks from the adults.
"We leave by House-Elf Express. Dobby, please take Draco here back to Hogwarts."
"Of course, Master," Dobby replied promptly. He grabbed Malfoy by the arm and popped away, leaving a shocked Narcissa behind. The Dobby that had once served her family looked absolutely nothing like the unusual elf that had just left with her son. She was still reeling when the elf in question popped back in only a few moments later.
"All done, Master."
"In that case, I bid you all farewell. Lord Black, ladies, Ted," he said, nodding to each in turn. Ted raised his glass in salute as Harry put his hand on his elf's shoulder and said, "Chamber of Secrets, Dobby," and then he was off.
Once they'd arrived at their destination, Harry turned to Dobby and asked him where he'd sent Malfoy.
"Into the lake," Dobby grinned, and Harry roared in laughter.
Back at Number Twelve, Narcissa had recovered from her shock just long enough to realise Andromeda glaring at her suspiciously.
"She knows," Andromeda stated flatly. Both Sirius and Ted turned to Narcissa in surprise, while Isabella suddenly looked uncomfortable.
"Narcissa?" Sirius asked coolly. "What is it that you know?"
"I..." She hesitated for a moment, then decided to hold her tongue.
"She recognised her laughter," Andromeda responded for her, and Narcissa looked at her oldest sister in surprise.
"Shit..." Sirius replied, turning to an increasingly anxious Isabella. "It's not your fault. You did a good job."
"I..."
"Shh...it's fine," Sirius reassured her softly, and she visibly relaxed.
"B-Bella?" Narcissa asked in pure disbelief. "They… They said you were dead, that Sirius killed you."
"Leave them to me. I'll take care of it," Andromeda said, addressing both Sirius and her husband. The two men exchanged nods.
"Mother!" Sirius called.
"Yes, Lord Black?" Walburga asked from another vacant frame in the parlour.
"You can stay if you want," Sirius told her, as Narcissa looked to her aunt's painting in surprise - partially because she was away from her normal frame, but mostly because of her unexpectedly deferential attitude towards her son.
"Ted, fancy a drink?"
"I think that would be for the best," he replied, and then offered some parting words to his wife. "Don't be too harsh on her. She really did do a good job."
"It's not Bella I've taken issue with," Andromeda responded.
Satisfied that things were well in hand, Ted and Sirius took their leave and gave the three sisters their privacy.
"What the hell is going on here?" Narcissa demanded as she rose from her seat, only to fall back into her chair after Andromeda delivered a slap to her face.
"Merlin, I've wanted to do that since you were fifteen," Andromeda declared, while Narcissa looked up at her sister with wide eyes. "Bella, you did a good job."
"Thank you," Bella replied, ducking her head.
"What did I tell you about looking down, you stupid girl?"
Bella immediately looked back up and made eye contact with Andromeda.
"You're a Black, no longer a weakling Lestrange. A Black holds their head high and doesn't look down for anyone."
Bella gulped and nodded her agreement.
"I suppose you want some answers, don't you?" she asked, turning back to her youngest sister. Narcissa had been rendered temporarily speechless by the exchange and could only nod her head dumbly at her older sister.
"Then listen closely. When I was eleven, Grandfather Arcturus approached me with an idea, the summer before I went to Hogwarts. He asked me to help him train a descendant of squibs of our blood to be a proper Black. That's how I met Ted. Grandfather thought it best to keep the plan from the rest of the family until the appropriate time. Ted played the role of a typical muggleborn in order to keep a low profile, and he even got himself sorted into Hufflepuff. I continued to work with him over the years, and eventually we fell in love. Grandfather was actually really pleased and gave us his blessing, though he insisted we hide our relationship until he was ready to reveal Ted for who he really was. If only he had lived a few years longer, then things might have been different..."
Andromeda took on a pensive expression while Narcissa shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"It was during those years when the Dark Lord revealed himself, and Grandfather enacted yet another plan. He was no fool; he knew the majority of the family would rally to the Dark Lord, and he understood the consequences if his bid to take over Britain were to fail. That's why he decided to ensure the continuation of the family by gambling on both sides, but in order to do that, he needed a Black who could visibly oppose the Dark Lord and ally himself with the Light."
"Wait… Do you mean Sirius?!" Narcissa asked incredulously, disbelief written all over her face.
"If you'd paid more attention to Sirius as a child, you'd know he was bound for Slytherin. He was smart, he was cunning, and he was charismatic. He was the obvious choice to play the role Grandfather had envisioned."
Bella frowned at the explanation but remained quiet as Andromeda continued her story.
"Sirius wasn't exactly enamoured with the idea. He argued with Grandfather over it for ages, but Arcturus Black was as unyielding a wizard as there ever was, and Sirius eventually acquiesced and embraced his duty. While Grandfather helped him plan out his role in broad terms, he left the finer points up to Sirius. What we didn't expect was for him to make his masterstroke at age eleven, by successfully convincing the Sorting Hat to place him in Gryffindor."
Narcissa's eyebrows shot up at the revelation, while Bella scowled at the reminder of the day her relationship with her favourite cousin had fractured.
"He told me later that it was a close thing, but with that simple act, Sirius did more for Grandfather's plan than any of us could have ever dreamt of. Not a single person doubted that Sirius was for the Light, destined to be a pariah in his own family. Even Dumbledore readily accepted it, and our own family believed it enough to immediately begin treating him as an outcast, including you, Cissy, and even you, Bella."
"It wasn't fair," Bella complained, clenching her fists.
"Life isn't fair, Isabella," Andromeda responded.
"Sirius deserved better," she hissed in reply.
"Yes, he did," Andromeda replied solemnly. "From there, one unexpected surprise was how quickly Sirius bonded with his little group of friends. It was no act; he truly cared for them as brothers. The fact that James Potter was so outspoken against all things Dark was a bonus, because it helped Sirius distance himself from the stigma of being a Black."
Andromeda paused for a moment to refill her glass.
"That was when everything Grandfather predicted finally came to pass. Once he died, the rest of the family began openly supporting the Dark Lord. By then it was too late for us to explain Ted's situation, and I was forced to choose between him and what was left of the family. We had some difficult years, but I don't regret my decision in the slightest. By the time the war ended in 1981, the Blacks had all but been wiped out."
"Sirius being thrown in Azkaban nearly destroyed the plan. I tried to help him, of course, but I had no way to prove his innocence and I was stonewalled by the Ministry at every turn. I will never be able to thank Harry enough for what he did to help Sirius clear his name; not only because he helped right a grave injustice, but also because we can now continue Grandfather's work and bring the Blacks back into prominence."
"This all sounds so unbelievable," Narcissa said, shaking her head. "It's hard to comprehend Sirius going that far for so long, especially considering how most of the family treated him."
"Believe me, there were times when Sirius wanted to give up," Andromeda replied sadly. "There were times when he felt lost. I know this because he came to me and Ted whenever he needed to talk, since we were the only ones who knew the full truth. Facing Bellatrix in battle was particularly hard for him, since he still cared about her and considered her family. He came to us when Regulus died, and even when Auntie died a few months before the end of the war."
"He did?" Walburga asked.
"He cried, too," Andromeda smirked. "He came over to our house, piss drunk and grieving. He kept telling us about how he only needed one rule to help fit in within the Light, and that was to ask himself 'what would his mother do', and then do the opposite. Apparently, it worked like a charm."
Walburga had no idea whether she should feel complimented or insulted, but still she felt proud, and a little touched that she was at least in his thoughts.
"He also told me something, which if you ever repeat outside of this room, I will vehemently deny ever having said it. He told me that even after everything you'd put him through, he still loved you."
Andromeda gave a small, satisfied smile as Walburga was unable to hold back her tears.
"Granted, he was completely pissed and likely doesn't remember a word of it."
The three sisters sat for a few moments in contemplative silence.
"So where does Bella factor into all this?" Narcissa asked.
Andromeda gestured for her other sister to pick up the tale.
"I honestly don't know how it all happened," Bellatrix began. "I suppose it started when Sirius came to visit me on Christmas. He finally told me a few bits of the truth, and when he left…I don't know…I was angry. I raged against both him and Grandfather, but I also couldn't help but admire him and what he had achieved. I wanted to know everything, no, I needed to know everything. I needed Sirius to explain why he had done it, why he accepted his role without ever telling me."
"How did you escape Azkaban?"
"That's the strangest part. One day, I simply found myself in Diagon Alley with no memory of how I got there. I had no idea why I was there; all I knew is that I wanted to come home. All I cared about was confronting Sirius and demanding answers to the questions that had plagued me since Christmas. I made it here to Grimmauld, and luckily, he was alone. Once I saw him, I…"
Bellatrix started sobbing, not even bothering to hide it from her sisters.
"We cursed him, we renounced him, we hated him, and yet he never wavered. All this time, he was the truest Black of us all."
"But...but the paper said you fought him, that there was a body..."
"That was a blood golem," Andromeda snorted. "They didn't even bother with a full investigation. Who would doubt the word of the Lord Black, especially after he solved the DMLE's problem by killing a dangerous fugitive? Sirius called for me, and I took Bella away while he prepared the golem."
"And we did fight," Bella added. "I remember fighting Sirius, but I know I didn't want to hurt him. I was torn between getting the answers I wanted and running away to go die somewhere. Apparently, I'd had some sort of compulsion placed upon me, because Sirius was able to break it and the desire to fight and die left me."
"Then what happened?"
"Sirius gave me another chance. Andy and Ted took me to Spain, laughing of course, as they forced me to live as a muggle for weeks. They made me undergo a muggle procedure to permanently change my face, but they also helped me physically and mentally recover, which included re-learning Occlumency and working on my anger management. In short, I did everything the Lord Black ordered me to. I created a brand-new persona, complete with her own backstory and personality. I even learned a new language, and all for this - to be a part of the family again and have a second chance at life."
"Have you forsaken the Dark Lord?" Narcissa asked.
"I'm putting my family first this time," Bellatrix said decisively. "If the Dark Lord ever returns, I will only serve him if the Lord Black orders me to, which seems unlikely."
"What about you, Auntie Walburga?" Narcissa asked, turning to the painting. "You've hated Sirius for nearly as long as I can remember."
"I saw and heard everything that happened between my son and Bellatrix," she answered. "The accusations I heard from Bellatrix seemed preposterous, but then I heard the confirmation from Sirius's own lips. I couldn't believe the boy deceived us all, that of all of us, he was the truest Black and the truest Slytherin. I can now sincerely say that I am proud of my son."
"So, now you know everything," Andromeda said with a glint in her eye, once again addressing her youngest sister. "That leaves us with only one thing left to settle."
"And what's that?" Narcissa asked tentatively, slightly frighted by the sudden change in her eldest sister's demeanour. She had almost forgotten how Andromeda could be more terrifying than Aunt Walburga and Bellatrix combined.
"Determining how worthwhile it would be for our new family to let you keep those memories," she replied coldly, and Narcissa's eyes widened in fear.