Summary of last chapter:
- Lords Arcturus Black, Eric Greengrass, Reefelt Lestrange, Marvin MacMillan, Abraxas Malfoy and Burton Rubisheart talk about recent events and complain about the rising darkness caused by Voldemort and his acts of violence
- They lament the fact that many of their heirs and other family members have joined the new self styled dark lord
- Albus Dumbledore muses about the implications of the prophecy and is worried about the future it could bring, he is determined to prevent the prophecy from coming true
Chapter 3:
14th March 1974, England, Riddle Manor:
The initiation process for Henry Silverling and Melinda Firewheel had just been completed. Both were still in their late teens and now completely loyal to the cause as her Lord had given them a home and a purpose after both of them were cast out by their light families because they had been sorted into Slytherin. They weren't as loyal as she, Bellatrix Lestrange was, no noone was, but she'd never tell that opinion to anyone of course.
She didn't necessarily have to be here today but she had found out something very important. She was pregnant. And there was pretty much only one possible candidate for the father as her Lord had required her services a couple times during the last 2 years while her husband liked his victims rather... young and preferably male. Luckily for him he was content with taking young muggle boys into his basement. She shuddered at the thought but quickly shrugged her unease off, they were filthy muggles after all.
A few minutes went and Bellatrix remained the last one with her Lord who looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She fidgeted nervously under his gaze, it was anyone's guess how he would react to the news.
„I guess you have something important to say for you to remain behind Bella, don't you?" he drawled dangerously.
„Y.. Yes my Lord... I... I am pregnant my Lord" she stammered, his magical power filling the chamber. His only reaction was a narrowing of his eyes.
„I see... and why have you come to me with this news?" he said in a low voice. She had to be careful and hope for the best now.
„My Lord... I believe it is your child"
„Hmmm I can see that you firmly believe this.. is there no way that it might be perhaps your husband's?" he replied and Bellatrix's nervousness didn't ebb away, she still had no idea what he was thinking. She only hoped he wouldn't punish her for the request she would soon approach him with.
„N... No my Lord, Rodolphus uhhh isn't interested in sleeping with me" she said shuddering at the thought of the muggle boys in their basement. It seemed as if he was reading her mind at the moment as his eye twitched, signaling a moment of irritation and disgust.
„Hmmm... speak your mind Bella, what do you plan to do now?" he asked her interested in how she would answer. She knew that this was a small test of loyalty but hoped that he would let her raise the child.
„My Lord... with your permission I would like to birth and then raise the child" This was the moment... would he accept her request? She really hoped so. Despite everything going on at the moment, Bellatrix was thrilled at the idea of being a mother.
„Hmm I see. Bella you are aware that you are one of my most skilled fighters, aren't you?" he asked her. Okay while this wasn't a permission it was also not a refusal.
„Certainly my Lord but maybe... maybe I could do my duties to our cause while being a mother? Also think of the positives. A child of the Blacks with your power, the Wizarding World would tremble at the idea you having an heir that might have inherited your power" she said excitedly trying to entice him into granting her permission.
He seems to have picked up on her manipulation but he didn't seem to mind too much. Instead her Lord only gave her a satisfied smirk and eventually said „Perhaps you are right. Alright I will give this a chance. This is how it is going to be. For the next 3 months you will continue as if nothing happened. After that you are to retreat to your private quarters here, I will have an elf see to your needs. After you have given birth to our child, you will be half time parent and half time commandeer of our forces. Only your husband is to know of this and you will swear him to secrecy understood?"
Bellatrix was in ecstasy, her Lord had given her permission to become a mother!
„Oh thank you so much my Lord, you will not regret this" she said before bowing and leaving the room leaving Voldemort to his thoughts.
While he intended to live forever and had no real need for an heir this was an opportunity for a future left hand and executioner of his plans, well those that required more... subtlety. Voldemort chuckled. Yes this would do nicely.
In Hogwarts Dumbledore shivered for no apparent reason.
19th March 1974, England, Black Manor:
„And you are certain of this?" asked Orion incredulously.
„Yes Orion I am pregnant" answered Walburga with an annoyed face not happy with the fact that she would have to go through another pregnancy, 2 were already more than enough thank you very much.
Later
„Hmmmm tell me something son. Why is Walburga not happy about this?" Orion got asked by his father after Arcturus had learnt the news.
„Well we hadn't planned on having another child to be honest and she dreads the latter stages of the pregnancy and to be honest I don't even blame her this time. I am glad I will never have to go through a pregnancy" he replied to his father and he was completely honest.
Arcturus chuckled and said „That is only too true. Well I for one am happy about this. You may not think that you need another child, but if it proves to be a boy, you'd have another possible heir."
„I already have two besides you are still alive and I will not be too old once I take over the Lordship. By that point Sirius and Regulus will likely have children of their own." replied Orion before becoming confused as his father's face grew sad.
„Son you may try to hide from the truth but you cannot ignore that Regulus has a high chance of dying if he joins the Death Eaters. And Sirius? Sirius will likely follow James Potter into opposing Voldemort which is even more dangerous" said his father sighing.
Orion was confused: „If Sirius is going to join the blood traitors then why not cast him out of the family?" asked Orion his father who looked at him with a disappointed face: „2 heirs is better than one heir, besides I still have hope that he will make a fine Lord Black someday"
„Despite his views on blood purity?" „Yes despite his views on blood purity...
Oh and Orion? Keep the pregnancy secret for now"
The conversation effectively ended at that point, Arcturus left the room leaving his son behind as Orion mulled over the words of his father.
He couldn't see how Sirius could become a good Lord Black, he'd have to make it clear to Regulus not to die without a son of himself under any circumstance. His 3rd child might be a son aswell which gave him some hope but even that possible son would need 17 years until he was able to take up the Lordship. This could potentially be a disaster.
29th June 1974, England, Black Manor:
Their cousins had announced that they would be having a third child yesterday which left Cygnus Black in a bit of a bind. He had plenty of daughters but still no son, he could not be outdone this much by his cousins, no that would not do. Luckily his wonderful wife, Druella Black nee Rosier, had the same opinion and so they decided to try for children until they would have a son. They would perform multiple fertility rituals over the next few months but wait for a year before they would eventually be able to confirm that they would have another child. Unbeknownst to them, the pregnancy announcement by their cousins would have further ramifications as this was seen as an effort to preserve the line of the Blacks. This would inspire other pureblood families to have more children.
Elsewhere the recently married Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had also just gotten the news. Narcissa was immensely jealous since she had also just recently heard that her sister was pregnant. After pestering her husband for about a week he conceded and they began trying for a child themselves.
19th December 1974, England, Black Manor:
„What do you mean you are staying with the Potters? It's the yule holidays you ungrateful son!" these words that were being heard throughout the manor were shrieked by none other than the now heavily pregnant Walburga.
'Well her pregnancy certainly hasn't helped her mental state' Sirius snorted at that thought. He was lucky that his mother wasn't able to read minds. He only hoped that his little brother and sister wouldn't have to survive through her insanity like he did. Wait brother AND sister? That's right, his mother was going to have twins. And wasn't that a little surprise? As far as Sirius knew the last time twins were born to a Black of the main family branch was in 1836.
„Mother I am not just staying there to have fun you know? I am going to attend aunt Dorea's and her husband's funeral" he replied and it was true.
Just 2 weeks ago there had been an attack on Diagon Alley, fortunately for the civilians that were in the alley at the time, Charlus and Dorea Potter had been there alongside auror Amelia Bones who was quickly making a name for herself. The three had protected the civilians as best as they could until aurors arrived. Then the mysterious Lord Voldemort (or as Sirius and his fellow Marauders liked to call him: the dark wanker) had appeared bringing death and destruction with him.
Sometime during the battle, Voldemort managed to hit Dorea with a killing curse sending her husband into an uncontrollable rage. Eyewitnesses would later tell a tale of an incredible effort made by the elder Potter that even managed to stall Voldemort for multiple minutes until an imperiused citizen hit Charlus Potter from the back. Charlus and Dorea Potter were hailed as national heroes by the Daily Prophet and a public funeral would be held on the 23rd December.
„Oh no you will not, you will no longer consort with these mudbloods and bloodtraitors. How dare they stand in the way of the glorious Lord Voldemort?" shrieked his mother and Sirius winced, her fanatical politics had apparently gotten worse since he saw her in the summer, she had never outright expressed her support for the dark wanker. If you would have asked him later he'd tell you he had no idea why he did what he did but in this very moment Sirius suddenly felt an urge to stand up for himself and his beliefs:
„Voldemort? Ohhh you mean the dark wanker? How can you, a pureblood, support him? Wasn't he the one responsible for the death of many purebloods? What about the Shafiqs? The Kettleburns? The Beaverdams? The Cassowarys? The Crouchs? The Raywoods? The Ollivanders? The Dimelights? Everyone of these families is either exstinct or nearly so. What pureblood champion is so willing to kill his fellow purebloods?" he shouted, he wasn't really believing that blood mattered but he wanted to get through to his mother... unfortunately the only thing he seemed to have achieved was that his mother got even more enraged.
„How dare you? Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" she screamed at the end and then something followed that he would have never expected not even from her „CRUCIO" she screamed and before he could even widen his eyes, his world exploded in pain and he fell to the floor. He didn't know how long he was under her cruciatus but he could feel every bit of her insanity and hatred for him. He screamed until he was no longer able to do so and everything seemed to fade out until he heard someone shout „What is going on here? Walburga! You foolish woman!" and it suddenly stopped. He couldn't see, every fiber of his body was still sending pain reports and he slipped into unconsciousness. But before he did he heard a voice that was undoubtedly his grandfather's shout „Sirius? Sirius stay with me!"
**End of Chapter**
Characters / amount of chapters they've been in:
- Henry Silverling / 1
- Melinda Firewheel / 1
- Bellatrix Lestrange / 1
- Voldemort / 1
- Orion Black / 2
- Walburga Black / 1
- Cygnus Black / 1
- Druella Black / 1
- Sirius Black / 1
- Arcturus Black / 2