Summary of last chapter:
- Healer Katerina Ruslanovich who tends to Sirius injuries wants to bring his case to the authorities but Arcturus Black threatens her into keeping it a secret
- Arcturus and Orion Black have a meeting and agree that Walburga needs to die, they plot the assassination
- Bellatrix, assisted by Narcissa, births a daughter and names her Delphini Bella
- Martin Foucade, a death eater, is confunded into causing the assassination of Walburga
- He imperiuses two muggleborns at a new years eve party and has them assassinate Walburga
- Walburga and a healer die but her twins make it out alive
Chapter 5:
1st January 1975, England, London, Ministry of Magic:
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Bartemius Crouch was sitting in his office looking at the latest reports. There had just been a massive attack on a muggle village somewhere in Cornwall, the aurors responded quickly to the situation, 23 deaths were reported and as usual none of the attackers were still around when the aurors arrived.
He was thinking on what to tell the Muggle Prime Minister, not that he cared much about the Muggles but he atleast had to pretend he did. One would think that Minister Jenkins would do this but the poor woman was overwhelmed by the entire situation as it was so because he had a good heart (and certainly not because he aimed to have her in his debt, no of course not) he dealt with everything muggle instead of her. Though he mused if it was any good, he found it possible that she wouldn't survive this year as minister of magic.
Suddenly Senior Auror Gideon Prewett burst into the room
„Sir I just got news from St. Mungos, there has been an incident, you must come immediately" he shouted.
„Calm yourself down Auror Prewett, what kind of incident must this be that I have to come personally? As you can see I am quite busy" Crouch replied moodily.
„Walburga Black has been attacked by two other patients just an hour after which she had birthed her children!" said Prewett who was out of breath and Crouch immediately understood the severity of the situation.
„Good Lord" shouted Crouch jumping up „I will come immediately, tell me everything!"
in the hospital, 10 minutes later
„What is the situation?" barked Crouch as he stormed into the hospital room.
Auror Shacklebolt immediately stood to attention „Sir, Walburga Black has been deemed dead, her two children are injured but alive and will most likely make it out alive. I am sorry sir, Auror Moody is currently interviewing the staff of the hospital to find out if there's anyone that has helped the assassins." he replied. Crouch looked at the two people unconscious on the floor.
„Who are they?" he barked at the auror who looked disgustedly at the assassins.
„These are the assassins, sir." Shacklebolt said. That much was obvious, but who they were wasn't. He had a sinking feeling that their identities, if his suspicions were correct and they became public, would only worsen the general situation of Magical Britain.
„Do we know who they are?" Crouch said looking at the two who had managed to overwhelm Aurors Rosier and Bulstrode and kill Walburga Black.
„We have confirmed their identities to be one Harry McPhillips and Emma Taylor. Both are muggleborns, Mr. McPhillips was sorted into Hufflepuff in 1965 while Ms. Taylor was sorted into Gryffindor in 1966. Both were seen at a party yesterday evening. Mr. McPhillips currently works at a shop in muggle London while Ms. Taylor is currently working on her transfiguration mastery. Neither of them have been in our registry for any kinds of misdemeanors let alone any crimes. They are your everyday average citizen with the exception that Ms. Taylor is quite the genius." replied Shacklebolt and Crouch could feel a migraine coming in. Muggleborns. Great. As if a Black being assassinated wasn't bad enough. Crouch sighed.
„Any idea what their motives could be?" he asked the Junior Auror.
„No, sadly not apart from Walburga Black being... well a Black and known for her pureblood supremacist opinions" Shacklebolt replied.
„Dammit that's not enough. Why have these two done this and not two other muggleborns? Any muggleborn would be angry at her for hating them without reason but why these two?" raged Crouch. This was the last thing he needed.
„Auror Prewett take these two and interrogate them somewhere" he ordered his Senior Auror who he knew had some Veritaserum with him.
„Yes sir, it will be done" Prewett replied.
Prewett came back after an hour into the room with a grim expression. „Well?" asked Crouch.
„Definetely the imperius sir. Their eyes are glassy and they have no idea where they are and what they were doing here." the auror replied.
„Fanfuckingtastic... well atleast no new wave of pureblood riots will come from this... hopefully" Crouch said running his hand through his thinning hair.
„And I have found the perpetrator" said Auror Moody with a bound man in his tow. „Are you sure? Who is this?" barked Crouch.
„We don't know yet and 100 percent, this man has the death eater mark and the last spell performed on his wand is the imperius" replied Moody.
„A death eater? Fantastic!" laughed Crouch in joy. Oh how he hated them.
This day had suddenly turned into a good one.
„Sir I've got one Orion Black here." a young Auror coming into the room said with said Black in tow and Black was looking furious though something was off about him.
3rd January 1975, Scotland, Hogwarts:
Walburga Black assassinated by imperiused muggleborns, death eater behind the assassination! Lord Black refuses to comment!
This was the Daily Prophet the British Magical population woke up to and it left them thoroughly confused. Everyone (except Orion and Arcturus Black that is) were wondering why Lord Voldemort would order the assassination of Walburga Black who had garnered attention with being a die-hard supporter.
„It just doesn't make sense" mused Albus Dumbledore in his office.
„Well I say good riddance. A death eater is in Azkaban and this might push the Blacks towards opposing the nuisance" said Alastor Moody who was in his office. Moody had recently become part of the Order of the Phoenix that Dumbledore had created a year ago in response to Voldemort's continued rise.
Dumbledore sighed, he hoped that the Blacks atleast wouldn't join Voldemort now, the terrorist attacks were slowly becoming an all out civilwar.
He knew though that atleast one of them had already joined, Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black. She was wreaking havoc wherever she appeared and was dubbed 'the crazy witch' and Dumbledore heard some of his more brave muggleborn and halfblood students calling her the crazy bitch.
'though she hasn't been seen in some time now' Dumbledore thought. Come to think of it, the last time she appeared publicly was in... July? June perhaps and even then she had seemed a bit... sluggish and less playful. He hoped that stayed for a while and a small, dark part of his mind even hoped that she was dead. But no, Bellatrix Lestrange wouldn't die just like that, no not without a big show. If 2 teams of Senior Aurors weren't enough to stand up to her in the last fight then it would take something big to take her out.
Unfortunately the Order didn't have any heavy hitters (well besides him of course and maaaaaybe Alastor Moody) but maybe in the future, young Mr. Potter was proving to be quite adept at transfiguration already. There was Filius Flitwick of course but his friend preferred to stay at Hogwarts where he could have an eye on his students. Other promising students were the friends Lily Evans and Severus Snape though Dumbledore thought that this friendship couldn't hold much longer as Ms. Evans was a muggleborn and Snape (despite Dumbledore's best attempts) seemed to go down the death eater road. It was unfortunate that Mr. Snape had been sorted into Slytherin, a lot of potential would be lost if Mr. Snape joined the death eaters though Dumbledore was almost certain that Mr. Snape would do so upon his graduation.
Elsewhere in Riddle Manor:
„Who the hell authorized this mission because it certainly was not me?!" screamed a very irate Voldemort through the room. The assassination had confused everyone but Voldemort? He was more furious than confused and while everyone currently in the room with him understood his anger it didn't mean they were not afraid. His Lord was becoming more and more known to curse his followers if he was irate. But Bobby Rosier had information and he knew that punishment would be harsh should it come out that he withheld viable information so he gulped, took a heart and stepped forward. All eyes immediately switched to him and he gulped again feeling very nervous all of the sudden. His Lord quickly noticed his hesitation and took the initiative
„Well if it isn't young Rosier. Tell me Mr. Rosier, you have stepped forward for a good reason haven't you?" his Lord asked in a low voice.
'Well all or nothing' thought Bobby and said
„Well uhh my Lord, I have information". His Lord motioned for him to continue and so he did
„I was part of the interrogation team that interrogated the orchestrator. His name is Martin Foucade, a frenchie we picked up some years ago and who had just participated in his first raid ever. I don't know for certain why he thought so but he was apparently of the opinion that this would please you though he made it clear that he acted not because he was ordered to but because he wanted to. There was something off about him though I don't think that the other two aurors with me picked up on it. His eyes spinned around a lot and when we asked why he did what he did he couldn't give us anything besides that he thought it would please you".
His Lord mulled over Bobby's words for a bit
„That is certainly useful information you have there, good work Mr. Rosier, any indication on how much the information he spilled could damage our work?" his Lord asked him and Bobby thought for a few seconds
„I am not certain my Lord, though it might be better if anyone that interacted with him during his training would remain in hiding for some time. We don't know how many identities were compromised" he then said.
„Mhm that is unfortunate. Well thank you for stepping forward Mr. Rosier I will make sure that you will be rewarded for your hard work" his Lord said.
Elsewhere at Black Manor:
Arcturus and his son were in Arcturus' personal study once again drinking firewhiskey. It was a celebration that the plan had gone off without a hitch as much as it was a mourning for the person that Walburga was. For all her faults they didn't want to kill her. Unfortunately she herself forced their hands.
„Well now that this is done, what's going to happen now?" asked Orion.
„We, and I mean we, are going to raise the twins as proper purebloods while treating them better than you and your wife have treated both Regulus but especially Sirius. We are both going to apologise to your son for his treatment once he is capable of properly receiving our apologies. By the way, did Walburga have time to name the twins?" he asked his son.
„No she fell unconscious after birthing the two. I decided to name them Leo Cygnus and Lyra Aquila Black, father" his son said and he nodded approvingly „Those are good names, I approve Orion. Hmmm did you have time to visit Sirius while you were in St. Mungos?" he then asked.
„Yes and... well he isn't doing too well which is understandable after having gone through the cruciatus but... argh I don't know father" his son and for the first time in his life he saw Orion being absolutely exhausted.
„Take your rest for now son, we have much to do in the coming months and years."
15th February 1975, England, St. Mungos:
Sirius woke up with a massive headache and it wasn't just his head hurting no his whole body felt like a troll had trampled on it. And then he remembered and he understood why he was feeling so bad.
'Damn that woman, I always knew that she was insane but to torture me, her own damn son, with the cruciatus? Even she shouldn't have been so insane... maybe it was the pregnancy, women are said to be completely knockers during the latter stages of a pregnancy' Sirius thought and snorted.
The door to his room then opened and a beautiful young woman ( he wouldn't mind sharing a night with) with the tag that named her as Ruslanovich came in. Once she saw him sitting upside on his hospital bed her eyes widened and she hurried towards him, immediately fussing over his health and muttering about stuff he didn't understand.
After making sure that he was only in pain she looked at him with a look he couldn't read and said
„Well you are surprisingly fine given that you were under the cruciatus, stay here I will get your family"
**End of Chapter**
Characters in this chapter and the amount of chapters they have been in:
- Bartemius Crouch Sr. (1)
- Gideon Prewett (1)
- Kingsley Shacklebolt (1)
- Alastor Moody (1)
- Albus Dumbledore (3)
- Voldemort (2)
- Bobby Rosier (2)
- Arcturus Black (4)
- Orion Black (4)
- Sirius Black (2)
- Katerina Ruslanovich (2)