Albus Dumbledore had a bad feeling building in his gut since he had received reports from Arabella Figg of several sightings of dementors in Surrey. Nothing had happened and Arabella had even said she hadn't seen hide nor hair of Harry in a couple of weeks. That wasn't an unusual report so Albus had put it out of his mind while he pulled together the old Order to try to set them on the upcoming tasks needed to continue their fight against Voldemort since he had risen from the dead.
But when Albus received a patronus from Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt saying that Harry was not in the muggle home and hadn't been for weeks according to Harry's relatives, his stomach sank to his knees. He made his way to the Dursley house to interrogate Petunia himself in quick time.
Kingsley and Nymphadora Tonks were methodically searching the home when Albus arrived. In the kitchen sat Arthur with the sternest face he had ever seen on the laid-back man. Arthur sat across from a pale Petunia Dursley and an obviously silenced Vernon Dursley who was still doing his best to yell himself red in the face.
"Kingsley, Nymphadora." Albus nodded at the two aurors, ignoring the bright change in Tonks' hair color at being called by her given name. "What do you know?"
"The house is disturbing Headmaster," Kingsley spoke gravely. "There are signs of clear abuse and neglect in this house, but there is no sign of where Harry may have gone or if anyone took him. The muggles haven't seen him in weeks and from what I understand were glad to be rid of the boy. Just who have you had taking care of the boy? These people make some death eaters look like saints."
"While there may be little love lost between Harry and his Aunt and Uncle, the blood wards here give Harry the best chance at making it to being an adult. I have kept an eye on them and they have never physically harmed the boy." Albus quickly shrugged off Kingsley's concern. "The blood wards are still active so he couldn't have left under force. If it had been Death Eaters the muggles would be dead anyway."
"Maybe he ran away? To escape this hell hole of a house." Tonks piped in unhelpfully.
"Harry wouldn't run away!" Albus insisted. "Even if he did he would have nowhere to go but the wizarding world and we would have heard of sightings of him before now."
"I think you are underestimating the determination of a possibly abused and neglected 14-year-old boy," Kingsley said in concern but Albus waved him off again.
"We will need to get in contact with all of Harry's friends to see if he is hiding out with any of them, but if he is still a no-show, we will have to report this to the ministry," Tonks said seriously causing Kingsley to nod in agreement.
"With Voldemort active again we cannot trust the ministry," Albus said quickly.
"Be that as it may, Harry is a missing child. If he is not with his friends we have no choice. They have more ways to track down a missing child than we do." Kingsley admonished.
Albus grit his teeth in irritation but hopefully the boy would be found quickly so reporting to the Ministry would be a moot point. Where could that blasted child had disappeared off to? Albus had made sure the boy knew the importance of staying at the Dursley's house to recharge the wards and to stay safe.
Arthur having overheard the conversation between Albus and the aurors looked at Albus a little suspiciously but decided to add his own part. "If the boys have had any contact with Harry, I will let you know everything, Albus. I might have them write to him anyway just in case he has run away." Arthur stood up from the table and approached Albus, lowering his voice so the muggles couldn't hear. "Although if that boy has run away due to his treatment in this horrible house Albus, I would offer you the advice to sleep with one eye open because Molly will want to have words."
The normally so timid Weasley patriarch took Albus aback at his sudden threats. He couldn't even find the right words to placate the man before Arthur apparated back to the burrow with a loud pop. Arthur leaving also seemed to lift the silencing spell on Vernon as his yelling was now being heard by everyone at ear-shattering volume.
The feeling in Albus' gut told him it was only going to get worse from this point on.
Albus' feeling proved quite correct in the most drastic of ways. Harry Potter had completely vanished, the order was barely hanging together by mere threads, and Voldemort went silent after it had been reported that Harry had gone missing. By everything they knew through their spies, Voldemort didn't have Harry and neither did any of the Death Eaters.
It had now been 3 years since Harry disappeared and most at this point believed the boy to be dead. Albus refused to believe that the boy had somehow been spirited away and killed with neither the light nor dark side knowing what happened.
The wizarding world had mourned the loss of the saviour, but many conspiracy theories hung around due to the lack of body found to prove that Harry had in fact died. All owls or patronus' sent to Harry returned unanswered or unable to locate the boy entirely. No locating spell legal or illegal had been able to find the boy either.
Sirius had lost his mind after Harry disappeared and spent most days being drugged comatose by Remus and Molly. Severus, too, had to be sedated for a week about a year after Harry had disappeared as the man feared that the boy was truly dead and his vow to keep the boy alive would strike him down.
Albus had never had everything fall down around his ears in such a way before. The disappearance of one 14-year-old boy completely devastated everyone in his life and makes Albus' life a million times more difficult.
Harry Potter should have graduated from Hogwarts last month with the rest of his class and his absence was felt by everyone.
Another thing causing Albus problems is Voldemort having gone completely underground in search of Harry Potter. No villages had been terrorized and no one killed in years. Just complete silence. It was unnerving at best.
Then another problem is starting to make itself known on Albus' messy chessboard of plans. Several months ago there had been whispers on the continent that the House of Caliban had been resurrected.
Albus would like to say that these whispers were the work of Voldemort, but he knew it had nothing to do with him. No one used the name Caliban lightly, not even Voldemort, a stupid man he was not. If the Imperial House of Caliban is resurrecting itself then it would only cause Albus further problems.
The order was meeting again in the dreary house of Black. Even with Sirius out of his mind and on permanent bed rest just up the stairs, the order continued to meet in his family's townhouse. Hermione had been uncomfortable at first sitting around the table at Grimmauld and listening to Sirius' screams and cries until a silencing spell was lifted so they could continue to discuss Harry's disappearance and Voldemort's activities. Now it was just another part of being in the order, Sirius had gone silent 8 months ago anyway. No one was brave enough to ask if he had been permanently silenced or if he had just run out of energy to yell and cry. Ron and Hermione had felt important being included in the order during their fifth year after Harry had disappeared, but years later they realise that the adults knew as little as they did.
Hermione just didn't understand how Harry so completely disappeared without a trace. Even if he was dead they should have been able to find the body. Dumbledore and Snape had been delving into darker and darker magic in an attempt to find Harry and still nothing.
"I am sorry to call another meeting so soon after the last one, my friends, but news on the continent has reached me and it might prove to be an issue," Dumbledore spoke gravely at the head of the table. The twinkle in his eyes had been missing since Harry had vanished and it left a severe and hollow-looking man in its wake.
"Why are we meeting over rumors?" Ron asked confused.
"They aren't just school rumors, they could prove detrimental if true." Severus snarked from beside Dumbledore.
"Are they about Harry?" Hermione asked timidly, but Dumbledore was shaking his head.
"I wish they were about Harry. Instead, there had been word that the House of Caliban has an heir to resurrect the name." As soon as the name Caliban came out of his mouth every wizarding-raised person in the room went white. Hermione had never seen a reaction so severe, even when speaking of Voldemort and the death eaters.
"What is the House of Caliban?" Hermione asked lost on why they were all acting so strange.
"They are our beginning and our end." A hoarse voice said in the doorway of the room. All the eyes whipped around to see a gaunt, skeletal Sirius Black leaning heavily on Remus.
"W-what do you mean Sirius?" Hermione asked.
"The most Noble, the most Ancient, and the most Imperial House of Caliban. They were the wizarding world's Kings, Queens, and Emperors. They ruled us all. Oh each country had its own government and the House of Caliban allowed us the illusion of freedom and choice, but they have always been the ones in charge." Sirius' rough voice made the words sound even more grave than they were. A shiver went down Hermione's spine.
"Why have I never heard of them before?" Hermione pressed.
All the eyes in the room drifted from Sirius to Dumbledore, who let out a long sigh.
"It was believed that Grindelwald had killed the last of the House of Caliban in 1944. No one has heard from them since. It was one of the reasons Gellert was so feared in the end. If he could silence the Imperial House of Caliban, what would happen to everyone else? It was the final straw that actually got many countries to appeal to me to fight Gellert. The fall of such a powerful house was surely an omen of the end times."
"There is a story told to all children about the House of Caliban, it was said to once have been a prophecy told by Merlin." Sirius picked up where Dumbledore left off. "The story talks of how the House of Caliban was our beginning as a society and not just rogue witches and wizards running from muggles. When the House of Caliban falls then the end times will be upon us."
Hermione scoffed. "Surely no one with an ounce of logic believes that?!"
Ron was already shaking his head. "Do not mock the Imperial House."
Hermione had never seen Ron so serious before. Who the hell were these people?
"They sound like dictators to me! No better than Voldemort! They would approve of this story so no one would oppose them!" Hermione insisted shrilly.
"If the Imperial House is coming back from the dead, you will learn or they will kill you before any death eater has the chance," Remus spoke softly, taking Hermione off guard. She couldn't believe this.
"I will confirm they are indeed back," Sirius said softly causing everyone to freeze.
"What do you know Sirius?" Dumbledore asked suspiciously.
"Several months ago I received… a summons," Sirius spoke with a grimace.
"That's when you went silent," Hermione observed and Sirius nodded.
"Did you answer?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Sirius said.
"Why?!" Hermione cried out. "Just because they used to be some important family-" Arthur Weasley quickly cut her off though.
"You do not refuse a summons from the House. Especially Sirius could not ever refuse even if he wanted to risk his life by ignoring them." Arthur said urgently.
Hermione looked between Arthur and Sirius confused.
"The House of Black is a disowned and banished line of the House of Caliban," Sirius said bitterly. Hermione was even more confused now.
"Well if the House of Black is a relation of Caliban then shouldn't we be looking at Lestranges or the Malfoys as to who is now behind the theoretical throne?" Hermione had to ask but most at the table were already shaking their heads. Sirius took a deep breath.
"Hundreds of years ago a minor branch of the House of Caliban did something wrong. The stories vary in what exactly they did to so badly earn the rejection of their head but one thing everyone can agree on is it involved necromancy and a lot of deaths. Emperor and Lord Basilio Caliban made the decision to strip this line of their name, and their family gifts, and banish them to the isles in the north. From that point on Bartlome Caliban became Zenith Black and he and his descendants had to make their own way here in the UK and rebuild a new family name and lineage. It would have been better if Lord Basilio had just killed Bartlome so his line and his crazy could not have continued." Sirius spat out.
"So why were you summoned by them if your line has been so thoroughly disgraced?" Moody asked suspiciously.
"The new Emperor-to-be wanted to check in on their bastard line," Sirius said through gritted teeth.
"Emperor-to-be?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.
"This summer will be the re-introduction of the House of Caliban to the public. It will start with the Emperor-to-be's Beautillion Ball and end with his coronation. The House of Caliban is no longer a them, but one 17-year-old boy. But do not let this fool any of you into thinking him weak or any less capable." Sirius warned.
"Surely a mere boy won't prove to be the boogeyman that the House used to be," Minerva said in an almost affronted tone.
"Do Not Underestimate the House," Sirius growled out.
"It would be wise to heed Sirius' words. Better we are overcautious than not. We will need to send people to meet with the Head of Caliban to persuade him to not side with Voldemort." Dumbledore spoke but Sirius' bitter and harsh bark of laughter cut him off.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Dumbledore," Sirius stated.
"Why not my boy?" Dumbledore asked confused. "Has he already joined Voldemort? I know the House is known for being quite dark but they weren't known for killing innocent typically."
"The House does not pick sides, they will join no one. They are the House of Caliban and if anyone is so arrogant as to presume them to be human enough to endorse our petty squabbles then that person is more likely to become a stain on their expensive rugs than anything else." Sirius' eyes held something unhinged that made everyone in the room a little wary. "Do not worry about the House joining anything to do with Voldemort. If anything the Emperor-to-be is more likely to solve our 'pest' problem for us. We should be more concerned about the governments across Europe that have grown used to their independence and will not want to surrender to the House's rule once more."
"Of course, they wouldn't! Nor should they have to!" Hermione protested. How barbaric of them to force their will over an entire continent.
"Do not defy the crown if you do not want put in the ground." Bill Weasley spoke softly. Many in the room nodded in agreement. Hermione was baffled.
"What is the point of fighting Voldemort if we are just going to give in to a European dictator?!" Hermione protested. Ron patted her shoulder trying to calm her.
"The House isn't like Voldemort though 'Mione. They don't hunt people based on their bloodlines or lack thereof. They honestly didn't get involved in local politics much. But they were the final word on the ICW, they oversaw took responsibility over any rogue houses or magical creature rebellions, and they kept the muggles away from us. In return, they accept nothing but bended knees and everyone to obey what little they do mess in. They have a connection to magic that no one else has. They are the voice and face of mother magic and father death. They are the beginning and they are the end." Ron said in a tone Hermione had never heard from her boyfriend and it scared her.
"They are the beginning and they are the end, the Imperial House of Caliban." everyone intoned at the table and the fear inside Hermione rose. She had to prove to them the dangers of this so-called Emperor. To save them and to save herself. Suddenly she knew she fear this sudden quiet obedience of her friends and family more than she had ever feared Voldemort.
She would show them that Caliban was just another villain, even if her gut clenched in fear and uncertainty. If only Harry was here, he would have agreed with her and saw the dangers.
Harry would have known better.