If there was anyone that Albus Dumbledore would think twice before dueling, it would be Filius Flitwick and Alastor Moody.
Flitwick was not only Dumbledore's senior by almost a century, he also had a vast knowledge on different spells and arcane magic. His goblin heritage not only granted him a long life, but it gave him agility and quick reflexes. He, along with three others, were a task force designated to fighting Grindelwald. They were about to kill Grindelwald and stop the war when Dumbledore swooped in to "duel" the already injured Grindelwald.
Flitwick, to this day, still doesn't trust Dumbledore.
Moody was ferocious and experienced. He was the sole apprentice of Charlus Potter, the Shield of Edgeview. The respect Moody had for Charlus bordered on idolization due to the fact Charlus single-handedly defeated all four of Grindelwald's lieutenants when they tried to ambush him. Charlus managed to hit Grindelwald with a cutting curse that hit his side, before vanishing. His lieutenants attacked him for this while sending cannon fodder to his comrades to keep them busy.
Charlus was victorious, and Dumbledore finally decided to fight Grindelwald. Due to his injury, Grindelwald was slowly bleeding out, and Dumbledore just managed to win their "duel" thanks to this fact.
Charlus saw promise and potential in Alastor Moody, and chose him as his apprentice. Moody consistently worked hard under Charlus' tutelage and soon became a legend in his own right when Voldemort began his reign. The majority of the cells in Azkaban that were filled was thanks to Moody. Every scar on his body, was a testament to his ability to survive.
Even with a peg leg, he was still recognized as the most skilled Auror.
While Dumbledore likes to hear the praise that is sent his way about his power, he hadn't spent the majority of his life dueling and fighting like both Flitwick and Moody. He was a scholar, not a warrior.
Moody saw potential in Amelia Bones, Sirius Black, and James Potter and took them all as apprentices. With them, he wondered if he was able to make his Master as proud as he felt in his own apprentices' accomplishments.
He was a guest at the Potter wedding, and felt his apprentice couldn't have picked a better woman. In his free time, he duels with trainee Unspeakables. His magical eye is enchanted to see past the obscurity charm placed in the hoods of the Unspeakables.
His duel with Lily made him fight harder than he has since he was first being taught by Charlus. While he won, he was mightily impressed with her.
He joined Dumbledore's foolish Order of the Phoenix group in order to spy on the supposed Leader of the Light. Like Flitwick, he didn't trust Dumbledore. He point blank refused to make a loyalty oath, and Dumbledore was smart enough not to push it.
When he left the country for a couple days to attend a funeral, he returned to seeing constant celebrations, and news that the War was over.
He went to Amelia's office and was told what has happened. James and Lily died, yet Harry survived. Sirius in Azkaban for leading Voldemort to them. Moody immediately dismissed the last part. He knew Sirius would sooner become a eunuch before betraying the Potters, a sentiment Amelia agreed with.
When he asked where Harry was, he found that no one knew. He went straight to Dumbledore to find out where the baby is, only to be told that he was with family.
Now, Dumbledore didn't know just how close the Potters and Moody was, so he didn't know that Moody knew that James didn't have any relatives besides the Blacks. So he made his way to the home of Lily's sister.
He knew that Lily's sister had a hatred of magic because she was jealous that she didn't have any, so she was more than likely to abuse the baby instead of raising him properly since she couldn't take her anger out on her sister.
He was proven correct when simply walked through the pathetic, and illegal, blood wards and walked into the plain looking home. The fat man and skinny woman were doting on an obese baby, while Moody's eye locked onto the cupboard under the stairs.
The fat man struggled to rise and waddled towards Moody, face purple in rage. Moody just bound and silenced him. He silenced the woman before she could start screaming, then made his way to the cupboard. Opening it, he found a crying and dirty baby sitting in the corner.
Apparently, Harry remembered Moody because, he stood and moved as quick as he could into Moody's arms. Getting up, Moody turned and saw both adults were pale and shaking.
Moody was so furious, he didn't know what to do. The one thing he did know was that death was too quick for them. He lifted the spells he had on the monsters then left.
With a still upset Harry in his arms, he apparated to the ancestral home of the Potters. The ancient and archaic wards still standing strong and unbroken despite the death of it's Lord. He knew that Charlus did not trust Dumbledore in the slightest, so he configured additional wards keyed to be antagonistic towards Dumbledore especially.
Moody knew this would be the perfect place to raise the son of his apprentice and the grandson of his Master.
He called a house elf to care for Harry while he went to the Lord's office.
"Alastor? What has happened?" He heard as he walked in.
He simply levitated a chair, and sat it in front of the portrait of Charlus Potter. Moody plopped on the seat, feeling exhausted. "It's been a long day, Master."
"Well, take your time and explain." Charlus said from his painted easy chair.
By the time Moody was done, Charlus was angrily pacing his portrait. "That damned, goat fucking, poofter! I knew there was a reason to not trust him. My magic practically shouted at me to never trust that long bearded fool, and now I see why! To do this to my grandchild! He is very fortunate I'm dead, or I'd strangle the buffoon with his own beard."
Moody nursed a glass of firewhiskey, letting Charlus rant. He'd probably be doing the same thing if he wasn't so tired. He had taken off his jacket and magical eye, and allowed himself to relax. He knew if people saw him now, they'd think him an imposter. He wasn't maintaining constant vigilance.
"I'll show that fool. Alastor! Floo call Arcturus. We'll need his aide." Charlus ordered as he continued his pacing.
Complying, Moody got up and Floo'd the Lord Black.
"Lord Black? Are you available?"
"Who the bloody hell-? Moody? What do you want?" A gruff voice answered.
"Can you please come to Potter Manor? All will be explained then." Moody then made his way back to the chair in front of the portrait while Arcturus strode through the floo. A negligible wave of his wand got rid of any soot.
"What is going on? Why am I here?" Arcturus Black stood at 6' with his silver hair not combed neatly as it usually would. He currently only wore a shirt, pants, and some fluffy slippers.
"Arty! Good, you're here. With your help, my House won't crumble." Charlus declared. Charlus proceeded to tell Arcturus what was explained to him.
"That flamboyant faggot has a lot of balls to try this." Arcturus muttered darkly. As a Slytherin, he saw the plan that was formed immediately.
Of course the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had no clue what he was alluding to. "What do you mean, Arty? You have an idea of what Dumbledore was up to by leaving my grandson with those monsters?"
"I have two ideas, one will need for me to scan the boy for any residual dark magic on him." Arcturus began. "With those muggles abusing the boy, he'd have practically no spine and look to Hogwarts as a safe haven. Dumbledore would no doubt use his grandfatherly persona to cement the boy's trust, likely using the Weasleys to further his control. The Ancient and Noble House of Potter would be in his grasp. Before I explain the other plan, I need to scan the boy."
He called for a House Elf and they popped to the sleeping Harry's room. One quick scan later, and an upset Arcturus returned.
"I take it you didn't like the results." Charlus said drolly.
"I bloody well don't! This confirms what I was afraid of. You see, your heir has a horcrux behind his scar." Looking up and seeing the blank looks made Arcturus sigh. "A horcrux is a crime to Magic itself. A foolish magical would tear a piece of their soul, and hide it in an object. Their goal is immortality. Unfortunately for them, that path to immortality was devised as a ruse from the Druids of Olde."
Moody and Charlus looked at the wicked smirk on Arcturus' face. "What makes Voldemort so foolish to use this method for immortality?" Moody asked.
"Ask any Gringotts Cursebreaker, or an Unspeakable, and they'll be able to do one simple ritual to collect all the horcruxes together in one container, and all that would be left is to drain it in a wardstone. Seeing as the young heir has one behind his scar, a simple magic cleansing ritual will get rid of it, but it will also retain anything the young heir will find useful, like spell knowledge, or potion making, or anything else of the like."
"How soon can the cleansing ritual be done?" Charlus asked.
"I would advise at the age of seven, on the seventh day of the seventh month at seven pm. Once the fragment is removed, it will unblock a good portion of the young lad's magic, so I recommend teaching him control first and foremost. I don't mind teaching him politics, while Moody teaches him how to fight. Charlus can teach him the ethics of House Potter, and I can convince my sister to come and teach the boy the delicate arts of Occlumency and Legilimency."
"Are you sure Cassiopeia will agree? She didn't seem the type to take on an apprentice." Charlus wondered.
"She may try to hide it, but I could always see how she's wanted a child to raise. The young heir will need a maternal figure in his life also, so it's a win-win situation."
"What are you going to do with your own heir?" Moody asked.
"What do you mean? Speaking of, where is that damned mutt?" Arcturus queried.
"From what I heard, he was thrown into Azkaban for leading the Dark Lord to their home that was under the Fidelius Charm."
Arcturus looked at Moody with the most confused expression. "I would be the first to proclaim Sirius a disappointment, but his one defining feature is that he'd never betray his friends. I will look into this on the morrow because, someone is clearly wanting to keep him out of the way. Most think me dead, and Sirius is my heir, for now at least. Charlus, do object me making your heir mine as well?"
"Not at all. More protection for him. If I remember correctly, Sirius planned on making Harry his heir. I don't know if he did so already." Charlus spoke.
"Just something else for me to check in the morrow. Unless there is more to discuss, I bid the two of you a good night." A shake of the head from both Moody and Charlus saw Arcturus flooing back to his home.
The Lords, Ladies, and Regents of the Wizengamot were all sitting in relief as the last of the Death Eaters, who didn't have bribe money, were convicted and sent to Azkaban. It's been a couple days since the defeat of Voldemort, and the jubilation was calmed enough for justice to be upheld. They all rested in their seats and waited for the Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore, to end the session. That moment never came as the doors were practically exploded open, and one man strode through unimpeded with a look of pure superiority on his face.
Dumbledore nearly shat himself from the realization of what this man's presence meant. "Welcome, Lord Black. We were just about to end this session."
Arcturus didn't say a word. He just kept his stride until he reached the center of the dead silent chamber. He let the tension build until he spoke in a voice that carried throughout the entire chamber. "I've been informed that my grandson, Sirius Orion Black III, has been thrown into Azkaban. Unlike the Death Eaters who were tried today, he wasn't given the same right. What that leads me to believe is that my grandson was kidnapped by the Ministry."
The entire room remained silent, none daring to speak. Arcturus continued. "You all have 24 hours to bring my grandson back from that horrid island and given a proper trial, or I will call all debts to House Black due, then take the entire Black fortune to another country and start fresh there. This I swear on my title as Lord Black."
He didn't say another word. He just turned and strode out the door he came in. A flick of his wand made the doors slammed behind him.
"Everyone knows he's Voldemort's right hand! What's the point of a trial?"
"Who cares! We need to get him out!"
"I concur! I will not have my House become destitute because of something that should've been done already!"
The clamoring became more pronounced as time passed. Dumbledore was too distracted to even notice. He, like most other people, believed Lord Black to be dead. The economy would barely survive if Lord Black took his money and left. More importantly, his plans wouldn't survive with the freedom of Sirius, but he truly had no choice.
'Blast it all!'
Arcturus sat in his seat in the Wizengamot watching the proceedings with stoicism. Despite his consistent misgivings regarding Sirius, he would never wish him harm. Looking at him now, he never felt more angry.
Sirius had never looked in such a poor way. What Arcturus knew were once clean, expensive clothes were ripped and little more than rags. Sirius's usually full, thick head of hair was limp and greasy, while his skin looked pale and sunken.
His armrest creaked under his grip as he fought to keep his magic calm, and his stoicism in place.
As the trial progressed, he had to admit that the evidence was fairly damning against his grandson, but it was all circumstantial so far.
"As my learned colleague has mentioned, I would now present to you all Sirius Black's wand." The Prosecutor, Katelyn Moss, announced, snapping Arcturus from his thoughts. He looked down at her and saw the thin piece of wood held above her head as she paraded it before the assembly.
It was eleven inches of the finest Yew wood, with a core of a tri-cat whisker. It had always struck Arcturus as an elegant wand in its design. While most wizards and witches preferred a handle of some sort, Sirius's didn't have one. Instead, it had a twisting design carved out of its unusually straight length, with powerful runic symbols along the grip.
"I have invited Garrick Ollivander here today, my Lords, as his experience with wands is unchallenged." Katelyn continued, inclining her head at the wild haired wizard who stepped onto the central floor.
Arcturus watched as Ollivander gently grasped the wand and began turning it over in his hands.
Whatever was on the face of the wizened old man was lost to him as Garrick kept his back to him. Whatever he was doing seemed to be making the Prosecutor a little nervous, which interested him greatly. He sat forward in his seat, resting his forearms on his knees.
When Garrick revealed his own wand and began chanting quietly in the silence of the chamber, Arcturus wasn't surprised. There was little that the Ollivanders didn't know about wands. If there were any secrets to be gleaned from the wand, Garrick would find it.
"This wand has cast no dark curses and remains entirely loyal to its wizard." Garrick announced after the chanting had subsided. His voice was scratchy, yet gentle, a contradiction that had always baffled Arcturus.
"It is an eleven-inch Yew wand, with a core of a tri-cat whisker. I remember selling this very wand some years ago. I have no doubt in my mind that this wand belongs to Sirius Black."
"I'm sure the court would like to hear your confirmation that the last spell fired was the one that killed Peter Pettigrew, Mr Ollivander." Kate said, for the first time, her voice was uncertain.
Arcturus almost snorted. Had nobody checked the wand thoroughly in the days since Sirius was arrested? While he had thought it ridiculous to have Sirius on trial only days after he had been caught, it was becoming clearer that many had expected the farce to have gone smoothly. Too many had simply taken the facts at face value.
Garrick chanted a priori incantitum under his breath before speaking. "The last spell was a Stupefy, Madame Prosecutor. Any Auror would've been made privy to this knowledge had proper procedure been followed."
"I… have no more questions, Mr Ollivander." Katelyn murmured quietly, her voice soft. While she practically whispered the words, they carried well enough in the chamber and all of a sudden, the quiet whispers of the Lords rumbled through the room.
Arcturus smirked as he watched the prosecutor walk dumbly back to her position. If Katelyn Moss looked stunned and thrown off, Natalia Daxer, the Defense, looked like the fox that had gotten into the chicken coop.
"Mr Ollivander, could you explain the significance of the wand you are holding?" She asked, pacing slowly around the chamber.
"Of course. The tri-cat is a breed of feline that has three forms, a large feline, a small cat, and a mid sized feline from the mountainous regions of Central America. It's known to be tricky to spot and they are devilishly intelligent. In all my years of wand-crafting, I've been able to obtain four whiskers in my long life." Garrick replied evenly, idly turning the wand over in his hands. "I find it to be quite the fascinating core. Much like the creature it comes from, the whisker has a penchant for being placed in wands that go to mischievous spell-casters. It should be known, however, that it prizes loyalty above all else. It would refuse to work for a traitor of any kind."
Arcturus' smirk grew as the chamber began to murmur once again.
"So, you're telling us that if Sirius Black had been unfaithful in his loyalty to James Potter, the wand wouldn't be loyal to him?"
"Yes, that is what I'm saying."
"And can you confirm that the wand is indeed loyal to Sirius Black?"
"It is." Garrick affirmed.
The whispers grew in volume around the chamber, and Arcturus cast his eyes to the Prosecutor. Her face had lost all colour, and she was looking between the wand, Minister Bagnold, and Crouch with a panicked look. The two Ministry officials looked positively livid.
It was no secret that Crouch coveted the position of Minister, and Bagnold was a smart enough woman to keep him close. If Sirius were to be declared innocent after all the accusations had been made from both of their offices, it would be the end of their careers.
Not a single member of any of the Noble families would support a man and woman that had tried to steamroll a trial on one of their own, regardless of political and financial alliances. The lack of due diligence and the general attitude the Ministry showed this trial were enough to set a precedent no family wanted.
It was no secret that Bagnold had assumed so much political power over the years by catering to the Half-Bloods and the Muggle-born, promising to bridge the social divides. They followed her almost religiously in the beginning – she had been a charismatic woman, one that had risen from a poor Half-Blood family and ascended to the top of society in Britain.
The reality was a little different. The Ministry and the Wizengamot were often rife with corruption. Wizards and witches like the Malfoys, Parkinsons, and the Notts flaunted their wealth and paid off officials every other week. Bagnold was one such official, her biggest benefactor being House Bode.
That wasn't to say that she was a puppet of that family. Her stance against the Dark Lord throughout his war was enough to show that. More than one member from House Bode and the other bigoted families had been outed as a follower, caught by well-trained squads of powerful Aurors. Some had been killed in battle, others captured and brought before the Wizengamot.
Most had ended up in Azkaban, sentenced by the formidable duo of Bagnold and Crouch. Others had claimed the Imperius, such as Lucius Malfoy. The Daily Prophet had made sure to print detailed accounts of every Death Eater's trial and their sentences throughout the war.
The banging gavel of Dumbledore was enough to silence the noise.
"Thank you, Mr Ollivander. Your expertise has been eye-opening." Natalia smiled. Instead of moving to the side of the room as she was expected, she turned to Dumbledore. "Chief Warlock, I understand that it is against the norm, but I humbly request to bring forth my own evidence and witness."
"While unusual, I'll allow it." Dumbledore replied, leaning back in his chair with a nod.
Arcturus watched as Natalia gestured to her assistant, who quickly moved toward her and fished something out of a small bag. What it was exactly, Arcturus couldn't tell, but it appeared to be a necklace of some kind, made of the most brilliant Mithril. The closest to the floor gasped as the Defence held it aloft and circled the floor.
"My Lords, my Ladies, I present to you a Blood Locket."
His eyes practically bulged as he leaned forward to inspect the object more. A Blood Locket was a powerful piece of magic, something arguably more powerful than an Unbreakable Vow. An Unbreakable Vow would kill you outright if one were to go against it, a Blood Locket would destroy you.
It was a complicated ritual and could only be completed on certain days in the year. The House of Black had many books on it, as they did with many different subjects, both light and dark. It was rumoured that the first had been created by Merlin and Morgana themselves.
"This particular piece of evidence belongs to Sirius Black and James Potter – as the court can clearly see, Sirius Black is alive."
"How do we know that it is linked to Sirius Black?" Bagnold demanded from her chair, an ugly scowl on her face.
"Ah, forgive me, Minister." Natalia replied, quickly pulling out her wand and muttering an incantation. Immediately, a red mist rose from the dangling chain into the air above the Defence. Arcturus watched with wide eyes as it coalesced into a younger Sirius and James. The shadowy, red-tinged figures stood opposite one another in a darkened room, grinning at each other excitedly.
Sirius drew his wand and cut his palm with a quick swipe, with James following shortly after. The two clasped hands and began the chant. He knew the ritual well, seeing as Charlus and himself made their own. Their blood would mix and join together, and from that union, the necklace would be formed, as would its twin.
He watched as the blood slowly seeped out between their joined hands and the magic around them ruffled their hair and clothes, sweeping the two of them up in a cyclone of energy. The blood rose into the air above their hands and morphed into a churning ball of liquid, stretching, and thinning itself out until a pair of necklaces formed.
It was beautiful to witness, and Arcturus oddly found his throat tight, he's only experienced making one, but not seeing one.
The scene ended and the mist descended into the necklace once more, and the room remained utterly silent. Not even the reporters, or the members of the public in the galleys above them breathed a word.
"Chief Warlock, in light of this, I request to bring Sirius Black to the stand for questioning."
Arcturus's eyes flittered to the Chief Warlock, and found the old man still staring at the space where the image had been with an odd look on his face. Dumbledore stirred after a moment, and visibly shook himself before nodding tiredly. "Permission granted." He sighed, running his hands down his face. 'This is my loss. I shouldn't make it worse for myself.'
"Can you confirm that you are, indeed, Sirius Black?" Natalia began, a smirk tugging on the corner of her mouth.
Sirius stirred a little and sat up slowly, the rattling of the chains as they clanked against themselves and the wood. Even from here, Arcturus could see just how pale and gaunt he looked. 'What the bloody hell had happened to him in the time he'd been arrested?'
"I am." Sirius croaked, his voice quiet and scratchy in the quiet room.
"Can you confirm that this is your Blood Locket?" Natalia asked, holding the locket up once more for the assembly.
"It is."
"And can you confirm this is your wand?" Natalia asked, holding the wand before her in her other hand.
Sirius closed his eyes and breathed in slowly and nodded. "It is."
"Can you explain the nature of your relationship with James Potter to the rest of the court?"
Sirius looked pained at the mention of the young man's name, and his head slumped forward as his shoulders shook. "He's my brother. He was my brother, and now he's dead."
"When did the two of you complete the ritual that the court has witnessed?"
"We were in our final year at Hogwarts." Sirius replied with a quiet moan. "The war was escalating, and I knew how my family had splintered…"
"Take your time." Natalia offered gently; her voice soft. If nothing else came of this trial, Arcturus was going to make sure to secure Natalia's services for the family.
"James and Charlus helped to raise me. They gave me a proper home. I owed them everything. I was loyal to him. Nobody else."
"Can you explain the events, as you understand them, that led to the deaths of Lily and James Potter?"
"I request the use of veritaserum. I don't want any ambiguity."
This was a very strange request to a lot of people in the court, but this just added to the consensus that he was innocent. It was made law that veritaserum can't be forced onto a pureblood, but it can be requested.
An Auror approached and administered the potion. Sirius was asked specific questions that really and truly brought his innocence to light. He was given the antidote and lowered his head again.
"My Lords and Ladies, before you sits a man loyal and true to House Potter – the future Lord of House Black." Natalia began, her voice ringing out across the chamber as she turned to gaze upon the Lords and Ladies. "This is a man who has been accused of heinous crimes, to which he is not guilty. Do I believe he acted rashly, and without forethought? Yes, but what can any of us do when overcome by grief? I say this man before you is innocent! A victim of circumstantial evidence and a desire to sweep the tragic events of the closing days of the war under the rug. Tell me, my Lords and Ladies, how would you feel if it were your heir sat chained before you in this way? I move for an immediate vote on the accused's innocence. What say you, Chief Warlock, Minister?" she asked, turning to look at the two officials.
Arcturus took in Bagnold's pale features. She had been perfectly manoeuvred into a corner from which she couldn't escape.
"I find myself in agreement." Dumbledore replied, while Bagnold simply nodded once.
"Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot, it is my duty to inform you that you must remain true to the evidence you have seen today. If there is any doubt in your mind, you must vote innocent." Bagnold called out, her voice tight and clipped. Her career was definitely over. "With a show of wands, those who believe the accused innocent?"
Arcturus was the first to raise his wand, a sea of wands following right behind him.
It's been two days since Lord Black's ultimatum, and the Wizengamot were quick to reconvene and give Sirius a proper trial. He was sent to St. Mungo's to receive treatment for dementor exposure. A nationwide manhunt was also issued for one Peter Pettigrew.
Now, in his office, Lord Black stared at the disappointment in front of him. Sirius was slightly squirming under his grandfather's intense gaze. "I'm disappointed."
"What else is new?" Sirius muttered under his breath.
"Completely ignoring your sworn duty as godfather, you chased after a sniveling coward who actually got the better of you, and you ended up in Azkaban. In doing so, you've left your charge in the tender mercies of those who want to take advantage of him." Arcturus spoke in a glacier like tone, making Sirius squirm even more and wince at his failings being thrown in his face. "Would you like to know where Moody found the poor baby?"
"Yes sir."
"Moody found him locked in a cupboard underneath some stairs, with a day-old filthy nappy in his muggle aunt's home."
"What?!" Sirius shot up in disbelief. "You mean, Petunia?! He was never supposed to go there, their Will explicitly said so!"
Arcturus slammed his fist on his desk. "And who's bloody fault is it that someone was able to put him there?!"
Sirius plopped back down in his seat, his head in his hands. "Who even put him there?"
"You already know who, fool. Your blind trust in that fucking nonce has led to the deaths of many in that damn secret order of yours. Maybe the death of your sworn brother and his wife will pierce through that skull of yours that Albus Percival fucking Dumbledore cannot be trusted. Ask yourself why you were in Azkaban in the first place when Dumbledore was the one who cast the Fidelius. Or a better question, why was the Potter Will sealed by the Chief Warlock?"
Sirius took a shuddered breath. "What happens now?"
"I'm making the Potter boy my heir. You clearly will bring this House to further ruin, so I'll be training the Potter boy how to manage House Black, while Charlus will teach him how to manage his own House. You will go straight to the Wizarding Orphan Office to make sure you have the correct paperwork to make Harrison your ward." Arcturus spoke, his voice still cold, but not as cold as it was.
"Alright. I'll go do that now." Sirius got up. He was truthfully relieved to not be the heir. Despite receiving training on it, he hated politics.
Arcturus shook his head with a small sneer on his face. "Fucking disappointment."