Samuel Sylwan was once an aspiring journalist to be, with a steady relationship with a beautiful girl like Rita. All he ever wanted, was to marry her, get his brother from under his father's nose and have an ordinary life. He did not care about wizingamot sits, or the messes his father got into, all he wanted was for Hogwarts to end, and for his new life to start.
No such luck.
Like every good thing in life, this came to end when his father got himself into a new trouble.Absolom gambling problem which was controlled, had suddenly sky rocketed. Like every thime, the sick bastard got himself out of it by throwing him to the wolves. A betrothal, more like selling his older son to a woman interested in him,and not just anyone but a widow with a son. A widow who was sickeninngly rich.
He should have known better to ignore his instinct. He had to get his innocent brother out of those mad people reach. Salvatrix was only a child when he died , monthes after his engagemnt to Adriana.
But seriously? What did he expect from a Black?
After his brother died, he had to go after her. The wild cat was who had seduced his father with her money to sell both his sons .was becoming a lady that important?. He went after her, after his brother's murderor. The sodding woman that he did not care to remember her name, the supposed bastard of Arasmus Black.
He searched and researched, but there was no evidence that showed the Black did it, killed his brother so her brat would inherit the lordship. His sweet baby brother who knew nothing of the world .So he had to do the justice his way, the hard way.
First his father, then her son in return for Salvatrix and then herself. He wanted her to know what it felt like when you lost someone as inocent as a child.
And after that? He was rich, he could buy his way around any accusation. He had not learnt the ways of blackmail on his father's knee for nothing. Gossipers could say all they wanted, it would go away in time.
In the time being,He relished in the feeling of relief when he was done with her brat. Then after he got rid of his useless father and the bitch, he wanted to go after his life, go after Rita and live again.
But he couldn't. unfortunatly when he wanted to discard all that was left of his father in his valut, he came a cross a worn looking notebook with so many wards set on it that got his attention. Inside, there were a couple of photos, and a vial filled with something hazy.
Watching the memories was his most stupid mistake, and in a way liberating. He had heard of the NOIR, but never thought that was that much disgusting, and all for what? An heir and a wish? It was forbidden for good reasons! At least now he knew why his father suddenly became the useless gambler he was. He was feeling guilty or the darkness was consumming him. Really he had done him a favour by ending him the way he did. He had backed away from the ritual, it was bound to be more unpleasant than dying from brain damage.
His father was clever, but not by much. Samuel knew the man they now called the dark lord, voldemort, was in fact a man his father knew and was sensible enough not to go after him for money. He was good looking and had an air about him, a sinister darkness daring you to delve into it further.
His blood boiled to know it had started with fucking Blacks. Orion and Walburga, who had failed to deliver a magical male heir and had several abortions. Charlus sodding Potter and Eileen Prince. Well who knew Potters, who held themselves above such things keeping their hands clean, dabbled in dark magic like all other pureblood folks? The nerve of them! 'oh we are light families! We support muggleshits!we never kill people!' yeah right. Unless you went and DID THE NOIR! Even Burks and Lestranges were not that deprived to dive that deep. Of coarse it was shady, Potters had their 'male magical heir' nearly a year after that. And them too old, to have an heir. There was still talks among people that they ad adopted the child, if only they knew…the bloody hypocrites!
The Blacks? Sodding Blacks had ruined their life for their gain! For their precious line to live! All their misery was because of them tainting his gutless father with darkness! How he hated them.. the ritual, his brother, his life was ruined by their greedy hands.
Eileen prince? He had no idea who she was. He had searched and searched, but it was like the woman had disappeared, maybe she had died?
His father had tried thratening her , but maybe she was dead by then?
Now he wanted revenge, on those Blacks , at first, then he will go up and include Potters or the possible Eileen brat. And if he lived, he would have a go at this stupid dark lord.
So he did what he did best, gathering information.
He traveled for years, gathering info on NOIR, and this dark lord.
He finally figuered the latter in Albania, this fake lord was at best a half blood, and in reality? No better than a mudblood, with a squib mother and a muggle filth for a father…he could let it slip after he was done with Blacks and Potters.
About the Noir: he found all about it in France.
The ritual was originally designed to give those unable to concieve an heir. Magical, male, no fuss. It needed 5 to undergo that, and the murder of a human.
Again he came across the damned BLACKS!
Until 18 century, a Black changed the ritual, and it ended being called the noir, more so because of the blacks, not the ritual being dark. Of coarse he knew the ritual was dark, but so was creating inferies and no one called that NOIR. So the greedy Blacks, not only wanted an heir, but also money. They had lazied around and squandered money too much, and were in a bad place money wise. Their fortune was about to end, and they had no way to make do.
The nameless Black might have been a genius of runes and rituals. He had successfully changed the complex thing THE NOIR was, adding the blood of a magical creature to add a wish. Instead of himself, the bastard gold digger he was had offered half of each Black's generation offspring to insanity.
The ritual was only meant to be done once, so they were obliviated during the actual ritual. The main reason as he gathered, was avoiding future conflict between the heirs. If they were two, they would battle over lordship, and it often got nasty and bloody and killed both sides.
The fake Lord obviously changed it too. He had seen the memories his father left behind.for what reason he wondered? As much as he was loath to admit, the fake was strong and skillful in magic. So to what avenue he had changed such a volatile ritual? He was not that old to despair for an heir, nor he was so inbred to fail to do so, or bring a shameful squib. He did not need money thanks to his stupid followers, so what? Did he wanted to become on pair with the likes of Grindlewald or Dumbleduck?( yep, Samuel was not stupid, he knew Dumbledore to be powerful)
It must be something of importance.
Then he found it in an ancient textbook from 16s. the babies born of it would be powerful. They would have be exceptional in magic. If one of the participant killed them? The ritual would allow them to absorb their magical powers, and if…
(Was it the rumer the participants could not be killed by anyone, unless it was one of the group of participants or their lines?)
He gasped. If he killed all of them, all that power, he would become Merlin resurrected, he could gain power not only on britain, but also whole magical world.
So a particiapnt?
Sylwan smiled. The original one might only allow that, but the twice mangeld thing? No one could guess what would it be, what the result be. He wondered if he could kill them himself, if he could become –not merlin he was not delusional nor greedy- but dumbledore of the age? He was not averse to a bit of glory after all.
So he planned carefully. He would destroy the Blacks from within. He would marry one of their chits, kill the others in short years and then go after the kids before they were old enough to kill. Taking a mature one should be hard, the text told him they would be magically powerful. He did not wanted to court danger.
So he watched them. First the Blacks, then Potters child.
Some would say he was one of a shameful nature, a pedophile. A creep. But he never was one. He only saw his brother's face everywhere. Thinking about if he was alive instead of these worthless children and his blood boiled.
He had it under control most of the times.
The black heir, Sirius was struck with madness, as his records in Hogwarts showed. And Potter was a kid no-one really liked. Who would call a murder attempt by devil snare a PRANK? James Potter was obviously a leader, so he had to go after him too. He was reported to be a good flyer and had the highest Transfiguration marks among his pairs. Sirius might not be the HEIR, theone he looked for ,But when he encountered the second son?
Regulus Arcturus Black was calm, and collected. He carried himself with an air of superiority and intelligence that made him itch to break him out of it. He was the apple of old Arcturus to be given his name as middle, also his wrinkled elf ran after the child like a dog. Would the tradition apply to this pair too? Dumping the first born- like Arasmus- for the better suited second child? And beside that, Sirius Black was impulsive, he had not observed anything out of ordinary, anything to show he was capable of great magical feats. Above that, his birth date was in late 1959 not in accord with the ritual at all, one like him mad and not notworthy of even Arcturus time, so why his?
It maybe possible Regulus was the child. At least he was not stupid and brash. The encounter with him on that party confirmed he could fell his magic threatening him somwhow. He had not given the child anything to fear him.
Then he observed the Snape boy. He had read about him of coarse, but Rita always made things bigger than they were. The child he observed did not even resembled a first year. he was tiny, and cute. He was sorted in Hufflepuff for Morgana and Merlin! A heroic Hufflepuff? Dumbledore must be desperate to get one on Fake lord to invent such story!
But nevertheless it picked his interest. So he observed Snape. He was smart, he gave him that. Wrapping two Lords around his fingers? He heard he was good with Prewatts too. And then he found out he had a relationship with a slytherin, and a ravenclaw also.
What was he after? A hufflepuff never gathered people like a slytherin would. Or was as intelligent as he was rumoured to be. A genius in potions and charms? Youngest flyer? Curios and curioser.
Then he found out about his meddling in his plans. His spoiled marriage, and then Lordship.
At first he was burning with fury, but then thought why? If he gathered and killed the heirs, who would need things like that?
Snape boy was a mystery.
Unless he was one of the heirs. He doubted a fake lord would be able to sire a child like him, at most his would be like Sirius.
So he searched for his parents. And bingo.
Eileen was found too. And if he was who he was..
Both Black brothers would die at once, making him powerful, two steps closer. Then there would be only potter boy and finding fake lord son.
He smiled.
Severus was cursing himself something awful. He must have hit his head more hard that time he fell from his broom. This house did not smelled of blood like Black's, but of bitterness and creepiness. Like stale bread and charred wood.
He knew he had been led into it, the wards were old and good. He couldn't reach reg even with perception.
All was silent, for one minute, he thought he was lucky, until he was hurled into a wall, his hands and legs bound by magic. His wand flyed to some unvisible hand he had not noticed dealing with the house magic smell.
Regulus was there . seemed unharmed.
"sev, you shouldn't have come! It's a.."
Then he was backhanded by Sylwan.
"silly boy. He must know this already. Not all people are like your supposed brother, stupid"
Regulus the ever idiot , glared" watch what you say about my family! Sirius is my.."
Then he was silenced.
"don't you Blacks ever tire of your voice? And no. I think your brother, the true one is here wit us today."
Severus eyes widened. What?
" oh, dear genious. Must have hit a nerve, did I?" then he faced Severus.
" did you you know there is a ritual called Noir? Even the name can get you in trouble in france. It was changed by yout ancestor, so it was called Noir. It involves too many horrifying things your young ears can not hear"
Severus lost his calm" what are you going on about you mad fucker?"
He was trying to stall for the help. He was certain Sylwan was arrogant enough not to expect a 12 year old to be smart an call for backup. He also was confused. Black? Noir?
His thought was interupted with a stinging curse. He hissed in pain.
" what I was telling you? Oh! Yes! The picture! Your parents, Regulus, Orion and walburga concieved you then. Of coarse , the greedy orion would not take only one heir, but he impregnanted his old sweetheart, Eileen too. You know, the whole thing revolves around male magical heirs. And don't start with your pathetic excuse of a brother, Sirius. He does not have two brain cells to use. Fun fact, your grandfather wanted Eileen mother, Evelyn something? It was one good old big scandel. And then the marrige contract between orion and Eileen came up. So now, arent you grateful for this joyful reunion?"
Then when not one of them answered, probably in shock, he shook his head.
"your welcome, where is my manners? Here is your gift"
Then he moved his wand" scorgify!"
"did you know supposed like magics could harm one too? Like lumus solem, like protego."
When he ended the spell Regulus was almost crying, gasping for breath.
"tarantallegara!"
Severus was dancing, regulus was drowning and all was not well. Severus was desperatly trying to invoke one of the wards, a ward that forbade killing a magical child in the manner, with his magic. Using the perception,and doing wandless magic while dancing was madness.
What choice did he have?
He did not think about why the sodds included killing, and magical child, did not think about Regulus being his brother or his father being someone else, he just pushed.
And then, crack.
A large tentacle like thing came out of floor, cought Sylwan's waist down and squeezed. His focus on the tentacle, Severus and Regulus went free.
"run!"
They ran like it was their last day-it possibly was- the halls, the rooms, where was the fucking door?
Then Regulus , still out of breath and weak, legs collapsed. He fell to the ground and his head hit the marble, with a sickening crash. Blood covered severus and the floor, and sylwan emerged.
"good work there, but you think you can beat someone in their own house? Oh little thing, I hate it to break it to you… I hoped you would be a good kid ..but"
And then he unleased a cruciatus on the prone form of Regulus. Severus placed himself in the harms way, protecting his newly found possible younger brother and screamed.
Emerald had to hurry or both of her newly found charges were going to die. After all those monthes and all those potions, she was ready for flashing between short distances and flying a bit. But memories of her last burning that resulted in her captured and used in THE NOIR, and that last flash to bring back Severus was still fresh in her mind. He flied to kitchens to ask for help from one of the elves. They did not help her much.
"headmaster dumbledore must know!"
"headmaster not like it"
"headmaster tell tranny to help in kitchens just!"
Well, fuck headmaster and his orders! Were those elves stupid?
ابله های میمون نمای نفهم! لعنت به ذات کاسه لیس مزخرفتان!
( idiot illiterate primats all of them! Damn you , you fucking ass kissers!)
Who would blame her to revert to her native language when things were this dire? If she only knew an elf…an elf who was open to help either of those silly prats and was slytherin enough to leave some leeway for itself.
خاک بر سر من بکنند با عقل نداشته ام!
(bloody fuck me and my non-existant brain!)
"kreacher!"
And the unholy thing appeared before her. She didn't let him say a word.
"quickly, take me to them. They are in danger!"
The thing inclined his head." Helping master Regulus?"
Emerald was going to hit her beak on some hard thing, why these elves were this slow? Why would she call on the mad thing if not for help? To chat about their food habbits?
"yes you thrice damned thing! Now take me!"
And kreacher did. There weretwo men, one orion Black, and one Edgar Bones. Severus must have called for the Bones guy and the elf for the Black.The way emerald saw it, there was no hope of either of the two man present going into the house. It had layers upon layers of protection, Sylwan must have lowered the wards deliberatly to allow Severus and Regulus passage.
Lord Bones was cursing, Lord Black-orion- was fumming in rage.
She flinched when the memory of the night hit her. Orion was one of them too.
" why you wont explain to me, how your supposed eternal friend kidnapped my son?"
"now, stop it! You arrogant prick! Severus came here, according to your mad elf to save your brat's ungrateful neck! It is your fault he is there!"
"you have some nerve LORD BONES!"
" no, you have . if not for you, and that damn bride to be and your son, he was not in there! He is too loyal for his good! Why he feels he has to save your hides all the time I have no idea! Sylwan was your mess you fucking ass!"
The way Emerald saw it, those idiots would let the kids to be murdered, having their verbal sparring. No wonder the desperate elf came and got her.
It was now or never.
With a shreik worthy of Fawkes, she sank her talons in each of their shoulders, flashing them directly into the wards. It seemed they were nearly late as Severus was protecting the younger boy, twicthing and screaming.
"crucio!"
Lord Bones, ever the proffesional auror, disarmed the lunatic with a flick of his wand, bound him and gagged him for good measure. All the while Black senior checked on his kid, and then reluctantly Severus.
"alive, but a bit unwell"
A bit unwell her tail feathers. If they were a bit later ….emerald gulped. For now, a tear would heal sev.
Together the two men, dismantled the wards, finding the hidden door and then apparated the kids into saint mungo. Emerald followed them to be on the safe side.
"and that was all I know"
Lord Bones was giving Severus the eye thing grown ups thought would work on kids, well not on him.
" so you saying that he did all of that because you – a bunch of kids- had successfully twarted his plans to marry Andromeda?"
Regulus, per their previous agreement , nodded. They could not let anyone know about the NOIR, or they were born out of it, or that Severus might be a Black after all. They also had no idea what the ritual did, or what consequence it had, or even all the participants (orion, walburga, and Eileen plus sylwan? If not how did he know about it?). They also needed his father's blood, freely given to test Severus, which was not possible at all. Getting blood from a purblood dark lord was like asking for trouble. They were counting on Sylwan staying silent. If the ritual was that DARK, he wouldn't open his mouth . was it possible he was for the kiss if he talked? They wouldn't be a memory reading, as both Lords saw him crucio Severus. And if there was, Sylwan might have been trained in legilimency to hide the murder of his family members somehw all those years ago.
"yes, Lord Bones"
The man sighed. These kids will be the death of him. At least they were in saint mungo. If they wanted to lie, let it be. Sylwan would be in Azkaban for life. And if not, Edgar would see to it that he never saw the sky one way or another. If not him, orion would see to that. No worries there.
Then he left them to it.
When the kids were sure there was no one left, Regulus called kreacher." Ward the room so no one comes here, and hears us."
"yes master Regulus"
Then regulus paused, could the elf tell if Severus was his brother? The noir?
"krea, can you tell if Severus here is..of Black blood or not? "
The elf pressed his this lips." It be complicated master. Master Regulus and Master friend have bonds, but kreacher can not tell what are those. Kreacher is a bad elf..""
"no, I order you not to hurt yourself!"
Then regulus decided that he liked severus, the friend who stood between him and a crucio , enough to be his brother. Sod the bonds. Of coarse he could not share it with his family, but it was nice to know he had a sibling who came for him when he needed him. He had been throughly reprimanded for touching the stupid quil and not sending for an adult, but it was nice too. His brother, he was certain he would call him that from now on, cared for him.
They had all the time in the world to search about the noir, or not. It made them brothers, what of it?
"so, this means what?"
Severus rolled his eyes.
"nothing."
"why?"
"because I said so"
"but why"
"because I might be your big brother and you are too stupid to take care of yourself?"
"severus!"
Severus sighed. The boy was pouting now. How unlucky one could be, to find out he had not only one, but two possible siblings to protect? He was so cross with emerald before she said she was not sure, and only found out about the bond when Regulus was in danger. Some hucus pocus shit about persian magic and family bonds which did not fool sev. But he let it rest for now.
"we don't know for sure. He might have lied and we are not connected. He held his hand. Yes your elf said bonds, but what? He did not say. And the ritual had other people, what if…"
What if there were consequences? What if it was the reason he and regulus died early and miserable? Was there a way to reverse it?
Regulus shuffled the sheets.
"can you come here?"
Severus looked at him. The whole ordeal must be terrifying for him, as it was for severus himself. And the room felt cold, and the beds were too big.
He thought about Emerald, how she knew about them? He was in his house, the Sylwan's. was she lying? Did she know sev and reg were possibly related?
He paded the room and layed beside Reg. having a brother was nice, if for this once he would indulge in the feeling of not being alone. He covered them both and closed his eyes. Regulus hands came and hugged him.
All would be well.
Abraxus kneeled "my Lord"
"rise, my friend. You have the information on the Hufflepuff?"
"I do my lord."
"and?"
Abraxus paused for the effect. The dark lord rolled his eyes, the dramatic ass.
" my resources confirmed the boy has 'perception'. He had also used 'protego' to full effect."
Lord voldemort closed his eyes, thinking. He had gathered purebloods around himself, he had managed to get all the heads of houses to like him, dumbledore must have plans for him to personally get him from hospital. The phonix was interesting too. He was not stupid to think getting a phonix meant being light. Dumbledore could cast one of the dark hexes, a powerful one at that, the fiend fire. A powerful, exceptional child.. he had to know him better. Something of his face felt familiar.
"Keep tabs on him"
"I will my Lord"
Notes:
This is it. Our ride in his first year has ended. I wanted to write adventures, friendship and fluff and angst. I hope you liked it.
Thank you for every kudo, comment and follow.
ps: the story is posted on Ao3. you can find it there and it has less grammar problems than here.