(Coeus Black - PoV)
"Alright, you little shits, listen up! Aim! It. Is. Not. Optional! You can be firing the most deadly spells known to wizardkind and they don't mean a damned thing if you cannot aim! A Killing Curse is no different than a Tickling Charm if the stupid bastard casting it can't hold his wand steady! So today, you will be practicing your aim until I am satisfied, do I make myself clear!?"
...
We stare across the grass at the oddly dressed figure before us. It appears to be a tall, brutal-looking man, with a shaved head and a mean glare. They wear Muggle clothing, with weird, patternless sploshes of different shades of green, topped by a wide-brimmed hat.
"Dora, what the hell?" I ask.
She woke us up (normally at least) and told us to meet her out here for practice today. She didn't say anything about...this.
She continues to glare at us for a moment, before shifting into a more normal form.
"It's a muggle reference you uncultured swine," she replies.
I roll my eyes, but Iris looks over at Phoebe and me.
"Oh, did you not get it?" she asks. "It's a drill instructor. They like, train army soldiers or something?"
I look at the ridiculous, and now rather ill-fitting outfit.
I don't get it. Aren't armies supposed to have fancy uniforms?
Dora shakes her head. "Anyway, like I said, aiming practice!"
She levitates out three practice dummies from behind a bush.
"These are all enchanted to record where and how many times they are hit. Some versions can self-animate as well, but there is no need for that when you can just do it yourself."
Casting another spell, she animates each dummy, so that they slowly wander back and forth.
"There. Stationary targets are far too easy unless you are really far away, so we will start out like this. Mild moving targets for each of you, mid-distance."
...
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"
We each cast a handful of stinging spells before she calls for a cease-fire.
We didn't go for more than a handful of seconds?
"All right, let's see how you did, let's see how you did."
Dora inspects each dummy.
"Wow, I'm impressed. Phoebe, you had perfect accuracy...though you got off by far the least spells. Iris, you missed a few and your targeting isn't as good, but you put several more down in the same period, good. And Coeus, you are a little monster as always, I suppose your practice is paying off."
She comes back to us.
"Really though, damn good job all of you, especially you though Iris. These two have been occasionally stealing our wands to play with for years and have been practicing a lot more than you have and you are still keeping up with them fine. All of you are way ahead of the curve though, so let's move on to the next lesson shall we?"
I don't like that smile...
She animates the dummies once more, though they are a bit more active in their movement.
"Now, this time we will go for a bit longer, more importantly though, in an actual fight, if you just stand around like a lummox while casting? Well."
I know where this is going, and am dodging out of the way before she finishes speaking. It's a good thing I did, because of course the first spell comes for me.
"Start!" she yells, cackling.
Phoebe and I open fire on the dummies immediately, with Iris lagging behind, not expecting such antics.
"Aaaand, time!"
I take a knee on the grass, panting.
I suspect Dora may be pushing the boundaries of our ceasefire, taking advantage of the chance to fire spells at us without repercussion...
That said, this is amazing practice, so...
Ugh, as annoying as it is, I will not complain. We will be getting a chance to fire back at some point, however.
I lock eyes with her and glare, promising her that.
She smiles and blows me a kiss.
"So...tired..." Iris mutters, laying face down on the ground.
"Oh come on kiddies, after just one session? With one opponent? And I can do way more with the dummies too." Dora calls out.
I give her the finger, and she laughs.
"Alright, alright, let's see here."
She examines the dummies first, then comes over to look at us.
She was mostly shooting low-powered Stinging Hexes, Color Changing Charms, or occasionally banishing "paintballs" at us.
Sitting down on the grass next to Iris, she starts massaging her shoulders, causing her to groan.
I sit next to where Phoebe lays silently to wait for the verdict.
"All joking aside, damn, you three really are something. Phoebe, roll over."
She does.
"You didn't even get hit at all, did you?"
"Nope."
"Explains a lot. So, Coeus, Iris, you both got in far more hits than Phobe. Several times more, in fact. You both did tremendous amounts of damage, comparatively, but Phoebe is the winner here. Because if this was a fight? The two of you would probably be dead."
...
She lets the silence stand for a moment, before sighing.
"There are protections, of course. Many of them. Many shields and barriers and such, but none are perfect, and in the end, it only takes one unlucky hit to die. The best way to survive is to not get hit in the first place."
She looks over at me.
"There is something to be said for taking out an opponent quickly, but not at the cost of taking a spell from them. Not if that one spell can just as easily be a lethal one. In a fight, offense is important. Essential, even, you can't win without attacking obviously. But defense is the priority."
Her voice is as serious as I have ever heard her.
"Defense. Defense defense defense. No matter what, no matter how dire the situation, no matter who you are fighting, always, always prioritize defense. Because if you don't, you will die."
She lunges out and drags me into her lap, then pulls Phoebe over as well, leaving the four of us in a messy tangle of a pile.
"Don't you little shits dare die on me damnit. Don't you dare."
She squeezes me tightly.
I open my mouth to reply, but she cuts me off.
"You are good Coeus, but never fight like that," she says. "I know, that was the entire point of this practice. And I pretty much set up the lesson to teach that, but..." she trails off.
"I'm more worried about you Dora," I admit.
"What?" she asks.
I draw back a little, so I can turn to look at her.
"We are practicing, well, just because. Because we want to be good, and just in case. You? You're the one that wants to be an Auror. You want to go out of your way to throw yourself into dangerous situations. To paint a target on your back for the rest of your life."
Frowning ask her, I ask the essential question.
"Why?"
A blank face stares back at me.
She pulls me in, before sighing.
...
"You remember the party, at Gramp's place?"
What? How is that in any way relevant?
"I...yes?"
...
"Most of the attendees? The "Dark" faction? Not all of them, of course, but, well, a lot."
She is quiet for a moment before she continues.
"You three are too young, but I am old enough to just barely remember the war."
...
Oh.
"Yeah."
I can feel her slump against me.
"I don't remember a lot, and I didn't understand much at the time, but...it was awful. The disappearances, the deaths. And, well, while it was before we met you, we were attacked once."
What?
I try to turn to look at her but she won't let me.
Phoebe and Iris both focus as well.
"Yeah, none of us really talk about it, but Bella came by with a group and hit the house. The sound wards make when they are about to fall? Not something you can ever forget."
...
"We made it, obviously. Help arrived in time. But, well. After the war, plenty of Death Eaters got away with it." I can hear her scoff behind me.
"Imperius" she loads the word with more scorn than I have ever heard from her.
Her grip is...too tight. I try to shift again and can't.
"Those bastards abused the curse on who knows how many innocents. They killed so many people, then happily walked away, using it as a paper thin excuse. And no one did a damn thing."
I have to tap her hand, and she flinches and loosens her arms.
"I...sorry. Sorry!"
"It's fine," I assure her.
...
"So...the party?" I prompt when she doesn't continue.
"The party..."
I feel her shake her head.
"Right." She takes a deep breath. "So many of those bastards were every bit willing Death Eaters, who got away with all of the terrible things they did. And any one of them..." she trails off again.
"Damnit Coeus, any one of them could have been part of the group accompanying Bella that night. Was Nott out there waiting for the chance to torture Dad to death? Was Malfoy looking forward to "teaching" me?"
...
Her hands clench into fists.
"So that's why I want to be an Auror. Those fucking bastards are still out there. I want the training to deal with them, and the chance to maybe take them down one day."
...
"I see."
She rests her chin on my head.
"But, uh, Dora?"
"Hmm?"
"I...don't think that's going to work very well?"
...
She doesn't reply, so I continue.
"I mean, they didn't arrest them in the first place, did they? Why would they do it now, after they have had years to build more power and influence? Beyond that, why do you even want to arrest them? They tried to kill you and Andy and Ted. Arresting them seems rather...tame."
She releases a single, quiet half-laugh. "You are such a Black..."
She rubs her head on mine.
"And what are you suggesting, little brother?"
I take a moment to consider.
"For what you actually do for your career? Whatever you want, there is no need to tie your life to the government like that, not if you don't really want to. There are perks I suppose, but I really don't see you appreciating the rules and the massive amount of paperwork."
She winces at the idea.
"There are lots of ways to get training. I have tons of money you can have, or be loaned if you want to be prideful, and Grandfather has no shortage of contacts. If you really want Auror training specifically, we can even hire Aurors."
"For the Death Eaters..." I take a deep breath. "Your plan is stupid, and never going to get anything done."
She doesn't say anything, which seems odd. She is so defensive of being an Auror whenever she argues with Andy.
"If you actually want to know who was responsible? And make sure they get their due? Again...ask Grandfather. He might not get rid of all of the Death Eaters, but the ones that attacked the family?"
Pulling away from her once more, I turn around to look at her.
"Do you really think we will have any trouble convincing him to find out exactly who was involved in that attack and making sure they are dealt with?"
She matches my gaze...before snorting and leaning back, placing her hands in the grass.
"True enough I guess, true enough. You are missing one factor though, Coeus."
Cocking my head to the side I ask her "What's that?"
"Gramps' help isn't really free. Oh, he might not demand anything directly, but something like this? If I do all that, I will be his. I may as well declare myself a Black, I suspect he has been eyeing me."
...
Ok?
"That sounds great? I would love for you to be a Black!"
"Hahahaha!"
She falls backward the rest of the way onto the grass, partially on top of Iris.
Frowning, I watch her as she settles down.
"Sorry, sorry," she says, not getting back up. "I should have expected that from you, for you not to understand. It's like the party. You were born into these people you don't have the same perspective."
Raising her hands into the air, she holds them straight up for a moment, before letting them fall down.
"Remember what I said when we visited Gramps as a family? Evil. Him, Malfoy, most of that lot. They might be polite, friendly, and helpful to you, but to others? They can be absolute monsters."
Lacing her fingers under her head, she looks up at me.
"Gramps isn't malicious at least. And I know he will always look out for you lot. So I am at least considering it, but..." she sighs.
"I don't just want training and revenge or whatever, I also want to make the world a better place for everyone. I don't want anyone else to have to live in fear."
...
Iris pulls her feet out from under Dora and adjusts to a new position, where she can see her better.
"I used to think that Dumbledore was the path for that. Dumbledore and the "Light" side, the good guys. It makes sense, right?"
She shrugs.
"Now...now I don't know. Gramps is an old bastard but I actually half like him, and he seems...well, competent. But I hate everyone around him."
She huffs out again and goes silent.
...
I don't know what to say...which is a problem. This is very important to Dora, but I don't know what answer she is looking for.
Really, why would she not want to be a Black?
"Don't join Grandfather then," Phoebe says.
We all look over at her. Dora raises an eyebrow.
She points to me. "Brother is the heir. Make an agreement with him. Then he makes an agreement with Grandfather. You get what you want, but are technically only tied to us."
That could work, as long as Dora is ok with it?
She sits up, frowning. "Will Gramps accept that?" she asks.
Phoebe nods. "He will get more demanding eventually, I expect, but for now I think he is still amused by us abusing loopholes and his generosity."
Sounds good to me.
Dora still hesitates.
"What is it?" I ask her.
She snorts.
"I'm supposed to be the big sister damnit," she complains. "Solving your problems, not the other way around."
I cross my arms and stick my nose in the air. "Blacks are the best," I announce as arrogantly as possible, before smiling.
"Which is why I do have one demand for my assistance!" I tell her, holding up a single finger.
She sighs.
"You want me to be a Black" "I want you to be a-aww am I really that predictable?"
"Yes." "Yes." "Kinda."
Well, fine then.
I may or may not huff and look away with a manly not-pout.
...
The giggling gets on my nerves, however, so I have to continue eventually.
"Anyhow, what do you think?" I ask. "You become a Black, we find you a trainer, and hunt down whoever was part of the attack?"
Dora hmms, while idly pulling up the grass.
"I mean, I guess I can see some downsides but...well, it would be amusing to throw it in the faces of some of the purists."
She frowns at that.
"You do know I am a Half-Blood right? It will be the end of the Black's vaunted purity?"
I shrug. "I mean, magic is magic? Though I suppose Grandfather might not like that..."
"But you are a Metamorph, an ability we lost a long time ago," Phoebe adds. "Plus you are a talented witch, and power is power. And I think Grandfather has just about given up on Purebloodism in general."
Wait, really?
Dora stares at her.
"Arcturus Black. The patriarch of the Black family, is giving up on the pureblood agenda?" she asks with disbelief. "Isn't the Black family motto Toujours Pur?"
Phoebe nods. "The whole war hurt a lot of his motivation, and then something happened in his meeting with Dumbledore. He will always be a purist himself but he really is trying to change things."
Dora continues to stare at her, and I admit, I am surprised myself.
Wow, I thought Grandfather ripped Dumbledore a new one. Perhaps it wasn't as one-sided as we thought?
"You think it's a good idea too, then?" Dora asks her.
Phoebe hesitates, which is...concerning.
"I...things get...messy, around a year from now? Sometimes sooner. Something big is going to happen. So, it is hard to tell really," she admits.
Dora closes her eyes and nods slowly while exhaling.
"Thanks for being honest."
"You know I don't lie to family about what I see." Phoebe reaches out and pokes Dora in the ribs. "But even without the Sight, you should do the deal, damnit."
Dora blinks.
"We need more Blacks...and hopefully you will pick a career less likely to get you killed than the Aurors."
Snorting, Dora leans back on her hands again.
"Honestly, I've been dead set on it for so long, I have no idea what else I would even consider. What if I do want to be an Auror?" she asks.
Sighing, I admit the truth. "Even if you accept the deal, you can still do that. If anything, it would be a significant boon, you could blow through the course, and our name carries a lot of weight in the Ministry."
"True. I doubt they will be ordering a Black to fetch them coffee..."
She snorts, and I can imagine why, as I suddenly get the image of a DMLE office drone demanding Grandfather fetch them coffee.
We all sit in silence for a moment, enjoying a momentary breeze.
"You really think Gramps will go for it?" she asks once again.
I defer to Phoebe, who replies affirmatively.
"He will be reluctant, but most likely will. And if he doesn't, what do you lose? You go on exactly as you are now."
She nods, and I can see the choice in her eyes. "Fair enough."
Sitting up and adjusting herself, she turns to me. "Alright then little brother, I guess it's up to you then?"
She smirks at me, but I reach out and clamp her limps shut before she can even start.
"No. No formal nonsense." I tell her.
She pouts at me.
I shake my head.
"It is bad enough when someone like Draco does it, I know you will intentionally butcher it."
The old formal stuff is on the outs, as there isn't much call for it. If you are friends? You don't need to waste your time on ceremony. If you are enemies? Why spend time giving respect to someone you hate? If you don't know each other well or are neutral? It is a good way to get on each other's nerves and ruin a relationship, so best not to force each other to bother with it. Something that took Draco a few times to learn.
Andy made sure to teach it to us, and we have used it occasionally, but ugh. That is one aspect of old magical culture I am very much glad is dying out.
"Now, if you are quite finished, I have a letter to write," I tell her as I stand up.
Ugh, and my robes are covered in grass. I try to brush it off, but it is not very effective. There has to be a spell for this...
This paint better come out too. I like this robe, and I don't want to have to suffer Malkin's to get another.
The others get up and stretch as well.
"All right then. Quite a day, quite a day. Really though, good work all of you. I was very impressed." Dora tells us, waving her wand to send the dummies flying away.
"I think I'm going to go ahead and grab an early shower. Iris, don't forget, keep it light on the magic for the rest of today and tomorrow, ok?"
She nods.
With that, we all head inside to settle down for the day.