Mo Chridhe
Chapter 15
Black Manor - Unplottable location
A feral snarl of a scream left the bedridden figure, as he read the newspaper. Fury unlike anything he'd ever felt before consumed the wizard nearly whole. His entire body was vibrating with the need for revenge. Well, he was going to get it, bedridden on not, he wasn't dead yet, and only a fool would betray the Black family.
Arcturus Black flung the covers off of him, his mercury eyes gleaming with a merciless need for vengeance. Hidden within that gleam was a variant of the Black madness, something of which that had plagued generations of Blacks due to their desire to keep the Black family pure. They were nowhere near as affected as the youngest generation. Especially poor Bellatrix. She'd never stood a chance; they'd known that from she was young.
"Eridanus!" Arcturus called out, and he was answered immediately. He plucked the vial of pain relief – which didn't do much these days – and uncorked it before swallowing the contents with a little relief. It helped marginally, but most importantly it would help him for what he needed to do today.
"What can I do for Master?" Eridanus asked, bowing low, quiet and respectful.
"Best dress robes that show the Black family isn't quite done yet, and as quickly as possible." Arcturus declared firmly. He treated them with a bit more respect than he did in his youth, no surprise really, since his only company most days were the house-elves.
He moved over to the safe, opening it with his magic which not even Polyjuice could replicate. He plucked out a wand that hadn't been used in a decade. It still worked wonderfully well with him; he left his usual wand – the wand he picked up at Ollivander's – but what he was doing required another. The family had thousands of wands, and they usually always had two or three that picked them. He had five wands that worked well, four were unknown to the Ministry.
Eridanus found the finest dress robes money could buy. They'd been hemmed in to fit Arcturus' figure just last week incase he ever wanted to use them. It was very rare that he went out, but the House-elves wanted everything to be just right. To be on the safe side.
"Does Master Arcturus want gloves?" Eridanus questioned, as he gave a small nod at the dragonhide boots he'd just put on his Master. There were rows of hats, gloves, boots, cufflinks, formal wear, everyday wear and of course, his nightwear the list was endless as was Arcturus' walk-in wardrobe.
"No, they will just hinder my movement," Arcturus answered, "Take us to the Floo room."
The Floo room was a massive room, filled with dozens of fireplaces, all unlit. The only Floo connections to this place came from here. There were wards that prevented anyone that wasn't family from exiting the room. It was seldomly used now, unfortunately, no family comes here anymore, the Black's had scattered the name without pride. The House-elf popped right into the main fireplace the rest were smaller.
"Have breakfast ready for my return, I won't be long." Despite the deep aches in his body, to the point he was almost shaking he refused to cede to his body's demands. He was seething furious, and would not bow down this time. He would avenge his grandson! He felt very foolish indeed.
What was most special about this particular Floo was that it was unplottable and undetectable. Something his daughter Lucretia had created for the Black family grimoire at just fourteen years of age. Arcturus swelled with pride just thinking of her, he missed his family so much, and couldn't wait to be reunited with them.
He'd approved the marriage between Walburga and Orion, despite his sons' strong objections. Despite all warnings about where the Black madness could be coming from. He hadn't believed the muggle science behind it, but undeniable proof had been shown to him. Perhaps he deserved watching the once proud, noble and ancient house of Black crumble to dust.
Nostrils flaring, Arcturus stepped into the Floo and grasped a pinch of the powder before calling out his destination. One doesn't need to shout like a common hooligan, not even to use the Floo network thank you very much.
Arcturus emerged through the Floo network and into the Vance office.
"Arcturus…what…" Harold Vance questioned utterly bewildered, how was he still alive? His bluster dying off, as he asked automatically, "Is everything alright?" eyeing the drawer where his wand was situated along with his reading glasses.
Arcturus flung the newspaper on his desk, watching him closely.
Harold Vance opened the paper utterly befuddled, what had happened? What could he need his services for? The usually spirited wizard, paled drastically, losing color as he realized what was going on. "Wait, wait! Wait!" he asked palms up showing he was unarmed and not a threat to him.
He wasn't given any other opportunity as he was bound tightly in magical ropes that tightened further each move the wizard made. Fear flared in his eyes, as he opened his mouth to beg and plead to the wizard, to explain. However, no sound emerged with his mouthing of the words, he had been silenced.
Then the house-elf had the unfortunate timing to be bringing his Master's breakfast and paper at that moment.
"Avada Kedavra!" within seconds, the house-elf was still, face down dead, pooled around what had surely would have been a delicious breakfast. The tray had been rather loud, and Arcturus paused, all movement ceasing as he waited with bated breath.
Harold screamed behind the silencing charm, terror suffusing him.
"You really shouldn't have messed with the Black family, Harold," Arcturus declared, "Now I'm going to end your line, right down to the last child." Seething in fury, he didn't know how the bastard had managed to get around his damn contract but it would be the last thing he'd be thinking and regretting in the long run.
Harold wiggled and moaned; he knew without a single doubt that the wizard meant it. He was never meant to find out, Albus had promised him. Hell, he wasn't supposed to survive the curse. It should have eaten at him and killed him years ago. He'd just assumed his body wasn't found, there was nobody in the Black family left. Sirius was the last one of them, and he was in Azkaban.
Arcturus summoned his wand and anything he might have on his person. He wasn't about to let this disgusting parasite survive. Waving his wand, he levitated the wizard up in midair, "Wouldn't want you to miss the show now, would we?" this filthy little worm was a waste of the magic he had.
Emmeline Vance, his wife however, had been wasted on raising a family and being a dutiful housewife. She was powerful, revived the Vance name, the children were no slouches but they weren't anywhere near their mother's level.
Regardless of whether she was his wife, she likely didn't have any control over the wards. She wouldn't know he was coming, he moved through the hallway towards the sound of quiet chatter. Likely coming through the dining room, he had spent time there, oh, it grated on him knowing what he did now.
"Harold, have you decided to join us?" Emmeline Vance called out happily, turning her head expecting to see her husband.
She did. Just not how she expected.
Arcturus would give her credit; she didn't do the expected and scream dramatically. Instead, she begun to move her wand from her holster, but Arcturus was quicker, and he did not torture them, but he gave them mercy. This was a punishment for Harold, not them.
The sound of her chair falling and the platters falling sounded the alarm, as family members begun to call out.
The beauty Arcturus mused, of a family under one roof, was the fact he could deal with them all at once. He watched Harold's face with savage happiness, blotted with tears and snot, and having soiled himself in his terror.
His mouth continued to open and close, but whatever he said was lost to the silence.
"You deserve far worse, but I shall take mercy upon your family whereas you did not do so for mine." Arcturus replied darkly, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be useful, to do anything other than languish in his despair.
Harold begged and pleaded Arcturus to spare his family, do to whatever he liked to him. To do anything, curse him, hex him, bleed him dry just leave his family out of this they didn't know. All pleading and begging went unheard, disappearing into the ether. No one the wiser to his desperation and terror.
"Mummy is everything alright?" came a voice, "Mummy?"
Arcturus grimaced, seriously, an adult calling their mother, mummy at such an old age. It was well seen they'd allowed muggle traditions to overtake their lives, how distasteful. Then again, hadn't she married a half-blood? Only retaining their pureblood status by a tiny margin? Especially considering the witch was a mother herself to a twenty-five-year-old unmarried daughter. The Half-blood father had died if he recalled right, after a nasty Splinching accident.
"Mumm…Aldric, help!" was the last thing Emma Vance said, before a green light encompassed her leaving her to nosily fall down the stairs landing with a thump on the landing.
"Everyone at home? Well, this will be quick," Arcturus commented with a sweet syrup-y croon, but he wasn't sure if Harold even heard him, his face was redder than anything he could describe, utterly devastated and it sent satisfaction coursing through him.
"Emma!" Aldric shouted rushing along the corridor, and quickly trying to climb down the stairs as fast as possible, clearly not seeing Arcturus, just his sister on the floor. "What the…" the rest of the question was unasked, before the green light encompassed him too.
Harold mouthed the words, no, no, no, no, no, no over and over again. He had just lost his beautiful and powerful wife, and his son and daughter. His eyes closed, as tightly as he pressed them together, he still saw the powerful green lightening denote the spell usage and the fact his son was gone.
His son and heir, the only male heir left.
"Now there's only one left, isn't there? Your sister's daughter…" Arcturus replied, tapping his wand against his chin in mock thoughtfulness. "I assume the rumors of you having killed her or disowned her are likely false, hm?" he had seen the society pages going on about her lack of presence, from death, disownment, banishment or being forced to marry to continue the family line.
The press, public and friends had long since given up on commenting on Aldric, he was well past the age of starting a marriage and children. It was very uncommon for the daughter to do her duty whilst the son did whatever he pleased, especially as the heir.
"Point me Margaret Vane," Arcturus intoned quietly, his wand lit up, and began to urge the wizard in the direction of the aforementioned witch. 'Lord' Harold Vance bobbed up and down behind him, following the wizard all the while mentally pleading for his last remaining relatives to have left for the day. Even though he knew it wasn't possible, she was likely asleep.
Harold struggled against the robes binding him, the taste of salt tanging his mouth. The tears hadn't ceased since his wife had been killed. He just wished he hadn't gone along with Albus' mad scheme. How was he to know it would come back to bite him in the ass a decade later? Nobody was supposed to know. That's the only reason he'd gone along with it, the Black's terrified him, for obvious reasons, they were all mad! Now look at what the scheme had brought him? Brought his family!
The pain of the bindings tightening almost, almost distracted Harold from the pain of loss he was currently experiencing. If he had been on the ground, he would have been curled up sobbing, whilst begging and pleading for Arcturus to have mercy, to stop this senseless violence. Senseless killing. He wished he could speak to Arcturus, make him see sense. To get him to stop this. He also cursed the fact he hadn't given his children middle names; the tracking spell needed the full name. His wife hadn't wanted to do it but he had, she won. Albus always said his name was always an annoying mouthful she said, there was no need for all that.
"Did you honestly and foolishly think you could stab a Black in the back and there would be no retribution?" Arcturus asked Vance shaking his head at his foolishness. His son's reputation was as fearsome as his, foolish wizard he was getting everything he deserved. Watching the wiggling wizard who was helpless like a fish.
Vance just continued to mouth words Arcturus had no desire to hear. Wiggling helplessly in his bindings. Pleading against the retribution the wizard was doling out, it was not fair, it was not right.
Arcturus paused briefly; it wasn't right to enter a lady's room without permission. However, he was too hyped up on his revenge to care too much. She was going to be killed anyway, and this piece of shit was going to see all his family die before he granted him any sort of mercy.
He used his foot to open it entirely, as with all well-kept properties, it didn't make a single sound or squeak. He couldn't help the incredulous laugh, so that was the reason she was being kept out of the limelight. She'd gone and gotten herself pregnant, without being married, and had a bastard child. She couldn't even do the decent thing and have a son, no, it was a girl, judging by the pink shawl wrapped around her.
"Avada Kedavra!" the spell was spat at the sleeping woman, who was still sleeping, perhaps the best of mercy's he's given today.
Turning to the doorway, he aimed his wand in the direction to the side of the crib and cast a killing curse, which naturally veered way off, as Arcturus cast a wandless silencing spell. He was many things but he wasn't a child killer, children were too revered, coveted in the magical world to ever harm one intentionally. Or so he thought, he didn't even want to imagine what Walburga had done to his grandsons.
Harold Vance need never know that.
Arcturus stared coolly up at the wizard, satisfaction thrumming through him, "Why?" removing the silencing spell.
"Dolly! Get us out of here!" shrieked Harold at the top of his lungs. Vowing to get revenge on the Black family and kill them all. Driven to the brink by the wizards' callous actions, by his own culpability. He should never have listened to Dumbledore; he'd never been as obsessed by the old fool like his wife was.
"Avada Kedavra!" yet another killing curse emerged from Arcturus' wand, aimed at the House-elf that just popped towards his master. Another death on his conscious, shame on him. He didn't take any pleasure in killing the House-elves but they could reveal what happened, thus they had to die.
"Crucio!" Arcturus lashed out, the pathetic worm shrieked and screamed until he was unable to move in the bindings at all and his lips went blue.
He'd moved about so much that the bindings had literally begun to deprive him of air. Arcturus flicked his wand, ceasing the spell causing him so much torment. Albeit reluctantly, the desire to ensure complete understanding he'd screwed with the wrong family was strong.
"Why?" Arcturus commanded, as his ears rung, wondering if perhaps he should have put the silencing spell back on. However, he did marginally want answers, he was slightly interested. It wasn't going to get him off the hook, and nothing could make up for what he'd done.
Harold wheezed, his blonde hair in utter disarray, "Can't…b-b-breathe!" color was turning a little to his lips.
"Come now, Harold, do you think I'm stupid enough to let my prey go? On the possibility he's able to get the better of me?" Arcturus purred, "Not that you've got much power to you, do you? Must have been quite a coup when they got Emmeline to be your wife, poor woman." She was quite powerful, nothing on how powerful his own wife had been.
Raspy breathing was the only reply, wheezy and laborious, in too much pain to get furious with the wizard.
"I'll ask again, why?" Arcturus commanded, staring up in silent warning, the wizard had best heed him.
"Screw you," Harold sneered, blood and drool dripping from his mouth. "You will get yours."
Impatient now, Arcturus brandished his wand, "Legilimens!" and with that Black was passing through the pathetic shields that couldn't keep a beginner nine-year-old out of his mind. Honestly, the family was just ridiculous, they hadn't taught their children the way, in no way prepared them for heirship, none of the lessons including Occlumency. Then again, they knew no secrets so why bother training them? Not that their father was any good at it.
It didn't take Arcturus to get to the memory he required, and the necessarily explanation.
-0 Memory 0-
"Are you sure about this Albus?" Harold asked, a little worried, this was the Black family after all.
"Harold, you know Albus wouldn't suggest something that wasn't important!" Harold's wife – Emmeline – scolded him for his questioning of the headmaster. The look suggested he'd be sleeping on the sofa if he didn't behave.
Albus just continued on smiling brightly, as if all was right in the world, glancing very briefly at Emmeline in approval. Right in front of her husband's nose! Where he could see it.
"He's the heir of a noble and ancient family, not just any family the Black family!" Harold pointed out, worriedly. "This is wrong."
"Oh, stop being spineless!" Emmeline grumbled under her breathe, but her husband heard her. He was extremely hurt by her words, and if anything, they didn't make him wish to do it more, no, it made him want to do it less. It's like she wanted him to get caught, and that was a thought that refused to leave him.
"He's not innocent, Harold, he's guilty, we're just making sure he doesn't get off without so much as a slap on the wrist…like Malfoy," Albus coaxed him into compliance. "Do you want another Death Eater getting off with murder?" he knew he had Harold exactly where he wanted him just by mentioning that name. It was 'suspected' that Abraxas Malfoy had killed Harold's father, along with the Nobby Leach the Minister for magic.
Hatred swarmed Harold in droves, the sort of hatred came with grievous offense.
"Fine," Harold declared, despite having more than just 'suspicions' that Sirius Black was innocent. He had signed the Potter's final wills as witness and had a copy of it in his desk. He knew Sirius Black was innocent of being the Potters' secret keeper. He ignored the niggling prospect what if he was not guilty of what happened next?
"Take this to him, it should stop him asking any other questions." Albus declared, handing over a file filled with information.
"Would you like to stay for tea, Albus?" Emmeline asked, her tone far chipper than it had been mere moments ago. So pleased everything was going the way it was meant to be. She'd never trusted Sirius Black
Harold opened it to find a faked transcript, and he was impressed, there was nothing denoting it was a fake. Merlin, it looked very, very, real. The only reason he knew it was a fake was because he knew for damn certain there had been no trial for Sirius Black yet. They were still coming down off the high of having won the war.
"I would love some," Albus agreeably replied.
"And if he figures out it's a lie?" Harold asked, face blank, scrutinizing Albus, trying to see through whatever he was doing. Their fearsome reputation made him want to hand the file back to him and forget it all. Let Dumbledore do what he pleased; he didn't want his family falling on Dumbledore's sainted sword.
"Don't you worry about that," Albus said pleasantly, "We have to make sure he cannot contest Harry's placement, don't we? Imagine the Boy-Who-Lived raised by the Blacks." He didn't even trust Andromeda despite her leaving the family, or Sirius fully, and good job it was, he was making a very good scapegoat.
"We do owe it to poor Lily and James, don't we?" Albus added his last piece of manipulation.
Harold straightened his spine, giving a jerky nod, unaware of the life Albus had planned for Harry Potter, the so-called Boy-Who-Lived. "You're sure he'll be dealt with?"
Albus just smiled enigmatically, he was hardly going to admit to anything, least of all by a wizard whose mental shields were so laughably pathetic that an eleven-year-old could beat him out. "Do remember to keep that copy of the will in a safe and secure space." He didn't want anyone accidentally coming upon it and interfering with his plans. The Vance's were rather popular, mostly due to Emmeline.
Harold nodded just the once, ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut.
-0 End Memory 0-
Arcturus jerked out of the wizard's mind, without care of how much pain it could cause him. Suddenly seeing a new reason for his decade long illness. Seething in fury, he snapped, "Dejugo!" watching in satisfaction as Harold's head was severed from his body, both parts falling gracelessly to the ground, with such forced they actually bounced.
The head rolled on down towards his daughter's bed, his eyes unseeing.
Arcturus moved over to the bed; the child couldn't be more than a week old. Which was good, it meant the baby wasn't forming memories yet. As angry as he was, he couldn't harm a baby, they were too precious. However, he had meant what he said about ending the Vance line entirely. He knew of a couple who would take the child in a heartbeat, and had a potion that would wipe out the Vance blood within the child. It was permanent too, a concoction created by Charlus and Dorea Potter. To no surprise it had ended up in the Black grimoire not the Potter one. They liked to pretend they were always light, as if they hadn't been dark wizards as Peverell's and grey wizards as Potters down the line it was only the recent generation that proclaimed it's 'always been light'.
The foolish Potter boy had convinced his son to go down a road that wasn't his to walk.
He regretted nothing more than having his son and grandchildren attending Hogwarts with the old fool in charge.
Worse still, this was all to stop Sirius from raising his godson.
Oh, Dumbledore had truly screwed with the wrong family. If it was the last thing he did, he would make sure he took down Dumbledore before he died.
It was time to right decades wrong.
Moving swiftly through to the bedroom once more, he moved towards the crib and with ease lifted the newborn child. It had been about thirty years nearly since he held a child in his arms, but instincts were an easy thing to retain in times of need.
Once the child was safely ensconced within his arms, he banished everything belonging the child. Luckily, she being so young, didn't have too much. Helped along by her being a dirty family secret, as if any child was as such. Once he was sure everything was banished including the crib, he begun to exit the premises. He couldn't use the Floo to return home, they didn't have the magicks the Black's had at their disposal. Instead of made for the entrance, and once there he stood at the doorway pausing for a second. Then he flicked his wand, and cleaned the entire house, removing his DNA entirely. And summoned the newspaper and shoved it into his pocket. Glad he'd remembered that.
The magic itself wouldn't be pointed at him; he was using a wand not registered to himself. Each wand actually made the persons magic distinctive, so using two different wands left two different traces. Not the kind that alerts the Ministry of magic of its use, no but all traces of magic that people leave when they use magic. You only have a while to compile the trace to use it, otherwise it was useless and the persons magic faded and degraded too much to be of use.
With that Arcturus apparated to the twelve-bedroom, ten-bathroom manor house he'd been gifted with by his father Sirius upon his marriage to Melania. It was much too big for just him, he knew that, but the thought of leaving where he and his wife had lived the entirety of their marriage felt treasonous. Even with his wife saying he could downsize and she would just be happy to come with him.
"Master's breakfast is in the…Master has a baby?" the House-elf stared at him with an odd look on it's face, the desire to hold the youngling was evident in its big green eyes.
"Put the child down to rest in a safe space, I'm sure Orion and Lucretia's baby things are still in the attic." Arcturus declared, "Then pop over to Malfoy manor and inform Lord and Lady Malfoy that I request their company as soon as possible." In other word's he demanded their presence immediately, and they would know that.
"As Master requests," Eridanus bowed low before carefully claiming the sleeping bundle overawed. It had been such a long time, Orion had his own House-elf, so after Orion no longer needed him, he only saw the occasional child for babysitting, Cedrella's children, Charis' children, and very rarely Pollux's children. Unfortunately, Master Arcturus and Pollux didn't get on very well. Pollux only came when he was forced to for 'family meetings' which were never to be ignored unless you physically could not get out of bed.
Arcturus didn't bother informing the House-elf where he would be. His personal House-elf could find him no matter where he was. Even through the ache of the pain relief draught, he still hurt like blazes, especially as now the adrenaline was beginning to wane a little.
Despite wanting a rest, he made for his bedroom immediately. In the corner of the room, behind a portrait that didn't move – which was how all of them were in his bedroom except one – only Melania could move into the frame. There were various spells on it that would prevent its detection. He immediately put the wand away after clearing all spells from it. What could he say? Never be too cautious, you're not paranoid if everyone was out to get you.
Shuffling items aside until he found the box, it contained thousands of carefully preserved potions in vials. He moved it out, placed it carefully on his bed before returning it to its real size. There was every conceivable potion there, hundreds that had been published and the dozens that had not. Including the potion that Charlus had created, there were three of them, all clearly labeled. He plucked one of them out, and shrank everything back down before setting it back in the vault.
Closing the safe up, replacing the picture, he grasped his usual wand and sheathed it. Aching terribly, he made his way to the dining room. It would be some time before he could take any more pain relief draught, but he'd make do. He could relax after this meeting, well, marginally.
He had other things he had to get the ball rolling with after all.
He would need to write to the Ministry and get a meeting set with a lawyer he could trust. The family unfortunately, was past the point of being able to walk into the Ministry and request a meeting and have it accepted. Their power had waned, he'd mourned the end of his family line for so long, now perhaps there was renewed hope.
Getting Sirius released wasn't going to be easy, or simple. Even if he hadn't been given a trial, it would take some months before he was released. Merlin only knows how he would come out, the Dementors were the most dreadful creatures, and Sirius did have a variation of the Black madness. Only Narcissa and Regulus had been truly free of the Black madness, even Andromeda suffered a little from it, but not noticeably so.
Arcturus ate his breakfast, wondering where Melania was, she wasn't in her portrait. Usually, she stayed and spoke to him while he ate his meals, at least twice a day. He needed to go abroad and find out what that blasted old fool had done to him. It might not have been stated outright but it was heavily implied and he would be damned if he let Dumbledore win in any capacity.
He wondered what shenanigans the Macmillan's had gotten up to this morning. The had a set of twins that were going through their accidental magic phrase, three years old and causing chaos. He couldn't help but smile recalling his own children's terrible-twos.
"Masters guests are here," Eridanus told his Master, "Shall I lead them in?" he would never invite someone without his Masters permission after all.
"Remove breakfast, and have refreshments brought through, bring them in," Arcturus informed the House-elf coolly. Straightening up in his seat, none of his actions betraying any slightest hint of weakness, he would never show any, especially in front of Lucius Malfoy.
He was pleased in the swiftness they had come, although, it was likely in hopes of gaining more money when he passed away, he thought with bitterness. Although, Narcissa may have done it out of loyalty, she'd grown up knowing how important it was to obey the Lord of the family. Which was him due to Sirius' incapacitated state and his son's death. Becoming a Lord twice didn't happen often, unfortunately it was all too frequently during Grindelwald's and Voldemort's wars.
He wished he hadn't become Lord again, no parent wanted to outlive their children and wife.
"Master Arcturus, may I present Lord and Lady Malfoy," the house-elf announced their presence, and Arcturus remained seated as they both turned the corner and appeared before him.
"My Lord Arcturus, I hope you are well?" Narcissa said politely, curtseying and leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. Familiar eyes glimmered as she took his appearance in, looking satisfied that he was doing well despite his condition.
"As well as I am able," Arcturus replied, inclining his head when Lucius gave a half bow to show this lesser status. The Black's had been around far longer than the Malfoy's, thus they were further up the hierarchy, even Draco would be lower down than him, despite having Black blood, he was the Malfoy heir not the Black heir. "I hope you are both doing well?" returning the kindness.
"Oh, we're doing well," Narcissa said as she perched herself on the chair, accepting the cup the House-elf made for her without acknowledging it's existence. "I do miss Draco enormously; the manor is ever so quiet without him."
Arcturus barely withheld his snort, honestly, the Malfoy manor would be the last place he wanted to stay. He'd rather live in the leaky cauldron than spend time there. The dratted bloody peacocks were horrendously loud, he didn't understand why anyone would buy those loud annoying things. However, the Malfoy estate made a lot of money from them, it was the main source of income and generated quite a lot, especially if it successfully kept Narcissa happy given he knew her spending habits.
"Speaking of quiet," Arcturus said thoughtfully, picking up his own cup, musing over the rim, "Would you like another child to raise as your own?"
Lucius straightened up, unable to hide how he felt, his mouth curling at the thought of raising a child not his own or Narcissa's. He suddenly loathed Arcturus for this, he would never be able to deny Narcissa anything she desired. He loved her so much and there was nothing more she wanted than another child.
"Before you comment, Charlus Potter created a potion that overwrites the initial DNA, makes a child entirely the ones whose blood is in the vial of potion." Arcturus explained, and he knew he didn't need to elaborate further as to why, it was well known Dorea and Charlus had struggled.
"It would be ours in every way?" Narcissa's breathing hitched, reaching for her husband, he didn't want to adopt a child, they'd contended themselves with just Draco. Happy to have had a child at all, they knew they were so lucky. Lucretia hadn't been able to have any children at all.
"All blood tests would come back with you as the parents," Arcturus reassured them, "Including any inheritance test done by Gringotts."
"And there's proof?" Lucius asked, his scowl gone, looking far more interested than he was mere moments ago.
"There is," Arcturus declared stiffly, "We are wizards of our word." A thinly veiled annoyance at being questioned.
Neither of them seemed to care that it was blood magic, which was banned by the Ministry of magic. It was at Dumbledore's urging that all Necromancy, blood magic, and many other branches of magic be banned from use within the UK. It never deterred those who refused to shove magic into different kinds. Light, dark, grey, it was nonsense, magic was magic.
"What do we have to do?" Narcissa asked, she was wondering why he wasn't giving the child Black blood since there were so few of them left, and no Black heir.
"Three drops of blood each into the vial, it gets shaken for three minutes until the potion turns maroon, then in five minutes time its given to the child in question. It can be consumed with anything, but in this instances milk would be best." Arcturus told them promptly. He handed over the vial to Narcissa.
Lucius watched the Black Lord carefully, wondering what he could possibly want in turn. "Is there anything we can do to help you in turn?" his wife let three drops of blood fall into the vial before carefully removing the small wound any other traces of blood.
"You may do me a favor in turn if you feel the need," Arcturus wasn't going to deny Lucius' connections when it was on offer. "Do not feel you must, we are family and family always helps family." And it was true enough even if Narcissa went by the Malfoy name she was still a Black and the Black's would come to their aid – if they were able to provide it – and who knows maybe one day they would be able to.
"What can I do?" Lucius asked curiously, if this favor gave his wife a child, she so desperately desired he'd do anything. He did wonder if it was just a happy coincidence or if all this had been done just to get their aid.
"Get me a meeting with the Minister for Magic as soon as you possibly can," Arcturus stated, "I understand you're rather tight with the Minister I believe the youth of today would insist?"
"Sirius Black's lack of trial," Lucius deduced easily, inclining his head, "Consider it done." He handed his hand to his wife, barely blinking at the pain of the minor wound she made to gather three drops of his blood for the potion.
"What age is the baby?" Narcissa asked, as he put the stopper in while Lucius healed the wound and got rid of any remnants of his blood. They were cautious about blood as they rightfully understood what it could be used for.
"Very young, barely more than a week old," Arcturus answered, "Eridanus, bring the baby and a bottle."
Narcissa perked up, looking excited, and Lucius wanted to smile, he hadn't seen her this animated in such a long time. The devastation of loss with their attempts to have another child never working out had worn them both down.
"The baby is from a wizarding family, correct?" Lucius asked, cursing himself for not asking earlier.
"She is," Arcturus agreed, smiling a little at the beaming smile that appeared on Narcissa's face. She'd always wanted a little girl to adore, he knew, this was why he'd chosen her. He had ended the girl's family line, but he wanted to ensure she went somewhere good despite what he'd done. "And no, nobody is going to come looking for her." That was guaranteed, the memories he'd seen not even Dumbledore knew despite being a close personal friend of Emmeline Vance.
Narcissa scooped up the baby the moment the House-elf appeared, already besotted by the sight. She tapped the vial, and then the bottle, having the potion mix together. The milk turned red, luckily the mixture wasn't thick otherwise the baby wouldn't have been able to drink it.
Well, with Lucius getting in contact with the Ministry, he could get in touch with Harry Potter. Explain a few things, that's if he wasn't already besotted with Dumbledore. Merlin only knows who had raised the child it certainly wasn't family! If he wrote he might be showing his hand too soon, it was a dilemma he must confess. Perhaps a letter so they may get to know one another, find out about the boy's life and see if it was possible to secure his allegiance.
After all Harry was Sirius' godson as well, which made them joined in more than one way.
He would make the child his heir if Sirius wasn't amendable to having a child of his own.
"I shall go and speak to Cornelius right now," Lucius said, standing smoothly, kissing his wife's cheek in silent apology. Giving Arcturus another half bow, he left the way he came, through the house to the edge of the wards and the ping alerted him to Lucius apparating away.
"She's going to be so beautiful," Narcissa cooed, the dirty blonde hair was already beginning to pale to a more shocking head of platinum white hair including those fine eyebrows. "I'll need to think up a name for her!" not to mention get the nursery out again and get redecorating! The baby could stay with them until her room was done.
Arcturus' lips twitched, "If she's anything like the rest of the Black females, most definitely." They were all beautiful really, powerful too, it was just a shame about that Black madness. She was clearly getting the Malfoy blonde locks he wondered if she'd get the grey eyes like all Black's did. It was nice to feel something other than apathy.
"I am sorry about my cousin," Narcissa attempted to find out more information without actually outright digging. There was no way to do so, the Black family, her family, knew all the tricks in the book after all.
"As am I," Arcturus declared, he had been a fool to believe those fake transcripts, he should have dug further but he'd been sick. Sick to the point he couldn't even leave his bed, wizarding flu was dreadful, he'd almost died and without his healer he would have. Even with the potions to protect against it, you could still suffer from it.
"He'll be free soon enough, and we will raise the Black name up by it's dragonhide straps." Arcturus declared strongly. "We will bring his godson along with."
Narcissa said nothing, knowing good and well it wasn't her place.
"That shall we interesting," Narcissa mused, she hadn't met the boy but if he was anything like his father…yes, interesting was the right word.
If only they knew.
Empath Harry was going to turn their words upside down day by day, year by year…with the help of his one-day husband, Marcus. To the Black's it was more than acceptable that marriage, not that Harry would care for their input.
A/n – I know realistically it shouldn't have everyone's thoughts if ones viewing a pensive memory (it's why I hate memories and flashbacks too) although at least in flashbacks the way I'm writing wouldn't have been a problem. However, there are a lot of nuances that would be lost if I didn't put it in, like just why Arcturus is doing what he was doing and things like that 😊 and I do hope the transferring from Hogwarts to Lord Black didn't feel too abrupt, it's why I ended the last chapter with discussions on Black and the newspaper article 😉 It feels a bit abrupt to me, but I was dying to write this scene for a while now will this be Black heavy? With what's left of them coming together? Raising the dark sect to higher levels not accomplished by even the Dark Lord during his good years? R&R please