Even after days past the blasted ritual, his body refused to listen to reason and move. He seriously miscalculated and if merlin forbid there was another such ritual, he would drop dead or end up magically exhausted.
He was not so young now, had little time to instill his plans.
As soon as he could hold himself up in his bed, he had ordered Kreacher to spill the beans, and got Rita to send him a report ASAP.
He was unpleasantly surprised when Kreacher apparated with Regulus attached to his leg.
The little blighter didn't lose anytime in running to his side and throwing himself over his body " grandfather please do something! I told father but he doesn't care and he cannot even speak. Longbottom and bones and prewatts and even those muggles have gone and visited him and I am stuck at home with mother"
Arcturus was confused in some places. The getting stuck with Walberga after the wedding he understood. Berga was a handful on good days, she must be fuming in rage over the new blood – one Edward Black – in the family.
"Calm yourself and act like a Black heir instead of running your mouth like a one on babbling potion"
That got to him.
"it's Severus grandfather. I know he is a half-blood and he let go of the life debt, but I cannot let him be treated like a possession"
Arcturus was still dazed, and only got half of what Regulus said. He sent the boy to the kitchen- because morgana's shoes these kids were always hungry- and tried making sense of what he babbled, with MS skeeter and Kreacher's report.
Ten minutes later and he was tempted to go back to sleep again.
The poor child, Severus Prince had become a political tool and a chess piece in the game of war between muggle-born supporters and pureblood supporters.
Dumbledore would not step back, and Malfoy would be a force to be reckoned with. The innocent child would have no say in his fate even if he was coherent.
Contrary to what he said to Orion, he was not certain of the boy parentage. The bond shown between father and son would be a straight Black line, and in case born out of wedlock a dotted line. If the person was adopted by blood, the line would be a red colored one.
The line that connected Severus Prince and Orion was a dotted red, with a line connecting him to both Sirius and Regulus and marking them as siblings.
He had not even realized it was there until he went and actually looked at the family tree in Gringotts. He knew Sirius was not Orion's, and knew Regulus to be his. A little blood he took from the baby and doing the blood map did it. His plan to substitute Sirius with Regulus only started when he was sorted in Gryffindor and made friends with Potter boy, making his rash destructive behavior even worse. He told Orion so he would take a firmer stand with Regulus and train him for the Lordship- it was apparent Sirius would be unfit by the New Year's Eve and him having more detentions than anyone on the school.
At least Regulus now was a little less emotional and had not found another friend for himself. he understood that friendship was a very serious matter and didn't hand out his hand in that like he did with Prince.
But the connection, what to make of it? There was not any record of a dotted red line, and even if one forgot that, how it would be possible for Severus to be connected to both of them? Sirius was not Orion's son for merlin's sack and Brega couldn't have carried Severus if he was now the prince heir.
Knowing his son, Orion, to chicken out of taking the boy, he had to enter the field instead of him. Rita said that Malfoy claimed blood and that he could teach the boy to become a Lord, Dumbledore said he knew little of the circumstances the boy was brought up, and he nominated the boy for the empty seat in wizingamot, making it hard for Abraxas to win. He semi- accused Abraxas of wanting the boy to further his influence, because sooner or later that seat had to be filled and there was no-one better than this particular boy who was magically powerful and had connections to two other members. By stating the obvious, he told the wizingamot that Malfoy had planned to get guardianship and then apply for the seat on his behalf so he could have more votes.
Albus in this instance had nothing to gain a Mugwump. He had to judge over inner conflicts of the members and had no influence on the votes, also as the supreme judge, he was a better option for training the young heir Prince. He could relate to him better, as he himself once had been a half-blood orphan in similar circumstances.
The fight over who gets "the next Merlin" became fight over " wizingamot seats" and escalated to Albus the muggle-born supporter versus Abraxas the Pure-blood supporter.
Arcturus knew it would turn ugly and soon. It would escalate further and there would be divisions. Those tactless idiots were bringing the invisible war – the cold war- up to surface and when no-one of the dark side or light was ready.
How many magical folk were left anyway? They were less than a million, and over the world there were not more than a 25. Another war, this close to the last one would annihilate them for sure. Others would abandon Britain – as they had in Grindlewald case- and these foolish children would tear themselves apart even before the real thing started. After the big depression over their lost numbers- becaue believe it or not all magical folks were related if not close then somewhere along the great great grandfather or mother- they just started to build. The children number that dwindled to a sad 5 or 4 each year increased to 20 or more. Losing this generation would mean death for magical britian and Albus was too stubborn, and Abraxas too stupid to see reason.
Orion would choose whatever side opposing Arcturus out of spite and get himself killed. Regulus was too young to take up the mantle and Arcturus too old to hold onto it. With the most ancient and noble house of Black fall, there would be chaos and bloodshed and a scene worse than anything Grindelwald done.
He had to step in, whether he wanted or not.
But first he had to know the exact level of emotional attachment between Regulus- the heir to be- and the prince lad. He had to watch their interactions together, to see if Regulus needed Prince or not.
He wanted to try Regulus first, and if nothing worked, he would try Severus. It would be hell to try and make him Lord Prince and Lord Black at the same time, but what choice did he have? He had not forgotten his debt to Evelyn nor the way he had once again failed her line, resulting in Eileen's unnecessary death. Severus might have forgiven the life debt, but Regulus had not and it could make problems along the way in near future.
Rita skeeter could exaggerate more than he cared for, and Kreacher was a stupid elf whose half the words was "kill me my lord". He had to assess the situation, and plan.
Maybe backup plans too.
"We are leaving for saint Mungo" and saw the way Regulus eye's lightened up immediately.
There would be troube. There would be fights and he would make Orion hate him more- if that was possible- but he had to do so if he wanted to have a son left. Merlin knew Cygnas was more his mother than him, and Alphard had fallen for Albus agenda pretty hard. Orion was all he had, and somewhere in his dead heart, he still loved him enough to prevent his death.
