A/N: hi! i graduated college :) can't believe i actually did it! have this chapter as an impromptu celebration with me
They all circled into the sitting room of Black Manor, Arcturus' home for longer than any of his grandchildren had been alive. Arcturus sat by the fire in his favorite ruby armchair. Sirius lay down across the entire couch, pushing pillows out of his way and onto the floor, but Bellatrix shoved his feet off of the cushions to make room for herself to sit. Narcissa and Lucius shared an emerald loveseat across from Arcturus, while Andromeda remained standing so she could pace.
"I want an explanation, now." Arcturus was no longer hiding how mad he was.
"The Dark Lord isn't truly gone and my ex-husband is an idiot," Bellatrix said.
"Dumbledore somehow knew the Potters were attacked before their bodies were even cold and Sirius' godson was declared our 'savior' despite being a toddler," Andromeda added.
"Yes, I'm aware of these facts. Augusta was quite clear on the latter two," Arcturus sighed.
"You speak with Madam Longbottom?" Sirius snorted. "I'd pay to see that." He fell silent at his grandfather's stare.
"What I mean is: would someone like to explain who is responsible for the claiming of not one, not two, but four true Blacks in this next generation?" He watched as his three granddaughters stiffened slightly, only enough for him to be able to tell though, because he had known them all since the day they were born. Sirius and Lucius merely looked confused. "One I expected, seeing that Sirius is sworn godfather to the Potter scion and the child is now an orphan. Two is understandable, seeing as Andromeda sits before me and is known to have my eldest great-grandchild, so the title would pass to her child. But now…" He gripped the armrests of his chair, knowing his head of house ring glinted threateningly in the firelight. "Would you like to explain yourselves? Bellatrix? Narcissa?"
Bellatrix grinned in excitement. "I saw her name first on the family tapestry at Grimmauld, Grandfather. Her magical core is strong, despite being a mud– muggleborn," she amended with a sigh and roll of her eyes when Andromeda bristled. "Descended from the squibbed line of Isla Black."
"And with my Draco, that makes three," Narcissa added quietly but firmly. "We know there is power in a triad, Grandfather."
Arcturus huffed, always one to be grumpy. "I should hope so, seeing as I am the one who taught you such."
"It may be too late for them to grow up as siblings, but not as cousins," Narcissa continued. "The Dark Lord is gone for now, but his influence will continue on."
"And this Hermione Jean… Granger-Black, I believe the tapestry lists her as? As in the Dagworth-Grangers?" His grandchildren remained silent, so he took that as inconclusive to their knowledge. He would research it later. "Regardless, where is she now?"
Bellatrix waved her hand. "With her parents, of course. I'm not an animal, Grandfather, to steal a child from their parents' arms. It would be a crime against one of the family." She paused in thought and began to twirl her wand between her fingers, a flashy display that Arcturus looked at with distaste. "Although I did alter her parents' memories. They now know of us all as extended family and Hermione's magical guardians."
Arcturus pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed loudly. "Have you considered the ramifications of your actions? Did you consider what could occur if your Head of House is not aware of the entrance of new members?" He surveyed them all sternly. For far too long, I have allowed you all the freedom to forge your own paths in our world. Clearly, I have allowed too much freedom and been remiss in reminding you of your duties to our house while you bear our name and our magic."
He leaned back and twisted the gleaming silver ring on his right pointer finger, running his thumb over the large inset ruby on its face. "This ends now. I, Arcturus Black the Third, Head of the House of Black, order all of-age members to a family enclave at the seat of our magic, immediately. May any defiance to this order be met with Hecate's wrath."
He could see the moment the magical order hit his grandchildren, with all of them stiffening and wincing at the strength of the compulsion to attend to their Head of House's command. He could only imagine how harshly it struck his daughter and cousins, considering the larger distance between them and him.
"Come." He stood, brushing non-existent dust off his lap before nodding towards the door. "Let us adjourn to the dining room. I will have us all address this matter together at one table."
Lucretia was the first to arrive, his darling daughter. Even all these years later, her impish smile was enough to break through his mask he wore as Lord Black. She raised an eyebrow in question as she walked into the room, seeing him sitting at one end of the table. There was none at the other end. His grandchildren sat nearest to him: Sirius and Narcissa on his left, and Andromeda and Bellatrix on his right. Lucretia took the seat on Bellatrix's left.
"Lovely to see you again, Father," Lucretia said, leaning forward and sending her auburn locks tumbling over her shoulder. "Ignatius sends along his greetings and best wishes for the festivities of today's meeting."
Arcturus' lips twitched. "As tenacious as the day you two were wed," he muttered with a shake of his head as a second crack echoed in from the foyer. "We will speak more later."
His second cousin Alphard was the next to arrive, and it was clear from Sirius' expression that the boy wished to greet his favored uncle when he sat beside Narcissa. The male heir would desperately need more training. Arcturus didn't know what Minerva McGonagall had been allowing in her pride, but such a blatant display was a weakness for any politician. It would be ignorant to say strong leaders could not come from Gryffindor, but now Arcturus was beginning to see firsthand the differences in presentation between Sirius and his Slytherin cousins.
Alphard's brother Cygnus showed cracks in his mask as well. The posh man visibly hesitated in his confident walk when he saw all three of his daughters seated at the table. Wisely, he said nothing and took his place next to Lucretia. Arcturus internally rolled his eyes as he watched the man's gaze flicker wildly between Bellatrix and Andromeda where they sat across from him.
Arcturus' twin cousins Callidora and Cedrella entered together, dressed in clashing purple and green robes. The two were nothing alike, but he knew the recent death of their youngest cousin Dorea had brought them closer together than ever before. When Walburga waltzed in, her arm looped through her father Pollux's in a formal escort, Arcturus could see her face puce in rage at the sight of Cedrella Weasley. Luckily for all of them, the woman wisely decided to remain silent and take a seat next to Pollux at the table, who was soon followed by Cassiopeia as she casually entered the room, her nose in a book.
His cousin Callus was the last to arrive as usual, always fashionably late unless it was an event he himself was hosting. He nodded in deference to Arcturus and dropped into the chair next to Cassiopeia. Finally, the Black family was assembled.
"It is clear that I have been remiss in my duties as the Head of this once-noble House," Arcturus announced, drawing the meeting to order. "I shudder to think of what my darling Melania would think if she were here to see what we have been reduced to."
Walburga rolled her eyes. "Uncle Arcturus, i don't see the need to bring Aunt Melania into this–"
"Walburga!" Arcturus snapped. The bitter woman fell silent with a huff. "I will spell you to remain quiet if you cannot follow my command. Nod if you understand."
The woman silently nodded but not without a soft snicker from Sirius' direction.
"I allowed you all to choose your own paths in life, whether for better or for worse." He stared at each one of his family in turn. "Clearly, it has been for the worst in most instances. Can anyone tell me one of our most important house codes?"
"Family first?"
"Always pure of magic?"
"Don't take shit from anyone?"
"What have you children been taught?" Arcturus lamented. "No. House Black bows to NO ONE! And yet here I sit, with nearly half of you having pledged yourselves– and my HEIRS– to a homicidal half-blood maniac!"
The temperature in the room plunged, both from the magic caused by Arcturus' rage and the revelation he'd smacked them with.
"Excuse me?" Cygnus asked, voice seemingly a shout in the deathly quiet room. "The Dark Lord was a half-blood?"
"Is," Bellatrix amended with a sharp smile as she rolled up her left sleeve, displaying the lightened dark mark for all to see. "If he was truly gone like Dumbledore's been claiming, I wouldn't still have his brand. Isn't that right, Uncle Pollux?"
Pollux stiffened. "How dare you?"
"You think I, an inner member of the Dark Lord's circle, wouldn't know the identity of his followers? Of all of his followers?" Her eyes narrowed on Walburga. "Would you like to know what happened to your darling Regulus, Auntie?"
"Bellatrix," Arcturus held up his hand in warning, and she obediently quieted. "However, she is correct," he validated. "Walburga and Orion's actions led to the estrangement of the Black male heir and death of the spare. Cygnus, you and your Rosier wife attempted to disown one daughter and led another into near magical enslavement. The early introduction of the younger generation to the Dark Lord brought House Black into its longest period of subjugation. We have always been rulers… until some of you decided that you knew better than me. This period is over as of today. All members of House Black are now placed on probation. If this is not… acceptable to you, speak now."
Cassiopeia raised her hand, and Arcturus didn't bother to refrain from rolling his eyes at her studious antics. "What would you have us do to remedy the family and its position? I noticed the family tree had updated–"
Callus snorted. "Peia, the tree doesn't update without us all knowing of a new birth. Arcturus would've announced it."
Arcturus smiled wanly and folded his hands in front of him on the table. "What a fortuitous moment to have you all gathered together now, then."
His cousin's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."
Arcturus ignored him. "House Black, I present the newest members of our family: Nymphadora Dorea, born November 1972; Hermione Jean, born September 1979; Draco Lucius, born June 1980; and Harry James, born July 1980."
Cedrella was the first to break the silence, her hysterical laugh filling the room and bringing hesitant smiles to the faces of Arcturus' grandchildren. "Oh, it's wonderful to be back. I cannot wait to see what you young ones get up to next."