Haha! The chapter finally cooperated! (And Draco kept getting pissed off, which to be fair, he's entitled to)

Enjoy everyone!

Chapter 26: The Tumult of House Black

"Draco tried to kill Lucius and Lucius here apparently doesn't understand the meaning of primacy," Evelyn says sarcastically, keeping a weathered eye on the pissed off Malfoy Lord. "On another note, you and Dora can finally team up against Moony and his stupid lack of self-worth, so there's that little silver lining."

"He didn't touch you?" Sirius demands, long strides eating up the distance between them as he runs a critical eye over her. Regulus follows behind him at a more sedate pace, but he also gives her a once over.

She snorts. "If he had, he'd be on the floor."

This, apparently, proves to be too much and Lucius springs to his feet, pulling his wand out of his cane. "You insolent little—"

Regulus firmly places himself between her and Lucius, wand drawn and tip glowing an ominous red. "I would suggest, Lucius, that you do not complete that sentence," he warns, voice quiet but rich with warning. "Anything you attempt to do to Heiress Potter within these walls will be returned unto you tenfold."

Lucius makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat and actually takes a step backwards, face paling to an ashen white. "You're supposed to be dead," he says faintly.

"Then you realize that I truly have nothing to lose should I be forced to put you in your place, Lord Malfoy," Regulus sneers. "Of course, my brother is still known to most of Wizarding Britain as a mass murderer. Should you provoke him enough by making threatening plays at his beloved goddaughter, he might even be willing to earn the Azkaban sentencing he was wrongly forced into serving."

There's a faint intake of breath from behind them, and then Narcissa tremulously whispers, "Reggie?"

Regulus inclines his head to the side, but never takes his eyes off of Lucius. "I'd say it's good to see you again, Cissa, but that'd be a lie at the moment. I thought your husband was smarter than this."

"I'm not sure he was ever as smart as you're imagining him to be," Evelyn mutters. "There was a distinct lack of cunning through my Hogwarts years, and he unfortunately infected Draco with that mindset as well."

"Potter," Draco hisses.

"Nearly five years of 'my father will hear about this', Heir mine," Evelyn retorts. "That is by far one of the furthest from cunning statements I can think of that routinely came out of your mouth."

"Do not speak to me so familiarly, Heiress Potter," Draco snarls. "I haven't given you leave to do so again."

Evelyn barely manages to contain her flinch at the pain and loathing in her friend's voice. She knows she deserves it, cutting all contact like she had once she'd been able to return to Earth, had expected it even. That doesn't make it any easier to hear now.

"Mind your tone, Malfoy," Sirius warns, a low growl rumbling in his chest.

"It's okay, Sirius," Evelyn says softly, laying a hand on his arm. "He's entitled to this after I avoided England like I did."

"Oh, I'm entitled to it, am I? You left us!" Draco shouts, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You left us for eight years without a bloody word after you swore to never abandon your son! Teddy cried himself to sleep for weeks after you disappeared." Now she does flinch, because stars does Draco know how to go for the jugular. "He was terrified that I would end up leaving him too, just like everyone else in his life seemed to do. I lost count of how many times I had to reassure him that I wouldn't go anywhere!"

Evelyn has to close her eyes as she fights to not cry, because it's her worst nightmare realized. "I couldn't come back," she whispers hoarsely. "Not with what was chasing us."

"I don't particularly care what was chasing you! I'm a wizard, Potter, and a damn good one at that. I don't need your measly protection!"

Evelyn musters up her fiercest, most glacial glare despite the tears gathering and levels it at her friend. "The beings that were chasing me felled Thor Odinson and nearly did the same to Loki Odinson, Heir Black. Does all your male arrogance make you assume that you could stand up against beings who are capable of bringing gods to their knees? Would you have had me risk Teddy being subjected to the mercies of someone who would have had no qualms about torturing him because the people I sided with refused to be beaten down? I'm not talking about moronic idiots who followed a bigoted arsehole like Riddle, I'm talking of beings who sought to bring all the Realms crumbling to the ground and they succeeded!" Chest heaving, she jerks her chin up defiantly. "It took nearly seven bloody years, but they did it. Nilfheim and Midgard were the only two left. The only reason we have this chance to fix things is because Loki refused to accept me dying in his arms and so used Soul Magic to send my soul back to the beginning to start over."

Draco rears back like she'd slapped him. "You would trust someone who uses Soul Magic?" There's anger and disbelief fighting for dominance in his voice as he stares at her like he's never seen her before.

"We were the only two remaining from our group," Evelyn states flatly, "and we were going to die either way. Me before him, and as I said, Loki refused to accept that ending. And now here we are."

"It is Soul Magic."

"Horcruxes are a bastardized version of true Soul Magic. Not that I think Riddle ever cared, but he damned himself the instant he tore his soul in two at the age of sixteen." She huffs out a breath. "And speaking of Riddle's stupid Horcruxes, how much of a fit will Kreacher throw if he sees you, Regulus?"

"Because of the magics cast on me, he won't recognize me until such time that either I or the Head of House Black formally introduces me to him again."

"How bloody convenient," she snarks, then forces herself to shelve the hysteria rising up from her argument with Draco. She lets the Black Family Magics visibly settle back over her before barking out, "Kreacher!" There's a sharp crack as the house elf appears in front of her.

"Unknown Mistress be calling Kreacher," the elf mutters, looking harrowed but surprisingly better than when she'd first seen him before her fifth year at Hogwarts.

"Kreacher, as Heiress Presumptive Evelyn Rosalie of House Black, I swear on my magic that if you bring me Master Regulus' last task, I will complete it right here and now for you to witness."

The magical oath settles between them while Kreacher gives her a long stare. "Kreacher be returning shortly." Then he pops away.

"Thought they made you sick," Sirius says, placing a hand on her shoulder. "At least that's what your cousin mentioned."

"I'll just have to make due," Evelyn states grimly, her stomach already churning because her magic wasn't kind in the slightest around Hufflepuff's cup.

Another elf pops into the room. "Misley be getting Lady Black a stomach soother if yous be wanting one."

Evelyn exhales forcefully through her nose and resolutely ignores the sharp intakes of breath the elf's offer produces from the other people in the room that she's largely been ignoring. "Thank you, Misley, that would be much appreciated."

Misley pops away just as Kreacher returns, and Evelyn has to viciously stamp down on her magic's instinctive reaction to reject the horcrux's presence because she has no desire to bring up her breakfast. Kreacher, thankfully, lays the locket on the floor in front of her without any prompting and retreats backwards a little bit.

"Merlin that thing is ugly," Draco mutters, having taken a few steps away from the Tonks' and his mother.

"A gift from Salazar Slytherin to his beloved wife Inga," Evelyn says through clenched teeth. "Supposedly buried with her upon her death, but I never bothered to figure out which descendant desecrated her grave to dig it back up." Misley pops back and offers her a corked vial with a shimmering blue potion inside. As her magic doesn't react when she takes the cork out, Evelyn knocks the entire thing back and returns both the cork and vial to Misley who departs again. She gives herself a moment to just breathe as the potion fights to settle her nausea. "Lord Black—"

"Heiress Potter, you have my permission to do what you need within these walls for the duration of this Family Meeting."

Evelyn can feel her eyebrow twitch at that statement, because she carried the mantle of the Black Family Magics for almost twenty two years. She knows what the magics demand of the one who holds the title of Lord or Lady Black. So this rather passive behavior that Arcturus is continually displaying is making her inner Healer very concerned. "Then I suggest that everyone with Black blood and who's still connected to the Family Magics brace themselves." When all she gets are incredulous stares from the unknown occupants of the room, she merely shrugs her shoulders and reaches out for the wards of the house. The Valkyrie might've inferred that she can call Hela to her location without any sort of fuss, and Evelyn might be inferring that it can happen through raised wards with how Hela snatched her up in the other timeline, but that had been from a Potter Family property. Ticked off though she might be at the Goddess of Death, that doesn't mean she wants to accidentally hurl her through the lethal wards House Black is rather famous for. The manor wards answer her call almost eagerly, and as they settle against her magic, she hears a minute sigh of relief from Arcturus along with various intakes of breath as those with Black blood register the change.

Oh, Arcturus is definitely getting a health check from her after this blasted meeting is done.

"Pup, what—" Sirius starts, only to choke on the rest of his sentence when she calls up the Peverell Family Magics, despite having sworn only minutes ago that she wanted nothing to do with the House, in addition to the Black Family Magics she's still yet to release. However, it's through them that she's tied to her future step daughter.

Grimly, she allows said Family Magics to direct her words as she intones, "Hela Lokidottir, your Avatar has need of you." The command echoes in the air and every bit of china and glass in the room rattles delicately under the strain of the magic gathering. Then, just as Evelyn begins to worry that things might start shattering from the pressure, Hela appears in the room between blinks. There's a faint rustling of cloth as wands get drawn.

"Hello, Avatar mine. You called?"

Her appearance is her usual split dualities, half living and half dead. She doesn't appear all that concerned that she has multiple wands pointed at her, but then again Evelyn doubts that any of the gathered family could actually harm her. Even with the Black Family reputation.

Evelyn inclines her head while motioning to the locket on the floor. "For you."

Hela hums, and the locket is suddenly in her hand without her making any sort of indication that she was going to summon it. It starts to shake the instant it makes contact with her skin. Her mismatched eyes flicker to Evelyn. "I will not make you open this if you do not wish to, but it will be ruined should I have to draw the soul out through the other enchantments surrounding the soul piece."

Evelyn wrinkles her nose. "As much as I'd rather just say go ahead and ruin it, it unfortunately is an heirloom that should get preserved." Lips twisted into a grimace, she fixes her eyes on the locket and hisses §Open§. Cue more audible intakes of breath as there's a faint click and the black tendrils of magic start curling out of the locket.

Mercifully, Hela doesn't let this iteration of Riddle form at all. She simply touches a finger to the metal and draws it back, taking the black tendrils of the horcrux's magic with. It all gathers in the palm of her hand, condensing into a pulsing blood red stone. There's a single echo of an agonized scream as the stone shudders for one brief moment. Hela curls bone fingers around the stone before offering Evelyn the locket with an unnervingly knowing smile on her lips. "Lady Slytherin."

Evelyn scowls, quickly becoming extremely fed up with people announcing her titles beyond that of House Potter, but takes it regardless. "My thanks, milady."

Hela's grin shifts just enough that Evelyn can immediately tell it's one that she learned from her father. "Until next we meet, Avatar mine." And then she vanishes just as abruptly as she arrived.

Evelyn slides her gaze down to Kreacher and raises an eyebrow. "Was that sufficient?"

The ancient house elf bows deeply to her. "Mistress be calling Kreacher if Mistress be needing him and Kreacher will come." Then he pops away.

"That was the Goddess of Death," Draco states flatly after a moment of silence.

"Hallows," Evelyn throws back, sadly already done with everything for the day yet knowing that they haven't even really called the Family Meeting to order, which is the entire reason she and Sirius are even here. "She also snatched me out of the manor through the raised wards and proceeded to dump me into her father's prison cell along with making sure that the two of us couldn't be separated by a certain distance for two years."

"You called the Goddess of Death to a Family Meeting?"

"It was Hela or Fiendfyre," she says blandly. "I figured everyone would better appreciate a quick visit from Hela rather than me wrestling with that particular spell despite my proficiency with it previously. Speaking of. Someone needs to introduce everyone who's not currently a Malfoy or a Tonks to me, as I don't recognize anyone else."

Regulus shifts his weight so he's slightly angled more towards her, but still keeping himself between her and Lucius. "Heiress Potter, by your leave?"

She waves a hand at him, for all that he hasn't taken his eyes off Lucius. "Have at it."

"Firstly Madam Cassiopeia Black, your grand-aunt as she is your Grandmother Dorea's sister." He nods his head to the witch who'd stood and approached when Evelyn and Arcturus first stepped into the room. "Then there is her nephew and your first cousin once removed, Mister Cygnus Black the Second, who is also Lady Malfoy and Madam Tonks's father and Heir Malfoy and Miss Tonks's grandfather. Finally, on that particular side of the room is Lord Ignatius Prewett, husband to the late Lady Lucretia Prewett née Black, who was your second cousin once removed and was Sirius and mine's aunt on our father's side."

Huh. So that's why Lord Prewett looks vaguely familiar. He most likely shares features with the gaggle of Weasleys she grew up with.

"And on the other side, with Madam Tonks and her family, we have Lady Callidora Longbottom née Black and Lady Cedrella Weasley née Black, both of whom are your first cousin twice removed through your Grandma Dorea's father, Mister Cygnus Black the First, along with Lady Weasley's husband, Lord Septimus Weasley."

And that explains the familiarity of both previously unknown ladies. She does wonder why she never met Cedrella before, or her husband. Given how family oriented the Weasleys are, it seems a bit odd to her now. Also, Regulus introduced the Weasleys as Lord and Lady. Something else to ponder over later, because Ron's annoyance at her heaps of gold don't make sense if his grandparents were a Lord and Lady, especially given how well dressed the two are. Although, if Arthur isn't Cedrella and Sepimus' first born… regardless, this isn't the time to try and delve into those particular problems.

She dips into a curtsy befitting an Heiress being presented to a multitude of family for the first time. "We've gone about this backwards, but it is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Heiress Apparent Evelyn Rosalie of House Potter, Daughter and Heiress Presumptive of House Black. You have my thanks for coming to this House Meeting at Lord Black's request."

Off to the side Nymphadora scoffs. "Wasn't much of a request," she mutters.

"Ah, did your letter have threats of disownment in it too?" Evelyn asks cheerily over Andromeda attempting to scold her daughter. "From what I gathered reading past diaries of various Lords and Ladies, the summons was rather mild, all things considered."

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," Nymphadora snarks, and despite the fact that it's very obviously a female voice, Evelyn has to check herself not to scold her son about sassing back at her and Draco because the tone and inflection are spot on for what Teddy's thrown their way on various occasions.

Instead, she blinks at Nymphadora in shock. "That's alarming," she states. "I don't like it."

"Neither do I," Draco grumbles beside her.

Nymphadora, of course, looks between the two of them in confusion. "What's that?"

"That was remarkably similar to our son when he's put out with us," Evelyn says blandly, ignoring how Draco stiffens because he at least doesn't snap at her for claiming Teddy as theirs. "We're going to have to check ourselves to not tell you off because you are actually an adult and can use whatever tone you bloody well please."

Despite the tears that immediately spring up in Nymphadora's eyes, she turns a cheeky grin to her mother. "Hear that, Mum? I'm an adult and can use whatever tone I bloody well please. Even Cousin Eve thinks so."

"Young lady, you are not even eleven," Cassiopeia says sharply, lips turned down in a disapproving frown as she stares down her nose at Evelyn.

Evelyn in turn fixes her with a disbelieving look. "I'm now forced to wonder if all those potions you obviously spend a bunch of time fiddling with have addled your brains. Has nothing that anyone has said since I walked in sunk into your brain? I've had Soul Magic used on me. I lived for nearly forty years before circumstances forced me back to just before I start Hogwarts."

Again, sharp intakes of breath echo all around the room. "Soul Magic—"

"Is dangerous, I'm well aware of that fact, thanks," Evelyn snaps, already fed up with people trying to warn her about magic that's already been cast on her. "Believe me when I say we had no other option. And if Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard, can't figure out another way, then more often than not there is no other way. I was dying in his arms and the planet swiftly becoming overrun with Dark Elves and Chitarui alike. All of wizard kind had retreated behind wards, there was no one to rally and no one really left to rally to."

Draco pinches the bridge of his nose between two fingers. "Heiress Potter, are you implying a closeness with a bloody god beyond the Goddess of Death?"

Evelyn sniffs disdainfully. "I know you know how to work a telly, Heir Black. You used it often enough whenever we visited Dudley. The Avengers were known world round, my closeness with the sons of Odin shouldn't come as a surprise to you in the slightest."

Lucius goes red in the face and takes a step forward, despite Regulus still having his wand trained on him. "Do not call—"

Curling her lips back in a sneer, Evelyn snarls, "Lord Malfoy, I would sooner step in front of the Killing Curse for a third timebefore I ever refer to Cousin Narcissa's son as a Malfoy in any way. I've seen the results of you forcing your Malfoy ideals onto him. I've seen the results of you forcing him to bow before a deranged halfblood. I was the one who helped piece him back together. I was the one who saved both him and your wife from your sad, grasping clutches. Now, I suggest you mind your tongue, or I'll lose what little patience I have with you and just take them back into House Black right now."

The idiotic man puffs up yet again. "You have no right—"

She cuts him off, "You're branded, Lord Malfoy. Branded like cattle for a madman who would sooner lay waste to this entire country before stopping on his insane quest for something he can never obtain. When House Black gifted you with a Black bride, there were stipulations. Be thankful you weren't as stupid as Lord Lestrange and thus won't have to contend with House Judgment like him for allowing a Daugther of House Black to be branded like cattle and swearing her life and soul to someone other than Lord Black."

Sirius whistled at the end of her tirade, a low and impressed sound. "Have a bit of a grudge there, pup?"

Evelyn very much feels like spitting fire, despite not being a dragon animagus. "Yes. On all accounts. And I am going to enjoy telling bloody Lord Lestrange that all his gold will be seized because of his stupidity and that I'm going to use every last Knut to fund research for victims of the Cruciatus Curse right before I cast House Judgment on his stupid purebred arse."

There's a moment of silence before Draco snorts. "This is going to be like the Lunae Lumen Foundation all over again, isn't it?"

"Like you didn't enjoy yourself on that front either," Evelyn says dryly.

"You'll run yourself ragged is what you're going to do." He huffs, crossing his arms and fixing her with an unamused glare. "You won't have time for two bloody charities on top of school and managing four Houses, Heiress Potter, or are you forgetting that we're both school age again thanks to your nonsense?"

"Believe me when I say that I am never going to forget my current age, Heir Black," Evelyn mutters. "And I am most certainly not going to run myself ragged. I have a Steward already for House Potter to ease the way until I can secure an Heir, Sirius here will be nominally in charge of House Black once I point him in the right direction, and I'll be naming you as my Heir for House Slytherin with Neville eventually becoming my Heir for House Gryffindor."

"Excuse me?" Draco sputters almost indignantly. "I have in no way agreed to that!"

Evelyn just smirks, because she's had an entire month to consider all the possibilities available to her concerning her four Houses, and she's fairly certain that Draco will eventually agree to this particular idea. "Perhaps, but now you've got ten days to stew on it. I'll happily accept you declining the honor of being Heir Slytherin on my birthday in Gringotts, and not a day before."

Draco's eyebrows twitch, and she can almost see the words he bites back. Because despite the eight years of separation, she still knows him well enough to know how to push his buttons just enough to get him to do what she wants. "You're doing this on purpose," he growls through clenched teeth.

"What, stacking the odds in my favor? Of course I am. I've two wars to prepare for, even though one won't come until twenty or so years down the line. The one relegated to Britain is practically already on our doorstep and I'll be dragging the wizards and witches of this country through it as fast as I can manage."

"You're going to get in touch with those Avengers, aren't you?" Draco sneers. "Their war isn't your war, Potter. You can just leave them be."

"Their war is my war because their war is the planet's war, Heir Black," Evelyn says flatly, not letting his tone get to her. She knows that right now, the reason he's so against her having anything to do with the Avengers is because he views them as the ones who took her away in the first place. He probably always will to some degree, because in a way it's correct. However, this time round she has no intention of abandoning her family in England because she'll have them ready for what's out there. "The being who sent the invasion to New York wishes to erase half the universe's population. Why, we never did figure out, but that doesn't change much. They're still going to come." She shrugs a shoulder. "Besides, I've contacted four of them already and we've made plans to find the others."

"Your home is here in England!" Draco protests. "Not on the other side of the ocean!"

"My home is where I deem it, Draco," she snaps back. "Do not think you may control me in this. Do not think you may control me at all. We've done this song and dance once already. You won't be pleased if I'm forced to repeat it."

"So you're just going to leave all of us in your dust again, are you? You have an obligation to four Houses here! Ancient and Noble Houses whose history and traditions date back centuries!"

"I have an obligation to more than just Britain thanks to the bloody Hallows, Heir! It's a duty that encompasses all the Nine Realms!" She blinks back tears. "I am sorry for the pain this causes you, but I can never be just the Lady of House Potter and House Black anymore. I am Hela Lokidottir's Avatar, a role I did not truly settle into last time but must now. For all I know, it might be our only chance against what's coming. It might not be, but I can't take that risk."

"And that is enough of that," Arcturus abruptly cuts in, slamming his cane onto the floor. "There will be time enough to discuss these future threats, but that is not why I called this meeting."

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