CHAPTER 37

A Few Moments Later…

Silence reigned after Tom's bombshell revelation.

Lucius looked utterly gobsmacked, a testament to the strength of his shock that his true emotion bled through the shields. Lily and Severus looked grave, a sentiment shared by Regulus. Cassie's face was uncommonly pale, emphasized all the more by her methamorphagic abilities which made her look literally bloodless. Regulus merely looked resigned and exhausted, not at all surprised that the Selwyns had resorted to abusing Anathemagic for their schemes.

Though he was equally as shocked as all the adults in the room, Harry was also quite confused.

"How is that even possible? Scratch that; I know how it's possible if we're speaking on Imago Dei, but what led you to think that Berith Selwyn never even existed?"

Tom sighed as he poured himself another cup of tea. "By pure happenstance I assure you. My curiosity was first piqued when introduced to Cassilda Selwyn some years ago."

"Introduced?" Cassie interrupted, looking entirely too cheeky as Tom affectionately rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, my introduction to Seneschal Selwyn piqued my interest due to where she was schooled. Cassilda was a student of Beauxbatons, an exceptionally odd choice since all Selwyn heirs were always schooled at Hogwarts per the very limited information known about their House charter. Odder still is that the last named Lord of the House is Adramelech Selwyn, a Slytherin alumnus presumably born in 1780 who was officially sworn into the Wizengamot as Lord of his House in 1805. I am sure you are all familiar with his name since he occupied the mantle of Prince from 1795 - 1797. His two siblings Merihem and Camilla were educated in Durmstrang and Hogwarts respectively, with Camilla serving on his Consilierii until her graduation in 1797. He had a son named Castellan, but Ministry records show that he died before he could attend Hogwarts. There were no records detailing who the boy's mother was, and nothing to show that Adramelech remarried or tried to have more children." He paused to take a hearty sip of tea before continuing.

"The next eligible candidate was Merihem's son Aldones, another Slytherin alumnus who served on Jocasta Flint's administration during her Princely reign from 1875-1878. He was named Heir and served as Seneschal until 1947, coinciding with Cassilda's birth. He had another elder son named Hyades whom records show was born in 1901, but he was never officially declared Heir Selwyn. There were…rumors that he may have been a squib, but it was never confirmed. While there is no official death record, I do not believe that any squib born to House Selwyn would be allowed to survive his or her 11th birthday should they not receive a Hogwarts letter. Anyway, Aldones - despite his status as Heir and official Seneschal - was never officially sworn into the Wizengamot as Lord Selwyn, meaning that Adramelech has ruled the House for 213 years."

The Lair's occupants chewed on those admittedly disturbing details. Behind Riddle, the varying heads of the Hydra exchanged covert concerned glances, though none spoke.

"Tom…are you completely certain about those dates?" asked Cassie quietly.

"Yes," he sighed. "And that's not even the most concerning part." Regulus' jaw dropped. "Based on the records, Adramelech's father Thale ruled the House from 1648 until his passing in 1805 when his son took on the mantle. There's a birth record that indicates he was born in 1577, with references to his mother Hauhet, a daughter of the prominent Magdy family based in Egypt."

"1577?! Bloody hell! I know wizards can live very long lives, but these numbers are absolutely outrageous!"

"I fully concur Harry. It is extremely anomalous at best, considering most magicals average around 150 years of life, give or take a two or three decades. The Selwyns, on the other hand, seem to surpass these expectations by a century on average." Tom paused to take a hearty sip of tea, mentally echoing Lucius' earlier sentiments for something much stronger despite his general aversion to alcohol. "Going further back, the founder of House Selwyn was a battle mage called Hastur Selvanus, leader of the Roman House Selvanus, who, among the original 13 families, invaded Britain and founded our society. Part of breaking ties with Mother Rome involved utilizing nomenography to select new surnames for themselves to help…shape their destinies in their newly conquered lands. If anyone is wondering, Selwyn means 'good friend'." Tom couldn't resist wincing at the irony of his statement.

Severus tapped a rhythmic finger against his china cup. "Do you believe the Selwyns have access to the Elixir of Life? It is the only logical conclusion I can draw from these exceptionally long life spans the family seems to possess."

"I thought so as well Severus; during our last meeting I, with as much subtlety as humanly possible, asked Nicholas Flamel if he'd shared his fabled formula with any member of House Selwyn. As his most recent Alchemy apprentice, Nicholas grants me more…largesse than he would almost anybody else on the planet, save Albus Dumbledore. He mentioned while he'd been 'briefly acquainted' with Lord Selwyn, he'd never shared the formula for his famed elixir with the man."

"And you believed him?" asked Lily. Tom blinked twice.

"To be honest, I didn't at first. Regardless of our current camaraderie, Nicholas has been alive for over 600 years and as such, has had centuries of practice on being reasonably evasive given his level of Occlumency. Still… I do not believe that House Selwyn has employed the Elixir of Life. I am of the belief that the family employs much more…arcane means of elongating their uncommonly long lives. Those of the blood magick and necromantic variety, with a bit of ritualistic human sacrifice to really spice things up." He snorted, briefly debating on whether he should summon Tweak to serve some of the Special Reserve Swott Malt Whisky the elf kept stored specifically for 'the most stressful of circumstances'.

Calmly swallowing back his bile Lucius spoke: "While I've found this history lesson to be most enlightening, I remain confused as to what the Selwyn's origin story has to do with Berith Selwyn's potential state of non-existence." Riddle didn't respond. Rather, he turned and just stared unblinkingly at Malfoy, almost enough to make it uncomfortable.

"Tell me Lucius, when I ask you specifically about 'Berith Selwyn', what comes to mind?" Lord Malfoy swallowed back the first three scathing responses that sprung on his tongue before doing as Lord Gaunt asked. "Nothing specific really - just a rather vague image of a tall and bald man who seems very familiar, and I can say with certainty that we've crossed paths at least once based on my memories. Without a doubt, I do know that he was a member of the Selwyns who had been his Heir until his arrest and untimely demise as a Death Eater." Tom blinked twice before nodding, turning to ask the other adults the same question.

Cassie's response was more detailed; a man taller than Tom who was bald, but with a goatee not unlike Regulus'. He wore darkly austere robes like Severus, carried a fashionable walking stick like Lucius, and possessed a willow wand like Lily's. She was sure she'd run into the man a few times in Summerisles!

Regulus' description was vague, but with the certainty that he could remember seeing a glimpse of the man during one of the Black family's Yule Balls in Grimmauld Place. Lily and Severus were considerably more nebulous; but both were sure that if they thought on it hard enough, they could potentially recall seeing a man that fit Cassie's more thorough description.

"It's just as I thought: none of you is able to recall in unique specific detail either Berith's appearance or the specific times you'd interacted with him. Even Cassie, who, despite giving the most specific of descriptions, gave amalgamated details pulled from her memories and descriptions of us. Her mind unwittingly took elements from each of us to construct details of a man she genuinely believes to be Berith, a man her mind wants her to believe is Berith." Cassie looked astonished, physically leaning back in her chair as the truth of Tom's statement washed over her.

"As shocking and suggestive as these details are, what is your proof that the Selwyns utilized…Imago Dei…to make us all believe that Berith was a real man who lived and breathed amongst us like you and I?"

"Because I too had the same experience as Regulus upon his then discovery of heliopathy." Tom poured himself another hefty cup of tea, adding a bit more honey to his cup than he normally would. "In my youth I will admit I had an…obsession with my ancestry and learning more about who I was and how I fit in this brave new world. An orphan's desire I suppose." A sad little smile briefly illuminated his face, disappearing so quickly it could have been imagined.

"Anywho, I went into a bit of a fervor when I discovered my Parseltongue ability meant I was descended from Salazar Slytherin, an actual Founder of the school I'd come to consider my only home. With the meager little I had I purchased books regarding wizarding genealogy, trying to see if I could retroactively trace my ancestry to discover who my parents had been. Most of the books were second-hand but not lacking in depth and detail; I was able to secure a copy of Cantankerous Nott Sr.'s perceived magnum opus The Sacred Twenty-Eight, then named Viginti Octo Sacras Familias to really drive the point home. I'd procured a 1st edition published in 1932, the book containing meticulous accounts of the twenty-eight pureblood families that Nott Sr. believed to represent the truly pure of blood in our society. House Selwyn naturally made that list, listing its known descendants, heirs, etc. Berith, purportedly born in 1909, was not on the list."

Lucius felt that same tendril of dread curl around his spine, taking an extra breath to properly steel his nerves.

"Once I officially became Lord Gaunt in 1950 I had access to the Gaunt vault, and moved my belongings - including that 1st edition copy - into that vault and never bothered with it. I did acquire an additional copy for my personal office in the Ministry. That copy is a 3rd edition, published in 1953 with a posthumous foreword from the author's son Cantankerous Nott Jr. It is currently still sitting in my office, with references to Berith as being Adramelech's son who became Heir Apparent in 1920 upon his 11th birthday and matriculation into Hogwarts. Sorted into Slytherin, naturally. In fact, if you were to look into the Hogwarts Yearbook for 1920-1927, you will see a reference to a Berith Selwyn along with a small photo of a nondescript young man whom you just can't help but not focus on. You glance past his name…glance past his image…but you can never properly focus on him and glean the real truth as to what he is. Or isn't."

"...How did you come to this realization?" The tapping of Severus' finger had ratcheted in volume.

"A chance meeting with Cassilda in the Lords Lounge in 1975, coincidentally when Libra became my House's Seneschal." Tom winced at Cassie's responding snort, once more rolling his eyes. "She approached and engaged me in discussion, revealing that she too had not only become a Seneschal for her House, but officially became its Heir. I realized the aforementioned discrepancies immediately, but any attempt to focus and simply ask her about the curious inconsistency would drive me to distraction.

"That's what drove you to distraction?" Cassie's tone took on a teasing lilt. "Hm, I recall you saying it was her propositioning you in front of Libra - your then girlfriend and a schoolmate she loathed - in a room full of your peers." Lily's eyes widened as Harry choked on his tea, recovering much more swiftly than Regulus who also choked on his tea before openly hemming and hawing in laughter. Tom simply scowled at a giggling Cassie, clucking his tongue disapprovingly. There was no point in chastising her - she hadn't a lick of shame for such an action to be effective.

"Anyway, my Occlumency didn't fail me; in response to the psychic disparity my mind noticed in spite of itself, my secondary and tertiary thoughtstreams each implanted a Forget-Me-Gnat to ensure I would remember for later on."

"Forget-Me-Gnat?!" asked Harry incredulously. The older wizard chuckled indulgently.

"Yes, wizards do love their bad puns. Forget-Me-Gnat is a technique found in Aegis Mentalis, a unique means an Occlumens can subconsciously use to develop as a means to remind themselves to check, ask, or remember something they shouldn't forget. Something urgent they cannot afford to simply tuck in a lockbox and banish to the depths of their memory palace. The technique was created by the lesser known 16th Century Master Occlumens Bruno von Mises, the three times great grandfather of the more famous Werner von Mises. The aspects of the technique are loosely based on the primary mechanics of a Remembrall. It confers the psychic effect of an annoying fly buzzing around your head, becoming increasingly more persistent the harder you try to ignore it. Anyway, doing that is what allowed me to conduct the necessary follow-ups with Ministry record comparisons and calling in some favors. To conclude - something is very rotten in Denmark."

There was a lapse in conversation as everyone absorbed the new developments.

Suddenly, Regulus loudly clapped his hands in a very Lockhart-like manner, startling everyone. Harry was grateful that the dreadfully affected 'Ha-ha!' didn't make a cameo. "If the Selwyns did use Imago Dei, we can surmise it was used around 1972, the same year the Dark Lord revealed himself and began his reign of terror. I can imagine whatever the chosen parameters were, it involved retroactively establishing Berith's identity, including his birthday, Hogwarts matriculation, etc. No need for bribery or records falsification, because Reality will twist its way to accommodate you. If there are any who discover the truth of the matter, they wouldn't dare pose a challenge because they cannot afford to - be it financially or socially."

"Correct. If you recall Berith claimed that he'd begun Imperius-crusade around that time as well, coinciding with the defense claims of almost two-thirds of the Wizengamot lords and ladies who'd sworn - under oath no less - that they'd fallen victim to the spell's thrall. It was a near impregnable defense since the 'man' confessed to the crimes under Veritaserum. A perfect means of an already powerful Ancient and Noble House having very real collateral on two-thirds of the Wizengamot. A favor to be called in at any time in exchange for them offering up a collective sacrificial lamb that benefited so many." Though he didn't look Lucius' way, the blonde still felt the weight of the older wizard's words settle uncomfortably over his person. The others had no such compunctions, openly staring at Lord Malfoy who ignored them with a proud tilt of his patrician chin. He may have been internally panicking at the truth (and implications) of Riddle's statement, but he would be damned if he let any of them see him sweat about it.

"Can we assume there was a human sacrifice involved?" Regulus turned to Harry. "Because you and I both saw what happened to the last person who cast the Imago Dei, and based on your explanation of the spell's parameters, there would need to be some sort of life force exchange. The more macabre, the better." Harry's statement was met with Lily's frown, the latter strongly disliking the fact that her son knew about such sordid things as a mere Second Year! She turned to glare at the side of Reg's head, darkly satisfied upon seeing the man's Adam's apple lightly bob.

"I would imagine so, Harry." Tom's expression turned grave. "Someone was sacrificed in exchange for the spell to be successful. And if the family can use Anathemagic - the very thing they're meant to protect against as Ancient and Noble House - in such a relatively casual manner, then it is not too far-fetched to believe that they have dabbled and are dabbling in magicks kept in the Anathema Codex. As mentioned before, I believe it would explain their uncommonly long life spans."

"Would a horcrux have the same effect?" It was Cassie's turn to choke on her tea as she quietly sputtered. Every remaining adult all turned to stare at the boy as though he'd sprouted horns.

"As I believe I mentioned, Harry Potter," Regulus said, "you are and I quote - dangerously well-informed. How in the name of Morgana's lacy underthings did you ever learn that word?!"

"The Dark Lord told me himself whilst discussing - this." And with a dramatic flourish, the young Potter produced the charred remains of The Quill. It was wrapped in the torn portion of his robes from earlier, more charred ash than an actual writing utensil capable of dark possession. All that remained was its sharp end point that resembled an animal claw made of a mesmerizingly luminescent silver, a material Harry realized was pure mithril with an overlay of orichalchum upon closer inspection.

Everyone's eyes bulged comically at the sight, causing Harry to snicker in spite of himself. "Don't worry, I wasn't possessed or compelled by any remnants of the Dark Lord, Severus checked." The man snorted but didn't disagree. "I told Dumbledore that it had been destroyed when I stabbed it with the Basilisk's fang. I knew that if I were to reveal that I had any remnants of it, I would be forced to hand it over to him and would have no chance of ever getting it back. I figured we could have the chance to confirm whether or not the Dark Lord was lying about it being a vessel for his soul.

With a sharp flick of his yew wand Tom levitated the quill to float directly mid-center of the table. He stared at it with an odd expression best described as curious revulsion. "What exactly did the Dark Lord say to you?"

Harry closed his eyes to bring the memory forth: "He said that he would not dabble in the muck that is the necromantic arts just so he could make something as vulnerable and inherently unstable as a horcrux. He seemed rather offended at the suggestion that we'd think him an 'amateur' to even consider such a possibility." Tom snorted but didn't respond, before turning to stare once more at the feather. Then, he raised his wand and cast the identification spell he'd learned from the Gaunt Codex once he claimed his Lordship. Lucius, Regulus, and Cassie watched with bated breaths, their bodies wound tight.

It was with good reason.

Three sigils appeared in the air above the floating feather. Tom's eyes lightly bulged, causing Severus and Lily to exchange a sharp glance. This was bad.

"Well?" asked Harry impatiently. "Was he lying? Is this a horcrux?"

"...According to the identification spell…the physical elements of this quill satisfy the parameters of the object needed to house a soul fragment. However, the framing sigils here and here," he gestured to the two symbols bracketing the center one, "indicate that there was no soul contained in this object, nor could a soul fragment be contained in this object. It's…well… it's too small to house a soul piece." A moment passed before Tom hissed an elaborate spell at the quill, moving his wand in motions that mimicked the peeling of a banana. Once complete, the two sigils surrounding the center symbol changed from sulphuric yellow to blood red, pulsing ominously.

"And exactly what does that mean?" asked Regulus with no small amount of trepidation.

"The brighter illumination and color change of the bracketing symbols signify that this object has a high enough threshold to temporarily house the consciousness of an entity that could use it as a tool, a conduit to transmit their thoughts to another and allow just enough of their power and will to be transferred from one end to another. Repeated use of the object strengthens the connection, making it easier to eventually absorb the life force of whomever is unlucky enough to use this object repeatedly. This life force energy would be reallocated to the Dark Lord, helping to strengthen his form." The Emeritus then turned and leveled a scathing glare at Malfoy, who at least had the decency to look uncomfortable. "Which begs the question as to what the hell possessed Lord Malfoy here to give this object to an eleven year-old schoolboy?!" His voice ended on a sharp hiss, causing the blonde to flinch.

"I didn't know it was…that. All I knew was that it was a dark object which the Dark Lord had given to my father and ordered him to conceal and protect it with his life and that of his family. In the aftermath of the Potter Twins' birthday debacle last year, the aurors began raiding Pureblood homes in search of 'illegal contraband', mainly any of the toys that had been used to wreak havoc at said aforementioned celebration. Though the quill is not a nutcracker soldier, I believed its discovery would lead to censure or worse. I'd already stored most of House Malfoy's… artifacts in the secret vaults beneath Borgin and Burkes, but they flatly refused to keep the quill on the premises because they deemed it 'too dark'." Lucius closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "I imagine that should have been a clue regarding its true nature."

Tom just blinked, face as unyielding as stone. "You still haven't answered my question Lucius; what possessed you to slip this object to an innocent child?"

Lucius looked at him with a sour expression and swallowed back his scathing retort. "My ill-timed encounter with Arthur Weasley in front of Flourish & Blotts was the catalyst. Between my desire to be rid of dangerous contraband and the force of the Oath of Enmity I was under, passing the quill off to one of his children suddenly seemed an entirely reasonable course of action. My assumption was that it would be discovered when young Ronald tried to carry it through the school's wards. I thought that it would be personally and professionally embarrassing to Weasley and successfully derail his Muggle Protection Act. But I never dreamed anyone would actually be able to penetrate the school with an object so obviously cursed. As governor, I am well-aware of how sensitive Hogwarts' wards are to dark objects."

"Not anymore they're not," Harry said. "The Headmaster let my mum and I know that he deactivated those wards last year in order to bring in a dark artifact that he wanted to use to capture You-Know-Who's soul."

The two Princes stared at him practically bug-eyed.

"Long story," he said.

Tom just shook his head but didn't respond, gesturing with his wand to dispel the sigils. The quill floated to land on the table, before it was encased in a Protego Orbis shield that Tom levitated to float to land above the Floo mantel. "Will take it back to my personal study for storage." Harry nodded in thanks.

A few tensely silent moments passed before Severus quietly spoke: "Can we assume there are additional objects like this quill? Stored with other Death Eaters, just waiting to be utilized by them? Or worse still, handed off to unsuspecting victims to be drained as unwitting batteries for the Dark Lord's purpose?"

"Indeed Severus." Riddle sounded tired, leaning his body back into the Throne. "In addition to needing eyes for… a project in Australia, one of the reasons I sequestered Regulus services was that his Metamorphagery abilities made him a chameleon that could infiltrate spaces and places that I could not, all to acquire additional information and resources that could be used to successfully access Azkaban prison and interrogate the imprisoned Death Eaters regarding the current state of the Dark Lord. And, find out whatever details they knew about Berith Selwyn." He steepled his fingers. "Naturally, recent discoveries change everything. I will say that having Lockhart in Hogwarts was an unexpected gamble that has yielded much fruit. And to think the events that set all of this in motion was a mere coincidence!"

Lily snorted, drawing everyone's attention to her. "The Lockhart situation was a coincidence was it? I only ask because I assume I - and Severus - would have been informed of the nature of your mission for Reg here."

"Once the opportunity was confirmed, we knew his cover had to be absolute. It had nothing to do with a lack of trust for either of you; you both know I trust you with my life." Lily was silent for a moment before nodding in understanding. She turned once more to address Regulus:

"You were always so good at the whole covert thing Reg. I imagine it made your transition into a Death Eater that much easier." She sneered viciously, eldritch eyes flashing. Cassie looked rather intrigued, staring curiously between the two. Tom and Severus busied themselves with a pastry, not wanting to get involved with that. Harry and Lucius were completely flummoxed, becoming all the more confused when Regulus sighed in seeming contrition. Cassie's expression turned saucy.

"I understand you're upset (Lily snorted), but please believe me when I say that my involvement with this entire Hogwarts cabal really was just a coincidence." Lily's brow just quirked, a sign that Regulus knew meant she didn't believe him. A few beats passed before the man reached his final decision.

"I can show you." His gaze was unblinking, staring directly into the witch's eldritch green eyes.

"An Occulemns' memories? How do I know they are the truth?" Black hid the flash of hurt he felt very well.

"It would be obvious if I were lying, and I am certain Riddle here could identify whether or not I was being dishonest. Will…will you let me show you?"

Lily stared for three whole seconds. "You'll show us all." Regulus nodded once in acquiescence, before turning to ask Tom to summon the pensieve. With a wave of his wand, the elder Emeritus silently conjured a smaller table and moved the pastries and tea over. Hissing at the table, Harry watched in fascination as it separated mid-center and pulled apart before receding into the floor, causing the chairs to roll back as though it were on automatic wheels.

With wide eyes Harry watched as a massive Pensieve ascended from the floor below, rendered in a cylindrical structure near-identical to the column of sinks in the abandoned girls' lavatory. Its base was a little over four feet tall, gleaming cream marble depicting all the serpents of the Hydra throne entwined with each other, their heads serving as the foundation upon which the Pensieve bowl sat. Its color was a pearlescent cream that shifted emerald green, inlaid with multiple carvings of snakes. The interior was engraved with a myriad of runes Harry didn't recognize, save the occasional interspersion of an Elder Futhark symbol. Covering its rim (and extended to the outer body) were etchings of softly shimmering and animated snakes that moved in a seemingly random pattern.

"Be advised; there will be one memory I won't be showing you. Any of you. It is deeply personal and quite frankly exceptionally traumatic, which will be made quite obvious with what you'll see beforehand. While I am in the spirit of honesty, I do reserve the right to keep…this…to myself." Lily nodded once while the others exchanged tense glances.

With gentle deliberation the ex-DADA professor drew the necessary memories from his mind, placing them in clockwise grooves that would allow the memories to be viewed in correct temporal order. With a gentle flick of his wand Tom activated the first well, all watching as the silvery liquid poured itself into the basin and began swirling and spreading, with small vapors licking at the edges.

Together, all seven dipped their heads in.

AN 1: A brief foray into the madness that is House Selwyn. Keep in mind that all of the dates are Ministry record, but that doesn't mean that they are the true dates. Crafty and resourceful he may be, Tom doesn't and won't be able to acquire access about everything that piques his fancy. And like Tom said, having a Selwyn patsy that a considerable chunk of DE Lords & Ladies were quick to use in oath-sworn testimony is major collateral that can be called in at any time by the family. Though they may have a clean and stellar public reputation, the A&N/Noble Lords & Ladies know that the family is not to be trifled with or denied. All of the names are pulled from The King in Yellow, with Hastur the most obvious of all. We will see the current family in whole quite soon, so stay tuned!

AN 2: Forget-Me-Gnat was a completely spur of the moment creation, and is more reflective of my love of bad puns than not. That technique won't come up for a while, but it will be relevant for later on.

AN 3: Lily & Reg do have...history, one that goes beyond them being Consilierii (Lily) and Prince (Reg). Severus was on Reg's Prince Administration and bore firsthand witness to their relationship, which will be explored in future chapters.