Birth Right
10th of December, 1981
Damn Karkaroff. How dare he denounce my father? Crouch wasted no time in arresting him. Soon my father, who always had so much prestige in the Ministry. There wasn't a person who spoke ill of him. He was beloved and trustworthy. But now, a mere accusation from that treacherous son of a bitch and here I am, having to flee from the irritating vultures of the Prophet who won't stop asking me if I'm worried.
Damn it, of course I'm worried. If they turned in my father, who's to say they won't come for me? Damn! Damn! Damn. What am I going to do? What?
I hope Rodolphus doesn't turn me in, and neither does Rabastan. I've been friends with the Lestranges since we were little, but well... Bella confessed that she feared Rabastan's loyalty. He was hesitating according to her.
I disagree. He just wanted to kill himself soon.
-Mr. Rookwood, do you have anything to add about your father's arrest?
I have to add my wand to your face, damn it. Damn it, Lauren... You were right. This has all turned into a mess. They always said I didn't have the stomach for this. I need to talk to Lucius. Or Walden. They'll be able to help us leave the country. Screw it, I'm getting out of this country. My wife is pregnant and I'm not going to let my child grow up with their father in Azkaban. If I'm going to be arrested, I'd rather do it like Evan and Sigmond.
-Mr. Rookwood, what do you have to say about your father's arrest? Were you also a supporter of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?
What a disaster. I never killed anyone. I never tortured anyone. All I did was listen. That's it. Listen and talk. Damn, damn, damn. I don't want to go to prison. I'm going to escape. I'm not staying here to go to prison. I'm not going to Azkaban! I'm not! I'm not!
-Mr. Rookwood, is it true that you received men accused of being Death Eaters in your home? Did you know You-Know-Who?
Of course, I knew the bastard. I was one of the first to know. Damn, damn, damn.
-I knew, – I reply when I notice that the vultures won't stop following me. The flashes blind my eyes, the fast-paced quills scratch the parchments, while those damned eyes stare at me, eager for information. If it weren't for these damned gossips, maybe my family and I would never have gotten into this mess. – He was at Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange's wedding, as you know. I was their damned best man. So, I knew. That's it. Stop following me.
But that's not all. I was the one who introduced Rodolphus to the guy. And now Rodolphus is in prison. Crap, crap, crap. When did the world start turning upside down?
Damn, I think I remember well... it was when they killed that witch, in that damned alley a few blocks from where we lived...
] ] ]
August 1966
-MAX! August 1966
-MAX! – his father shouted. Maximilian looked up and saw his father smiling with a tray full of biscuits. – Do you want to starve your guests to death? Come on, boys. We have biscuits, tea, milk, pumpkin juice... Take your pick.
-Ugh. I hate pumpkin juice… – grumbled Rabastan as he took some tea. – What kind of tea is this, Mr. Rookwood?
-Mr. Rookwood is my father, boy. You can call me uncle, or Augustus, or Uncle Augustus. And it's green tea. Take the chocolate chip cookies. – he whispered. – Martha made them. They're delicious. – Rabastan accepted, and Rodolphus soon followed to grab some cookies too. Max had invited Rodolphus to his house to spend a fun afternoon. As always, Rabastan had come along, as Rodolphus took him everywhere. They were like hand in glove, always together, inseparable. He could only imagine what that was like. He was an only child, and the bond between siblings was unknown to him. – Are you looking forward to your first year at school? – his father asked, and Rodolphus smiled with excitement.
-Of course. – he said. – I can't wait. I already have my wand. – he added proudly, and Max smiled at him.
-I've bought mine too. Did you get yours at Ollivanders? – Max asked.
-Of course.
-Enjoy yourselves, boys. It's a golden time. – Their father said, placing the dish on the table – Just play here. Just don't leave the house, okay? And try not to make noise in the corridors. Some of your mother's friends who she hasn't seen in ages are here and she doesn't want them to suspect that you three are little rascals. – He gave a good-humoured smile and the three boys smiled too – Let me get another biscuit. – He lowered his voice, looking over his shoulder, to whisper – But don't tell your mother, okay?
-Of course, dad. – Max laughed and his father chuckled before leaving the room.
-Your dad is so cool. – Rabastan laughed shortly after the door closed – He's always smiling.
-Yeah. Your dad is more serious. – He said nonchalantly.
-I don't think I've ever seen your dad in a bad mood. – Rodolphus pointed out – What does he do again?
-He's an Unspeakable at the Ministry of Magic. Sometimes he's gone the whole week, but when he comes back, he's full of stories and gifts. – He murmured, helping himself to pumpkin juice – But the other day he wasn't happy at all. He read in the newspaper that a witch was killed by a Muggle, on a street just a few blocks from here. Mum even started talking about moving. – He lamented and Rodolphus frowned.
-How could a muggle manage to kill a witch? – He asked, and Max shrugged.
-I don't know. Nobody wanted to go into details with me, right? – He grumbled with a sigh – I just know that since then I can't go out to hang around on the street. Annoying.
-Mum and Dad were talking about it the other day. – Said Rabastan, looking pensive. Unlike his older brother, who was always cheerful and noisy, Rabastan was more reserved and shy – About the witch who died. Rodolphus and I can't play on the street without supervision anymore.
-Hmm... so it was because of that? I thought they were just freaking out because I'm leaving here in a few weeks.
Maximilian looked at his best friend's younger brother and noticed that he didn't seem happy with that comment. He imagined that he was afraid of being alone. Since the day he was born, Rodolphus had been by his side. Now that he was about to go to school, well... that must have saddened and scared him, in a way.
The afternoon passed faster than Maximilian could wish for, and soon it was nightfall. With that, Mr. Lestrange showed up to pick up the kids. Rodolphus and Max promised each other that they would see each other on the day of going to school, and then he found himself alone at home.
Not exactly alone, of course. His mother had her old friends there. They were in the living room, chatting animatedly, and Max couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation. He sneaked up to the door and spied on the group of adults talking.
-It's absurd that they are considering this. – His mother grumbled and he spied on the gathering. His mother was sitting on the sofa, with a glass of wine in her hands. His father poured more for her, and then for himself. Her three friends were already served.
-What can we do? Ever since he defeated Grindelwald, the entire Council has been eating out of his hand. – grumbled a tall, blond man with a square face and brown eyes. He was standing by the window, smoking a cigar, next to another man, slightly shorter, with a thin face and green eyes.
-I hope he's not chosen, or that Dippet gives up this crazy idea of retiring. – he complained. – Or, if necessary, they should reconsider Slughorn. He would make a much better headmaster.
-Yes. He's an influential man who knows how to use his influence. He could ensure that the school receives more support. – agreed his father. – Not to mention that we've only had one Slytherin headmaster in the entire history of the school."
-Well, Slytherin students usually have bigger ambitions than becoming school headmasters. – laughed his mother.
-Hogwarts is not just any school... it's... – His father sighed, seeming to search for a good enough adjective. – Well... Hogwarts.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
-You know... Do you remember Riddle? – asked a black man with very dark eyes and thick lips.
-Voldemort, you mean. – said the man with the thin face who was standing by the window.
-I remember. He was the most popular boy in school, a few years older than me. – his father replied.
-Well, we are friends. We've kept in touch since our school days... He and I were talking about the case of the woman who was murdered this morning. He didn't know about it, after all, he's in Germany, studying all sorts of things. Do you remember how he was?
-Yes, the smartest person I've ever seen. I was a freshman when he was finishing school. – his mother said. –He was the one who discovered who was behind the attacks at the school, wasn't he? The monster that was attacking the students.
-He was. – his father agreed. – Nobody was really surprised when they found out that Hagrid had gotten hold of a dangerous creature and brought it to the school. He was always strange.
-Anyway… – the black man resumed, – I was talking to Ridd...
-Voldemort! – the thin-faced man corrected again.
-Yes, Avery. Voldemort. I was talking to him and he told me something that stuck in my mind...
-What, Cártaro? – his mother asked.
-He said he was tired and dissatisfied with the current state of the Wizarding World. And that he had a plan to reorganise our society... To return to our roots. But he thinks that in order to create a world full of peace and power, it will be necessary to first overthrow this corrupt regime in which we live.
-And we all know how things have been deteriorating lately. These Muggle-borns are trying to steal what is rightfully ours from birth – said the thin-faced man, apparently named Avery. – Have you seen who is campaigning to become Minister of Magic?
-Who? – asked the blond man with a square face. – Nothing can be worse than the current Mudblood Minister of Magic.
-Of course it can be worse, Evan. – Avery laughed. – Leach, precisely because he's a Mudblood, doesn't have as many powerful connections with important families. He's a weak minister. Now... – He sighed indignantly. – Eugenia Jenkins...
-What?! – his mother asked. –That sow? – She laughed. –You must be joking. –
-At least Jenkins is pure-blood. – Evan said.
-That's the problem. She's a blood traitor, succeeding a Mudblood. – Avery lit a cigarette with his wand and took a drag, blowing the smoke out the window. – She has more political power than him, and she's better at seducing a more... let's say... "progressive" faction of the Court. Jenkins has a great chance of really harming us. She's come up with this story that arranged marriages are medieval and that blood status shouldn't weigh in when choosing Court members. Our children will have to compete with these Mudbloods, who understand nothing about our culture, our customs.
-I fear for the future of our children. – Cartaro murmured. – I hope Malfoy will run against Jenkins.
-Malfoy? Abraxas Malfoy taking the lead in anything? Ha! – Avery laughed scornfully. Everyone seemed slightly uncomfortable. – Well, I don't want to disrespect Abraxas. I know very well how important and influential he is. And I haven't forgotten what happened to Thorn and Valentine. I can't shake the feeling that it was Abraxas who made Valentine disappear.
-If it was him, it backfired. Albert Valentine was just a nosy journalist. – But his son, Richard... He's a thorn in our side. He's an ally of Jenkins. The Valentines are becoming more and more important. He's married to your cousin, isn't he, Evan? – his father asked with a good-humoured smile.
-Yes. – agreed the blond man, – but we haven't spoken in years. I know she had a daughter with him, but I've never even seen her.
-Why do you think Abraxas won't run? – his mother asked.
-Because Abraxas doesn't like to draw attention to himself. He stays there, in the corner, quiet, playing it safe, letting others deal with the stress of leading. But he never loses at anything he decides to do. The rascal is a genius! – Avery laughed.
-I know that if no one does anything, we'll be at the mercy of these progressives. Our entire culture is at risk. – Cártaro grumbled. – Soon we'll be just like France, with no pure-blood families, marrying our children to animals that look like humans.
-Still bothered by that veela? – Evan laughed.
-I'll never stop being bothered. This is not normal, boys. It's not! – he grumbled. – What's the next step? Should we let our children marry centaurs? Giants? Werewolves? Is that where we're headed? I've seen half-veela, half-goblin, half-giant. What's next? Half-elf? – he asked, and everyone chuckled. –I have two sons and I always told them: I won't accept them showing up with girlfriends who aren't pure-blood, let alone mixed with other races.
-You have two boys, don't you? – his father asked.
-Yes. One is six and the other is eight. Edmond and Theodore. Edmond is sensible, the oldest... But Theodore... He's going to give me a lot of trouble. – he grumbled, and everyone chuckled.
-How's your son, Martha? – Avery asked, and Max listened even more intently.
-He's our little angel. He's going to Hogwarts this year. – his mother said. – He's a good boy.
-Well. – said the blond man, – I visited my sister Druella this weekend. Her sister-in-law also came to visit with her two children. Goodness... what pests.
-Is the sister-in-law you are referring to Walburga? – Avery asked and the blonde agreed – Oh, I always wanted to kiss her, but Orion married her. They were promised since they were children.
-My sister had three daughters. Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa. Those of you who have male children, keep an eye out. My three nieces are the cream of the cream.
Max peeked at his parents and noticed that they both had a long exchange of glances. And that made him swallow hard.
] ] ]
1st of September 1966
-Please, Rodolphus! Please! – Rodolphus dried Rabastan's tears with the sleeve of his robe, looking worriedly at Mr. Lestrange who was casually chatting with his father. Max rolled his eyes, finding Rabastan to be a crybaby. – Let me go with you! I promise not to disturb! I promise! – pleaded Rabastan.
-Shhh. Don't be like this. If dad sees you crying, he'll be mad. There, there. It's over. – said Rodolphus, hugging his little brother, while Max mumbled in annoyance. – I promise to write every week and I'll be back for Christmas.
-And on my birthday? Will you be there to play pumpkin exploding with me? – asked the boy with eyes as big as saucers. Rodolphus sighed sadly and shook his head, causing a pout from his youngest brother.
-I can't come home on Halloween, Rabastan.
-But it's a holiday! It's my birthday! – lamented the boy.
-I know, I know... but it's the school rules. Don't cry, Rabastan. Dad will scold you. – consoled Rodolphus, but there was nothing to be done and Rabastan began to cry loudly, clinging to him.
-Give me a break. – grumbled Max as Rodolphus hugged his little brother with a look full of pity.
-What's going on? – asked Mr. Lestrange, approaching with his wife.
-Rabastan, don't cry. It's not like Rodolphus won't come back, – said Mrs. Lestrange, her eyes also teary. Max looked at his parents, who looked back at him.
Mr. Lestrange scolded his youngest son for crying, and Max moved away to talk to his parents. His mother adjusted his tie and straightened his clothes, while his father seemed to check if all his belongings were there. Cloak, his cat, trunk, wand, potion kit, etc. Then he turned around with a smile.
-Enjoy your school, my son. Study hard and have fun. Make good friends and socialize with good company. – Advised his father, kneeling in front of him. – And a fatherly piece of advice... If you want to avoid trouble, never break up with a girl during potions class, or she might throw whatever she's cooking in your pants. – He grimaced and Maximilian chuckled. They hugged, and soon his mother joined in the embrace.
-We'll miss you, dear. Behave at school. – his mother said.
-Well, maybe not that much. – joked his father.
-Augustus! Don't encourage him. – scolded his mother, though she was smiling. Maximilian received a kiss on the cheek from his mother, and his father adjusted his beret on his head.
-Need help with your trunk? – he asked.
-No. – he said firmly. – I'll be fine, – he said simply. His parents stood up, smiling and looking at him proudly. The train whistled, and he turned towards the massive red machine, billowing smoke.
-You'd better hurry. – his father said. He nodded in agreement, then walked over to Rodolphus, who was still hugging his younger brother, trying to calm him down. The parents of the two were lightly arguing because Mr. Lestrange hated tears, but both Rabastan and Mrs. Lestrange were crying uncontrollably. Rodolphus simply laughed, trying to soothe everything.
After promising a bunch of things to his younger brother, Rabastan finally let go, and the two finally started making their way towards the train.
-Oh my, what a melodrama. – Max scolded – Your brother is such a crybaby… –How embarrassing, geez... – as they were almost on the train he felt a strong hand grab him by the collar from behind and push him. The gap between the train and the platform was deep, and his stomach lurched as he thought he might slip due to the push. But the same hand that pushed him held him back, and he felt choked.
-What did you say, Rookwood? – Rodolphus asked. He looked at him in shock and noticed a cruel smile on his face.
-What do you think you're doing? – he asked indignantly.
-Listen, Max. I like you. But if I hear you saying anything bad about my brother... – Rodolphus pushed him a bit more, and Max had to lean back to avoid slipping into the gap.
-Sorry, sorry! – Max said, frightened, and Rodolphus pulled him back, the smile fading. He just seemed angry. – Rabastan isn't used to being alone. That's all. He's not a crybaby. – he said before finally boarding the train.
Max looked back at his parents. His mother looked scared, and his father glared angrily at the Lestranges. Mrs. Lestrange had picked up Rabastan, even though he was no longer a little boy, and Mr. Lestrange seemed slightly confused about what had happened. Max sighed and smiled, giving a thumbs-up to everyone, indicating that everything was okay. Then he turned around and boarded the train.
Rodolphus was already looking for a place to sit, scanning the compartments for an empty one. Max was mad at him, but he would wait until they were alone to talk about it. Halfway through the train, he finally entered a compartment, and Max followed him inside. The compartment was empty, and they began to settle their suitcases. Max sat down and opened the box where his cat was, to place him on his lap. Loki, his graphite-coloured kitten with blue eyes, lazily meowed and tried to play with his fingers in an adorable way.
It was the first time he had a kitten all to himself. His mother had a cat, and his father preferred to have no more than an owl since he couldn't give all the attention a pet needed. But little Loki was his, and he was very happy about it.
-You didn't have to lose your temper back there. I didn't say anything out of line. And you overreacted. – scolded Max, starting to talk to Rodolphus, but he didn't respond. He looked up at him and noticed how sad he seemed to be. – Rodolphus? Are you okay? – The boy didn't respond and went to the window to peek at the people still on the platform. The train hadn't started moving yet. – Rodolphus?
Rodolphus sighed and looked at him, simply appearing unhappy.
-Sorry, Max... it's just that I can't stand it when people speak ill of my brother. Even my friends. You don't understand. You don't have siblings... – Rodolphus sat down and looked him in the eyes. – I have the responsibility to protect Rabastan from everything and everyone. He's my little brother. That's what older siblings do, you know? – he asked. Max sighed and nodded in agreement.
-I thought only Rabastan would be upset, but... you... you are too, aren't you? – he asked softly, and Rodolphus lowered his gaze, nodding in agreement. – I hadn't realised that. I'm sorry too. – he murmured, stroking his cat. That's when the compartment door opened, and three big guys appeared.
-Here! An empty compartment here! – one of them said. Max furrowed his brow and looked at Rodolphus, slightly confused.
-It's not empty, we got here first. – said young Lestrange, but two more boys arrived and looked at them with a malicious smile.
-Well, first rule of Hogwarts, you lot. Older students have priority in the carriages. And shorties like you can do nothing but go cry somewhere else. That's the Pecking Order. Time to disappear.
Rodolphus stood up, looking indignant.
-Oh yeah? What if I don't want to disappear? – he asked, and the big guys exchanged glances.
-Well, then we'll have to make you disappear. – chuckled one of the big guys as he drew his wand. Rodolphus drew his too, but Max just hugged his kitten.
-Let's go, Rodolphus. This is madness. Let's look for another compartment, please. – he pleaded, and Rodolphus just huffed.
-Okay, okay. – he grumbled, grabbing his own trunk. Max imitated him, and soon they were looking for another compartment. They walked through the corridors until Max found one that was partially empty. Just two girls and a boy.
-Hey, do you mind if my friend and I stay here? – he asked with a smile.
-You can come in, but I want to play with your kitten! – said a girl with honey-coloured hair and eyes of the same colour. The other girl had curly, dense, long black hair with sharp blue eyes. The boy had dark brown hair with very dark blue eyes. He had a serious demeanour and simply shrugged.
-Deal. – he said as he carefully placed Loki on the floor. The cat stretched and Max turned to Rodolphus – Rodolphus, come here. – They entered the compartment, and Rodolphus seemed to freeze in place, staring at the girl with dark hair.
-Oh, you...
-Lestrange. – she grumbled, arms crossed.
-Black. – he lazily retorted. Max looked from one to the other, confused.
-Do you two know each other? – he asked.
-We've had the chance before. – The girl chuckled disdainfully. – I'm Bellatrix Black. This is Lauren Flint, and he is Walder Macnair.
-Walden. – the boy corrected.
-Whatever. – the girl grumbled, unfazed.
Max and Rodolphus settled in, Max sitting next to Lauren and Rodolphus next to Macnair. Bellatrix stood by the window, a mocking look in her eyes.
-First year, all of you? – she asked, and the four nodded. – Which house are you going to be in? – she inquired.
-Slytherin. – they replied in unison. They exchanged friendly glances and ended up laughing.
-And you, madam? – Rodolphus asked, his voice tinged with some disdain.
-Of course, I'm going to Slytherin. Which other house would a Black go to? – she asked confidently.
All five were certain they would be in Slytherin. And indeed, all five did end up there.
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