"Noble members of the Wizengamot, on this day's extraordinary session, we hereby find Bellatrix Black, formerly Lestrange, exonerated of all charges, due to the irrefutable evidence of a slave contract signed in her blood binding her to Rodolphos Lestrange having been the driving force behind her actions as part of the terrorist group known as the Death Eaters. It is this governing body's decision that the only restitution we can provide as of this moment is that of her medical expenses, at least until such a time as the investigation into the criminal allegations against the staff of Azkaban has been concluded. This session is now adjourned!" The reverberations of Amelia Bones smashing the gavel down reached the ears of everyone except for the Black family. They all move to embrace a smiling Bella, her eyes wet with unshed tears.
After Rhea returned with a free Bella, confirmed later by Lady Abbott, Bella had been interviewed by Bones and Moody, with the added bonus of her taking Veritaserum voluntarily. Madam Bones was able to confirm that the Bellatrix Lestrange everyone knew was the product of the contract and orders given to her and a date had been set to review her case before the Wizengamot. The verdict, however, wasn't as clear cut as Sirius' had been. Many in the Light faction still refused to believe in her. For them, Bellatrix had to have some complacency for all the supposed horrors she had taken part in, despite her Veritaserum testimony to the contrary. James Potter was strongly opposed to it, holding a grudge over the escapes that took place under his guard and the death of his friend, Frank Longbottom. To the surprise of all the Factions, Augusta broke ranks and sided with Bella's exoneration.
The fractures in the Dark Faction had been even more obvious. Many of the Dark Lord Voldemort's supporters were more than happy to send Bellatrix back to Azkaban for no longer aligning herself with his vision. Lucius, however, had been methodical and was able to garner the support of the Families who had nominally supported Voldemort but not been active in his campaign. The narrow victory helped Sirius see how much work was still left to do, with a bitter Dark Faction seeking retribution in anyone and a Light Faction so sure of their cause that they won't even listen to reason and truth. His work in the Wizengamot was far from over.
For now, though, all thoughts of politics would have to take a back seat. Sirius could hardly stop smiling at the smile on his daughter's face as she hugged her Aunt Bella. The two had formed a strong bond, sharing trauma and trust, which meant Rhea had been practically inseparable from Bella. Not to say his daughter smothered his cousin. Rhea was intuitive as hell with Bella and would go from mindless academic chatter, to deeply meaningful conversations that kept resetting his mind's image of how mature his girl was, to respectful silence. He would have worried about Sabrina being jealous of her daughter's new focus of attention if Rhea didn't also spend time with her mom, discussing the upcoming wedding. His daughter's brain made Sirius' own have a headache on principle alone.
He knew though that in a few days Rhea would be back at Hogwarts, which is why Sabrina and Bella were monopolizing her attention. She wanted to help Bella as much as she could and after the scare with Sabrina, Rhea refused to leave anything unsaid between them. Sirius moved up and hugged his cousin. "You have your pick of Narcissa, Andromeda or me. Where would you like to go for the next few days." Bella's eyes danced with mirth, "Thank you for the last week. I hope you and Sabrina don't mind if I take some time with Andy. Would love Ted to work on all the bloody paperwork I have, plus there is another niece I need to get to know." She looked down at a pouting Rhea, though the girl's eyes showed she was actually happy for her aunt. The Black Family left in mass, the last member safely brought home. Sirius hoped old Arctucus and Melania were watching. The smiles on the three sisters were enough to light up all of Grimmauld.
With the trial over with, the Blacks would now have another major event to focus on; his wedding. There has never been a wedding for a sitting Lord Black for quite a long time, especially one that would normally be a quiet affair. Seraphina had made it clear that while it wouldn't be a small and quiet ceremony, it would be a family only one, which didn't settle Sirius' nerves. The Prasino's alone numbered in the thousands and Cassandra Greene and her family were likely to be invited. He did owe them for the wonderful impromptu vacation after the large Samhain ritual they all celebrated. Still, negotiating with Rhea's self appointed Grandmother was something he wasn't looking forward to. Good thing he had his family back together. Maybe he could delegate.
Rhea went along with the rest of the 3rd years to the last Dueling Class. It took the Board and the Headmaster a while to agree on having Senior Auror Rufus Scrimgeour as interim Defense and co Dueling instructor, at least until term ended. In Defense, the man clearly knew his spells and had gone with a good mix of theoretical and practical work. Unlike Lupin, he was fair to all students and surprisingly liked to make sure they all understood the lesson before they left class. The man wasn't just behind James Potter in the leadership of the Aurors for nothing, though he was certainly more agreeable than Potter. However, it was in the Dueling class that the man really stood out. He and Flitwick made the class both fun and instructive, and since the students weren't really powerhouses yet, they did focus a lot on form.
The class today, however, was going to be a mini tournament, having the students duel members in their own skill level and maybe the ones above, if the Professors felt they could handle it. Rhea did find the dueling list for her skill bracket hilarious. Draco, Daphne and Theo were all in it and all had expressly refused to duel her, making Scrimgeour look at her with some fascination. It also made the rest of her fights predictable. Longbottom had been delegated to the lower skill bracket after he failed to keep up his shielding work, which left Rhea with only Bones, Granger and Potter as her opponents. Rhea dueled Susah first and while Susan is a great duelist, she knew Rhea had her beat, so the two merely focused on warming up and getting their forms correct before Rhea's disarming charm ended the duel. She watched bemused as Draco beat Henry by tripping him, though Henry's banishing spell sent Theo hard against the wall. Rhea had to do some Healer's work on her friend and took him to Madam Pomfrey, missing out on Daphne's turn against Henry and Draco's against Granger. She did get to see Daphne duel Granger earlier though.
For a first gen witch, she was well studied, and her friendship with Henry likely helped her along. She had clearly improved since Susan mopped the floor with her, but not enough to beat either Susan or Daphne in the end. Rhea took her place opposite Granger and could see that Gryffindor was nervous. Rhea had to wonder what nightmare stories Henry had made of her to his fellow Lions. "Wands out!" Regardless, the girl had always been more fair to Rhea, so Granger was spared any humiliation or disrespect, hence why Rhea actually drew her wand. She could see Henry's scowl a mile away. "Begin!" Granger proceeds to go through the typical Aurors kit of skills, going for consistency and speed. She should have known by now that those don't work on Rhea, and likely never will. Rhea wasn't just standing and dodging, she had been casting, forcing the lioness to use her feet more. She could see Scrimgeour's approving look, knowing that Rhea was giving Granger the workout she needed to improve.
Once Granger showed signs of exhaustion, Rhea took pity on her, casting a cushioning charm on the ground around Hermione before teaching all the students a lesson. The spell that took down Granger was an Accio, aimed right at her shoes. The girls' startled "eep" and cushioned fall made the students laugh, but no one tried to humiliate her. She had done great. Professor Flitwick came up to the centre of the platform. "Please do keep in mind that there are other ways to take your opponent's feet off the floor, Ms. Black's example being quite literal in that statement." The students nodded and everyone took their places. Hermione gave her a small smile and a nod before stepping off, leaving Henry to take her place. Rhea could tell the prat was looking to beat her. Rhea snorted.
Rhea decided to humour him by keeping her wand out. At Scrimgeour's "Begin!," Potter went through the typical Aurors kit, only in a different order than Hermione's, but to the same failed results. It wasn't until a yellow colored spell raced by her head that Rhea began to lose her temper. "Time out! Mr Potter, if I see another Bone Breaking Curse or something more dangerous, you will find yourself with a Troll on your score and detention till the last day! You've been warned." Scrimgeour then turned to Rhea, "I've yet to see you use any but I am familiar with the sort of spells the Blacks teach their kids. Please refrain from using them against Mr Potter or the same punishment will be applied." Rhea nodded and tried to look through her memories to see which Black could have cursed Scrimgeour. Rhea smirked, putting her guess on Andy. The woman was scary when pissed.
The match restarted and Rhea casted several silent spells at Henry, all landing on the platform around him. Exactly as planned. A few minutes later Rhea shot out the last spell, triggering the ward she had magically carved around his feet. The ward's effect was instantaneous as Henry's body was pulled down aggressively, leaving the Gryffindor pinned to the floor of the platform. Scrimgeour looked impressed while Fillius squeaked. Yes! "As a final example of abnormal means of defeating an opponent, Ms. Black seems to have created a ward scheme mid duel! While duels tend to be in a limited area, do remember to move around, as clever opponents can use your laziness against you. Match goes to Black!" The Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins cheered and Rhea bit back a laugh. If Henry wanted to showboat, she'd be more than happy to crush his ego.
Her friends settled around her and they all headed out to dinner at the Great Hall. She could see the Gryffindors, especially Henry and his posse, eyeing the growing group of friends with distaste as they all sat down together at the Ravenclaw table. Susan, Hannah and Sally had started the call for them to sometimes sit together, though they suggested doing it at the Hufflepuff table. Instead, their group of friends would pick which table they would sit at on the day. Mostly it was the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables, though they did sit at the Slytherin table a few times. They had cleared it with Gemma Farley, the current Queen of the Slytherin Court who had been all too happy to do it out of spite against the Gryffindors. No Gryffindors in the group, no need to sit at their table. What a shame.
Susan jostled Rhea's shoulder as they sat down, "Word around the Neutrals is that your parents will be married on the Continent in a family oriented ceremony? No chance of an invite?" Rhea shook her head. "Matriarch Seraphina and Dad are being very set on that. Family only. For the Prasinos doesn't exactly mean a small ceremony, hence why Dad is being fuzzy about it staying family. Adding invited guests will probably see the entire Neutral Family Heads, several members of the Ministry and ICW and more than likely members of the French Ministry all showing up. Best leave the political crowd out of it." Susan nodded, "I see your point. Are you taking any pointers for yours?" Susan smirked as she watched her friend choke on her drink. She timed it perfectly. The group around them all started laughing, which only grew louder at Rhea's choked out reply, "Definitely family only now!" Rhea's face didn't lose her smile though. It was nice, having friends.
The train cabin Rhea sat in on her way home became a frequent stop for most of her friends, though only Luna stayed with her. She didn't begrudge the others for sitting with more lively colleagues. At least it was nice of them to stop by. The door opened and Rhea was actually surprised. Hermione Granger was the 4th to last person she'd ever expect to come to see her. "Do you mind if we have a talk, Heiress Black?" Rhea lifted her eyebrow at the clear attempt at following etiquette. Luna stood up and went for the door, "I'll be back. Don't scare too many of the wrackspurts on her head." Rhea smiled at her roommate, "No promises." Rhea motioned for Granger to sit opposite her, "What can I do for you Miss Granger? Oh, and congratulations on your score. 3rd in the year group is quite good."
Granger looked at her, seemingly unsure how to take the comment. "I…thank you. I must admit, I thought I would hold 1st but 3rd is quite fine. You and Miss Greengrass must study a lot." Rhea hummed, "The two of us share an inter house study group where everyone helps each other out. We don't just copy each other but those more informed share the important points and the group then uses that to make our own answers. It certainly helps our scores, but it also cuts down on study time. Though knowing Daphne, she probably still did extra study. I imagine she will be more driven to take first place next year." Granger clearly was surprised about what Rhea said. "But, doesn't an inter house study group defeat the purpose of House points?"
Rhea laughed, "Of course, but House points shouldn't come at the expense of a student's education, just like which House you're sorted into shouldn't stop you from making friends outside of yours. I think learning and friendships are more important than Pride." Hermione clearly seemed to agree but chose not to voice it. "I hope it's not presumptuous of me, Heiress Black but do you have a problem with Henry Potter?" Ahh, so she noticed. "That depends, are we talking about the Henry Potter that saved your life from a troll or the one who insulted me and my family to who I happen to be related." Hermione bit her lip, "I…you need to understand Heiress, Malfoy and the other Slytherin's have always been confrontational to Henry, not to mention some of the bigoted things they have said."
Rhea nodded, "That's understandable and all but did you ever ask why? Why do the Slytherin's feel threatened by Henry and by you?" Hermione stared at Rhea, "Me? They are scared of me?" Rhea shook her head, "Not scared, though I think Mr. Nott and Ms. Davis might have a crush on you…" The brown haired girl flushed and Rhea could see why her friends found her a bit cute, "Threatened. If you read about what's been going on in the Wizengamot for the last 5 to 7 years, you would understand that a first generation witch like you represents a threat to the more Traditionalists families. And no it has nothing to do with your blood, your studies or your place in our society. " Rhea organized her thoughts before continuing.
"You came into this cabin and asked to speak with me using my Family name and position. That is something all traditionalists would see as a great sign of your sense of character. You knew there is a way of interacting that is different and you learned it. However, because you associate yourself with Potter and Weasley, this causes concern over your future behaviour. I am sure my cousin Draco has referred to Weasley as a Blood Traitor, and a few are now saying the same of the Potters. If I told you the term has nothing to do with the two families' associations with 1st gen wixen, would you believe me?" Hermione gaped at her, "But if it's not because of mugg-" Rhea cut her off "Don't use that name! The people here might say it's the proper term, but it's derogatory to you and your family, not to mention all non-magicals."
Rhea took a breath after stunning Hermione, "The Weasley's and now the Potter's are being addressed as Blood Traitors because to the magical community, it looks as if they are betraying their Families. The Weasleys are an Old Family, which once held and celebrated the rites and traditions of their house and of Magical Britain, but for the last 2 generations have not done so. There is concern that the Family Magicks, a gift passed from parent to child, spouse to spouse, might have or will abandon them. The same goes for Potter. To the Old and Ancient Families, Family Magick is a treasure unlike any other and to see others willingly cast it aside, it's considered a betrayal. Hence the name. When traditionalists see you with them, they fear you will adopt their ways and dismiss our traditions, our magic. They think you ignore their right to their family magicks and as such many take the stance that you wish to take it away from them." Rhea sighs, "Concern turns to fear, fear turns to hate and hate leads to … well, you know why your friend Potter carries that silly moniker."
Hermione spends a moment digesting what she said. She had a lot to look up. "How does this relate to you and Henry?" Rhea clicked her tongue, "I knew I lost my train of thought. Essentially Henry is mad at me because my Dad, who was like a brother to him, seemingly broke ties with the Potters and got together with the Malfoys. Except from what I hear Henry's dad did something that my father considers unforgivable. What that is will likely never come up in conversation and even asking the two about it could set them off, so it best to leave it to the adults to settle. Anyway, I got friendly with Draco because he is family. That means more to me than fame or monikers." Rhea smiles at Hermione, "Want to know an open secret? Henry is technically Draco's cousin and mine. His grandmother was a Black who married a Potter. I would have been happy to have made friends with him and called him cousin, but when he insulted my family, his grandmother's family, I saw no point."
Hermione mulls on what Rhea said, "I can see how that could sour your relations. I just… you seem like a nice person but whenever Henry talks about you, it's always like when he talks about Malfoy. Like you are out to get him." Rhea hummed, "I think Draco started annoying him because both of them have overly inflated egos. Draco has mellowed out though and I think of him like an overprotective brother. Henry… I think Wizarding Britain did a disservice to him and his Grandmother. While people heap all this praise on an infant in his diapers and kept at it for over a decade, they ignore the likelihood that Dorea Potter née Black and her husband could have been the masterminds behind his survival. A witch who should be celebrated as the pinnacle of loyalty to family is ignored while a kid spends years with his ego being fed."
Rhea sighed, "I imagine you came here hoping to get an answer that would just fix this mess, but things aren't simple. I don't hate Henry, I hate what others have made of him and what he fashions himself as. His family and mine aren't at war with each other but one wrong word and we could be. My suggestion to you Miss Granger is to try to be a better friend and see what happens. He might surprise you and me, or he won't. Think over what I said, look for the truth with your own eyes and make your choices. That's all anyone can do." Granger left soon after, leaving Rhea tired but sure of herself. She wasn't going to waste any time hoping her brother changed for the better, but she would welcome it. In the end, he didn't matter. Her family were the Blacks and the Prasinos and they were whole now. She smiled at the horizon. She had a wedding to look forward to.
"Wow!" Sabrina turned around and smiled at her daughter. She agreed with her statement. The wedding dress the Blacks and the Prasinos had agreed on was stunning. A deep forest green of deeply embroidered cloth exposed her arms but hid her legs completely, with Bronze trimmings and highlights, though the locket Sirius got her remained on her chest, unchanged. Even the veil was a soft shade of green with a bronze colored wreath of flowers as a crown. Rhea herself was not wearing a dress. They tried, and boy did both the families try, but dresses and Rhea were like oil and water. It was a good thing that Sirius and the Blacks decided to let her break tradition in a big way, as she was her Dad's Best "Man." The irony was lost in how decidedly unmasculine she looked. The forest green corset-like dress shirt she wore under her black dress jacket and her black pants (Rhea made it clear she wanted to represent both families with her colours) would one day make men and women follow her in droves. At least she would be amongst family today, so a low chance of anyone learning what two powerful families would do to keep Rhea from being chased by suitors.
The Families, Narcissa and Andromeda taking over Sirius' duties as Head of House for the wedding, agreed to have the wedding at the Black Family Chateau in France. The place had been in stasis for years but would be used on special occasions. As a nod to tradition, Sabriba spent a week sequestered at the Prasinos Chateau while Sirius was sequestered at the wedding location, with Rhea doing double duty and spending a day in each before switching over. This was one of the few times Sabrina saw Rhea truly happy around her birthday. From the moment Rhea entered Sabrina's life, she had hated her original birthday. She didn't want to celebrate on July 31st at all, which led to Sabrina getting creative. They would take small trips out to the countryside, even once going to Ireland and enjoying the local culture. Sirius' arrival didn't change Rhea's opinion, so any presents that Sirius and Sabrina wanted to give the girl would be saved for Yule.
Rhea had been a bit cross with her parents when they arranged their wedding around her birthday, especially when she made it clear why she hated the day. For Rhea, July 31st was Halley's birthday, the one day the Potters should have remembered they had another child and never checked on her. For Rhea, Samhain was her real birthday, though she happily celebrated it like normal. So Sirius and Sabrina agreed that while the wedding preparations would overlap her birthday, the wedding itself would be on the festival of Lughnasadh. While a tradition of the Scotts and the Irish, the day did hold some magical and symbolic significance and was deemed perfect so that Rhea could join the married couple on their honeymoon trip, though in a separate suite. Rhea didn't want to be casting silencing spells on the walls or a deafening spell on herself every day for the near month they had planned to be away for and Sabrina couldn't blame her.
Rhea moved up and hugged her mom. "How many whacks to the back of the head is Dad going to need to keep his brain working today?" Sabrina laughed, "Too many. I'll leave it in your capable hands." She kissed her daughter on the cheek before the girl rushed away to get her Dad ready. The Black sisters walked in afterwards and proceeded to get Sabrina ready, tying flowers and strings into her hair before placing the veil over her face. Now all Sabrina had to do was decide on her name. She could keep her name, but the British snobs would take it as an insult, even if her own family would cheer, or she could take Sirius' name and have her family be a little bothered but fine. Seraphina had made it clear she would accept either.
In less time than she thought had passed she found herself at the altar. Her eyes had been glued on Sirius, a smile permanently stuck to her face. The Blacks had worked their magic and made him look absolutely stunning, curly hair and all. She also laughed a few times when she saw her daughter standing by his side giving him a few zaps to get his mind working. Goddess tonight was going to be long and worth it. Sabrina and Sirius made the traditional magical exchange of vows, expressing their commitment to each other till death and even beyond. The vows ended as both Sirius and Sabrina said "So says I, So mote it be," and the golden band tying their hands together glowed with the vow made before vanishing, confirming its acceptance. The priest looked to her, "Have you decided on the name?" She nodded and whispered it to the priest who turned to the witnesses. "Allow me to officially introduce to you all Lord Sirius Orion Black and Lady Sabrina Selene Black-Prasinos!"
The applause made her ears ring as she saw her family start fishing galleons out of their pockets. A lot of bets would be settled tonight. She had an idea that her Great Aunt had won due to the smile on her face. While it's not uncommon for a bride to merge her last names, it isn't all that practised by Wixen, even less by her family. Rhea technically had five last names and had settled on Black for both simplicity and to avoid drawing too much attention. Sabrina smiled as she received congratulations from both the Blacks and the Prasinos. Eventually, once the feast was concluded and all responsibilities were taken care of, Sirius smiled at her, took her in her arms Bridal style and rushed up the stairs, with Sabrina laughing all the way. Yes, the man was a Neanderthal. The size of her engagement ring and the locket on her chest proved it every day. But tonight and until the end of time he was hers. She'd make sure to remind him of that multiple times this night.
Rhea lay quietly on her bed in the Prasinos Chateau. Her Mom and Dad were going to be spending a few days travelling the Black Family properties, tying Mom to the wards and getting her acquainted with the Black Family magick. Rhea could feel it beneath her skin most of the time. What others would term the "Black Madness," Rhea called it something else. Devotion. The Black Family were many things; traditionalists, ambitious and driven. All that paled to their Devotion to the Family. Like the Prasinos, the Blacks held family first and would do everything to protect the family. Dorea may have married a Potter but she never stopped being a Black. Not on the day she took the Godmother Oath for Sabrina Prasinos, not when she married Charlus Potter and not when she faced Voldemort for her grandchildren.
A smile graced Rhea's lips as she hoped Dorea and Selene enjoyed the wedding from the other side. The two had met under a Healer's tent in France, caring for Hit Wizards from all Allied countries. Selene proved her skills and empathy while Dorea was the firm hand that kept the Healers working and the patients in line. The two had been best friends. Maybe more. Rhea hadn't had a chance to ask them about each other yet, though she wondered if she could call them together. What Rhea did know was how devoted to their families the two women had been and as the two planned ahead, they had decided to make a final means of tying the families they loved together. The initial idea had been for Selene to be James' Godmother, but that honour went to Minerva McGonagall née Ross. Best decision ever in Rhea's mind. Now Sabrina, Dorea's goddaughter, was married to Sirius Black, Dorea's second son in all but name.
Rhea allows some of her Death Magic to coalesce, enough that a prayer or a whisper may reach the other side of the Veil. "Thank you Grandma Dorea, for taking me to Sabrina's arms. Thank you for raising Sirius the right way. Thank you for getting our family together. Love you Grandma Dorea, love you Grandma Selene. Please look after us as we live our lives, together."