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Адреса змісту:https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13013960/1/The-Return-
of-the-Ancient-House-of-Black
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Гарри Поттер
Возвращение Древнего Дома Блэков
Автор:
Вахирум
Кассиопея Блэк взяла и вырастила Гарри Поттера, чтобы он стал
настоящим членом Дома Блэков. Когда 13 лет спустя он приезжает в
Хогвартс на Турнир трёх волшебников, всё меняется и начинается
битва за волшебный мир Британии. Присоединится ли он к свету?
Или его соблазнит тьма? Много ООС. Все еще набирает силу, но
медленно.
Рейтинг:
Художественная литература M
– Английский – Гарри П., Сириус Б., OC, Кассиопея Б. – Главы: 31 –
Слова: 202 017 – Отзывы:
612
– Избранное: 3168 – Подписки: 3877 – Обновлено:
30.03.2021, 20:13:44
– id: 13013960
26.07.2018, 06:28:09
– Опубликовано:
1. Part I: Prologue
AN: I of course, own none of this and it all belongs to JK Rowling.
As in the summary this story is inspired by many others. No doubt
there will be moments where you say, hang on I've seen something
similiar. Well I think we've all said that for like, almost every story
right? Pretty sure you'll see a lot of what inspired me in this story
and if you go to my favorites you'll find it all. I in no way intend to
copy or steal from anyone. Again I only am inspired and finally put
thought to keyboard on the story that's been going on in my head. I
hope someone at least enjoys this with me and if not well, whatever
floats your boat y'all.
Prologue
It was a cold and dark night as the Dark Lord walked down the crowded
street. The children paid no mind to the man dressed in all black with his
hood drawn over his pale face, it was Halloween after all. Tall clouds hid
the moonlight, or else the children's laughter would have turned to
screams at the sight of his blood red eyes. Moments passed, and he finally
reached his destination: a small cottage hidden from the village by the
most powerful of charms, but not from him. Even to this very moment
the irony of the situation threatened to evoke laughter, one that might
have stopped all the commotion on All Hallow's Eve. Through the
window he could see the old man and woman, a child in each of their
arms. The Potters had eluded him for many years and their son and that
mudblood wife of his had thrice defied him already. It was a trend that
tended to anger him more and more as their names passed through his
closely guarded mind. His only regret was that the son and mudblood
would not die tonight, but they would meet their end soon enough.
He was at the door in seconds and blasted it off its hinges. Old as he was,
the patriarch of the Potter family wasted no time in defending his family.
The woman had taken the children and fled upstairs, but he was in no
hurry. None would leave tonight alive. Charles Potter was powerful
indeed, and tonight was no exception. He had long held the Wizengamot
in check and even his most loyal Death Eaters cowered in fear of the old
Light wizard. But he was no Death Eather, he was Lord Voldemort: He-
Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Not a word was spoken between the two wizards and yet powerful magic
engulfed the small home. If a muggle would have been able to look inside
the small, hidden cottage they would have assumed a fool had unleashed
a pile of fireworks. Flashes of light sped pass bouncing off shields or
whizzing by the two men. Neither were young, but they moved with the
grace of one who knew power, and when to unleash it. Their furious
battle was drawing to close. The Dark Lord loathed to admit it but the
old Potter was forcing him to unleash all his power until at last the old
man's wand was blasted away, splintered into pieces. Charles was panting
heavily, and still not a word had been spoken. He rose high on his knees
and locked eyes with him defiantly. He would not die a coward, and even
the Dark Lord admired him in that moment, and at last broke the two
men's silence.
"Avada Kedavra." A flash of green light filled the home and Charles Potter
fell to the ground dead. A stair case led him upstairs and to the right
where two bed rooms filled the floor. He could hear the restlessness of
the children and he entered the nursery, wand at the ready. Dorea Potter
nee Black waited for him, the two children behind her in a crib. One
began crying at the sight of him, but the other stood, almost defiantly
reminding him of the old man he had just slain.
"You will not take them." Her voice was firm and held no fear. There
would be no begging tonight. The woman born of the Most Ancient and
Most Noble House of Black did not beg, nor did she cower, but she was
no match for the Dark Lord.
"Move aside woman," he commanded, "You have no need to die tonight."
She seemed to stand even taller, as if gathering her magic to her. "You
will have to kill me."
"Move aside woman!"
"No!"
"Avada Kedavra!" She fell much harder than her husband, but she was
dead nonetheless. The Dark Lord turned his attention to the very reason
he had come tonight. The Potter children. The smaller of the two, barely
a year old, had stopped crying as the older brother grabbed his hand. He
could feel the power, and the undeniable strength of the older boy. Yes,
Harry Potter was to die tonight, for there was no doubt in his mind that
he was the one the prophecy spoke of. Lord Voldemort pointed his wand
at the boy and victoriously said the words, green light flashed, and for
the first time in so long the Dark Lord felt fear.
Harry had extended his hand as if the catch the flash of green and time
seemed to stop. The moment the spell struck his hand a gold light
emerged, encasing all three of them. Power unlike anything the Dark
Lord had seen radiated from the two boys and he felt his body and soul
being ripped apart. A scream erupted from his lips and the gold light at
last exploded, leaving the nursery in ruins and the Dark Lord gone.
It was disaster that greeted the three wizards. An anguished cry came
from one wearing glasses as he saw his father's dead body. Another one
close to his age stood dumbfounded, unsure of how this could have come
to pass. It was the oldest of the trio that walked the slow steps to the
nursery, fear gripping him of what he might find, but it was to his
astonishment that he found the two young boys alive, though fast asleep.
Harry was holding the younger boy, Thomas, and not a single hair on
their heads was harmed, save for the red lightning bolt scar that was
engraved onto Thomas' head.
Albus Dumbledore sat with patience and yet a grudging sense of duty as
he waited for the Potters' arrival. It had been a month since the fall of
Lord Voldemort. Many of his Death Eaters had been captured, including
the Lestranges after the brutal attack of the Longbottoms, yet some had
managed to worm their way out. Peter Pettigrew, the man who had
betrayed the Potters, was still at large and due to the man's ability to
transform into a rat it was highly unlikely he'd ever be caught despite the
efforts of his former friend, Sirius Black. He was saved at last from his
musing as James and Lily Potter knocked at his door.
"Enter." James Potter was a tall man, with black hair that never seemed
to lay flat and hazel eyes that had often charmed the ladies of Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in his youth. He had become an
Auror, doing everything he could to fight the good fight against the Dark
Lord and his followers. Lily Evans stood about a head shorter than James,
with long red hair and green eyes that seemed to understand you no
matter what had happened. A charms prodigy, she had helped protect
many families during the hectic past years. Thankfully they had listened
to him and not brought along their children, for the conversation he
wished to have involved them and would not be easy.
"James, Lily, thank you for coming," Albus began, "I wish it was better
circumstances that brought us together."
"What do you mean Professor?" James asked with obvious confusion.
"Voldemort's dead and we've nearly got everyone involved."
"That is indeed the crux of the matter my boy," he hesitated a moment
before continuing, "I have done much research into what happened to
your sons, and while I still cannot fathom what has happened there are
two things as of now I can be sure of. Thomas Potter is indeed the Chosen
One, the mark on his forehead fulfills that part of the prophecy."
"Well that's great!" Lily interrupted, but Albus could only shake his head.
"Note dear Lily, that I said the Chosen One, for the prophecy has not been
completed. Voldemort still lives. And he will return." Silence greeted him
and he expected nothing less. He had to take advantage of it now, before
they came to their senses. "Thomas will need to be trained, he may have
great power or he may be the average wizard, nevertheless he will be the
one to defeat Voldemort when he returns and he needs to be ready."
"What of Harry?" Lily asked still dazed.
"Ah, young Harry," Albus took another moment again, letting the lie sit
on his tongue before continuing again, "Whatever happened to him has
drained him of his magic and his is little more than a squib. And this is
where I fear you must sacrifice much for the greater good of our world."
"What would you ask of us?" James asked carefully.
"Harry will grow up around magic. I will assure that rules are bent to
ensure that we can begin training Thomas at a young age. Unfortunately,
I fear that eventually Harry will come to be envious of his brother and
the magic for which he was robbed the night Voldemort attacked them.
We cannot afford to have Thomas distracted by such things, when for all
we know Voldemort could return tomorrow. I would ask that you leave
Harry in the care of your sister, Petunia. Let him grow up believing he is
a muggle and he will be much happier and Thomas will have less
distractions as he grows older."
Again silence met him before the explosion of rebuttal.
"What?!"
"You want us to abandon our son?! Never!" Their angry denial continued
for a minute or two before the raising of Albus' hand quieted them. As he
lowered it he cast a small but strong compulsion charm to lace into his
words.
"I understand this is difficult," Albus said, already noticing the faint signs
of the compulsion setting in. "Perhaps when Harry is older you can
reunite with him, when the threat of Voldemort has passed." The two
were silent for a moment as if pondering before they both slowly nodded.
Albus smiled a hidden smile as they laid out the last of his plan. Now that
the older child, though not truly a squib, was out of the way he could
train Thomas for the role he would one day play in the war to come.
Phineas Nigellus Black had never said that he was a good person, well
the imprint of that person agreed with that statement, and the fact that
Albus had used a compulsion charm did little to bother him. He was well
aware that the person who had lived years ago would care less about the
muggle-loving Potter family, but he was not one to skive off learning the
ancient families! Dorea Black had been his granddaughter after all with
James Potter being his great grandson and so on and so forth. While he
did not agree with their blasphemous views it did not make them any less
part of the Black family, though admittedly a very disappointing part.
The portrait felt what was akin to sadness, or whatever an imprint could
feel, and he brooded in his chair. The other paints had avoided him
steadily the past few days, so it was surprising when he felt a rather deep
pull, as if he was being summoned. Phineas turned his head slightly and
suddenly was staring at the Sorting Hat. It stared at him for some time,
silently, until the old Headmaster's patience was worn thin.
"What do you want, Hat?"
"Godric speaks to me," the Sorting Hat said softly, his words seeming to
reverberate in the empty office. "The child, Phineas, he must be saved."
"What would I care?" The old portrait replied. "He's might be the last
Potter with enough blood to be a Black, but he's a squib!"
"Did you not hear me, old man? Godric commands it. The boy is no
squib."
"What?" Hushed whispers from the other portraits floated around the
room. "What did you say?"
"Something draws the boy's magic, Godric says. Even now, it is killing the
boy," the old hat of Godric Gryffindor spoke solemnly. "I know not why
Dumbledore has sentenced this poor child to die, but he must be saved."
"That blistering fool!" While Phineas had no real magic, the tip of his
wand was firing off red sparks. He contemplated going to his portrait at
12 Grimmauld Place and telling the young Sirius Black of what had
transpired, he was the boy's godfather after all. But the fact that he was a
portrait did not make it any less clearer to him that a compulsion charm
had been used on the Potter parents and a strong one at that. Sirius was
too much in the grasp of Dumbledore to help, the boy would be
recaptured and returned to the muggles. No, someone more secretive,
and by far more Black was in order to save the child.
"Cassiopeia! Cassiopeia!" The portrait shouted as he slid into his third
hidden frame. It sat in one of the more secret Black family homes in
Berlin, Germany. Forsaken during the second muggle world war due to
the threat of Grindewald it had been nearly forgotten by many, save for
the last remaining member of the Black family besides Sirius. Cassiopeia
Black has been born shortly after the first muggle war and had loved the
German culture. Like any other Black she was trained and schooled on
how to be a proper British witch, and her little black book proved it, but
she had always found her way back to the German home, where her
second little black book thrived. While her family had nearly been wiped
out by the Dark Lord she had built herself up a place in Germany that
many would kill for. If only she had someone to pass it along to. Being
nearly sixty years old made finding a suitable husband difficult, let alone
the thought of child bearing. The death of her sister made things even
more depressing at the moment for the Black woman.
The portrait had been empty for some time, so the shouting voice of her
grandfather came as a rather shock and for the moment made her forget
her troubles. She glanced up from her little black book and stared
expectantly at the portrait.
"I've just came from Dumbledore's office," Phineas panted, which was
hilarious considering he wasn't even a real person, "That old
manipulative man has finally gone too far. Too far I say!"
"And what has the old coot done now?" She was interested of course, but
her grandfather's portrait coming to complain about the headmaster was
all too common, well until recently. He had come to tell her of Dorea's
death and not came back. There had been many times she had wished for
him to visit and when he finally did she wished with all her heart that he
hadn't.
"Apparently they intend to train the Potter boy everyone is calling the
'Boy-Who-Lived,' and yet they intend to dump the other one, Harry, on
muggles!"
"What?!" Cassiopeia nearly screamed. That boy was blood! Never had she
in her life heard of such a thing and yet here it was plain as day. The
Potters, these muggle loving and so called Light family, were about dump
their son away? Not even the darkest of dark families would do that! She
nearly growled out her next words. "And why would they do this?"
"They have clearly been place under a compulsion charm and made to
believe the boy is a squib, but that is not the case.," the portrait said
heatedly, "Godric spoke to me, through the Sorting Hat. The child is no
squib, but something is draining the child of his magic. The Hat seemed
to insinuate that Dumbledore knew of this, and has sentenced the
grandson of Dorea to death regardless. Something must be done,
Cassiopeia. It would be futile to try to free James and Lily of the old man,
but the boy himself could be saved."
"I agree grandfather, I agree." A plan was formulating in her head and she
had already begun compiling the things she need. She grabbed the little
black book that held everything she needed to know about Britain and
scanned through it until she found the address. Yes, this could work.
"Where are they taking the boy?"
"Number Four Privet Drive, over in Little Whinging." Cassiopeia gave
only a nod in acknowledgement before she started the brewing. The boy
would be at the home and was going nowhere soon. She could not act too
rashly, this had to be perfect.
A small pop echoed through the street in the small magical community
just outside Paris. Cassiopeia's black hair was caught up in the wind, but
she made no mind to fix it, she was too focused on her goal. It had been
nearly a week since she had heard of Harry Potter's fate and now
everything was ready. She needed the boy, but she needed someone else
too. It didn't take long for her to find the flat she was looking for, the
simple protections helped keep the idea that no one important lived here,
but Cassiopeia knew better. She knocked politely and waited as she heard
the light foots step come to the door. It was the middle of the night and
she was not surprised to see a wand pointed at her, but the one who held
it hardly looked like the person she knew.
Regina Malfoy had long beautiful blonde hair, at least it had been. Now it
looked frayed and greasy, as if the girl hadn't showered in days. Her blue
eyes, which normally shown brightly were dull and seemed to be almost
graying. It had been well known the young Malfoy had been seeing her
great nephew Regulus, but apparently his recent death had hit the young
witch harder than she thought. The shock at seeing her lost love's great
aunt was clear on her face and she seemed at a loss for words.
"Regina I hope you intend to invite me in, it is the middle of the night
after all."
"Of course Miss Black, of course." She hastily opened the door and
seemed as if she wanted to curtsy but decided against it. Cassi took the
moment to glance at her surroundings and found herself incredibly
disappointed. Not only had the girl failed to take care of herself but the
flat was in disarray. It only increased her belief that her plan would
work. She sat herself on the lone armchair and signaled for Regina to sit
across from her. Cassi took a moment to collect her thoughts, allowing
Regina to attempt to smooth out the dress she had worn today, and
apparently had been sleeping in too.
"I see the fall of the Dark Lord has suited you well," she started
sarcastically, noting the flinch at his mention which was just another
reassurance. "Regulus will be missed by all, and yet his death may serve
us well, including you."
"What do you mean?" The hurt that had passed on her face at the
mention of Regulus was undeniable, but her curiosity won out quickly.
She wanted a distraction and Cassiopeia was fighting a grin.
"I'm no fool girl, you wished with all your heart to be the wife of Regulus
Black, and to bear his children. Now I'm giving you that chance." Regina
looked as if she wanted to speak but the Black woman cut her off. "The
older Potter boy has been forsaken by his family, and those blasted
muggle loving fools have done the unthinkable: they've dumped him on
the mudblood's muggle relatives. Black blood runs in his veins. I will not
see this happen without a fight."
"What do you intend to do?" Her attention was caught like a fish on a
hook.
"We will travel tonight to Little Whinging. We will take the boy back to
my home in Berlin. There I have a brewed a highly illegal blood-adoption
potion. It will change everything about him. Even more so considering
your blood will be involved. And the blood of Regulus." Cassiopeia had
always been a paranoid sort, and blood made a powerful ingredient in
many potions. She had long ago instructed Kreature, the Black house elf,
to bring her a vial from every living member once a month. It made a
rather grotesque collection and yet the bounty she was about to reap
made it all worthwhile.
"So," Regina began after recovering from her shock, "The boy will
practically be my son? And Regulus'?"
"Yes, in everything. He will look like your child and considering you will
help raise him will make it all even more believable. Once he takes the
potion it will be as if Harry Potter has died, and your son will be born.
You've been in hiding for quite a while, it will be believable that he is
your son and that you refused to rejoin society considering his father's
status during the war." She left out the part about the boy's draining
magic. First she would save the boy from the muggles, and then she
would discover what was happening to him. Regina looked on the
outside as if she was weighing the option, but Cassiopeia knew
differently, one look at the girl's eyes gave it all away. A change of
clothes and the two had left not knowing that everything soon was about
to change.
Cassiopeia had wanted to kill those muggles, and upon hearing freak the
first time it had taken every ounce in her being not to use the Cruciatus
Curse on the lot of them. Only Regina telling them that they were taking
away the freak under the cupboard and hastily leaving the house had
kept her from killing them. They had arrived back to her home shortly
after two, the potion was ready save for the blood it required. A sleeping
spell had kept young Harry asleep but soon the boy would wake and his
memory needed a lot of changing. The boy was two but no doubt he had
some memory of the past two years. But first, he needed a name.
"What shall be the name of your son Regina?"
"Aries Orion Black," she did not hesitate, "It's what Regulus would have
wanted."
The Black woman nodded and felt a swirl of pride for the Malfoy girl.
Cassi entered the boy's mind and slowly she began changing things,
replacing faces here and there and removing the incident with the Dark
Lord entirely. After the potion was taken the boy would already know
Regina has his mother, and he would be a true Black. She could feel
something though, as she left the boy's mind, a darkness that seemed to
pull even at her. The boy's dwindling magic was noticeable and she had
already began a mental list of what she could try to reverse it.
The house elf brought her the potion and the most recent vial of Regulus'
blood. It was three months old, but a preservation charm made it fresh
and the fact that it was recent would add to the success of the potion. A
few drops and the potion glowed before turning a slight blue. Now it was
up to Regina. They had spoken of this already and Regina wasted no time
pricking her thumb, allowing drops of blood to drip into the now pinkish
potion. Another glow and the potion turned a pale grey. It was ready.
The fact that this potion did not have to be taken willingly was one of the
two factors of why it was illegal. The second being that once it was taken
there was no antidote, and no way to ever know that it was taken.
Cassiopeia slowly lifted Harry's forehead back, feeling the until now
unnoticed lightning bolt scar identical to his brother's. She ran her finger
over it again to be sure of what she felt for only a moment before she
poured the potion down his throat without a second thought. The
reaction was immediate, just not the one she intended.
Magic, pure and raw radiated from his body forcing away everything
from him as he glowed in gold. Then other colors flashed: red, gold,
silver, and green twirled about the room as the boy began to scream. His
facial features began to change and they both heard the cracking of
rearranging bones as they were pushed against the wall. At last a red and
gold griffin erupted from his body while a silver and green snake joined
it. They fought each other, neither gaining ground as magic continued to
pour from the boy's body. Cassi stared straight ahead, fixed upon the
battle until they seemed to join in the middle. She could not name the
creature that stared her down, but it disappeared back into the boy's
body before he fell to the ground.
Neither moved for what seemed like an eternity. Then suddenly the boy
gasped and searched the room frantically for a moment before his eyes
landed on Regina.
"Mummy?" the boy croaked. His eyes looked around the room taking in
the destruction. "Did I do this?" The poor girl had teared up when the boy
called for her and didn't seem to be able to speak. The boy, no Aries she
reminded herself, looked the picture perfect of a young Regulus and yet
the Malfoy look was there. Nothing remained of the Potter boy before,
save for the small green flecks Cassiopeia noticed in his eyes. There was
something else there too she thought, something foreign that she couldn't
quite place. She reached out into his mind, and was comforted knowing
the his subconscious had not rejected his change in identity, but then she
noticed it. The darkness was gone, as was the pull on his magic. The boy's
power radiated from him and she had never felt a child, even up to the
age of eleven, as powerful as Aries' felt.
Regina had finally regained her senses and rushed to the boy, wrapping
him up in her arms as tears flowed freely. Cassi gave her head a shake
and took out her wand, a diagnostic spell already on her lips. Aries was
in perfect health and the paternity test came back as she expected. It was
then that the power she had felt was confirmed. It was everything else
that shocked her to core. Again and again she cast different spells, always
receiving the same results. Items throughout the room started to float and
the giggle reach her ears was pure joy. Aries waved his hand, and
everything stopped. Then she felt it again, that pure and raw magic.
Aries' eyes seemed to glow, the green specks becoming more dominant as
he waved his hands again causing the items to continue to swirl.
Suddenly Regina's tears turn to tears of joy has she spun the boy around.
The two laughed as if it wasn't the first time.
The boy had regained his magic. Not just that, but he was powerful!
Powerful enough to one day challenge Dumbledore, and perhaps return
the House of Black back to prominence. Slowly another plan began to
form in the mind of Cassiopeia. As she looked at the joy of mother and
son, she only wished the Potters knew just exactly what they had caused
leaving that boy on the doorstep of Number Four Privet Drive.
AN: Next chapter, A Nature of Conflict.
2. A Nature of Conflict
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. I'd just like to point out that this is
Fanfiction, and as such some things may seem OOC. I know these
stories aren't everyone's thing but I hope you can enjoy it. If not,
whatever floats your boat y'all.
Chapter 1
Cassiopeia woke with a long sigh, and slowly lifted the covers to get of
out bed. It was the screaming that woke her, though it did not surprise
her nor really frighten her one bit. This was expected after all, it was
Aries' second night off the potion, and the worst nightmares seemed to
happen on the second night. They had started a year ago, just after the
accident. Sometimes that very accident was the thing that released an
anguished scream that tore at the young boy's throat. Others though, and
it made goosebumps rise on her skin, seemed as if they were memory,
but they could not be his own. That had been what pushed her to
purchase a pensieve. For nearly a month straight, night after night, Aries
poured nightmares into the pensieve, until she had feared entering it.
After the worst nightmare he had to date, she had decided to begin filling
it with memories of her family and her time at Hogwarts. It was after one
such memory about her time at the school that Aries had exited the
pensieve, pale and vomiting his breakfast. That was when they truly
realized they were no dreams, not even nightmares, but memories.
Occlumency had soon not become a desire but a necessity. Aries had
always had a natural ability for Legilimency, often answering questions
before they were asked and knowing things he should not have.
Protecting his mind had helped for a while, but then the nightmare
memories returned in force. That was when Cassiopeia had turned to
Dreamless Sleep Potion. She was careful, often following the directions to
the extreme to ensure the young boy did not develop an addiction and
hiding its whereabouts deep in the recesses of her mind so he would not
find it through passive Legilimency. A year these nightmares had plagued
him, and they only seemed to be getting worse. Cassiopeia had watched a
few of the nightmares and she had yet to discover just who they belonged
to.
She passed idly by the empty portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, her
grandfather. He had been a welcome surprise, keeping her informed of
nearly everything Albus Dumbledore was doing. It was how she had
heard of Harry Potter's death when Aries turned five, a mysterious
disappearance no one could answer, not even the muggles. That was
probably because Cassi had obliviated any sign of their arrival, but who
really needed to know that? Apparently, Lily had finally gotten around to
visiting her sister and found her son gone. The muggles had told the
headmaster that they had woken up and the boy was just gone. They
hadn't told anyone since the boy had been 'dumped' on him so why
would they care anyway? For many months the old man's Order had
searched for Harry Potter but it was not until Albus found the boy's
named crossed out in the school's magical book that contained a list of
every magical child did the search end. The Potters had been mortified.
Officially Harry's disappearance had been caused by a sickness he
developed after Voldemort's defeat and then eventually died of. Many
bought the story and the ministry had held a vigil for the child.
Cassiopeia hoped it might shake the Potters' confidence of Dumbledore,
but it seemed they were loyal to a fault. Phineas had also told her of
Thomas' training, though that seemed to be being generous. The boy was
talented for sure, but it was nothing near what Albus had hoped. While
the boy had a love and skill for flying he often skipped out on his training
to play with that Weasley boy and with every day that the Dark Lord did
not return the Potters seemed all too eager to let the boy play rather than
train. She could not really fault them in that aspect at least. What child
did not want to be a kid? Aries had turned out to be rather studious and
eager to learn all aspects of magic, but even she had to drag him off his
broomstick every once and awhile. It was the latest information that still
troubled her.
No one knew of Aries' existence, and as such it would clearly fall to Sirius
to take up the mantle of Head of House Black. It would be challenged
eventually, considering his father had technically, though not officially
disowned him. Despite all this the man, and that Potter, had given their
seats of on the Wizengamot to Albus Dumbledore. Of all people! Sirius
Black was shirking his duties, and Cassiopeia would make sure he one
day regretted it.
Finally, the door to Aries' room was before her and she could hear the
seven-year-old boy's restlessness and cries. A wave of her wand brought
the armchair besides his bed and she sat, placing a hand on his forehead.
Her thumb ran across the spot she had felt the scar moments before the
boys change, and yet the scar no longer lingered. It was the one thing she
had expected to remain, but it didn't, and the strange creature that had
appeared still entered her dreams and no amount of research had yet
revealed its identity.
"Aries," she said firmly, "Aries wake up." The boy's eyes flashed open and,
as expected, retched into the waste basket beside his bed. He recovered
for a moment, but the haunted look stayed in his hazel and green flecked
eyes.
"I killed someone Auntie," he said breathlessly, "I watched her die."
Cassiopeia did not expect this. Often in his dreams people died, and died
rather gruesomely, but he was always distant, detached from the violence
in some way. This, this was different.
"Tell me everything Aries."
"I was somewhere underground," he closed his eyes trying to remember
the vivid details, "And then I was in a bathroom. I was at Hogwarts, I
recognized it from your memories. There was this girl, her name was. . . I
can't remember. But she was there and the next thing she was dead. I
didn't do anything, like I didn't cast a spell. But I know I caused it. I killed
her."
This was not something Cassi had expected to deal with, at least not now.
Like any member of her family Aries would eventually need to kill, to
lose that part of his innocence, just not this soon and not like this.
"Auntie," Aries said carefully, "I need to go there. To where I killed her. I
can feel it calling me."
"No, absolutely not. Hogwarts is too dangerous, you know how
manipulative that old coot is. We cannot risk him finding us, not yet."
"If you don't take me, I'll go myself." There was that look Cassiopeia knew
all too well. Determination, stubbornness, and the will to succeed. It
would've made her proud of the young Black boy in any other
circumstance, but she knew he was right. The young boy would go,
better for her to go with.
"Fine," Cassi relented but spoke again before the boy could get too
excited. "But not tonight. Phineas will tell us the next time Dumbledore
will be gone, and then we'll go."
Unfortunately for Cassiopeia, that day came far too soon. Less than two
weeks later the Black grandfather came early in the morning, shouting
that the old man had left Hogwarts and wouldn't be back until nightfall.
Begrudgingly she dressed in a simple robe while Aries bounded down the
stairs looking rather smart for seven-year-old. The boy was bouncing on
his feet and Cassi clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"Go ahead Aries, call your friend."
"Hades!" Aries called as he held out his arm and a black fire erupted
before him. Perched on his arm was a phoenix, black as night and a soft
song already trilling from its beak. The smile that formed on Aries' face
was bright and even Cassi fought a grin. "Hades, I need you to take us to
Hogwarts, but a specific spot alright? I've got it in my mind. Just see it
and let's go." The black phoenix trilled softly, and flames engulfed them.
Aries had difficulty breathing for a moment as he returned to the
bathroom, but this time in person. He ran a hand through his black hair
glancing around the area until his eyes landed on the last stall. A shiver
ran up his spine as the image of his nightmare came to the forefront of
his mind. The girl had died there, he did not know how but he was
having a challenging time telling the difference between dream and
reality. Cassiopeia placed a reassuring hand on him, steadying him before
he lost his balance. It was at this time that Aries really thought he was
losing it, because now the very girl of his dreams was before him, and he
was sure he could see right through her. They're eyes met, and it was like
a lantern lit in his mind.
"Myrtle!" he exclaimed as the name finally came to him. The ghost gave
him a rather quizzical look, floating around him as if to get a better
angle.
"Do I know you little boy?"
"Well no," Aries admitted with an embarrassed look and then flushed
with anger at being called little. "Well actually I killed you. In my
dreams. I was hoping you could tell me how you died."
"How rude!"
"Wait!" Aries nearly screamed, and Myrtle floated to a halt. He paused for
a moment fighting over what to say before turning to the sink. "I came
from there. I don't know how, but you were crying in the last stall. I
came straight to the door and next thing I know you were dead. Please
Myrtle, I need to know what happened."
"Ooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish. "It happened right in here.
I died in this very stall. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive
Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was
crying, and then I heard somebody come in. They said something funny.
A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got
me was that it was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell him to
go and use his own toilet, and then -" Myrtle swelled importantly, her
face shining. "I died."1
"How?" asked Aries.
"No idea," said Myrtle in hushed tones. "I just remember seeing a pair of
great, big, yellow eyes. My whole-body sort of seized up, and then I was
floating away."1
Aries turned back to the bathroom sink. It was all connected to that spot,
the nightmares that so often involved Hogwarts. His feet felt heavy as he
got closer but there was one that seemed to call to him. He moved with
an almost assured pace, like he had done this a thousand times, and that
was when he stopped. Goosebumps erupted along his arms and he could
not shake the chill he suddenly felt. He had done this before. There was
no mistaking it. Every detail came to him in vivid fashion and it was like
stepping into one of his Aunt's memories. But it was impossible wasn't it?
He had never been to Hogwarts before. The only place off the continent
he had visited had been London and that was nowhere near here. Yet he
could not shake the dreading sense of déjà vu.
"What is it Aries?" Cassiopeia's voice felt distant to him, as if he could not
tell the difference between dream and reality again.
"I've been here before," he replied with much more confidence than he
felt. "I don't know how, but I have. Auntie I can feel this place calling to
me."
"You said you've dreamed of this place before? Perhaps that is what you
feel." She took a glance over at the ghost who was now staring at Aries
with open curiosity.
"No Auntie, it's not like that." Aries shook his slightly and reached out
toward the faucet. Just as he was about turn on the cold water he felt it:
the small engraved snake on the handle. Another wave of memories
assaulted him and he violently shook his head to clear it, but he knew
what he needed to do now.
"Open." Parseltongue hissed from his lips and the tap glowed with a
brilliant white lit and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to
move, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a
pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.1 More memories this time of a
long tube, something like a slide. He gave his aunt a wicked grin before
jumping right in. Aunt Cassi's scream reached him, but nothing could
stop the exhilarated laughter that escaped him until he reached the
bottom with a loud yippee. As expected Cassiopeia followed a few
moments later, but there was no laughter on her face this time.
"Aries Orion Black!" He braced himself for the worst, Aunt Cassi really
knew how to lay into someone. But the yelling never came, and he
opened his eyes to see a rather stern expressions before she gave a long
sigh. "We of the House of Black do not yippee." Aries felt a rush of bravery
to fix a smirk on his face.
"Well they do now."
They found themselves. standing at the end of a long, dimly lit chamber.
Towering stone pillars entwined with more serpents, rose to a ceiling lost
in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom
that filled the place. Aries' pace quickened until he stood before a giant
statue. It was ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin, beard that fell
almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes where two
enormous gray stone feet sat on the smooth floor of the chamber.1 A
name whispered to him, and again it was as if he was remembering
something from long ago.
"The Chamber of Secrets!" Cassiopeia exclaimed with glee. "Oh, dear
Salazar it's true!" But Aries wasn't listening to her. He stood transfixed
with the statue, memories flashed by too quickly for him to register
before his arm moved mechanically and words hissed from his lip from
far his control.
"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four." A chill went up
Cassiopeia's spine, as it did every time Aries spoke Parseltongue and
watched as Slytherin's gigantic stone face moved, opening wider and
wider to make a huge black hole. And something was stirring inside the
statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths. She watched
the massive creature, no a Basilisk, slide out of Slytherin's mouth. A
scream of warning to Aries was on her lips as she saw the Basilisk swiftly
make its way towards him, its fangs glimmering in the greenish gloom of
the chamber.
"Wait!" Cassi had already closed her eyes, but Aries stared ahead at the
beast. Warnings bells were ringing in the sensible part of his mind, but
his magic screamed something different. This was it! The very thing that
called for him, Slytherin's monster. But why? The Basilisk seemed even
more confused and slowly lowered its head until they were eye to eye.
Hazel and green flecked met bright and yellow, their magic pushing
against one another.
"Why are you not dead boy?" the great Basilisk hissed. "Only the Heir can
survive my gaze and you are not him."
"If you know so much then perhaps you can find that answer yourself." Aries
knew it was a bad idea to antagonize the great serpent, but a sensation
was filling him that he couldn't quite understand. One that he shouldn't.
He had no long-time friends he hadn't seen in years, so why did he
suddenly understand that feeling? The push of the serpent's magic hit
him again, but still he lived. "Maybe you should sit or coil up or something.
My aunt and I will figure this out." Just as Aries turned to Cassi the Basilisk
let out a great hiss and the confusion only deepened on its features.
"I am compelled to follow your commands. . . Heir." Now Aries was
dumbstruck and for someone that tended to read every book he laid his
eyes on being at a loss for words wasn't a feeling he was used to. But
there it was. The dots connected, and this only proved it. The Heir of
Slytherin. But it wasn't possible! Yet that was something he had said over
and over since arriving at Hogwarts but even he couldn't deny the magic
side. He felt the Chamber react to him, the torches light, and the Basilisk
called to him. The moment he had seen her he had known, in the deepest
part of his mind it clicked and yet still he did not believe.
"Please don't kill my Aunt." Aries commanded the Basilisk who gave what
he could only describe as an amused snort. "Aunt Cassi, you can open
your eyes now." The old witch slowly opened her eyes and found herself
face to face with a Basilisk. Years of pureblood training and Occlumency
went out the window with an undignified yell as she fell to the floor.
Aries couldn't take it any longer and the irony of the situation caused him
to burst into laughter. Its echo off the dark walls seeming to only further
Cassiopeia's embarrassment.
"I trust you have an explanation on why we're not dead Aries?"
"Oh yeah, um, well," Aries stammered, "I'mtheHeirofSlytherin."
"Come again?"
"I am the Heir of Slytherin," he said much slower this time. "At least, the
magic of this chamber and the basilisk think so." At that he turned to the
serpent with a curious look. "What is your name anyway?"
The great serpent looked surprised. "My name?"
"Well yes, I can't just keep calling you the Basilisk now can I?"
"Salmissra," the great serpent hissed slowly. "Lord Slytherin named me
Salmissra."
Aries turned back to his Aunt with a rather smug grin. "Yeah Salmissra
says I'm the Heir. Considering she is Slytherin's Serpent I think I believe
her."
Now it was Cassiopeia's turn to be at a loss for weirds. Five years ago,
when he had become Aries Orion Black she knew that her life was about
to be filled with surprises. Wandless magic at two after surviving the
Killing Curse? Okay. Suddenly speaking to snakes? A surprise to be sure
but a welcome one. Natural Legilimency? Oh, the plans she had begun to
formulate. Then the accident happened, and she thought all would be for
naught. But he had surprised her again, throwing himself into his studies.
She knew he wasn't motivated to truly learn, he only wanted a
distraction, but she took it nonetheless. Yet this, this was something she
never could have guessed. The Heir of Slytherin? How? She could trace
the lineage of Slytherin all the way to the Gaunts. They were distantly
related of course, very distantly but she knew without a doubt that there
was no Slytherin blood in the Blacks, or in the Potters for that matter,
Gryffindor maybe, but not Slytherin. But if the Serpent of Slytherin, the
one who could only answer to the Heir himself said the boy was it, then
who could deny it?
Aries had been chatting excitedly with the serpent and the cogs of her
mind began to turn. The plans in her mind twisted and changed,
formulating new possibilities. This was momentous, and once it became
known the Heir of Slytherin was a Black, the magical world of Britain
would change. Yes, she thought as her eyes came back to rest on the boy.
Everything in him was the making of a new Dark Lord. She had never
followed the last one, too caught up in playing the Game among the
Germans, but she had never wanted to. The man had been a psychopath,
and the few letters she received from Regulus had proved it. He had
charmed many of them with notions of grandeur and followed it up with
massacre. Cassiopeia truly felt sorry for those that were caught up in the
insanity, too deep to escape with their lives, and felt no remorse for those
that on lost themselves on the way, like her niece Bellatrix. But now,
Aries was everything the Dark Lord could never have been. If properly
trained and guided he could lead to House of Black to the highest
mountain and perhaps truly fulfill Salazar Slytherin's magnificent work.
Oh yes, she would make him the perfect Dark Lord, if it was the last
thing she did. Her musing was interrupted as Aries made to leave, but the
first of her plans had to be implemented. It would hurt the boy, but it
was necessary.
"Aries wait," she called. He turned around and raised his eyebrows
expectantly. The boy picked up on her nuances far too quickly for her
liking. "Collect some of its venom in a few vials, you never know when it
could come in handy, and then have it bite you."
"What?" Aries asked quietly. Then his whole being changed. His stood
straighter, almost rigid, and his face turn cold, and the green specks
darkened in his eyes. Cassiopeia fought the chill and the shiver that
wanted to creep up her spine. That look did not belong on a seven-year-
old boy. Yes, a future Dark Lord indeed. "That would kill me Cassiopeia."
Aries' voice was ice, like a freezing wind that cut through you no matter
how many layers you wore. Again, she fought the chill and shook her
head.
"Hades' tears." The coldness of her nephew did not relent. "The venom
and the tears will combine. You will survive but the tears and venom will
always be inside you, constantly fighting a never-ending battle. That way,
the tears never dissolve, and you'll be immune to nearly everything."
"Then why don't you go first?" Aries' sarcastic edge, normally a sense of
hilarity for her, still contained that frigidness and she rushed to provide
an explanation.
"I'm too old, too fragile for the venom. And besides I've spent years
building up immunity to nearly every poison. I don't really need it do I?"
That seemed to at last warm the boy and gave her a short nod before
calling his phoenix. Hades burst into existence on his shoulder and rather
arrogantly began a staring contest with the Basilisk. Aries relayed
Cassiopeia's instructions to the serpent, holding out his arm. It was clear
to her that the boy and serpent were arguing, but if he really was indeed
the Heir of Slytherin, the serpent would have to comply, and so it did.
The boy's screams erupted in the hall, contrasting his laughter from
moments ago drastically. He fell to the ground as the burning sensation
flowed through him. The phoenix wasted little time pouring its tears into
the wound. Aries continued to moan in pain for only a few moments
more before the burning finally disappeared. Cassiopeia noted the
rigidness with which he rose, all humor gone from him. He mechanically
collected the venom, storing five vials in his robes.
"Salmissra, we will leave here soon. One day I will come for you. Until then
sleep." The serpent bowed deep and returned to the statue's mouth as it
closed. Aries walked to the base of the statue pulling a knife from his
robes. Cassi tried to stop him, but he had already cut along his palm and
placed his hand right between the two feet. The surprises continued as
the stone opened back like a door revealing a study unlike any she had
ever seen. Dust collected everything and with a wave of Aries' hand it all
disappeared. They went their separate ways, their eyes roaming over the
ancient history compiled there.
"Ha! I told you!" The glee had returned to the boy as he shoved a book
into her hands. "Parsel magic! I told you, I told you, I told you! And there
it is! Written by Salazar Sytherin himself!" Cassi barely had time to look
at the book before he took it back, soaking in the information like a
sponge. She watched as his expression turned cold again so quickly it
shocked even her. This was something she could not explain. Aries
looked from the book and turned right where he stood face to face with
the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. It did not move, as they both had hoped,
and seemed nothing more than a simple painting. Silence stretched long
while they both stood there, staring at the portrait before Aries' voice
broke it, strong, firm, and unrelenting.
"I was weak," he began, "I was weak, and she died. Mum died. If I had
been stronger I could have saved her." She felt it again, his pure and raw
magic. Blue lightning cackled around him and a slight breeze picked up.
"If I had been stronger. If I had more control. I lost my magic and then
got it back and then I killed her with it. I thought I was only a Black but I
was wrong. I'm the Heir of Slytherin." Those last words were almost a hiss.
The lightning cackled more and more, the wind started to blow loose
papers in the air, and if Cassiopeia could see his eyes she knew the green
specks would be glowing furiously. "I can be so much more. I refuse to be
ordinary, not when I can be extraordinary. I owe that to Mum. I killed her
because I was weak. But I won't be weak anymore. Not ever again."
Cassiopeia could only smile. Yes, my Dark child, she thought, we will make
you strong.
The streets of Diagon Alley were sparse this late in the evening, but the
shop they were heading to was still open. Ollivander was, in Cassi's
opinion, the best wand maker in all of Europe, if not the world. She may
be biased considering his family had given nearly every Black their wand,
but still one was entitled to their opinion. There was no one else she
entrusted to craft what was in her mind, the only problem was
convincing him. Aries followed her into the old shop, cautiously glancing
around. He could feel Hades following invisibly and perching high in the
far corner, his amusement plain to him. They could hear the old man
bustling in the back, but a polite cough from Cassi brought him forward.
"Ah Miss Cassiopeia Black!" Ollivander greeted. "Twelve inches,
hawthorn, and dragon heart string. Yes yes, my boy I am indeed that
old." He chuckled at the shocked look on the boy. "Now you certainly are
not eleven."
"Aries Black, sir, I'm seven."
"We have come to get him a wand, regardless of his age. And I have
brought what you need." Cassiopeia's voice left no room for argument, at
least as far as Aries was concerned.
"You have, have you?" Ollivander seemed to be sizing Aries up. "And you
think I have not already crafted a wand suitable for the boy?"
She only smirked. "You haven't. He's right handed."
"Nonsense. Here try this Mr. Black." And so it began. Wand after wand
was handed to him and then taken away. Some just felt cold, others
nothing, or the old man took the wand back almost immediately after
handing it to him. An hour had passed and now Ollivander returned,
carrying a box rather delicately. "I had intended this for someone else,
yes Thomas Potter. Eleven inches, holly, and phoenix feather." Aries
could have sworn he saw the man's eyes flicker up to where Hades was
perched before being handed the wand. Ollivander's attitude made him
think something incredible would happen. He felt a slight warmth, but it
faded quickly. He could not hide his disappoint and neither could
Ollivander as he collected the wand.
"It seems that you are correct Miss Black. What have you brought?" His
eyebrow rose into his hairline as she laid a black phoenix tail feather and
a vial of Basilisk venom on his counter. Again, his eyes flickered to where
Hades perched and that time there was no mistaking it, he knew.
"Hades," Aries called rather reluctantly. "You can show yourself, he
knows you're there." The black phoenix shimmered into existence and
soared down to land in front of Ollivander who burst out in laughter.
"Oh, my boy, you are full of surprises. A black phoenix of all things as
your familiar. Now that is indeed a story to be told! Aries and Hades eh?
A fascination for Greek Mythology yes?" Ollivander did not wait for an
answer as he scooped up the tail feather and vial of venom. "I will require
some of your blood Aries, and then return in an hour."
"Mr. Ollivander," Cassi called stopping him and placing a bad of gold on
his counter. "You will not be placing any of those Ministry restrictions on
this wand. I want it pure."
"Now, now Miss Black you know that's illegal."
"I can hurt you Ollivander, in more ways than one."
Surprisingly Ollivander just chuckled. "Now don't be hasty Miss Black,
fine I will do it."
"And you will speak of this to no one or I will hurt you."
"Hasty and rude. Do you want me to make the damned wand or not?"
The hour could not pass by quick enough for the young boy. Cassiopeia
had tried to distract him with chocolate ice cream, a rather guilty
pleasure for the young Black, but even the wonders of Flourish and Botts
could not stop him from glancing towards the wand makers shop every
so often. She left him there to read in a secluded corner with specific
instructions to stay there. They may have adorned glamours before
entering the shop, but sometimes the boy's magic fluctuated, and the last
thing she needed was Sirius Black walking into the book shop just as his
glamour faded. The Black witch found herself in Borgin and Burkes. The
decrepit man disgusted her, but he would have what she needed. A veiled
threat here, an insinuation of blackmail there, and a sack of gold much
too light for Mr. Burkes liking let her leave with every book he had on
Slytherin and the mysteries he had left behind. Cassi had every intention
of findding out how Harry Potter, blood adopted by Regulus Black and
Regina Malfoy, could be the Heir of Slytherin.
At last the hour had passed and Cassiopeia had to hold tightly to Aries'
hand to keep him from rushing to Ollivander's shop. He was waiting for
them of course, a wand sitting neatly on a small box. And it was the most
beautiful thing Aries had ever seen. He did not even need to touch it, he
could feel it, much like he had felt the magic of the Chamber. The wand
called for him and trance-like he walked to it and grasped it. Power
surged through him, raw power. It was taking everything Aries had to
contain it, but the wand called for it. It wanted to be unleashed. Aries
brought up his mental shields quickly, shoving his emotions out of his
mind, and felt the calmness of the void wash over him as his magic
leveled off.
"Thirteen inches," Ollivander began, "The phoenix feather dissolved in the
Basilisk venom creating a terribly unstable concoction, but your blood
Mr. Black stabilized it. It had been a guess considering your familiar, and
it seemed I was proven correct. Still the core was powerful, and it needed
an equal to match it. I considered yew, strong and powerful, but even
that was overwhelmed. Then holly called to me, but that too perished. An
idea I had of mixing them, complete opposites yew and holy. They tend
to fight and yet the conflict of the core meshed well with their own. It
was a start but not perfect. And so I added a third element: ebony. Three
symbols of protection versus two of death. I could feel it, nearly perfect
but there was one missing ingredient. Obsidian. Often called volcanic
glass or even dragon glass. Yes, the perfect mix of protection and death.
It was at last I created what you see before you, and perhaps the greatest
of all my wands perhaps of all my family too. And we have created many.
But alas, it is indeed curious."
"What's curious sir?" Aries asked, his eyes never leaving the wand.
Cassiopeia eyed the man dangerously.
"In my lifetime I have only known three wands with the tail feather of a
phoenix. The first was thirteen and half inches and yew. That one was
the wand of You-Know-Who. He did great things, terrible yes, but great.
The second was its brother, you know it as the one I gave to you rather
reluctantly. Eleven inches and holly. I truly believe that the Boy-Who-
Lived, Thomas Potter, will wield it seeing as its brother gave him the
scar. And then now there is yours. A different phoenix yes, but a phoenix
none the less, and with both yew and holly. Thomas and He-Who-Must-
Not-Be-Named have already accomplished great things, and I cannot help
but be curious, Aries Black, of what great things you will do."
Aries had fell asleep hours ago, the Dreamless Sleep Potion had worked
its wonders and Cassiopeia had no fear that he would wake to find her
gone. Hades, the wonderful phoenix that had saved Aries' life the day of
the accident, bonding them together, had answered her call, though
rather reluctantly. There was no known magic to detect a phoenix and
she only hoped that the magical creature's magic would extend to her
tonight as they flashed into Albus Dumbledore's office. She knew her fear
of the old man was irrational. The potion was perfect, he would never
discover Aries' identity and yet that fear lingered, a shameful part of the
warmth the young boy had brought into her life. It was that irrational
fear that had made her decide long ago that Aries would not attend
Hogwarts, at least not until she deemed him ready. Cassi walked with
careful steps toward the magic book. It contained the list of every
magical born being. She flipped hastily towards H and sighed with relief
at seeing Harry's name still crossed out before flipping towards A and her
heart stopped. Aries Orion Black. There it was. Cassi doubted that the old
man ever looked through this book other than to look at Harry Potter's
name, but she could not risk it. A strong confundus charm would do, and
she smiled in satisfaction as the name disappeared. Victoriously she
reached for Hades and flashed back to her home in Germany. A proud
smile on her face knowing that the future of the Most Ancient and Most
Noble House of Black was safe. At least for tonight.
AN: Anywhere you see that annoying 1 is where I quoted Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Next up, we're finally starting
where it all started in my head. The Tri-Wizard Tournament.
3. The Goblet of Fire
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign.
A few notes, up to this point a lot is canon, except a few characters
being a different age. The only thing that did not happen was the
POA, so Thomas never learned the Patronus or dealt with dementors
but he did deal with the Stone and Chamber of Secrets, though there
are a few things different about the COS that I'll get to later. Thomas
is a year younger (14, 4th year) than Aries (15, 5th year) for those
that missed it. As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you
dont, whatever floats your boat y'all.
Durmstrang was a large castle, but no where near the size of Hogwarts,
Aries noted. It was something he had noticed the evening of the first of
September every year for the past four years, this year being the fifth.
The castle was cold, again unlike Hogwarts, and fires were only lit for
magical purposes, never for comfort. One had to find ways to keep warm
to survive, and that was perhaps the main thing taught at Durmstrang:
survival. The fifteen-year-old Black could write a novel on the differences
between the school he attended and the school of his father, but it would
be a depressing write. Aries had fought tirelessly at the age of eleven to
convince his aunt to send him to Hogwarts, but no amount of flattery,
bribery, or even blackmail could change the Black woman's mind. That
French school had been out of the question and he knew exactly why
Durmstrang had been chosen: The Dark Arts.
Cassiopeia had never shied away from teaching him the darkest of magic
and had passed along to him the idea that was no such thing as dark and
light, only power and the intent behind it. Aries had known far more
magic than any normal eleven-year-old, and had no problem staying at
the top of his class four years straight. That hardly meant he got to coast
however. His aunt had been displeased with the staff, especially the
Headmaster, and had used her influence to replace three different
teachers and left a not so well veiled threat to the Headmaster himself
that she expected the standards to be raised, or else. The result was that
every teacher took it upon themselves to push him further and further,
some even adjusting his work personally, so it could challenge him.
Battle Magics was, of course, his favorite class, and where some of the
more aggressive Dark Magic was learned. Aries had always found the
chaos of battle rather calming, and when he was dueling everything
seemed to be clearer to him, but it was only when he dueled privately
with Professor von Reich that he was able to enjoy himself. Since the first
day at Durmstrang, von Reich had taken it as his personal mission to
push Aries as far as he could, forcing him to unleash as much of his
power as possible. It wasn't until his third year that he truly outpowered
the professor, but his age and lack of experience caused him to be bested
often. Now being bested by a world renown duelist wasn't the worst thing
in the world, but Aries wanted to be extraordinary after all, and he hoped
that this would be the year that he'd finally best the old man. Professor
von Reich had become a mentor, and in many ways a father figure he
had never had, and that only motivated Aries even more.
Aries was brought out of his musings by one of his best friends, Arianna
De Cordova, as she sat down beside him. He had followed in the footsteps
of his aunt, and from the first day at Durmstrang began seeking out
powerful friends, though it had not taken long. The girl from Spain
happened to be the daughter of the Ambassador to Germany for the
Spanish Ministry of Magic. but that was not where his associates ended.
Next came the first friend he had made at the school, Haydn Muller, son
of the German Ministry of Magic's Chancellor. They had known each
other casually, since Aunt Cassiopeia had often brought him along to the
German Ministry while she played her Game, but a friendship had never
really formed, until a rather nasty duel between the two in the first class
of Battle Magics. Everyone had thought they'd found their first class
rivalry, but instead they both laughed it off and became friends. The last
of his friends with connections was the nephew of the Bulgarian Prime
Minister, Ivan Krasimir. He hadn't meant for his three closet friends to be
the most connected of his year, it had just turned out that way. They
hadn't started as a quartet, but after one study session they all just
seemed to click. Aries had been sure to surround himself with powerful
friends, whether in power itself, intelligence, or anything he found to be
beneficial. He would not call them all followers exactly, but they seemed
to follow him nonetheless.
Aries had been quick to make friends, and slow to make enemies, and
when he did make an enemy he was sure to deal with them quickly. It
had built him a formidable reputation, one that made it clear to many
that it was convenient for your health to be on his good side, and the few
that tested it often ended up in the medical wing for some time, though
there was never any evidence back to him, something that made his Aunt
Cassi very proud. Those that knew him best knew that the charming
exterior of Aries Black was often genuine, but that the young man had a
dark side that he kept in check, only unleashing it on those he felt earned
it. A few had tried to betray him once or twice, and as far his friends
were concerned they were lucky to be alive. Aries' extra lessons were
common knowledge in Durmstrang, as excellence and power were
celebrated above all else and as far as the teachers were concerned, he
was the prime example of what everyone should strive to be.
"So, Aries, who do you think will be chosen?" Ivan asked in German. Despite
the school's Scandinavian location, many of its students where German,
and thus their native language was the one used for everything.
Aries was well aware that Ivan spoke of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The
four had corresponded often during the summer and had met up several
times, often speaking of the upcoming tournament. He had been ecstatic
for it, but when it was decided that only those who were seventeen could
compete his excitement for the tournament had lessen considerably.
"Krum of course," Aries replied, "He is the most powerful of his year, and the
bravest. I'm not sure how the Goblet chooses but he makes the most sense to
me."
"I agree," Arianna spoke up, "If not Krum though, then perhaps Nikola?"
"Somehow I think Kakaroff will only allow Krum to enter. He is his prize
student, other than Aries here of course." Haydn offered.
He was saved from having to respond by the man himself. Igor Kakaroff
was a tall man with an average build. His black beard covered his face
and his hair was long reaching his shoulders. Aries knew of Igor's
background and it came as no surprise to him that the Headmaster of
Durmstrang ruled by fear and handed out some of the worst
punishments. Most of the teachers despised him, especially his mentor
von Reich. Kakaroff gave the customary greeting and began to explain
how Durmstrang Institute functioned. Aries zoned out spectacularly as
the Headmaster explained that there were no Houses, only groups of
powerful people. If the first years did not impress a group by the end of
the second month they'd find themselves without a bed. Aries had
impressed a group almost immediately as Haydn's and his duel had
caught the attention of the more influential seventh years, and that was
how they found themselves in the same group as Viktor Krum. Aries
caught the older boy's eye for a moment, and they both rolled their eyes
at the dramatics of their Headmaster. Krum in many ways had become an
older brother to him, their love for playing Seeker had built not only a
healthy rivalry, but also a friendship. The fact that it only added to his
list of connected friends did not hurt either. Viktor would no doubt be
the leader of the group now, but they all knew it was because Aries
refused the role. The group did as he pleased, he just never cared for the
position, at least not yet.
"This year as many of you undoubtedly already know, Durmstrang Institute
will be competing in the Tri-Wizard Tournament at Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry." The many hushed whispers told Aries that
many people did in fact not know of the Tournament. That was
surprising. "It has been decided that only those seventeen and older will
compete, however the top five students from fifth through seventh years will
also be invited to compete in some side contests, and to participate in a student
exchange. A few of the staff will be joining you to chaperone and, of course, to
ensure that you continue to receive the education needed to pass your
examinations. Those chosen will leave for Hogwarts on the first of October.
Your professors will notify you if you have the chance to participate." The
Headmaster might as well had stopped speaking after that. No one
listened to him as he spouted off the rules and the prestigious history of
the school, besides maybe the fearful first years. Even Aries found himself
pulled into the quartet's speculation of the contests. He had a good guess
that the four of them would be invited, seeing as they were the top four
of their year, though he wasn't sure of the fifth as it often changed from
year to year.
The month was passing slowly as far as Aries was concerned. His lessons
continued, and he was pushing himself as hard as he could in his time
with Professor von Reich. The rumors of the school were that there was
at least going to be a Quidditch and a dueling competition. Both were
something he could perform well in, but to be a dueling champion of the
Tri-Wizard Tournament was not something he was going to pass up.
"You've been here for two weeks Aries, and you learned much over the
summer, as expected," von Reich began in perfect English. "I believe it's
time for us to test how much you've learned since last year."
"Rules?" Aries asked and, with a flick of his wrist, his wand was in his
hand. Power surged forth, but was contained, the wand still called for it,
and still wanted to be unleashed. It had taken time for him to truly
control his magic the way he wanted, and it had been worth the years of
training von Reich had given him.
"Everything goes, save for the Unforgivables. I do not wish to be tortured
or die today."
Aries smirked and moved into a defensive position and his professor
moved into a more offensive one. The Black boy's reputation was well
earned, and the name given to him by many of his peers was accurate.
He often liked to wait, attacking less often and applying a more defensive
approach, taking the brunt of his opponent's attack. It was only until his
opponent tired or offered a moment of disadvantage did he strike, and it
was more than often fatal, unleashing the power that many knew he
possessed. But perhaps he would change things up today.
"Come Viper, show me what you have learned."
Aries indeed went for a change of pace bringing his wand in a large circle
before whipping it at the professor. "Glacius!" A spike of ice flew from the
tip of his wand, impaling the wall after his opponent dodged and fired
back with a stunner. It glanced off Aries' shield and then he dodged a
blue colored spell. A bone-breaker curse had already been fired as Aries
finished his dodge, missing the professor by inches and following it by
slashing his wand across his body, sending a devastating cut hex towards
his mentor. Back and forth they went, their spells becoming considerably
darker and more powerful. A sickly looking purple spell whizzed by Aries
before he decided to up the ante. He twisted and thrust his left hand
toward the professor and a fireball flew towards him. Aries followed it up
with another bone-breaker hoping to catch him off guard. The fire struck
the man's shield, flaring in all directions but the following curse struck
the wall as the professor disappeared.
The young man felt himself relax, letting his arms almost dangle at his
side, knees bent. Von Reich had disillusioned himself, and Aries was
listening closely for the man. He could not hear him but the sudden flare
of magic behind him gave the warning he needed. Von Reich was quick
however and knocked his wand from him with a blow to his wrist. Aries
threw caution to the wind attempting to fling spells wandlessly, but their
close distance put them both at a disadvantage. This close, they easily
knocked each other's arms aside, sending the spells into the ground,
walls, and ceiling. Finally, his fist caught the professor's wrist, knocking
his wand to the ground as well, but their duel was not over.
Professor von Reich had trained him in mixed martial arts from day one,
believing that one should give themselves as many weapons as possible,
and so the duel became a fight. Master and apprentice fought, a blow
landing here and there. Von Reich was more experienced, but Aries'
nimbleness and speed were giving him the advantage. He landed a blow
on the man's jaw, just as his feet were knocked out from under him.
Using the momentum, he rolled backwards, taking the opportunity to
summon his wand. His professor had regained his wand as well, and they
stood off anew.
"Come on Aries!" von Reich commanded, "You can beat me! Or is this all
that the Heir can do?"
Anger flashed in Aries' eyes and his control slipped as the green specks in
his eyes suddenly darkened. He touched his wand to his palm and fire
erupted from the tip, swirling around him and smashing into his mentor's
shield. Lightning then flew from his fingertips as the darkest spells Aries'
knew collided with the shield. There was no defense now for him, and no
offense for the professor.
"Ignis flagellum!" A whip of fire streamed from his wand, wrapped around
von Reich's ankles just as his powerful shield broke and ripped him to the
ground. His hand shattered from Aries' bone breaker, his wand flying far
from the two. He reached the fallen man in moments, a deadly spell on
his lips. Reality flashed back to Aries as the tip of his wand, mere inches
from his mentor's face, glowed red, and at the last second flicked his
wrist right blasting the man's desk into pieces.
Aries was panting heavily, the combination of the immense power and
the realization of what he had almost done. How could he lose control
like that? And over the stupidest of jabs, but it had struck a chord
nonetheless. It had been so long since he had last control. Power swirled
around him, far from his control. Glass shattered sending dangerous shards
flying through the air. He could hear his mother's calming voice, contrasting
the chaos that surrounded him. He shook his head violently, sending the
memory back deep into his mind, and tried with all his might to summon
the void of Occlumency.
"Yes!" his professor exclaimed, "Do you know why you finally beat me?"
"I don't know."
"You let loose! After years of trying to get you to do it, you did."
"No!" Aries shook his head again; the memory would not go away. "I
can't, I can't lose control like that. Never again."
"You foolish boy." He could hear the anger in his mentor's voice. "You
have power, power that many would and have killed for. It's not chance
that you've been gifted it either, my Lord. Until you realize that
unleashing that power is your greatest strength, until you stop holding
back the storm that is inside you, you will always be weak." Anger filled
Aries' again and it took everything in his power not to unleash the storm
like he wanted. But he couldn't. Once he did, once he really let it go it
was like a raging torrent, one that he had to wrestle and dominate into
his control. He had no issues with harming people if needed, and he had
done so often in his time at Durmstrang, but when he lost control there
was no telling what would happen, it was like the darkest of his thoughts
took over and it was so sweet he never wanted to let go. It was
intoxicating. No, he would not succumb to that temptation.
"Am I dimissed master?" The formality of his apprenticeship was
something they often avoided. It was easy when the man had spent Yule
with them two years in a row, and most likely a third this year. But Aries'
was too angry to acknowledge that closeness with his mentor, and it did
not go unnoticed.
"No," was the stony reply. "Complete forms one through six, then you
may go."
His friends noticed the distance between the teacher and pupil but made
no comment, it was none of their concern after all. The next two weeks
passed quicker now, as Aries threw himself into training for the
upcoming competition. A desire burned in him, a desire to prove his
master wrong. He spent hours in the library reading up on new and more
powerful spells, some so dark it would probably even surprise his aunt. If
he wasn't there then he was in an abandoned classroom practicing, while
his friends often watched on.
At last the first of October arrived and the thirty students that would
make up the Durmstrang delegation boarded the sixteenth century
Spanish galleon, its sails flowing in the wind. Aries gave a curt nod to
Professor von Reich, who would be joining them along with their Magical
Theory professor, as he made his way to his cabin. He would share it
with Haydn, who had already made himself comfy on the top bunk. They
passed their time with cards, gambling being Haydn's guilty pleasure,
once Arianna and Ivan showed up. The fifth member of the fifth-year
delegation was another girl named Clarissa Mayer. Aries did not know
her personally, but he was aware of the existing friendship between
Arianna and the girl, so he would tolerate her for now. Despite the game
of cards, and the distracting way Arianna seemed to want to play with
her hair, Aries impatiently waited for their arrival at Hogwarts. Not just
for the tournament however, there was someone there he was looking
forward to dealing with after all.
It was near dinner time when they reached Hogwarts. Kakaroff had
refused to allow any of them lunch, saying that it would be disrespectful
to show up and not be able to accept their hospitality. Ironic since Aries
knew the man had had a luxurious meal himself, the whole ship could
smell it. The former Death Eater had spent the entire ride in his cabin,
forcing the students to steer the ship. Well most of them, Aries of the
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black was not about to steer this
ship when so many others were capable, and no one seemed to want to
tell him otherwise. Slowly, magnificently, the ship rose out of the water,
gleaming in the moonlight. It had a strangely skeletal look about it, as
though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering
at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing
noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and
began to glide toward the bank.1
Aries' eyes locked onto Albus Dumbledore as he greeted Igor Kakaroff. He
had seen the Headmaster of Hogwarts many times in some of Cassiopeia's
memories throughout his childhood and in the Daily Prophet that they
received every morning, but this was the first time he had seen him in
person. Aries turned his eyes, not wanting to be noticed by the old man
just yet, to the crowd of Hogwarts students as Kakaroff began to lead
them inside. The delegation from Beauxbatons had already arrived and
few mingled with the Hogwarts students. A flash of blonde hair on what
looked like a fifth year Hogwarts student caught his eye, and he
immediately made his way towards him. He fixed an angry look on his
face as he grabbed the boy by the arm and ripped him around, hazel and
green flecked eyes meeting grey. They locked eyes for a moment, and the
few students around them tensed, before the two broke into a smile,
hugging one another fiercely.
"Aries!" The blonde boy said happily. "You didn't tell me you were
coming too!"
"I didn't know until the first of September," Aries replied with a laugh.
"Figured I'd let it be a surprise. You don't mind if my friends sit with us,
do you?"
"Of course not, follow us. Can't let you end up with those Gryffindors."
Aries let out an amused snort at that. Draco and Aries had been
introduced when they were five-years-old after his mother's pleas to
reunite with her family were finally granted by Cassiopeia. When they
showed up at the door of Malfoy manor after Lucius invited them, Aries
had been quite a shock for the Malfoy. Draco had other friends, but none
grew as close to him as Aries. They quickly became thick as thieves,
causing all sorts of trouble whenever they were together. Draco had been
another reason Aries had begged to go to Hogwarts, but instead he was
forced to hear all about the blonde boy's dealing with the annoying
Gryffindors, and not to mention Pansy Parkinson. No one else knew
about him in England besides the Malfoys, Cassiopeia had forced them
into an Unbreakable Vow to never tell anyone of his existence until he
became public knowledge and seeing as he was now at Hogwarts, that
vow was null and void.
"I do hope you're planning on introducing me Draco," Aries drawled in
perfection imitation of the boy earlier as they sat at the Slytherin table.
The Heir of Slytherin could not hide the satisfaction at finally being at
the school of his famous ancestor.
"Of course," he answered back sarcastically. He pointed first to two rather
large boys, who Aries thought could pass off as miniature trolls. "That's
Crabbe and Goyle, they don't speak much, thank Merlin. Next to him is
Blaise Zabini." Italian, he noted, and he knew the name. The Black Widow
was famous even in Germany, and he couldn't help but wonder if he
possessed any of his mother's skills. "The girl across from me is Pansy
Parkinson." Pansy tried to fix an alluring smile, but Aries was too busy
trying his best not to laugh at Draco's secret hatred of the girl. Uncle
Lucius forced him to play nicely with her, and Aries had been the only
one he could tell that he absolutely loathed the annoying girl. "To her left
is Theodore Nott, you'll like him, dusty book lovers the lot of you. To her
right is Tracey Davis, half-blood but she's alright, and next to her is
Daphne Greengrass, our resident Ice Queen." The last of Draco's group
had caught Aries' attention from the moment she sat down. He
understood only Nott was in his fifth year with Draco and the rest were a
year behind, yet the fourth-year girl could have easily been in his year
and he had a feeling she was older than the rest of her classmates.
Daphne Greengrass had long, beautiful blonde hair, and icy blue eyes met
his. Aries had studied her as she sat down and definitely approved of
what he saw. He gave her a small smirk and could've sworn he saw he
start to blush before she turned away, that icy look back on her face.
Arianna's glare at the girl was something he pointedly ignored. She was
attractive, had always been a loyal friend, and her feelings towards him
was something she had never really tried to hide in their time at
Durmstrang. He did not even need Legilimency to know, but Aries had
always planned on returning to England, and he would need to begin
laying foundations here. The Greengrass girl seemed the best place to
start.
"Good evening, ladies and gentleman, ghosts – and most peculiar –
guests," said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. "I
have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust
that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The
tournament will officially be opened at the end of the feast. I invite you
all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"1
Food appeared in front of them, and Aries recognized the many French
and German cuisines among many others. Unlike his friends though he
immediately reached for the English food. Despite growing up in
Germany, Aunt Cassiopeia had always treated him to the food of her
home, and it was by far his favorite.
"So, who from Hogwarts is the favorite?" Aries asked the Hogwarts
students.
"Diggory," Draco replied sourly with a nod over to table two over.
"Hufflepuff, it's a disgrace. But he's top of the class, so it won't be much of
a surprise. I wish they would allow the younger years a chance."
"And you think you'd be champion Malfoy?" Aries couldn't help but smirk
as Greengrass eyed Draco with a challenge. He remembered that while
Greengrass and Davis hung around Draco, it was not because they liked
him, rather because they liked Parkinson and the fool girl was smitten
with the Malfoy heir.
"He'd be a good choice," Aries interrupted, smirking at the shocked look
on Davis and Greengrass. "I had hoped my Aunt would be able to
convince someone to lower the age, but she refused."
"Why?" Draco asked. He knew that if Cassiopeia wanted something done,
it'd happen.
"Didn't want me to be able to compete."
"More like she wanted the other schools to have a chance," Arianna
offered. Her English was far better than Haydn's or Ivan's.
Aries shrugged. "I have no doubt that Hogwarts and Beauxbatons will
offer up excellent champions, though I have full confidence that Krum
will be victorious."
"Don't be modest Aries," Arianna chided. "You'd wipe the floor with the
competition."
Aries looked around the hall as conversation moved onto classes. He
knew all about it from Draco's letters and summer rants, so he took the
opportunity to study the students. Almost immediately his eyes landed on
a raven-haired boy with round glasses and a lightning bolt scar. He was
talking with a red-haired boy who was trying unsuccessfully to talk with
a mouth full of food. So that is Thomas Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. He
seemed a little short for his age and nothing stood out to him as
extraordinary, but he knew looks could be deceiving. A pull of magic
turned his eyes to one of the French girls at the same table as Diggory.
She was gorgeous, but the pull was confusing until a realization came to
him. Veela! That explained why most boys around her seemed almost in
a trance, staring at her like she was the most amazing thing they had
ever seen. Aries shook his head at their antics and turned to the head
table.
The headmistress of Beauxbatons sat to Albus Dumbledore's left, while
Kakaroff sat on his right. The three were in a heated conversation, one
that pitted Igor against the other two heads. It ended with a triumphant
look on Igor's face who, once noticing Aries gaze, gave a nod and looked
like one who was bursting to tell a secret. Aries' eyes moved to the left
and found himself looking at Sirius Black. He looked exactly as he did
years ago in Aunt Cassi's memories, with long black hair and an air of
casual elegance. Sirius was laughing loudly with the man to his left. This
man, James Potter he guessed, looked exactly like an older version of
Thomas, with the same glasses on his face. The two men were similar
robes, looking something akin to what the German Aurors were. There
were two empty seats next to Sirius but before he could muse, the food
had disappeared, and Dumbledore stood to address them.
"The moment has come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at the seas of
upturned faces. "The Tri-Wizard Tournament is about to begin. I would
like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket just
to clarify the procedures that we will be following this year. But first, let
me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch,
Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr.
Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Mr.
Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months
on the arrangements for the Tri-Wizard-Tournament and they will be
joining myself, Professor Kakaroff, and Madame Maxine in the panel that
will judge the champion's efforts.1 I'd almost like to welcome Aurors
Sirius Black and James Potter. After the recent attack at the Quidditch
World Cup, the Ministry felt that an Auror presence was necessary and
they have happily volunteered to join us.
'First I have some announcements to make. As you were told there are
extra contests, designed to inspire international bonds and grow a
healthy sense of competition. There will be, of course, a Quidditch
tournament and a dueling tournament. Interschool competitions will
deem who will compete for their schools, and unfortunately those chosen
as champions will not be allowed to compete in these extra contests."
There was a little grumbling to that, but it faded quickly. "Lastly, as many
of you know it was the intention of many of the organizers of this
tournament to only allow those seventeen-years-old to compete.
However, and I must note my disagreement with this decision, it has
been decided that all those in their fifth year, or the age fifteen, and
above may enter to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament."
An old man that looked rather grumpy, approached Dumbledore with a
wooden casket as excited conversations sprung up around the hall. Aries
noticed Kakaroff's smirk again and guessed that the heated discussion he
had witnessed regarded the age limit. It seemed the Aunt Cassiopeia had
in fact convinced a few people to make the change, her bad habit of
having a tough time telling Aries no to anything seemed to be continuing
tonight. Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times on
upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open and he reached
inside pulling out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been
extremely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing
blue-white flames.1
"In light of the recent age limit change, I feel I must put forth a warning
to all those that would compete," Dumbledore said gravely. "This
tournament will consist of four tasks, spaced throughout the school year
and they will test each champion in many ways. These will not be school
yard challenges as they are designed to challenge everything about you,
including the ability to cope with danger. Many have died in this
tournament, and I would hope that trend is not continued this year.
Anyone wishing to the champion to represent their school has twenty-
four hours to write their name and school upon a slip of parchment and
place into the impartial selector: The Goblet of Fire."
The Great Hall had been changed since the welcoming feast the night
before. Stands and small circular tables replaced the long ones that
usually sat in the hall. Aries and the combination of his and Draco's
friends had spent much of the day watching would be contenders place
their name in the Goblet. Each House from Hogwarts had cheered loudly
for their contenders, but the loudest cheer of all had been for Diggory.
Aries had gleemed much about the seventh year from Draco's friends, and
unfortunately for his friend, he believed that Diggory would be the one
chosen. Many of the Beauxbatons students believed the veela, Fleur
Delacour, would be chosen. The only school that was unsure was
Durmstrang, as many could not decide whether the Goblet would choose
Viktor Krum or Aries Black.
Aries glanced towards Daphne, who was far more interested in her
Ancient Runes book than the contenders for the cup, before turning back
to see two red-heads, twins by the looks of them, put their names in the
Goblet as cheers rose from the Gryffindors. He had to agree with Draco's
assessment of them, they were rather obnoxiously loud. Ivan and Haydn
had already placed submitted their names, but Aries tapped his foot
impatiently as he waited for Viktor. Rather than putting in his name right
away, Kakaroff had wanted them to place their names in together, seeing
as the Headmaster believed that one of them would be chosen, and he
was probably right. Finally, the Bulgarian entered in his blood red-robes
and the hall quieted. Many were in awe of the Quidditch star, despite his
team's loss in the World Cup this past summer. Aries rose from his seat
between Draco and Arianna, and walked confidently to meet him, his slip
of parchment already in his hand. They gave each other a nod, before
placing their names in at the same time as a polite cheer rose from the
spectators. Aries gave him a cheeky grin, and they shook hands before he
pulled the Bulgarian over to meet Draco and his friends.
"I still can't believe I got to meet Krum," Draco gushed. The dinner
Hogwarts provided tonight was excellent again, and Aries was looking
forward to finding out who would be champions.
"Honestly Malfoy you sound like Weasley," Greengrass said with a smug
smirk. The blonde girl had amused him all day with her comments
towards his friend and with each laugh he gave it only seemed to
encourage her more.
"Quit laughing Black, and don't compare me to that mud blood
befriending blood traitor."
"Draco," Aries said sternly, "That's your father talking." Cassiopeia Black
and Lucius Malfoy had very similar views on the topic of muggles and
muggleborns, but their place in the magical world was something they
did disagree on. While Lucius thought that muggleborns should not be
allowed into their society at all, Cassi believed they should be integrated
so well that they were more magic than muggle, it was something Aries
tended to agree with. The only thing that could agree on was that the old
families should stay in power, and that the muggles needed to learn their
place in the world. How, was still a heated discussion between the two
families. Aries had long tried to hold Draco's blood prejudice in check
and knew that Uncle Lucius thought him to be a bit of a bad influence in
that category. Dumbledore rising to his feet cut off Draco's reply and
silenced the hall.
"It seems at last the Goblet is ready to determine our champions. I would
ask that when a champion is called, they make their way to the next
chamber, where they will receive their instructions." He gave a wave of
his wand and the hall plunged into darkness, save for the Goblet of Fire
which shone brightly, casting a blue light onto the students. The flames
turned suddenly red and a tongue of flame so hot Aries could feel it on
his face shot into the air, and a charred piece of parchment floated down
into Dumbledore's awaiting hand.
"The champion for Durmstrang," Dumbledore stopped for a moment, as if
to be sure of what he had read. "Aries Black." The Durmstrang delegation
erupted in cheers, shocking everyone, as the surly occupants had been
the quietest since their arrival. Aries stood flashing his friends a
triumphant smile as he made his way to the back chamber. He did miss
the look of open curiosity on Albus Dumbledore's face and the equally
shocking look on Sirius Black. He ignored them both, passing into a
smaller room, lined with portraits and a handsome fire was roaring in the
fireplace. Moments later he was joined by the French champion Fleur
Delacour who gave him an appraising look which he returned with a
flirtatious smile. Lastly, to no surprise, Cedric Diggory walked in. The
three did not speak to one another and all turned to the door as it
opened. But it was not as he expected.
The first thing Aries Black noticed about Thomas Potter was that the boy
was confused and clearly frightened. He slipped into the boy's mind and
caught a glimpse of a charred piece of parchment and Dumbledore
calling out the boy's name.
"It seems we have a fourth champion."
AN: Next chapter will be titled: To Be A Champion
Quick note to erase any confusion:
Fifth year students from Durstrang are Aries, Hayden, Arianna, Ivan
(Krum is obviously in his seventh year)
Fifth year students from Hogwarts are Draco, Theodore Nott (only
original characters a year ahead besides Harry/Aries)
Fourth year students from Hogwarts are Zabini, Tracey Davis,
Daphne Greengrass, Thomas Potter, Susan Bones Hermione, and
Ron (generally most of the original class)
Third year students from Hogwarts are Ginny Weasley and Luna
Lovegood
4. To Be A Champion
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. I don't necessarily write for reviews,
follows, and favorites, but they are one hell of a motivator to keep
writing, so thank you all for them. I struggled with this chapter, and
I'm still not sure it ended how I wanted, but I couldn't do much
better. There are a couple moments that I do love, and I hope it
makes up for the rest. Hopefully y'all enjoy it and if you don't,
whatever floats your boat y'all.
"Did you place your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore asked
calmly. The whole room was tense, accusations of cheating had already
been said, and James Potter, who had come in with Sirius Black and
Dumbledore, looked furious.
"No." Thomas answered. Aries noted that a third man with greasy hair
and a hooked nose made a soft noise of impatient disbelief. He
recognized him as Severus Snape, the youngest potions master in history,
or at least he had been. Snape's books on potions had been some of Aries'
favorite growing up and he looked forward to learning from him
personally.
"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?"
"No." he answered vehemently, but Aries could see that he was afraid.
"Ah, but of course 'e is lying!" cried Madame Maxine.
"Of course he's not." Aries venomous statement cut off the argument
before it could continue. "Look at him, only a fool could believe that he
did it. He's terrified, as he should be."
"Black's right," a man gruffed from near the door. He only had one real
eye, the other being a magical one that swirled around the room and he
hobbled on a wooden leg towards them. "He's been forced to compete.
They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract and the like. Rather
convenient, eh?"
"Convenient?" Kakaroff asked. "I'm afraid I don't understand you Mad-
Eye." Ah, he was the Auror, Alastor Moody, though most called him Mad-
Eye . Aries did not miss the way his headmaster attempted to belittle the
Auror.
"Don't you?" Moody growled. "It's very simple Kakaroff, someone put
Potter's name in the Goblet knowing he'd have to compete. People have
died in this tournament, and someone is probably hoping Potter is going
to die from it."
They finally let the champions leave after a pointless argument in Aries'
opinion. The Goblet of Fire was a magical binding contract and so now
four champions would compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He could
tell that Delacour had been interested in walking with him out of the
castle, but Madame Maxine had held her back. Unfortunate as the last
thing he wanted was to be with Kakaroff alone. The man annoyed him to
no end, and while Aries respected the position he held, the man was a
coward pure and simple. Thankfully Kakaroff was pulled aside by the
potions master and he was able to enjoy a quiet walk back.
The halls, and his mind, had a different idea however. Much like eight
years ago when Aries had visited the Chamber of Secrets, memories that
did not belong to him floated to the forefront of his mind. He could
remember taking that hall to the boy's room, and he undoubtedly knew
that that left turn could lead him down to the Slytherin common room,
even though he had never been there. It was a lot to take in and he
welcomed the void, pushing the assaulting memories back in the recesses
of his mind.
Aries exited the castle and breathed in the fresh air. The Spanish galleon
that he'd call home for the next year looked remarkable in the cloudless
sky, a half moon shining its light onto the great lake. Professor von Reich
greeted him on the deck, a glass of firewhiskey in his hand. He was
tempted to join him, knowing his mentor would allow him a glass or two,
but his friends were most likely waiting up for him, putting up with
Muller's gambling, and so he headed to his cabin. The moment he was
through the door a small body attacked him with a vicious hug. Arianna
pulled back with a large smile, and Haydn and Ivan looked equally
pleased as they sat around a card filled table.
"Congratulations!" she shouted in German. "Too bad that Potter boy went
and ruined it for everyone. Doesn't he have enough fame already?"
"How did that work out, Aries?" Ivan asked as Haydn took the opportunity
to deal him in to the game. Aries gave a shake of his head at his friend's
addiction, taking a seat next to Arianna on his bunk.
"Potter did not enter willingly, that was obvious."
"Legilimency?" Haydn offered. Aries glanced at his hand before answering,
he'd lose this round. Did Haydn cheat or was he just bad at cards?
"Yes and no, it was clear on his face that he was terrified. One of the Aurors,
Alastor Moody, seems to think someone's out to get Potter. But he'll compete.
Four champions. Makes for a rather interesting tournament." Haydn would
have had them play until sunrise, but the moment Arianna started dosing
on his shoulder Aries sent them back to their own cabins. They had filled
him in on the student exchange and the fifth year Durmstrang students
would shadow the Slytherin's in Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms.
Professor von Reich would teach them Battle Magic and Runes. Krum had
already put together a team for the Quidditch tournament and no one
argued against the Bulgarian star. Aries would have to make it a point to
talk to the older boy, he had been looking forward to competing in the
Tri-Wizard Tournament and he wanted to make sure there were no hard
feelings. Viktor's friendship, and future connections, was an asset he did
not want to lose.
Aries had enjoyed the potions class, though he was disappointed he did
not get to see the potions master brew himself. Professor Snape had
simply left instructions on the board and left them to brew, spending the
lesson antagonizing the Gryffindors to the endless amusements of the
Slytherins. Transfiguration reminded him much of his own professor back
at Durmstrang and he welcomed the strictness that the old woman
brought. His only disappointment was that his class was further ahead
than Hogwarts, making it much more of a review than an actual learning
experience. Charms had been his favorite so far, the miniature wizard
being much more interesting than theirs at Durmstrang, whose dull,
monotone voice only sounded alive next to Professor Binns.
It was that Thursday following Charms, that Aries decided to go for a
stroll outside Hogwarts. The fresh air was much welcome compared to
the frigidness one breathed in at Durmstrang. He had a feeling one could
really enjoy learning at Hogwarts, but the survival lessons taught at
Durmstrang put all of its students leagues ahead of its counterpart in his
opinion. Aries stroll had brought him down to the lake, where he found
Thomas Potter skipping rocks into the lake with as much enthusiasm as
Draco put into being nice to muggleborns. He was not oblivious and had
seen many of the Hogwarts students wearing badges claiming Diggory as
the 'Real Hogwarts Champion,' though occasionally it would change to
say 'Potter Stinks.' It had been a rather ingenious idea of Draco's, one that
even he found amusing, but many had taken it to the extreme. Aries had
also noticed that the two fifth years that had sat next to Potter at the
welcome feast ignored him and much of his house avoided him besides a
red-headed third year and a chubby fourth year. He was not sure why he
walked towards the boy, but he was also a champion after all, and as
much as Aries loathed to admit it, the boy was being forced to compete,
and did not deserve the way the rest of the school treated him.
"Potter." The Black boy greeted. Thomas looked up surprised and almost
dropped his handful of rocks at seeing the Durmstrang student.
"Oh, hello." Thomas returned the greeting awkwardly. "You're Aries Black
right?"
"Indeed I am." The Potter boy had a rather confused look on his face
before turning back to the lake.
"Are you related to Sirius?" Aries bit back the sarcastic remark. It would
not do to anger a potential connection, one that may have serious
political influence in the future.
"Yes, I'm his nephew. His brother, Regulus, was my father."
"The Death Eater?!" Potter had fixed a rather scared look on his face. This
was the wizarding world's savior? He was afraid of a dead man! Could he
even say the Dark Lord's name or did he say You-Know-Who like the rest
of them?
"Yes, though if I remember correctly, the Dark Lord killed him, so I'm not
sure why that would matter." That had come out far more sarcastic than
Aries meant, but it seemed to relax the boy, who continued skipping
rocks into the lake.
"Sirius wants to talk to you, but I think he's scared you'll reject him or
something." Ah, so that explained his uncle's distance.
"You can tell him that I'll talk to him, though it would be best if kept his
expectations of me locked up."
"Yeah Sirius tends to be a little irrational sometimes," Thomas said with a
grin. "I'll let him know." Silence spread out between them, Potter
continued to skip rocks and Aries looked to the forest, longing to change
and run through the trees. He shook his head, that was a secret too great
to risk being caught, especially in the daylight.
"I see your friends have abandoned you." Not a very sensitive way to say
it, but Aries tended to be rather blunt. Thomas winced and chose to
chuck the next rock, rather than skip it.
"Yeah, they don't believe that I didn't put my name into the cup."
"And does everyone believe that?"
"I think so." Potter glanced up at the castle, and Aries could tell he was
deep in thought.
"Let me give you a life lesson Potter," Aries began, waiting until Potter
looked at him before continuing. "Friends are nice, but at the end of the
day all you have is yourself. If they don't believe your word, then they
aren't good friends any way. I saw that boy you were with, Weasley I
think? He looked at the cup like it was the answer to all his problems.
And then dropped you in a second when he thought you robbed him of it.
That's not the kind of person you want to be around. Make some new
friends Potter, ones that believe you and value what you say. Forget these
people, and when the first task comes, prove them wrong. Prepare
yourself rather than sitting around moping, or this tournament will kill
you." Aries wasn't sure why he had helped Potter, but at the time it
seemed the right thing to do.
The second week of classes went by quickly and the First Task, set to take
place on the first of November, was now only two weeks away. He had
found an abandoned classroom on the third floor that he used to practice
some of his spells and his friends routinely joined him to throw out ideas
of their own. It was on the Tuesday in their third week, while Aries was
making his way to Transfiguration, that he was at last confronted by
Sirius Black. His uncle had been floating around often, always seeming to
be on the verge of saying something to him but deciding against it at the
last second.
"Aries! Hold up!" The Black boy turned around with an expectant look on
his face.
"Uncle Sirius," Aries almost drawled. "It's good to finally meet you."
"So, you do know me." That was a rather ridiculous statement considering
the conversation he had had with Potter last week. "Where are you
headed?"
"Transfiguration. I'm assuming you'd like to walk with me?"
"Yeah sure." He allowed Sirius to lead and to give him a moment to
collect his thoughts. It was obvious that his uncle was unsure of what
exactly to say, but he waited patiently for him to decide.
"How are you finding Hogwarts?" Sirius asked at last.
"Warm, Durmstrang tends to be much colder than here." Aries noticed the
way Sirius' face darkened at the mention of his school but chose to ignore
it. "Draco and his friends have been kind enough to welcome us with
open arms."
"The Malfoy boy? Why are you hanging around with him?"
"He's been my friend since I was five years old, and considering my
mother was a Malfoy I don't think I need much more of an explanation."
"His father was a Death Eater-"
"As was mine."
"And you're hanging around the people who followed the man that killed
him! People who love the Dark Arts!" Aries rolled his eyes.
"I think you're forgetting that I go to a school that teaches the Dark Arts.
And besides Regulus killed himself uncle."
"What?" Sirius asked incredulously, the last statement catching him off
guard. It wasn't the truth per say, but it was from Aries' point of view.
"I do not blame the Dark Lord for killing my father." he answered
statement only seemed to anger his uncle even more.
"Don't call him that! You sound like one of them! And how could you not
blame him?!" Aries rolled his eyes and stopped to face the man.
"My father joined the Dark Lord willingly, and then betrayed him. If I had
been in the Dark Lord's position I would have done the same. Betraying
someone as powerful as him is not a good idea for staying alive." Anger
rose up in Aries and he fought to control the desire to hex his only other
family member. "And what about you Sirius? How many Death Eaters
have you killed? How many children have you left without a father? Is
their hatred of you any less deserving because their fathers were not
killed by a dark lord? No, Sirius, the Dark Lord is not to blame. If anyone
is to blame it's you." Sirius had paled considerably at that statement, and
was backed against the wall, almost seeming to want to run away from
Aries' upcoming accusations. "My father came to you days before he was
killed. It's in his journal he left with my mother. I don't know why he
betrayed the Dark Lord, and why it was a big enough deal to be dealt
with personally. All I do know is that he came to you for help and you
turned your back on him. You turned your back on blood and family. If
you're looking for someone to blame Sirius Black, maybe you should start
with yourself."
Aries waited a few moments to see if Sirius would respond, but he
seemed at a loss for words. With a shake of his head he left his uncle
leaning against the stone wall. He had hoped he might be able to connect
with his uncle, and perhaps pull him away from Dumbledore's grasp to
help rebuild the House of Black. Aries did in a way blame Sirius for his
father's death, but it wasn't like he was the one who cast the killing cure.
Part of him truly wanted to build a relationship with his uncle despite
what he had done. Unfortunately, Sirius was too busy being narrow
minded, like many of the Light families that followed the Headmaster.
"Aries." Sirius' voice was soft and without Aries' excellent hearing he
might not have heard his uncle. He turned to face Sirius, who now stood
staring down at his hands. Sirius took a deep breath and meet Aries' eyes.
"You're right, I turned my back on Reg. And not a day goes by that I don't
regret it. Thirteen years I've been haunted by the fact that maybe I could
have saved my brother. Then you show up, the son of the only member
of my family I ever loved. Maybe if I had helped him, Voldemort
would've been destroyed before he killed your father. You could've been
raised here, and I would've snuck you away for adventures while your
father tried to teach you all about being a proper Black." Sirius looked to
be fighting tears. "But that's not meant to be. Regulus is dead, but you're
here now. Please let me get to know you, the real you. Let me try to be
the uncle I could have been if I hadn't made the biggest mistake of my
life. Please Aries."
Sirius' confession rocked Aries, it had been the last thing he had been
expecting. Maybe his uncle wasn't so far out of reach after all. Aries
walked calmly over to Sirius, looked him in the eyes, and grazed his
uncle's mind. Guilt hit him like a hurricane, and it threatened to drown
him. Only his years of Occlumency helped him keep the neutral look on
his face, but guilt was not the only thing he felt. Rising in that storm was
hope, and at that Aries made his decision. He reached out his hand,
waiting for Sirius to take it, and shook it.
"I'm Aries Black," he greeted. "It's good to meet you Uncle Sirius." The
older man smiled brightly, and Aries ignored the obvious tears that
threatened to fall.
"It's good to meet you too cub." Sirius looked away for a second, clearly
trying to reign in his emotions, and Aries felt guilt for something else
rising in his uncle. "Look you've got the tournament and all, so I don't
want to distract you right now. If you need any help feel free to ask, but
there's a Hogsmeade trip the weekend after the First Task. Maybe we
could get to know each other over a few butterbeers then?"
"I prefer firewhiskey." Aries replied with a grin. "But yes, that's
acceptable."
"I'd tell you that you're underage and all, but that's not something an
uncle is supposed to do." Sirius smiled and looked as if he wanted to hug
Aries, but decided against it, much to Aries' relief.
The rest of the week passed by without any further incident. Surprisingly
Viktor had been incredibly busy whether with preparing the Durmstrang
Quidditch team or, for whatever reason, sneaking off to the library, but
Aries had finally tracked him down. It was with much relief that the
older boy laughed off his worries, saying that he could now show the
English and the French how Quidditch was supposed to be played. If
Aries wasn't practicing or hanging out with his friends or Draco, Daphne
Greengrass occupied his time, much to Arianna De Cordova's chargin.
Daphne had been rather cold to his advances, something Draco found
rather amusing, but after reluctantly sharing an Ancient Runes text, one
he had spent hours looking for in the library and was not about to just
give up no matter how beautiful the girl was, she seemed to warm a
little. The girl often asked about Durmstrang and Germany, while
providing invaluable information on the current political situation in
England. Her father, Cyrus, sat on the Wizengamot, and kept her up to
date on the happenings of the high wizard court of law.
It was after Daphne joined him for one of his practice sessions that she
surprised him. Draco had told him a lot about his friends throughout the
years, and while Aries had needed to be introduced to them it did not
mean he was ignorant of them. Greengrass, according to Draco, thought
much of the blood prejudice was rubbish, and did not hold to the more
extreme pureblood beliefs. Despite all this, Aries did not miss the way her
eyes lit up the first time he cast a Dark Arts spell. It had been days before
she built up her courage to approach him, but when Daphne asked if he
would teach her some of what he knew of the Dark Arts, he accepted all
too happily. Now the pureblood heiress sat with him at meals often,
something he now enjoyed rubbing in Draco's face, and discretely read
the Dark Arts book he had given her anytime she invited him to the
library.
Arianna was tense as he slipped in beside her in Battle Magics. Aries was
more than aware of Arianna's dislike for Daphne Greengrass, but he
thought that she was over reacting. He had never shown any signs of
returning the Spanish girl's feelings, and while they had a closer
friendship than most boys and girls had, it was no where near a
relationship. It was something he would need to address soon, though he
pushed it far from his mind as their professor joined them at last.
Professor von Reich had opted to take over an abandoned classroom on
the second floor, no doubt to get away from Headmaster Kakaroff. His
lesson was unique, even for Durmstrang's standards and the collective
Durmstrang delegation seemed to enjoy the change of pace. Aries made
to leave as von Reich brought their lesson to a close, hoping to catch up
with Arianna who had left rather quickly, before his professor asked him
to stay.
Their argument had happened over a month ago, and while they had
continued their lessons at Durmstrang, they had yet to have one upon
their arrival at Hogwarts. It was still somewhat tense between them,
Aries noted, as he took the offered chair in front of von Reich's desk. He
waited patiently as his professor scribbled a note, taking the moment to
notice how much different the man had made this room compared to his
classroom at Durmstrang. Aries came back to look at von Reich, who was
leaning forward, looking at him with an expression of curiosity before
leaning back, and placing his hands in his lap. He waited for his master
to speak as he was not sure if this would be a social conversation or if he
was about to be reprimanded.
"What did you think of today's lesson Aries?" The question caught him off
guard, but he quickly recovered.
"Dementors are a rather interesting discussion, something I didn't think
was covered until seventh year." The creatures did intrigue them, as did
many dark creatures, and had read up on them from an early age. Their
loyalty to dark wizards was a potential asset he had been researching
since his arrival at Durmstrang.
"They also have a tendency to show up in the Tri-Wizard Tournament,
something I thought you all would be interested in, particularly you."
"I've noticed," Aries drawled. "The Patronus Charm is on my agenda to
learn after the First Task."
"And do you have a plan?"
"Yes." Aries was unsure of how much to tell the old man but decided that
being open could be rewarding. "Dragons are definitely an interesting
challenge."
"Ah, so Kakaroff told you, did he?" He enjoyed the look of disgust on
Professor von Reich's face. Their mutual dislike of the Headmaster was a
common topic during their lessons. "That man is a coward. Afraid of
losing anything, including this tournament. I'm still not sure why
Cassiopeia allowed him to be the Headmaster of Durmstrang"
"I had hoped to enjoy the challenge of not knowing the task but-"
"But you did not wish to look a gift horse in the mouth?" Von Reich
finished for him. "A wise decision. No doubt you do not wish to burn that
bridge. Kakaroff, despite him being a coward, could potentially push
many valuable students your way." Aries nodded at that. Kakaroff was
important to his future plans, unless he could be replaced with someone
better. "Your affinity for fire will be useful for this first challenge then."
Aries gave an amused snort at that. "Dragon fire is very different than
magical fire."
"Ah, but elemental fire is much closer in nature. Your ability to bend and
control the elements will prove useful in this tournament." Aries could
not help the troubled look on his face and Von Reich glanced back at his
notes for a moment. "Tell me what you think of your competition."
"Diggory is indeed my strongest competitor. Fast, nimble, and has a wide
arsenal of spells, though admittedly light. He is far more powerful than
he lets on. The Delacour girl, a veela, is a close second. If her allure
affected me I'd consider her above Diggory. Still, she also has an affinity
for fire, as do most veela, and the Goblet chose her for a reason. I've been
trying to get close to her, but Madame Maxine seems against the idea of
her 'fraternizing with the enemy.'" His professor nodded along while Aries
took a moment to reflect on his last opponent. "Potter is the least
concerning. Though that is if one is considering which of three deadly
snakes one wants to avoid the least. No doubt he has had some training,
but his inexperience gives me an advantage."
"As expected, your assessment is correct." Again, that curious look
crossed his mentor's face. "Tell me Aries, why did you decide to be a
champion?" This was the second time the professor had caught him off
guard, but he silently collected his thoughts before answering.
"The dueling tournament was a fantastic way to introduce myself to the
people of England. But this tournament, it can be the beginning of the
return of the House of Black."
"Then why are you going to hold yourself back? I can see your reluctance
to use your more refined abilities. If you mean to introduce yourself why
not show them all of what you can do?"
"The reward is not worth the risk," Aries almost gritted out. He did not
want to have this conversation, but his master did not agree. He did not
answer right away, but he eventually spoke again.
"Eight years ago, Cassiopeia Black came to me, telling me of a boy that
needed a tutor. She told me that this boy was exceptional and incredibly
powerful. I expected someone in their teens, but I found myself tutoring a
seven-year-old boy." Aries remembered well the day that Professor von
Reich came to teach him, mere days after receiving his wand. "I was not
disappointed however. For two hours, five days a week, I taught you
under the watchful eyes of your aunt. Immediately I knew you had
power, and the determination to succeed. Every great wizard, and many
of the finest duelists, long to find an apprentice, to pass on their
knowledge and see it perfected. I had given up hope of finding someone
worthy to pass on my knowledge to, and then I found you. That first day
I taught you I asked your aunt for permission to apprentice you, and she
denied me. I'm ashamed to say I begged, and still she refused, but I was
determined. For four years I taught you Battle Magics, Transfiguration,
Charms, Runes, and Potions, watching as you surpassed my expectations
day after day. Every day I asked to make you my apprentice, still your
aunt denied me. Yet I could tell it was only the tip of the ice burg, and
that you both were hiding something.'
"It was the day I was offered the Battle Magics post at Durmstrang that
your aunt came to me. That only confirmed my assumption that I had
been offered it because of your aunt. It was then that I learned of your
immense power, far beyond even what I had guessed, and it was also the
day I learned of your mother. That day she finally approved my request,
and you became my apprentice with an eagerness I yearned for.
Throughout your first year I tried to push you, and yet you were afraid to
let go. I passed it off, thinking it was just the irrational fear of an eleven-
year-old boy. Then your second year came, and still you were afraid. So, I
changed tactics, teaching you spells and focusing on your rather unique
affinities, forcing you to release your power in intervals, gaining more
and more control. You returned for your third year, and I knew
something was different. You finally had unleashed enough to overpower
me, now I just had to refine you. It was not until I found your secret
room on the second floor that I truly understood. You weren't scared of
your power, as the havoc you created in that room showed, rather you
feared what you would do to people. When I questioned you and
questioned why you were so determined to control the storm inside you,
you surprised me again with the demand of an Unbreakable Vow.
Knowing your aunt, I should not have been surprised. That was when you
told me that you were not just the Heir of the Most Ancient and Most
Noble House of Black, but also the Heir of Slytherin, and told me of what
you had planned for the future." Aries nodded, he remembered that too,
but where was his professor going with this?
"All your power, your determination made sense now. All the missing
pieces of the puzzle came together and throughout your fourth year I
pushed you and pushed you. Antagonizing you, hoping to make you
angry enough to unleash your power until at last this year something
inside you snapped. I don't know why you reacted, all I know is you
finally unleashed that storm inside you. If you want their respect Aries of
House Black, you need to unleash it again and again in this tournament."
"I can't." Aries interrupted.
"Then why are you in this tournament?!" Von Reich demanded.
"I'm the Heir to the House of Black!" Aries yelled in return. "And more
importantly I'm the Heir of Slytherin. But I'm just a fifteen-year-old boy
from Durmstrang who grew up in Germany. None of these Englishman
will respect me. I did not grow up around here, but I can show them
what I'm capable of and make them respect me without unleashing
everything."
"Quit lying to me! Despite your childish fears even I can tell that
somewhere inside you, you want to unleash that power. Now tell me why
you won't do it!"
"I DON'T WANT TO BECOME A MONSTER!" There it was, the deep
hidden fear that had always been inside him. His aunt had never hidden
her plans for them, and he even had his own. But too often he saw
himself becoming another Voldemort, another monster. He called for the
void, as the nightmares of his youth assaulted him.
"Good," Von Reich said softly after a moment, bringing him back to the
present. "Then don't." Aries choked out a laugh at that. "Grindewald and
Lord Voldemort have one very important thing in common. They both
lost their humanity along the way. Grindewald's 'Greater Good'
eventually rivaled the evil of Adolf Hitler, and the Dark Lord turned
reform into massacre, not caring for what it did to the magical
community. We both know of what you have planned Aries and there's
nothing wrong with what you desire to achieve but let me tell you there
is no handbook that sets any sort of rules for what a dark lord can or
cannot be. Many have earned that title through their cruelty and through
genocide, Grindewald and the Dark Lord included, but you will not earn
it as they did. It will be given to you by wizards too ignorant to see that
you are only doing what must be done, what others are too weak to
accomplish themselves. You are so concerned with making connections
here that you do not realize this is the perfect opportunity to let other
sees that they should be the ones getting on your good side.'
"You schooling at Durmstrang and your love for a larger view of magic,
rather than the dogmatic view of Dumbledore, will push the Light
families away from you. So, forget them and unleash your power Aries.
Unleash the darkness, that raging storm inside you, and show the dark
and grey wizards of England what you are capable of. Show them that
you can be the dark lord that Voldemort never could. Keep your rules,
keep that part of your humanity, and do only what is necessary. Show
them why they should fear and respect you. Show them what it truly
means to by the Heir of Slytherin. You will only become a monster if you
let yourself become one. You are incredibly powerful, Aries, and you will
be the Dark Lord of the coming century. But that does not mean you will
become another Lord Voldemort. It does not mean that you have to be
evil, like those who came before you. Put away that childish fear and
become who you were born to be."
Professor von Reich's words haunted him, replaying over and over in his
head. His dreams seem to be even worse, as one night he'd see himself
standing in the place of the Dark Lord and the next he'd relive the
nightmares of his youth. No screams came from him now as they had
when he was younger, but they still troubled him nonetheless. His friends
had taken his sudden solemn mood as symptoms of the upcoming task,
but truthfully it did not worry him at all. Whether he went with his
original plan or followed the advice of his mentor, the dragon would be
no concern.
There were a few bright spots that did manage to cheer him up, such as
the fact that Draco and Daphne began joining the fifth-year Durmstrang
students more often to relax or study. He knew Draco joined them, rather
than inviting him to be with his own friends, because Parkinson could
not stand Arianna, and vice versa, and thus left him alone. Aries was
happy that the Spanish girl did not leave at the site of Greengrass girl as
she had been doing before, even though her dislike for the English girl
was still plain, but things were starting to go back to normal. He only
hoped that it would continue.
It was a cool Saturday that found Aries walking along the Black Lake,
exactly a week away from the First Task. His musing was unfortunately
interrupted by Potter himself calling for him. Two weeks had passed
since his conversation with Potter, who from Aries' observation seemed
to be doing much better. He had seen him often with the chubby boy,
and two red-headed girls. Aries considered ignoring him, and the call to
run among the trees of the forest was almost too much a temptation to
pass up. Almost.
"Potter," Aries greeted again, coming to a stop next to a rock jutting out
of the ground. "Can I help you?"
"It's Thomas, you know," he said with a kind smile. Aries suddenly had to
fight the urge to hex the boy and when he didn't respond Potter
continued. "I, um, just wanted to say thank you. You kind of gave me a
reality check. I hope I can be friends with Ron again, but if not maybe it's
for the best."
"Good." Awkward silences were starting to be a trend that Aries did not
enjoy. "Are you prepared for the First Task?" His passive Legilimency
kicked in: Moody pulling Potter aside. Summoning a pillow in an abandoned
class room. Dreams of evading a dragon on broomstick.
"I think so," Potter answered awkwardly. "I just wish I knew what the
task was."
"No need to lie Potter." Aries drawled. He nearly slapped himself, he was
starting to sound way too much like Draco. "We both know its dragons.
And I have no doubt that Delacour and Diggory know."
"Yeah. I told Diggory actually." Stupid Gryffindors. Now he was thinking
like Draco!
"That was foolish, but rather brave too." Potter gave him a curious look.
What was with people doing that?
"I just hope I can make it out of this tournament alive." It returned in him
in that moment, the desire to help Potter again. He wasn't sure why, but
part of Aries saw a bit of himself in the younger boy. Fate had thrown
duties on them at an early age, one to defeat a dark lord and the other to
become one. Perhaps that was where the desire came from.
"Tell me Potter, do you know what it means to be a Tri-Wizard
Champion?"
"No," Potter answered curiously.
"I researched it after we were chosen, simply out of curiosity. The creator
of the cup had this to say: The Goblet of Fire does not choose one based on
power or skill, though it does play a large part. Rather it chooses one worthy
enough to sacrifice everything in pursuit of victory, to push oneself beyond the
limitations and boundaries of themselves to achieve and earn the eternal glory
that the tournament brings." Aries waited a moment for that to sink in.
"That statement stuck with me, it mentions glory not fame. To push
oneself and to exceed their own limitations. Simply put to be a champion
means that you are capable of pushing yourself farther than you thought
imaginable, to exceed your own boundaries, and achieve glory in the
pursuit of victory. It only mentions the pursuit, not actually winning the
tournament. Although you were forced to compete that statement can
still be true for you, if you allow it. I think Potter, that that is what you
should focus on, rather than just surviving."
Potter did not answer him, too focused on thinking about Aries' words,
but he didn't mind. Aries stood there quietly next to him contemplating
his mentor's words again. Perhaps his mentor was right, maybe it was
time for his to follow his own advice and push himself beyond his own
limitations, as the Goblet believed that he could. Yes, he at last decided,
it was time. It was time that the world was shown the power of the Most
Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.
An: The next chapter: The First Task
5. The First Task
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. I hope this chapter meets your
expectations, and if it doesn't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
"Professor Snape, sir?" Aries turned back to the door of the dungeon class
room, as did most of the potions class, and smirked as he saw Daphne
poking her head in. "The judges need Mr. Black." Snape simply gave her a
raised eyebrow before nodding to Aries. He gathered his things and
followed the Slytherin fourth year out of the dungeons. Her hair was in a
pony tail, an unusual occurrence as she tended leave it down. Aries could
tell that she enjoyed the fact that he was looking at her, though no doubt
her pureblooded schooling kept her from commenting on it herself.
"Why did they decide to send you to get me?" Aries asked. Three weeks
was enough time for him to memorize many of the Slytherin's schedules,
mostly Draco's and Daphne's, and he was aware that she had a free
period right now, but she was not the obvious choice to fetch him.
"I overhead Professor von Reich in the hall saying that you were needed,
so I offered to retrieve you." An interesting wording Aries noted, but it
made sense.
"Rather cunning of you Greengrass."
"I am a Slytherin." She replied with a smug grin. "So, when are you going
to give me my first lesson?"
"Ah, here I was thinking that you enjoyed my company for my good lucks
and undeniable charm, but you only want me to teach you forbidden
magic." Aries enjoyed the blush that crept up her tan neck and into her
cheeks. It was the first time he had been successful in his attempts, and
he took it as a sign that their friendship was moving in the right
direction. A gentle touch of her mind found that he was far more than
just correct, perhaps the girl was not so innocent after all. "How does
seven sound tomorrow night? In the classroom I use to practice?"
"That sounds perfect." Daphne said as they reached their destination. He
gave her a rather flirtatious smile as he entered the fairly small
classroom. The judges were already, there sitting behind five desks that
had been pushed together and covered in a long length of velvet. Aries
gave a respectful nod to his Headmaster and leaned against a desk, just as
Fleur Delacour walked in. She also nodded to her Headmistress before
her eyes landed on him. The veela seemed to contemplate him for a
moment before making her way over to him quickly, so that Madame
Maxine would not interfere. Fleur had blonde hair and blue eyes, and
was much more filled out than Daphne, not surprising considering the
three-year age gap. Aries was not a fool, and could not deny the young
woman's remarkable beauty, though if her allure affected him he had no
doubt that he might consider her the most beautiful thing he had ever
seen. Luckily, he had more control of himself than most.
"Aries Black," Fleur greeted with a warm smile and extending her hand.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you." Aries noted that her English was
much better now than it had been weeks ago. Had she been practicing or
simply rehearsed that statement?
"Miss Delacour, the pleasure is mine." He took her hand and kiss the back
of it softly, rather enjoying the blush that formed on her cheeks. "I hope
we can find some time to get acquainted outside of this tournament. I
would enjoy learning about the finer aspects of French culture from one
of its more premier citizens. Your father is well known even in Germany."
Jean Delacour was well known indeed, being the Head of the French
Department of Magical Law Enforcement and had worked well with his
German counterpart a few years back when a French criminal wreaked
havoc in Frankfurt, Aries remembered.
"I'm sure zat we could find many zings to occupy our time." The
forwardness of the French girl intrigued him. Veela tended to be more
mature than normal witches and while Aries knew he was more attractive
than the average male he doubted that even he could have caught her
eye so quickly. A ploy to distract him from winning perhaps? It could be
a fun game to play and turn back on the French witch herself.
Unfortunately, he was stopped from responding as Ludo Bagman loudly
announced the arrival of the last champion, Thomas Potter. Aries
watched with amusement as the reporter, Rita Skeeter, pulled the Potter
boy into a cupboard. He knew all too well about her as Aunt Cassiopeia
had loudly cursed the woman's poor journalism every morning as she
read the Daily Prophet. Albus Dumbledore, on the other hand, did not find
the situation amusing and promptly returned the champion, leaving
Skeeter's hungry eyes to land on him. A smirk and a nod let her know
that she would indeed get the interview she wanted, but perhaps not the
content.
"Now that all of our champions are accountable, may I introduce Mr.
Ollivander?" Dumbledore said as he took his place at the judges table.
"He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good
condition before the tournament." Aries observed that the old wand
maker had hardly aged in the past eight years, though given how old he
had been then, despite his appearance, perhaps he should not have been
surprised.
"Mademoiselle Delacour, your wand first if you would please." Ollivander
asked as he stepped into the middle of the room. Fleur swept over to him,
sending a rather discreet wink over to Aries, and handed over her wand.
"Hmmm. . ." he said. The wand maker twirled the land between his
fingers and it emitted several pink and gold sparks before he held it close
to his eye and examined it carefully. "Yes. . . nine and a half inches. . .
inflexible. . . rosewood. . . and dear me. . ."
"An 'air from ze 'ead of a veela," said Fleur. "One of my grandmuzzer's."
The look of surprise on Thomas' and Cedric's face was priceless, how they
had not known without a doubt when half of their classmates acted like
fools around the girl was beyond him.
"Yes, yes, I've never used veela hair myself of course. I find it makes for
rather temperamental wands. . . however, to each his own, and if this
suits you. . ." He ran his fingers along the wand and then muttered,
"Orchideous!" and a bunch of flowers burst from the tip. Aries was amused
at the offended look Fleur had as she took back her wand forcefully
before returning to her place beside him. The air around him seemed to
heat up and he began to wonder just how attuned to fire veela really
were. Cedric's wand continued the unique trend of wand cores,
containing a single hair from the tale of a male unicorn. Aries and Fleur
both fought back snickers as Cedric proudly stated that he polished his
wand regularly, before realizing the apparent innuendo.
"Ah, Mr. Potter if you would." Thomas reluctantly handed over his wand,
after a futile effort of cleaning it with his robe. Mr. Ollivander spent a
few moments glancing over the wand. "One of the three phoenix
feathered wands I have created. Holly. And remarkable in his own right."
Aries did not miss the sudden curiousness of Albus Dumbledore as
Ollivander made a fountain of wine shoot out of Potter's wand. The
Headmaster of Hogwarts was about to get a rather large surprise.
"Which leaves Mr. Aries Black." Ollivander announced as he handed
Potter back his wand. Aries flicked his wrist, releasing the wand into his
hand, and placed it in the wand makers eager hands. Mr. Ollivander's
pale eye suddenly gleamed as he examined the wand. "Yes, yes, yes. How
well I remember. My greatest creation. The tail feather of a phoenix and
the venom of a Basilisk. Holly, ebony, and yew. And of course, obsidian. I
do not believe any wand has been crafted to rival this, nor do I think one
shall be in my lifetime." Aries noted with satisfaction that Dumbledore
paled slightly, and the twinkling that so often adorned the old man's eyes
was gone. Instead Aries saw a hunger, a desire to know how he had come
into possession of such a powerful wand. Ollivander swirled the wand
above his head, and a galaxy formed above them of magic. Spells collided
in the spiral arms and Aries was taken back by the power he suddenly
felt in the wand maker, before the beautiful piece of magic disappeared.
"Indeed, I was right young Mr. Black, seeing as you are in this
tournament. Great things await you, yes, great things indeed."
Rita insisted on taking pictures, fair to many in the Black Heir's opinion.
Multiple group shots were taken, and then even more individual.
Madame Maxine seemed to ruin every picture, as Skeeter put it, and
while the photographer wanted Fleur at the front, the reporter kept
pulling himself and Potter there instead. Aries was half tempted to link
arms with the French girl, if only to keep Skeeter from dragging him
again. Finally, the photo shoot was over, and while everyone else left for
dinner Aries stayed back with Skeeter for his promised interview.
Kakaroff stayed as well, no doubt to find someway to worm himself into
the spotlight.
"You don't mind if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill do you? It leaves-"
"Yes, I do mind." Aries said with a smirk. "No doubt you wish to ensure
that you get your facts straight, Miss Skeeter." She nodded with a glare as
she shoved the acid green quill back into her crocodile bag and pulled
out a normal one. The interview went a little longer than Aries wanted,
with Kakaroff throwing a comment or two about how he was the prized
student of Durmstrang and that he himself ensured that all students
received the great training that Aries had. A blatant lie, but he could not
fault the man for taking advantage of a situation. As he made to leave,
Aries turned back to Skeeter, who was finishing up her notes.
"Oh, and Miss Skeeter?" He fixed the coldest smile on his face that he
could manage. "My Aunt Cassiopeia loves Germany, but she has told me
countless times how much more she'd love to visit her dear friend Rita, if
only she gave her a good enough reason. You won't give her a reason,
will you?" Skeeter's face could have rivaled the paleness of ghost and a
crooked laugh escaped Aries as he left her in the room.
Aries woke up from his nap to find his three friends, plus one, using his
and Haydn's cabin as a hang out spot. Mayer seemed out of place, but
Arianna was doing her best to make her at home. He took a moment to
study his friends before they noticed he was awake. Arianna had her hair
down, as she often did, letting the soft black curls touch her shoulders
and run down her back. Her chocolate brown eyes lit up as she
animatedly explained the cards game that Haydn had them playing. She
had always been the most energetic of the group, her general happy
mood contrasting the cold darkness of Durmstrang. No doubt she would
have fit in well at Hogwarts or Beauxbatons if not for her love of the
Dark Arts, something that connected all three of his friends. Arianna
found any excuse to break out firewhiskey and throw a party, even if it
was for something meaningless. Her warm smile had comforted him often
during his first year at Durmstrang, when his nightmares still haunted
him, and her fiery nature had tried to come to his defense many times,
even though it was seldom needed.
Ivan, with his light brown hair and blue eyes, was the complete opposite
and the quietest of the group. He believed that actions spoke louder than
words and thus hardly spoke at all. The Bulgarian had little interest in
Quidditch or anything that was not in a book, though he did not take
everything at face value, choosing to question anything and everything
someone said was true, or false for that matter. Like all his friends, Ivan
was powerful, but he excelled at Transfiguration and only rivaled Aries in
his success. Arianna and Ivan were two ends of a spectrum and Haydn
was at its center. The black haired and brown eyed German liked to party
just as much as others, besides Arianna that is, but spent most of his time
gambling and trying to flirt with any pretty girl he laid his eyes on.
Despite all this, he tended to be a bit reserved, keeping his skills and
abilities underestimated before defeating his opponents in a surprising
and embarrassing fashion. He cared little for reading, relying on Aries or
Ivan to find the information and tended to copy their homework. Haydn
was intelligent and was near the top of his class for a reason, but he
found that homework was pointless when he had Aries and Ivan around
to do it. The German's laziness in that aspect was made up by his political
savviness. Haydn's ability to swindle away everyone's money translated
well as he had spent four years securing up agreements in Durmstrang's
halls that fell heavily in Aries' favor, without the other party knowing
just how badly they had agreed to get screwed over.
Aries sat up with a stretch, and a glance at his watch told him it was time
to go meet Daphne for her first lesson. He hadn't told his friends about
the English girl's desire to learn the Dark Arts, deciding that keeping it a
secret would help the girl open up to him a bit more. But convincing his
friends, especially Arianna, to stay behind was the next task.
"Where are you off to?" Arianna asked, giving him her trademark warm
smile. Haydn looked disappointed as he collected the hand he had
already dealt for Aries, no doubt upset that he wasn't going to get to win
any more of his money.
"Training. Some rather dangerous spells." He didn't want to explain too
much, not with the Mayer girl here, but thankful his friends took the hint
that he wanted to be alone. Well, for the most part.
"Can I walk with you?" Aries considered Arianna's request. It was a risk, in
case they ran into Daphne, but the girl was probably smart enough to
make some sort of excuse, and he had no real reason to decline the
Spanish girl. He eyed the forest again as they made their way up to the
castle and decided that he would go running tonight. There would be no
moon and the added clouds would provide cover for him.
"You've been hanging around the Greengrass girl a lot more lately." He
noticed that she changed to her native tongue, Spanish, something she
only did when she was nervous. His Spanish tended to be a bit rough at
times, but he knew enough that the conversation shouldn't be too
difficult.
"She's a nice girl. You two might get along if you'd take the time to get to know
her." Arianna winced at that, and she tried to hide the hurt look on her
face from him, rather unsuccessfully.
"And why would I want to do that? She's rude and you have friends that have
known you for years that would better occupy your time." Friends? Or you
Arianna? Aries wondered.
"She's my friend, as is Draco. It would mean a great deal to me if you could at
least play nicely. You won't lose my friendship just because I make a few new
friends." She looked like she wanted to say something, and no doubt it
would have started a conversation that Aries did not want to have right
now, but they had reached his practice room, and he could feel that
Daphne was inside. Aries reached out to Arianna's mind as she left and
was shocked at what he felt. The hurt he understood, but where he
expected infatuation he found something far deeper. A feeling that
threatened to drown him like Sirius' guilt almost had and he pulled from
her mind in self-preservation. That conversation would need to happen
soon, but hopefully it could wait until after the First Task. He placed it at
the back of his mind and entered the classroom.
Daphne tended to have a sophisticated and beautiful look to her, but
there was only one word to describe her now: seductive. Her robe and tie
were discarded, showing off her long legs as they ran out of her skirt. The
sleeves of her blouse were rolled up to her elbows and the top few
buttons were undone. Beads of sweat dropped down her forehead and she
attempted to transfigure a guinea fowl into a guinea pig. It was few
months ahead of what the fourth years were currently learning, but he
was not surprised as she at last managed the Transfiguration. Her
triumphant smile turned into a rather fantastic blush as she noticed his
presence, no doubt because of her forbidden appearance.
"Congratulations." Aries offered. "A rather difficult Transfiguration, even
more so considering you did not have someone with a mastery in
Transfiguration guiding you." Her blush only deepened from his praise.
"But Transfiguration is not why you here." A swish of his hand vanished
the guinea pig and a chair knocked Daphne's knees out from under her as
she landed in it. "The Dark Arts are a greatly misunderstood piece of
magic. Many believe the Dark Arts are a collection of dark or evil spells
and rituals, but that is not entirely true." A flick of his wand created a
glass window which he shattered. He summoned the pieces to him, and
then immediately banished them towards the girl. Invisible chains kept
her attached the chair and she choked out a scream as the shards stopped
half a meter from her. "A banishing spell could have just killed you. An
overpowered stunner could kill you. The Dark Arts, like all magic, are not
defined by their result, rather the intent required.'
"The Unforgivables are the most known examples of the Dark Arts and
yet I could cast the killing curse at you right now and nothing would
happen. Intent fuels all magic, and even more so with the Dark Arts. It
takes the intent to harm, to maim, to cause pain, and to kill to use the
spells that have become known as the Dark Arts. And that is where the
danger of what I will teach you lies. When you push that intense of
feelings and desires into magic as powerful as the Dark Arts, it will affect
you. It can change you, if you allow it. Stronger minds than yours have
been corrupted by the intent and emotions that the Dark Arts require, as
it is against the very nature of the soul, in some ways. And it is why you
must understand control not only of your magic and your mind, but of
yourself. It is why before we begin you will give me a vow that you will
not practice anything I teach you without my supervision and you will
use none of it unless it is a matter or life or death. Do you understand?"
Daphne had paled considerably, and Aries wondered if she truly
understood what the Dark Arts were, rather than a piece of the forbidden
fruit. "It. . . it could change me?"
"Yes." Aries answered seriously. "Without my guidance it can, and it will.
But I will show you how to control the Dark Arts, so that it does not
control you." It took a few moments for Daphne to recover, but she gave
her vow with a renewed courage. Aries was glad, as he would have
reconsidered his plans for the girl if she had bowed out so quickly.
"We'll start out with a taste of that power, something simple and one on
the lighter side of the Dark Arts. A particular favorite of mine, the Bone-
Breaker Curse." Aries flicked his wand and a dark purple light struck the
wall. "The incantation is frange ossa. For the average user it will shatter
the bones of wherever the spell strikes, but if enough power is put into
the spell, it has the potential to shatter every bone in the body, and most
likely kill its recipient. Attempt to cast it into the wall." Daphne struggled
with the spell, but after a cheap remark about imagining the wall being
the muggleborn she hated so much after she had just scored more OWLs
than the pureblood heiress, the dark purple curse finally erupted from
her wand. Aries was surprised, as he didn't think she hated the girl that
much.
"Good, now I want you to cast it at me."
"What?"
"As I told you before, intent matters. I need you to want to hurt me, as
difficult as that might be. You've managed to cast the spell at a wall,
which is must different that casting it a person. If you can successfully
use it against me, someone you do not wish harm to, then you'll have no
difficulty using it against an enemy." Daphne seemed unsure and he gave
her a wicked grin. "To encourage you, I will also be casting it at you, and
you can be sure that my spells will work. I mean, if I can use it against
my own family, what could stop me from using it against you?"
She only barely managed to avoid his curse, but another one quickly
followed. He did not give her much time to think, as he wanted a
reaction from her more than anything and he could tell this had started
to anger her. Daphne was similar in height to Arianna but moved much
quicker than her. She managed to dodge his spells, though Aries noticed
she was beginning to get repetitive and so adjusted his aim. The dark
purple spell struck her left arm and he heard the crack as her humerus
shattered. She fell to the ground with a strangled cry clutching her arm.
Aries was aware of the pain she was feeling, but if the girl cowered from
only a shattered bone their lessons would end tonight, as would her
memory of them. But when Daphne raised her head it was not pain or
fear that he saw, it was anger, and she pointed the wand at him,
screaming the incantation. Aries side stepped but allowed the spell to
strike his arm, feeling his entire arm shatter. It might have caused more
damage, if he hadn't summoned his magic to shield the rest of himself.
Daphne sat on her knees, cradling her broken. Aries was proud to see that
no tears fell down her face and she was now doing her best to hide her
pain. He healed his arm with a wave of his wand as his made his way
over to her. Once he stood over her he went to heal her as well but
decided against it, just for a moment.
"Remember this pain Daphne," he began softly, almost reciting the words
his mentor as spoken to him years ago. Her blue eyes met his. "For you
will cause it to many others. I have found that it is those who have
experienced what the Dark Arts is capable of are the ones who are able to
keep their sanity. Those who use this magic, but never suffer under it
themselves, are the ones who become monsters in the night. Remember
this pain well, and maybe you'll keep control of your own mind." He
waved his wand and healed her arm but made no move to help her up.
"Remember also what you felt the moment you attacked. That anger, that
desire to cause pain is paramount to accomplishing what the Dark Arts is
capable of. In a duel against a master of the Dark Arts, you cannot wait
until they have harmed you or angered you to fight back. You must
summon up that intent and emotion inside you from the beginning, that
desire to harm someone you have never known, or to harm those dearest
to you. Remember it well Daphne, for you journey among the Dark Arts
has just begun." He extended his hand, taking hers and pulling her up to
him. There was slight electricity between them, and despite the strong
front she had put forth there was a weakness there, a vulnerability and
desire for comfort that a weaker man might have taken advantage of.
Aries might wish to be the next dark lord, but he was no monster. "Come
on Daphne, our lesson is over."
It was an amusing that site that greeted Aries the morning of the First
Task. Arianna and Daphne were waiting patiently, though pointedly
ignoring the other. He had to wonder if circumstances had been different,
if the two polar opposites could have been friends, but that seemed
unlikely now. They both wore medium sized coats, as the cold of
Scotland's winter was beginning to set in. At Durmstrang, it would've
already been snowing heavily, and this allowed Aries to don the
lightweight battle robes he wore. They provided minimal protection but
allowed him to move far more freely than the more protective robes. He'd
rely solely on his own power today and not simple protections. He
greeted the two girls with a smile and they silently walked down to
where Aries knew the dragons had been kept. A stadium of sorts had
been built and the students of the three schools had already begun
packing it full. Next to it a small tent had been erected, no doubt for the
champions to await their turn. Once they reached the tent, Aries turned
to the two girls expectantly.
"I just wanted to say good luck Aries," Arianna began in Spanish, no doubt
to keep Daphne ignorant. "Do not be a showman, defeat your challenge and
return back to me safely. Or else." She hugged him fiercely and planted a
soft kiss on his cheek before she walked to where Haydn and Ivan waited
for him. The two boys, along with Draco, had already wished him luck,
preferring a pre-celebration last night over a few shots of firewhiskey
rather than with sentimental words. It was just another reason why he
honestly liked the three boys.
"Well, no doubt she'll be upset to know that I in fact do know Spanish. Or
at least enough." Daphne said with a grin. She took a step closer and
Aries wondered if she might kiss him, but she gave him a tight hug, and
kissed his left cheek softly. "Good luck Aries." She gave him a sly smile
before heading over to her friends as well. Aries should have known he'd
land himself in this predicament and the conversation he knew he should
have with Arianna was beginning to become an absolute necessity. If it
came to a duel between the girls even he wasn't sure who he would
choose. Arianna was his friend, hell almost like a sister to him, but
Daphne provided so much more and could prove invaluable to his future
plans. Now was not the time to consider this, and like so many other
things, he pushed it to the back of his mind.
Unlike with the Weighing of the Wands, Aries was the last champion to
enter. The other three were clearly nervous and he was proud of the calm
demeanor he projected. Bagman noticed his entrance and pulled out a
small purple silk bag.
"Well now that we're all here, time to fill you in! I'm going to offer each
of you this bag from which you will each select a small model of the
thing you are about to face! There are different, ah, varieties, you see.
And I have to tell you something else too, ah, yes, you task is to collect
the golden egg!" None of the champions reacted as Bagman probably
would've hoped, though Diggory had begin pacing while looking slightly
green. "Ladies first."
Fleur reached inside the bag and pulled out a perfect tiny model of a
dragon, the Welsh Green to be exact. It had the number two around his
neck. Next Diggory reached inside, pulling out the Swedish Short-Snout,
the number one tied around its neck. Now it was Aries turn, he reached
into the bag and felt a rather large model claw onto his hand and he
pulled out a menacing looking grey dragon, the Ukrainian Iron-Belly,
with a three around its neck. That left the Hungarian Horntail for Potter
meaning that the two younger champions would face two of the most
dangerous dragons in the world. The idea sent Aries' blood racing and he
wished that he could be the first two go. He noticed that Bagman pulled
Thomas aside, and he could not help but wonder if Bagman's gambling
problem would influence the tournament.
Aries played idly with the model of his dragon while Diggory and
Delacour fought the real-life size of theirs. The screams and cheers of the
crowd passed him by without a care and he chose to ignore Potter's
annoying pacing. Somewhere in his mind, he registered that Bagman was
commentating, but he paid the man no mind. He wanted to focus on the
adrenaline and the desire to win. At last the third canon sounded and it
was the Black Heir's turn. A stasis spell froze the model which he
pocketed, it would be a good memento from the task.
The stadium was more like a coliseum, the students and staff were raised
high, looking down on the rocky ground that awaited him. It was the size
of the dragon that struck him first. Ivan had found many interesting
books on dragons, but somehow the descriptions paled in comparison to
the actual thing. Aries scanned the crowd and made eye contact with von
Reich, who looked at him not with pride, but expectancy. He had made
up his mind at that moment and a stinging hex to the dragons tail got its
attention. The Ukrainian Iron-Belly turned, its massive steps sending
tremors through the ground, and roared mightily at him. Aries showed
no fear and sent another stinging hex, finally getting the reaction he
wanted. The great dragon opened its jaws and unleashed a stream of
dragon fire at him.
The crowd gasped, and the screams warning of his impending death rang
through the coliseum. Aries thrust his left hand towards the stream of fire
and swirled his wand around his head before slashing it across his body.
The dragon fire struck his hand and flared around him. Unimaginable
heat threatened to overwhelm him, but he pushed against it with as
much power as he dared. He waited as the dragon fire continued
relentlessly, causing the great swirling ball of fire around him to enlarge
until at last the dragon yielded. Aries focused on keeping control of the
flame and drew his magic up to him. The barrier that he had long kept
between himself and the storm inside broke, raging over him like a
torrent. He could feel the flame fluctuating, threatening to rip itself from
his grasp as he wrestled the powerful magic into his control. It tasted
sweet in his mouth and everything became clearer as if the world itself
was brighter. Aries brought it under his control, power that he had never
dared release in the presence of others and threw the dragon fire back at
the dragon.
As he hoped the dragon leapt back, using its powerful wings to push itself
into the air, and the dragon fire struck stone melting it. The Iron-Belly
landed but the ground was no longer stable, and it struggled to stabilize
itself as it unleashed another torrent of fire. Aries had already felt the
dragon fire and had no trouble bending it around, moving his hand and
wand in sync, to throw it back into the melting rock. A quick shrinking
spell shortened and tightened the chain keeping the dragon in the
stadium and it could not longer leap into the air to avoid its own
dragonfire. Though it did not matter. Stream after stream of dragon fire
was bent back at the dragon's feet as it slowly sunk into the melting rock.
Aries sent a spell above its head causing an explosion like a massive
bomb, forcing the dragon to cower lower into the molten quick sand.
Minutes passed but to Aries it felt like an eternity. The heat of the dragon
fire and the raging torrent of power that rushed through him made every
second drag on until at last enough rock had melted.
"Frigus!" It was a simple cooling charm but backed with the power Aries
contained it froze the molten stone, solidifying it and trapping the
dragon. A wordless spell caused thick black chains to wrap around the
dragon's jaws and the Ukrainian Iron-Belly collapsed, defeated head on
by a fifteen-year-old wizard. A deafening roar from the stands sounded as
he walked unharmed to collect his golden egg from the undamaged nest,
one that he had ensure stayed on a single piece of rock that did not get
melted. Aries was dragged into the tent by a rather motherly looking
nurse. It was a good thing too, as his adrenaline finally faded, and he
nearly fell from exhaustion.
"Oh no you don't!" the woman cried. "Here, a quick Pepper-Up Potion
should do. Long enough for you to get your scores and go to bed!" Aries
downed the potion as she moved over to Diggory, who he noticed had a
rather sickly-looking injury to his abdomen. "Dragons! Honestly these
people!" If he had to place a wager the woman was Madam Pomfrey, the
school matron that Draco had told him about.
"Come on Aries!" Arianna shouted, pulling him off the bed and back into
the stadium. The dragon had been put to sleep and he didn't miss the
rather dirty looks the dragon handlers were giving him. They were going
to have a tough time indeed getting the dragon out of that. Dumbledore
took pity on them and transfigured the molten rock in water, allowing
them to carefully extract the dragon, before transfiguring it back. Finally,
the judges gave him his scores. Madame Maxine went first and looked
rather upset as she sent up a silver ten. Mr. Crouch game next and
rewarded him with ten also, though Bagman gave him an eight with a
frown, and Aries thought that his suspicion of his influence was correct.
Dumbledore gave him a respectful nod as he sent a ten into the air, and
Kakaroff looked like a boy on Christmas as he also awarded him a ten.
"Forty-eight points!" Haydn exclaimed! "That's good enough for first place
and I doubt Potter will beat that! Those twins better pay up." Aries' magical
exhaustion was a little worse than he had predicated. Dragon fire was not
as similar to elemental fire as he'd thought, or perhaps he had never
experienced true elemental fire. He listened much more intently to
Bagman's commentary for Potter than he had with Delacour or Diggory.
It sounded like a rather great feat, and he wondered if Viktor would be
impressed with the boy's flying.
"Look at that! Our youngest champion is quickest to the egg! Well this is
going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!" Madam Pomfrey seized the boy
the minute he entered the tent, dragging him over to the bed next to
Aries. She cleaned a cut with a dab of some purple liquid that smoked
and then looked as if she healed his shoulder.
"Now sit quietly for a minute, sit!" She commanded the boy. "And then
you can go and get your scores." Aries' made to talk to him, but he
stopped them when a red haired boy and that muggleborn Daphne
disliked walked in. Potter noticed their entrance immediately and tensed
up.
"Thomas," the muggleborn, Hermione if he remembered correctly,
greeted "Ron has something he'd like to tell you." Ron, in Aries' opinion,
did not look like he wanted to say anything. In fact, he looked highly
embarrassed.
"Well, mate," Ron took a deep breath. "I believe you, who ever put your
name it that goblet, I reckon they're trying to do you in!"
"Caught on have you?" The coldness in Thomas' voice surprised Aries and
even more so Ron. The chubby fourth year and the two red-heads quietly
entered the tent and looked ready to intervene, but a warning glare from
Aries stopped them. "You abandoned me, and yet you have the audacity
to come here and call me mate like nothing happened? You know how
badly it was for me second year, at least then I had you both. But one
chance at fame and suddenly you're just like the rest. I know that you
tried to be the bridge between us Hermione, but too often this past
month you chose him over me, even though you believed me." Thomas
gave a shake of his head, and some of the venom left his voice. "You two
were supposed to be my best friends, but you just abandoned me. I don't
want to lose your friendships, but I don't think it will ever be the same
again." Aries was proud of the boy, he wouldn't allow those that betrayed
him to just waltz back into his life. He was beginning to know his worth
and would expect others to know it as well.
"Come on Thomas," said one of the red-heads, a fourth year if Aries
guessed, grabbing the boy's hand and pulling him out to hear his scores
as Ron and Hermione left the tent rejected. Potter had scored forty
points, putting him in second place. The judges at least had valued Aries'
show of power over the boys quickest, though facing a dragon head on
versus flying around it was a far better tale to be told. Bagman collected
the four champions, explaining that the golden egg was a clue for their
third task that would happen on twenty-fourth of February. The second
task however, would happen on the eleventh of December.
If any Hogwarts students had been on the deck on the Spanish galleon,
they would've been in for one hell of a shock. The Durmstrang students,
who so often tended to be quiet among the other students, were throwing
a rowdy party worthy of the Gryffindor common room. Aries wondered
how they were getting away with this, but at the site of seeing Professor
von Reich sitting on an armchair near the bow he knew exactly how.
Kakaroff would never dare challenge the old war-veteran wizard, not
when he was surrounded by students that clearly favored him over the
headmaster. His mentor raised a glass to him in salute and Aries happily
joined the party.
Arianna was leaning heavily on him, giggling drunkenly, as he escorted
her back to her cabin. She had spent most of the night on his arm, and he
had been too caught up in the party to care. Social events like that were a
wonderful way to get on people's good side, but he did not enjoy being
randomly dragged to the dance floor by a bunch of girls too drunk to
stand up straight and Arianna had kept those girls away from him. They
had just made it to her cabin and Aries went to open the door when the
Spanish girl pushed him against the wall and smashed her lips to his. She
tasted like firewhiskey and chocolate and with his already buzzed state it
created an intoxicating combination that enticed him to return her kiss.
Moments later reality came crashing back to him and he pushed her into
her cabin before the wrong person saw them. Arianna immediately went
to kiss him again, but he pushed her away and a hurt look fixed itself on
her beautiful face.
"Why don't you want me Aries?" Her Spanish was a bit slurred, but the pain
in her voice was clear and obvious.
"Arianna we can't do this. Not here, not now."
"Am I not pretty enough for you?" The hurt in her voice had been replaced
with anger as she poked him hard in the chest. "Do I need to have blonde
hair and blue eyes like that bitch Daphne or that slut Fleur?" Anger flashed in
Aries and he stunned her. Her small frame landed in his arms before he
laid her onto her bunk. A quick spell put her to sleep, but Aries' work was
not done.
"I'm sorry Arianna. We need to talk and figure this out, but it can't be like
this. I won't risk our friendship over a drunken mistake." He flicked his
wand into his hand, reached into her mind and pulled the past few
moments forward. "Obliviate."
AN: Next Chapter: A Trip To Hogsmeade.
6. A Trip to Hogsmeade
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. Not much action this chapter, but it
sets up things to come. Thank you for everyone that has reviewed,
favorited, and followed, and even those that haven't. You all are
appreciated and continue to motivate me. I hope you enjoy this
chapter, and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
The Great Hall of Hogwarts was rather empty this morning and Aries was
the only one sitting at the Slytherin Table. Granger sat alone at the
Gryffindor Table and a few Ravenclaws sat at their own table, discussing
something rather passionately, though in whispers that did not reach his
ears. It was the Sunday morning after the first task and it seemed that
many of the students of the three schools would not be attending
breakfast this morning. He knew for a fact that the entire Durmstrang
delegation was either too hungover to move or still drunk. Haydn had
not even made it back to his cabin last night, and Aries pitied the poor
girl that he had spent the night with. The German was not one for
relationships, and no doubt Sirius would find many things in common
with his good friend. Professor von Reich was the only sober person
besides Aries, though he rarely came to the castle for breakfast,
preferring it served to him in his office aboard the ship.
A brown owl swooped down and landed in front of Aries just as another
dropped what he recognized as the Daily Prophet. He greedily ripped
open the newspaper and at last found what he had been waiting for. Rita
Skeeter normally had her enchantingly nasty works published as soon as
possible but a week-long wait was unusual for her, no doubt ensuring
that the article made no comment that could offend his aunt.
The Black Heir returns to England!
Dumbledore not so neutral after all?
For years now, Auror Sirius Black has been the only Black in England.
The three time Most Eligible Bachelor of Magical Britain has made a
clear path for himself by throwing away the traditions and standards set
by the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Many pureblood
families thought Sirius would be the end of the Black House, as the 35-
year-old wizard has yet to settle down with any witch, despite the many
rumors you might have heard. But this, as we learned at the beginning
of October, was not to be the end of the ancient house.
Aries Orion Black, 15, is the perfect image of his father Regulus Black,
deceased brother of Sirius, and happens to be the top student at
Durmstrang. Short black hair is accented by hazel eyes with bright green
specks that you could count if he allowed you to stare long enough. One
does not have to study him long to find that he is the opposite of Sirius
and is the perfect example of fine pureblood schooling. "My aunt,
Cassiopeia Black, raised me to set the standard for not only how those
of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black should act, but all
pureblood families. Durmstrang has given me the chance to perfect my
magic and not be distracted by the political differences of my House and
my uncle." When asked how he felt about said uncle, Sirius Black, Aries
had this to say. "My Uncle Sirius is a curious case, and I know his views
are far from mine and our family. Still, I look forward to getting to
know the person my father loved so dearly." Black, who has two years
left at Durmstrang after this year, becomes a brand-new chess piece on
the political spectrum of the Wizengamot. As many know Draco Malfoy,
son of Lord Lucius Malfoy, has been the Heir Apparent of House Black
for years since Sirius Black has yet to have an heir himself. Now, with
the return of the grandson of the former Lord Orion Black, House Black
has a true heir in Aries Black. "My schooling comes first, though I will
not neglect my duties as Heir. Sirius has chosen to focus on his career as
an Auror, neglecting his duties as Head of House and leaving his seat on
the Wizengamot to Albus Dumbledore. This is something I find
unacceptable. No person without the name Black has ever spoken for
our house, and its something I intend to address with my uncle when the
time is right. I know one day I will be Lord of House Black, and I hope I
can return it to the prominence of my forefathers." No doubt the more
conservative members of the Ministry will be waiting anxiously for Heir
Black to take over as the Head of House Black. "My home has long been
Germany, but I look forward to returning to the home of my family."
The Black Heir's comment on Albus Dumbledore caught my attention
and after some genius detective work your favorite writer, me,
discovered a dirty secret of the Headmaster of Hogwarts! As many of
you know the Chief Warlock acts as an impartial executive figure in the
Wizengamot, so why is it that Albus Dumbledore votes for five different
houses, not including his own? There is no law that says the Chief
Warlock cannot be a proxy, yet is it reasonable that one man should
hold so many votes? Rarely do two houses name one person as proxy,
unless of course they share blood, but one must wonder just why Albus
Dumbledore, champion of the Light, and one who has denied the
position of Minister of Magic many times, holds so much power within
the Wizengamot? The Headmaster of Hogwarts as always tried at being
neutral, despite his views being obviously Light, but as he controls the
Black, Potter, Longbottom, Doge, Weasley, and of course Dumbledore
seats, I wonder if Dumbledore is as neutral as he says?
Rita Skeeter hadn't been as flashy with his part as he thought she would,
but he rather enjoyed her jab at Dumbledore. He turned to the letter that
he had received, noting his aunt's flowing hand writing on the envelope.
Aries,
I'm very disappointed that I have not at least received a thank you letter for
getting the judges to lower the age limit, or any letter since your arrival at
Hogwarts. No doubt that foolish boy Draco has been dragging you all over to
curse muggleborns and ruin blood traitors' potions. Such a bad influence, but I
suppose our best friends tend to be. Oh, and of course, congratulations are in
order. Tri-Wizard Champion! An illustrious honor that has alluded the House
of Black until now. I'm very proud of you.
No doubt you've run into Sirius by now. I've told you many times that despite
the disgrace that boy is, he has a good heart, one that perhaps can accept you
as you are, if for no other reason than you are Regulus' son. I hope that you
can convince him to help restore our House, and perhaps return some
estranged members to our halls.
Avoid Dumbledore as much as you can. I know you do not understand but he
is far more dangerous than you could ever imagine, and he will not hesitate to
shape you to his Greater Good. Keep on the path, and do not lose sight of your
goals. Our work in Germany continues, and you should pursue a friendship
with the Delacour girl. A family like that could make an invaluable asset in
the French Ministry, especially considering Jean's popularity and potential.
I know you will do your best in this tournament and look forward to seeing
you win it all.
Love,
Aunt Cassi
Aries had loathed to admit that Arianna's drunken mistake last night had
put on damper on his mood, but between Skeeter's article and Cassi's
letter he had brighten considerably. He took his walk around the lake
slowly, reaching out to the feel the magic surrounding him. The wards of
Hogwarts were some of the most interesting he had ever seen. Bright
colors glowed in the sky around the school and the castle itself might as
well be a sea of colors fighting for dominance. He knew few possessed his
gift of seeing magic and he treasured it above all his other gifts save one.
His run through the woods last night had proved fruitful, especially after
meeting a herd of centaurs. They had regarded him curiously and he
thought one might attack him, but the others held him back before
continuing on their way.
"Ah, Mr. Black I was hoping to see you today." Albus Dumbledore looked
rather cheerful, his brightly colored robes matching well with the glow of
the castle's wards behind him.
"Professor." Aries greeted tersely. He found it ironic that the day he
received a letter telling him to avoid the Headmaster was the day he
found himself alone with the old man. "How may I help you?"
"Oh, nothing of that sort, I just wished to talk, my boy." The Black Heir
contained his desire to hex the man, but Albus joined him as he
continued his walk around the lake. "Your performance at the First Task
was truly remarkable. It has been, well, fifty some years since I saw a
student that gifted. And to bend dragon fire? Would you happen to have
training in Battle Transfiguration?"
"Yes, Professor von Reich has taught me many branches of magic."
"Ah yes, Vladimir. A rather surprising name for a German." Aries quirked
his eyebrow at that. Where was the old man going with this?
"His father had a fascination with Vlad the Impaler, so it's not that much
of a surprise." Dumbledore wasn't looking right at him, rather his eyes
roamed over the lands as they walked, much as Aries had done before.
"I remember well when he joined the fight against Gellert. Turned himself
in and offered to help fight in exchange for his former crimes being
expunged. His skills were vital in ending the war."
"Having your wife and child murdered were no doubt a great motivator."
"And I take it that he has finally found his worthy apprentice in you?" His
eyes narrowed suspiciously as he stopped and turned to face the
Headmaster.
"Yes, he has, and he's passed on every aspect of magic that he's learned."
Dumbledore did not respond to that, but a frown was fixed on his face.
They were quiet for a moment before the old man spoke again.
"I was surprised at the nature of your wand. I know the phoenix that
provided the tail feather for two of Ollivander's wands and yet I do not
know which gave it for yours. Basilisk venom, as well as yew and holly.
There seems to be much conflict in your wand and yet it responds
perfectly for you." Aries had tensed at the mention of his wand and dared
to hope that Dumbledore did not know his secret lineage. "I had hoped
that, perhaps, you'd allow me to study it for a moment."
"You want to see my wand?" Aries asked. The last thing he wanted was
for the old man to examine his most prized possession. His aunt's warning
went through his head, until a cunning idea formed. It was the perfect
opportunity to confirm his theory and he smirked wickedly. "That's a
rather intimate request Professor, though I hope you do not intend for me
to act like Grindewald." He should not have said that but seeing the quick
flash of anger in Dumbledore's eyes when he was so normally calm was
worth it. "I'll allow you to examine my wand, if you allow me to see
yours first." The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes was gone, but he nodded,
flicking his wand into his left hand, before handing it to Aries. Two
things stuck out to him that were immediately wrong: first was that
Dumbledore was right handed, and second was that this was not the wand
he had used at the welcoming feast nor the First Task. "Professor, perhaps
you are mistaken but this is not your wand."
Dumbledore looked immensely troubled. "You are the one mistaken, this
is the wand I've had since I purchased it at the age of eleven."
"Are you sure?" Aries could barely keep the smirk off his face. "The wand
you used when you turned my 'dragon trap' into water seemed much
more intricate. And the carvings looked like they resembled clusters of
elderberries running down its length. . ."
"That is my wand Mr. Black. I have no other." The edge in Dumbledore's
voice was clear and he wondered just how close he was to pushing the
man past his limit. Aries fixed an innocent smile on his face before
returning the wand.
"Forgive me Headmaster, it was wrong of me to doubt you. After all, you
are my elder." Dumbledore visibly flinched and took a step away from
him, confirming Aries' suspicions at last. "However, since you won't show
me your real wand, I feel no desire to show you mine. Good day,
Professor."
Aries made a point to avoid Arianna the next two days. It was a coward
move, seeing as he was still putting off the conversation he knew he had
to have with the girl. His memory charm had been flawless, and the
Spanish girl had woken up the next morning assuming her headache was
from getting magnificently wasted. He had probed the minds of all the
Durmstrang students and had been relieved to see that none of them had
witnessed their unfortunate intimate moment. Tuesday night came, and
Aries could see that Daphne was disappointed with his lesson. She had
gotten a taste of the Dark Arts and now wanted to learn even more, but
Occlumency was necessary. The techniques of guarding one's mind were
useful in controlling the darker effects of the Dark Arts and while her
own Occlumency was adequate it could still be improved.
Potions continued to be enjoyable and at the same time disappointing.
Professor Snape had them brewing exceptionally difficult potions in
preparation for the Hogwarts students' coming OWLs and Aries welcome
the challenge, though the professor had yet to actually brew anything
himself. The potions master often commented on his exceptional brewing
and noted that he was glad to see a Black showing some potential for
once. Cassiopeia had told him often of the potion master's rivalry with
Potter and his uncle during their school days, and Aries could only laugh
at the fact that the three had continued a school yard rivalry into their
adulthood. Transfiguration, unlike Potions, had taken a turn downhill.
McGonagall had been excited about Ivan and his abilities, though
recently that admiration had turned to a certain skeptical outlook. She
often asked him to perform difficult transfigurations, some even seventh
year material, with a veiled comment about how she doubted he could
accomplish it. Never one to back down from a challenge Aries completed
every task she presented, and rather enjoyed frustrating the old woman.
Charms was by far the extreme, as Professor Flitwick had decided that he
was far too advanced to be learning and had taken to having him help
demonstrate and teach the lessons, much to his friends' amusement.
Battle Magics had continued its trend of teaching creatures and spells
commonly used in Tri-Wizard tournament and Professor von Reich had
amused himself that Thursday by giving a lesson title: Why it is unwise to
tickle a sleeping dragon, unless your name is Aries Black. Much of the
lesson had been the delegation playfully ribbing the champion, and he
gave it back just as well he received it. Perhaps if the other schools saw
the students like this, then they wouldn't think that every student of
Durmstrang was evil. Dark yes but not evil.
Draco, Aries noted, had started to take furtive glances towards Arianna,
something that amused him to no end. He would not mind if the two
became an item in the slightest, Arianna would be good for Draco, and
while it might change some of his future plans it would be worth seeing
two of his friends happy. It was something that he could perhaps
influence with a word or two to the both of them. Aries had cunningly
manipulated their seating arrangements that night in the library, getting
himself a seat next to Daphne and ensuring that the one empty seat for
Draco was situated between Arianna and Haydn. He had taken an effort
to not sit next to Arianna at any meals or in their classes, placing himself
always in the middle of two others. It had frustrated the Spanish girl to
no end, but it was a necessary sacrifice and maybe she'd finally get the
hint.
Aries slammed the book he was reading shut rather violently, much to
the chagrin of his five friends. The relentless screaming of the golden egg
had been driving him mad all week. It was obviously some sort of
language, it was supposed to be a clue after all. He sighed before rising to
return the book, and smirked when Daphne not so subtly made to follow
him. She was silent as he made his way through the rows of bookshelves.
Aries wished for his library back home and made a note to write his aunt
to see if she had any books that described insane wailing, though he'd
probably just get a hundred books on torturing techniques. Daphne's
hesitance to actually say something was starting to unnerve him and he
turned around to face her, grabbing her by the shoulders to keep her
from running into him.
"Can I help you Greengrass?" He did not miss the rather put out look as
he took his hands off her and turned to the bookshelf, noticing a book
with a rather interesting title regarding Alchemy.
"This weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend," Daphne began. "I was
wondering if you had any arrangements."
"I'm supposed to meet up with Sirius at some point. Other than that no.
Durmstrang doesn't have any village weekends, so I was looking forward
to seeing what the fuss was all about." She nodded rather nervously. Her
behavior was starting to intrigue him. Aries was aware that Daphne was
very cold to most people, and until his arrival the only people she
warmed up to was Pansy Parkinson and Tracey Davis. Even so, her
behavior towards him when they were alone was more relaxed than he
believed she was with anyone. It had taken a few weeks for her to start
warming up to him, but since then she had relaxed more than he ever
thought she could, and this nervous behavior was outlier among her
moods.
"I was hoping you'd allow me to show you around Hogsmeade." Some of
her confidence had returned now, though he could see the nervousness in
her eyes.
"My friends? Or just me?" Aries asked, giving her a flirty smile.
"Just you and me."
"A date then?"
"We could call it that, if you want."
"A date it is." Daphne was smiling brightly now, and her confidence had
returned full force. "I'll need to let Sirius know, in case he was planning
on that himself. I'm sure he was planning on meeting in the afternoon at
some pub anyway."
"We'll have the whole morning then."
It wasn't too late and so Aries decided to go pay his uncle a visit. Sirius
had sent him a note shortly after their first talk describing where in the
castle he stayed. The guest quarters were supposed to be marvelous if his
Aunt had spoken true, and she always did. Aries stopped as he passed by
the second-floor girls' lavatory. Eight years had passed since he first went
there, and he had returned only two years ago, albeit for only a short
hour. He was curious how that whole 'Chamber of Secrets' incident
finished, as the beast had most decidedly not been slain, as the papers
said. Maybe it had something to do with when Hades had come to him at
the end of the year demanding his Basilisk venom imbued dagger? Aries
shrugged, he needed to have a conversation with Potter, and that
meddling phoenix. He was just about to round the corner to Sirius'
quarters when a heated discussion reached his ears.
"Honestly Sirius, did you even read the article?" an unknown man said.
"Yes, I did James, and I told you it's not a big deal." So, Sirius and Potter
were arguing? This would be interesting.
"He basically insulted you! And Dumbledore!"
"All he did was state his opinion, which isn't illegal. Given that Aunt
Cassi raised him I'm not surprised. He's just a kid, leave him be."
"You've told me about your aunt. Dark as the rest of your family, how do
you know she didn't raise this kid to be the next Voldemort?" Aries had to
contain the anger that screamed to curse Potter. How dare he compare
him to that monster?
"That's enough!" Sirius voice was hard. "We know nothing about him, and
you're judging him far too harshly. If he's willing to give me a chance,
shouldn't we give him a chance? He's my Heir, and the future of my
House. I won't ostracize him just because his views are different than
mine, I'm not my father."
"Yeah well he already seems to be a lot like his! Death Eater material if I
ever saw it! You said yourself that the kid knows the Dark Arts! I don't
know what he did to convince you and Thomas that he's an alright bloke
but I'm not! And your Heir? You planning on adopting him or
something?" Silence. Incredibly awkward silence. Silence too long for the
answer to be anything close to no. "Oh Merlin you are? You just met the
kid!"
"I know that!" Aries could hear the conflict in Sirius' voice, and he wasn't
sure he wanted to overhear this conversation anymore. "Look, I loved
Regulus more than anything. And now his son, my nephew, is living in
Germany with only his aunt and no father around. I mean, I have no
intention on marrying or having children of my own. It's not like I need
to change diapers or anything. But I guess, I could be something of a
father to him. It's not like I'm going to do it tomorrow or something! But
maybe down the road. Hell James, I don't know. But this is my chance to
make up for my mistake with Regulus, and if being Aries' adoptive father
is what bridges the gap between me and my brother's son then so be it."
"You're insane Sirius. You need to watch yourself, or you're going to get
dragged into deep shit. You know about Thomas' dreams about
Voldemort before the World Cup. Some old man died because of him."
Aries froze. Potter had a dream about some old man dying before the
World Cup? It was a coincidence, it had to be. There was no way that it
was anything like the dream he had. There was no way the old man that
had died in his dream was the same as the one in Potter's. His frantic
reassuring of himself caused him to miss what Potter said next, but he
quickly focused on their argument again. "Do you even know what side
Aries would be on if Voldemort returned today? Do you?"
"No, I don't. But maybe if I love him like the uncle I am, and the father
Reg would have been, maybe he'll be on my side. It might not be our
side, or Dumbledore's side. But my side is with you and that side is
against Voldemort. Look, can't you just help me out here? And try to play
nice with Aries? Please mate?" James was quiet for a while, but he finally
agreed, and Aries waited until he heard him walk away. A glance around
the corner allowed him to see Sirius enter his quarters. Aries decided
against talking to his uncle right now, as he couldn't wrap his head
around what Sirius had said and later sent a note to his uncle instead. He
had a feeling their meeting this Saturday was about to be very eventful.
Daphne looked stunning in her elegant winter coat that went down to her
knees. Her blonde hair was down, blowing slightly in the slow breeze. A
smile greeted him as she took his arm and walked him down to the
village. Arianna had been visibly upset at finding out he would be going
to Hogsmeade with Daphne rather than the group. A quick conversation
with Haydn and Ivan had left her to go to the village alone with Draco,
and the two childhood friends had endless laughs over the outraged look
on Pansy Parkinson that morning. Aries had intentionally dressed
smartly, preferring to give the girl the idea that the day was important to
him as well. It would not be a good idea to offend her so early on in their
friendship.
Aries found himself in Tomes and Scrolls, a small bookshop that
contained an interesting collection of books and texts. Nothing illegal or
dark, but he did manage to find a rather sought-after book on
Transfiguration and a more recent study of the uses of Wolfsbane,
published by the Potions Guild. Daphne had decided against buying
herself anything, choosing rather to gift him with An Expert's Guide to the
Ancient Families of England. He chose not to tell her that he had read the
book at eight, but he appreciated her gift nonetheless. Scrivenshaft's Quill
Shop was next, and he returned Daphne's kindness by purchasing the
elegant green feathered quill she had been eyeing. Daphne had hesitated
outside Zonko's Joke shop, but he grabbed her hand with a grin pulling
her into the store. Arianna, Aries, and Haydn had often enjoyed playing
pranks on the other students of Durmstrang, though their version of
pranks would most likely get a Hogwarts student expelled. Aries did not
buy anything but enjoyed seeing the wide variation of products.
Honeydukes was an absolute delight, and no doubt he surprised his date
with his sweet tooth. Aries might want to be a future dark lord, but only
an insane person did not like chocolate.
Noon arrived, and with only an hour before he was to meet up with
Sirius they decided to go to the Three Broomsticks. Aries declined a
butterbeer, choosing to wait to have one with his uncle, and found Haydn
and Ivan at a table in the back with two girls. Haydn was laughing loudly
with a French girl, who was having trouble not blowing her butterbeer
out her nose at his joke. Ivan surprisingly sat with Clarissa Mayer. They
were both very quiet people but seemed to be enjoying talking to the
other. Draco and Arianna were no where to be seen, and he had to
wonder if Draco would survive the Spanish girl's jealousy today. He
supposed Haydn would be up for filling the role of best friend if it came
down to it. The hour passed quicker than he had wanted, and Daphne
was sitting much closer to him than she had been before, when Sirius
walked in, but he wasn't alone.
The Potter family entered the pub as well, and when Sirius started to
make his way over to him, they followed. His friends politely left,
Daphne pecking him on the cheek before heading over to Davis and
Parkinson who looked ready to interrogate the girl about the day's
events. Aries could tell Sirius was nervous, and the Potters looked
awkward besides Thomas. The fourth champion seemed rather intrigued
and chose to sit next to him. This allowed Sirius to sit directly across
from him, with Potter's parents flanking him.
"Thanks for meeting with us Aries." Sirius said happily.
"I was unaware it would be an us, Uncle." Aries drawled. "Though
fortunately, we are not all here." It was a perfect entrance in his opinion,
for just as he nodded towards the door it opened to reveal Cassiopeia
Black. The entrance would have been better if the pub had gone silent,
but too many years had passed for anyone besides his own table's
occupants to remember her. At seventy-three years old, Cassiopeia's hair
had finally grayed, though it hardly marred the Black beauty she
possessed. Her brown eyes were still sharp and, as she took her seat at
the table, they eyed Sirius rather disapprovingly.
"You still have the hair of a girl Sirius," Cassi chided. "You need a haircut.
At least Regulus knew how to look like a proper Black." The mood of the
table had gone from hopeful to downright awkward. The Potters seemed
to realize they had intruded on a family reunion, though to back out now
might just kill them with more awkwardness. "You need to take a page or
two from your nephew, and maybe you won't be such a disgrace to our
House." Sirius had sat much straighter since Cassi arrived and now his
cheeks were flamed in embarrassment. "Ah, the Potters. It's good to see
you all I suppose. Your boy not have enough fame? Oh well, Aries shall
win and that will be the end of it. Go on Sirius, talk. I understand you
wish to get to know your nephew. I came to ensure your irrational nature
stayed in control, and good thing too since you brought them along."
James Potter looked downright furious and Lily looked unsure whether
she should defend their family or attempt to keep her husband seated.
Thomas, on the other hand, seemed to be keeping in a laugh at Sirius'
expense. Aries doubted Thomas had ever seen his godfather chastised.
"Well um, I was hoping you could tell me about yourself, and then I'd go
and maybe we could find some common ground?"
"Oh yes, excellent idea Sirius," Cassiopeia drawled. "Are we first years
now? I suppose so."
"Aunt Cassi, play nicely. You're intimidating my uncle." Aries laughed
before turning to Sirius. "I was born in Paris. Mother was in hiding
already after refusing to join the Dark Lord and got pregnant there after
one of father's visits. I was born with an unknown magical illness that I
struggled against for two years. I was basically a squib. Then Aunt
Cassiopeia tried some crazy potion just around when father died, and it
healed me. Unfortunately, my magic was unstable for years and I had a
tutor that helped me learn to control it. Mother died from a potions
accident when I was five." Lily had teared up at that, and Aries was not
sure how he told the lie with a straight face. "Things were hard then, but
Aunt Cassi took care of me. My tutor taught me everything that she didn't
and when I started school I was leagues ahead of everyone else. I
attended Durmstrang because Aunt Cassi wasn't sure how people would
react to the son of a Death Eater showing up. I'm assuming you want to
hear my hobbies?" Sirius nodded eagerly. "Other than practicing magics,
reading I suppose. I do love brewing potions, and I wish Professor Snape
would actually brew something rather than just lecture. I think I have his
whole collection at home. I play Quidditch on the-"
"You play Quidditch?" Sirius interrupted. He almost seemed giddy now.
"What position?"
"Chaser. I supposed I could be a small Beater, but it never interested me.
Keeper is too dull and while Krum is still on my team no one even tries
for Seeker."
"You play with Viktor Krum?" James asked.
"Of course," Aries replied. "He's in my group, it's like your Houses but
there are more than four. Viktor only accepts the best, and I'm happy to
say I'm at least in the top three of Durmstrang."
"Thomas plays Seeker," Lily offered. "Youngest player in a century. He's
been looking forward to seeing Krum play next weekend."
"Ah yes, Durmstrang versus Beauxbatons. I may be biased but I think
Krum will lead us to victory." Surprisingly that got a laugh out of Sirius
and the Potters. Cassiopeia was watching them all like a hawk, but he
didn't care.
"Who's your team?" Thomas asked. "Dad gets us tickets to see Puddlemere
United. My old captain, Oliver Wood is on their reserve team."
"They're an excellent team, though I prefer the Heidelberg Harriers.
Fiercer than a dragon and twice as clever."
"A German team?" James asked with a bit of disapproval. "Why not an
English team?"
"We grew up in Germany, Potter," Cassiopeia explained. "You cannot
expect the boy to ignore the beautiful culture that surrounded him."
"The Dark Arts aren't as illegal in Germany as they are here. Surprising
considering what Grindewald did. I suppose that's part of their beautiful
culture?" This time the disapproval was in full force in James' voice and
Cassiopeia's eyes narrowed.
"Do not speak of Grindewald to me, boy. You weren't even thought of yet
when he rampaged Europe. His madness was obvious even at Durmstrang
where his symbol still haunts its halls. His dark experiments and
attempted murders of students at the school were nothing compared to
what he did later in life. Your country speaks of Voldemort with such
fear. He may have been more powerful than Grindewald, but he never
caused the widespread devastation that the continent experienced. I was
there, boy, fighting along side your Light wizards to stop that monster, as
did many wizards whom you call dark with hatred. Dark does not equal
monster. You'd do well to remember it. Now leave, I've had enough of
your presence. You're intruding on matters of the House of Black." Her
tone left no room for argument and Lily Potter practically dragged her
husband out of the pub, followed by a rather embarrassed Thomas. It was
refreshing, Aries noted, to see someone else on the receiving end of his
aunt's anger. Sirius though was stuck between wanting to defend his
friend and not receive the same ire James did. "Now Sirius, where were
we?"
"Quidditch," the auror croaked out.
"Ah yes, Quidditch. Were you at the World Cup?"
"Yes," Sirius said as recovered. "The game was brilliant though the show
afterwards gave me a right headache."
"Yeah, thank Merlin we were gone by then." Aries said. "Krum wanted to
get drunk immediately. The party at his parent's house was massive, you
would've thought Bulgaria had won."
"You're close to Krum?"
"Yeah, he's like an older brother honestly."
Aries and Sirius talked for another hour, Cassiopeia adding a comment
here or there. Telling his uncle about some of the more relaxed pranking
that Haydn had helped him with had been a great choice, as it caused
Sirius to recount many stories of his exploits. Soon the conversation
turned back to Quidditch and the obsessing of Tables. Puddlemere and
the Harriers were both in contention for their league titles and his uncle
was very interested in seeing how the Germans played Quidditch.
"It's decided then," Aries said and the happiness he felt was genuine.
"We'll attend the Harriers game on the thirtieth of December. I hope you
realize that New Years in Berlin tend to be a riot."
"I think I know how to handle a party." Sirius said with swagger. "Have
you considered playing professionally? Or even try for international play
one day?"
"I'd like to." The answer was honest. His plans would take priority of
course, but after a few years of successful dark lording, who was going to
stop him from playing some Quidditch? It was a valuable magical
tradition after all. It would be necessary for him to support its
continuation. "I just don't know whether I'd play for England or Germany.
They're both home for me."
"Germany of course." Cassiopeia said with a rare smile, though he could
tell she disapproved of the sport as a career choice for him. "Our time is
nearly up Sirius and I have something that needs to be addressed. Your
seat on the Wizengamot."
"What about it?" The auror had tensed up considerably.
"As Aries stated in his interview no one has spoke for House Black
without being a Black in its history until you took over. That cannot be
allowed to continue. I will not force you to attend those meetings
yourself. But you will call for the House of Black to abstain from all votes
until a proper proxy has been chosen, or you take over the role yourself."
"Now see here-"
"Now see here nothing." Aries interrupted. Sirius looked at him with
surprise. "Our House has traditions. You have forsaken many of them
Uncle but this one crosses a line. You've allowed Dumbledore to control
our voice for fifteen years, and if you wish to seek amends with me and
Aunt Cassi then this is a necessity."
"Fine." Sirius relented after a few moments. "But I want something in
return."
"Name it."
"You have to come live with me this summer. At least for a week or two.
I can show you around England and the like." Aries made eye contact
with Cassiopeia and he could feel her worry through his Legilimency, but
she consented, and the agreement was made. It was a small concession,
but the reward was worth it.
Aries did not realize that his path toward the library after dinner would
take him pass the second-floor girl's lavatory again, but once he was
there he could not refuse the temptation to return. Myrtle was no where
to be seen and so he slowly approached the snake engraved sink. He cast
a Notice-Me-Not Charm and a strong compulsion charm that would send
anyone short of Dumbledore anywhere but inside the bathroom. It did
not take long before he was once again in the Chamber of Secrets.
Salmissra had shed her skin which was no surprise, he knew something
had been able to control her two years ago. Aunt Cassiopeia had
researched frantically both during and after the incident, but never
discovered who had managed it.
His aunt had strictly forbidden him from intervening, but when he had
heard reports of them trying to find the beast to slay it he knew had to
act. Hades had brought him back to the Chamber in the middle of a
spring night. Salmissra had answered his call and the phoenix transported
them deep into the magical mountains of Germany, into a secluded spot
Aries had found the previous summer. The great Basilisk was there to this
day, protected by every charm and curse Aries knew, despite the many
claims that the beast had been slain. The study was as Aries had left it
eight years ago, though dust had somehow covered everything again. He
vanished it with a wave of his hand and moved to the bookshelf.
Unbeknownst to him, a pair of dark brown eyes followed him as he
moved. They studied him for quiet awhile, as if judging the Heir of
Slytherin.
"It's good to see you again." Aries sprang into action and turned to the
sound of the voice, wand in hand and a spell already on his lips. He
expected to be attacked, but nearly dropped his wand in shock. There in
the frame, examining a small black snake that slithered up his arm, was
the moving portrait of Salazar Slytherin. "Welcome back Aries Orion
Black, Heir of Slytherin."
AN: I went back and forth the past two days on whether I'd bring
the portrait to life, I hope it isn't too cliche. Next chapter: The Duel
in the Snow.
7. A Duel in the Snow
N: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. Hope y'all enjoy it and if you don't,
whatever floats your boat y'all.
"It's good to see you again." Aries sprang into action and turned to the sound
of the voice, wand in hand and a spell already on his lips. He expected to be
attacked, but nearly dropped his wand in shock. There in the frame,
examining a small black snake that slithered up his arm, was the moving
portrait of Salazar Slytherin. "Welcome back Aries Orion Black, Heir of
Slytherin."
"Lord Slytherin?" Aries could not believe it. The portrait of his ancestor
moved! Suddenly he was seven-years-old again, silently begging the
portrait to come alive, to tell him of his lineage.
"No, I'm just some random portrait in Salazar Slytherin's secret study."
Salazar drawled. "Honestly you're acting like the last one that came here.
If I had realized my Heirs would be unintelligent maybe I would've
reconsidered that marriage contract."
"If I had realized my ancestor was such an ass maybe I'd have burned
your non-moving portrait when I came here eight years ago." Aries
replied with anger but then stopped, suddenly curious. "The last one?"
"Ha! An Heir with a back bone! Now that's more like it. And yes, Tom
Riddle. He was here. . . Well I'm not exactly sure when. Portraits can't
exactly tell time you know. Not when they're stuck underground."
"Riddle?" Aries repeated. "That isn't a pureblood name."
"No but the Gaunts are and he claimed to be related to him." Now that
was interesting. Two Heirs of Slytherin that did not bear the name Gaunt
or Slytherin. Riddle was not an ancient or noble family and the Blacks
did not have a drop of blood in them. It was a riddle, he thought with a
chuckle, that he intended to solve. "No doubt you're King of Slytherin by
now. Fifth year right I assume?"
"Well I'm a fifth year," Aries started. "But I'm not exactly in Slytherin."
Salazar looked at him like he had a third eye and several awkward
moments passed.
"NOT IN SLYTHERIN?!" Salazar screamed, his anger causing him to hiss
in Parseltongue. "Merlin tell me you are in Ravenclaw at least because if
you're in Godric's House I'll leap out of this portrait and end my line
myself."
"Actually, I'm not even a Hogwarts student. I attend Durmstrang
Institute."
"Oh, thank Merlin you aren't in Gryffindor. And what the hell is a
Durmstrang?"
"It's a school," Aries drawled with a roll of his eyes. "Cold. Teaches the
Dark Arts. You know, much more open minded than what your school
has become."
"Never heard of it. And just what has my school become?" Salazar asked
dangerously.
"A school controlled by someone that views anything harmful as dark or
evil."
"Is that what this place has become? Magic isn't light and dark, it's all
about intent! Goodness even Godric knew that despite his high horse
morals." Salazar paused for a moment, looking Aries over. "If you aren't a
Hogwarts student then why are you here?"
"The Tri-Wizard Tournament is being held here." Aries answered. "I was
selected champion for my school."
"The what?" Salazar asked annoyed about being so clueless. Aries
explained it to him, answering all the ancient wizards annoying
questions. The old portrait was far more sarcastic that he had ever
thought he would be, and he wondered if Cassiopeia would disapprove of
how Slytherin talked. They conversed for hours and Aries learned far
more about the history of Hogwarts than any book could have given him.
The portrait had pointed him to certain books of the library he hadn't
retrieved last time and when they moved onto his goals for his life,
Salazar listened intensely. Salazar left him with a piece of advice before
he left.
"Your plans are noble Aries." Salazar began. "Hear me now though. Tom
Riddle was an inspired boy, but one filled with revenge, and what he
eventually became was nothing like the boy I knew when he was here.
Many of his plans were noble too, but along the way he lost something
inside him on his path to immortality. I can sense some of the same
desires in you. You have ambition, cunning, and a will to succeed. All
things that make you my Heir, and a true Slytherin. Find something, find
someone that makes you whole, that keeps you tied to something other
than your drive to complete and perfect my noble work. Perhaps you can
be what Tom never could. You're so different from him, and yet in so
many ways you're just the same.
"What did Tom Riddle become?" But Aries already knew the answer.
"A monster."
The announcement of the Yule Ball on Christmas Eve had added some
drama to the lull between tasks of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Aries was
unsure how everyone had not already known about it; the ball had been
a tradition of the tournament for centuries. Haydn and Ivan already had
their dates who just so happened to be their dates from the Hogsmeade
weekend. Ivan's date had caused him to recalculate a few things as he
had been positive the Bulgarian was gay, not that he had any issue with
that unlike some wizards. You loved who you loved, and it was often
something you could not help. So why judge someone over it?
Aries had always planned on taking one of the Hogwarts students to the
ball, but he was pretty sure that Daphne had made it entirely clear that
he was off limits and he had seen many girls cower away from him under
her icy glare. He'd have to actually ask the girl at some point, but it
wasn't a priority just yet. Arianna had been giving him hopeful glances
since the announcement, and he supposed it was finally time for that
conversation. He'd rather deal with her response in private rather than
deal with her after she found out he was taking someone else to the ball.
The Spanish girl was right where he hoped, in her cabin and thankfully
alone as the Mayer girl had joined Ivan in the library. Arianna's bright
smile was far too hopeful, and Aries' had to muster far more courage than
he'd like to admit.
"Arianna, we need to talk." He chose Spanish for this conversation, as she
would most likely have switched to it at some point anyway.
"What's up Aries?" There was a nervousness in her smile, but the hope was
still in her eyes.
"I know you want me to take you to the ball." Her smile widened. "But I
can't."
"What?" Aries could see it clear as day, the hurt in her eyes and his
passive Legilimency picked up something that clearly felt like betrayal.
"You have been one of my closest friends. You have been there for me in some
of my most vulnerable moments and stood by my side in my darkest. I know
you've developed feelings for me that are beyond what would define a
friendship. I had hoped it would be a phase and that you'd find someone better
suited, but it never passed."
"Why are you doing this to me Aries?" Tears were falling down her
beautiful faces, and her make up started to smear. "I've given everything to
you! I've hurt people I could have been friends with. Lied and manipulated
others. I've done everything you've ever asked of me without question. And all
I've ever wanted in return was to be able to be at your side."
"Arianna, I've been in your mind far too often to not know your dreams. I was
the one who taught you Occlumency remember? I know you want to one day
settle down, to have kids on some vineyard in Spain, living the high life
without a care in the world, with a husband that will truly love you. Despite
all your claims of following me downmy path to destiny, down in your heart
that's what you want, and you wish to pull me away from my destiny to join
you. My dear Arianna, you want something from me I can never give you.
Something I cannot even have myself."
"Can't? Or won't?" Anger had replaced hurt and there was a challenge in
her eye.
"Both."
"So, you think your destiny is more important than love? Than happiness?
Than giving yourself the happy life that you deserve? Than being with me?"
She had been nearly shouting, but her last question came out almost as a
whisper.
"Yes." It was a cold thing to say, but it was the truth, and Arianna choked
out a sob as she fell to the ground. Aries wanted to comfort her, but
inside his heart was breaking, and he worried what would happen if he
were to give into the desire to wrap her in his arms. She was a confidant,
someone who he could always count on to be there for him, but her love,
affection, and the kindness in her soul would always pull him away from
his destiny. No, his responsibility.
"Aries." Heart-broken eyes met his as he turned back to look at her. "I love
you."
"I'm sorry Arianna. I don't love you, and I never will. Not as you love me."
The Quidditch tournament had been a rather interesting situation leading
up to the start, as having a three team tournament did not exactly work
out. It was eventually decided that each team would play each other once
over the course of four weekends, and the two teams with the most
points would play again in the final. Durmstrang was slated to face off
against Beauxbatons first and Aries walked hand in hand with Daphne
down to Quidditch pitch. He kept a conversation with Draco along the
way, so that he would not have to talk to Pansy. Draco's irritation with
the girl was beginning to come to a head, especially now that there was a
girl he was actually interested in. Arianna on the other hand completely
ignored Draco, and everyone at the moment. Haydn and Ivan were
optimistic that she'd get over it eventually, but Aries had to wonder if the
girl's feeling might have ruined their powerful quartet. The stands of the
Quidditch pitch were filled with the three schools. Durmstrang sat with
the Slytherins and Beauxbatons were mixed among the other three
houses. It seemed that since the hated house had sided with the hated
school the rest of Hogwarts and Beauxbatons was against them.
The match was very short, unfortunate in Aries' opinion, as he had hoped
to see Beauxbatons embarrassingly defeated. He supposed Krum catching
the snitch ten minutes in, although incredibly anticlimactic, was
embarrassing enough. A translation charm had been used so all students
could understand the commentary. Aries might have had an epiphany if
he had not already tried the charm on the egg. It had some sort of
counter that he had been unable to remove, and so he was back to square
one. He pulled on Daphne's hand, allowing them to lag behind his
friends.
"The female population of the castle has been rather cold to me since the
Yule Ball was announced." Aries stated with a smile. "Would you have
anything to do about it?"
"Of course." Daphne's smirk was mischievous. "Too many of them had
fancies of passing you love potion. It was only for your protection."
"My protection? I see that you have yet to find a date yourself."
"That's a problem that can be solved quickly," She replied, tapping her
chin thoughtfully. "Your friend Haydn is rather attractive, though I
suppose I could take Diggory. It wouldn't be hard to convince him to drop
Chang for me." He glared at her playfully with that last statement. She
was trying to rile him up, but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
"I think you could do much better."
"Oh really?"
"Daphne, would you give me the honor of escorting you to the Yule Ball?"
"You may have the honor." She gave him a bright smile and placed a kiss
on his cheek. "I'm wearing silver. I do hope you can find robes to match."
The next weeks passed by quickly for Aries and the second task was
approaching. Hogwarts had defeated Beauxbatons the following
weekend, more than likely putting them out of the running for the final.
The biggest surprise had been that Draco had made the team as a chaser
along with the third year. Ginny Weasley, and a seventh year Ravenclaw.
The Weasley twins were their beaters, some Hufflepuff the Keeper, and
an Asian girl, Cho Chang, was their Seeker. Beauxbatons second loss
made next week's match almost pointless, besides ensuring they had
more points than the French, but Krum had mentioned that it gave him
the opportunity to try and mislead their rival before going into the final.
Classes continued on as normal, though the Transfiguration teacher was
really starting to get on his nerves. His desire to change and rip out the
woman's throat was a dark day dream that often lingered throughout the
class. Arianna was avoiding him now, which only irritated him more. She
was over reacting in his opinion and just needed to accept the truth. The
longer she played this out, the more she just hurt herself. She may be a
good friend of his, but she was not irreplaceable, nor was she so
invaluable to his plans that he would give into her. Perhaps he had made
her more important than she deserved. Haydn spent a lot of time with
that French girl, Emma Dubois, and while Aries could see her beauty, the
girl was far too giggly for his liking. Hopefully Haydn would have his fun
and dump the girl after the Ball. Harsh, but she was a distraction, as he
could not focus on his essay when the girls insufferable giggling made
him want to curse her into oblivion.
Aries had been looking for an opportunity to talk with his mentor, but he
had been busy lately with an unknown matter. A simple note to the old
man had allowed him to set up a time in his office on the ship. Professor
von Reich spent much of his time in the castle, but spent his mornings
and evening in his cabin, drinking firewhiskey and reading a book. Aries
was grateful for this as a glass waited for him when he entered the cabin.
Vladimir von Reich was old, though he did not know his actual age. His
mentor had been young when he turned against Grindewald, but old
enough to have extensive crimes in Germany, not to mention a wife and
child. His head was bald and much of his face was hidden by the black
beard that came to a point below his chin. The man could be beneficial to
his plans, if he managed to live that long.
"Dumbledore has the Elder Wand." It was better to get straight to the
point than beat around the bush. Neither wizard preferred small talk if it
could be avoided.
"Ah so our theory is proven correct." Von Reich responded as he stroked
his beard. "And how did you find out?"
"Phrasing of course." Aries relayed the story to his master, who displayed
a look of pure outrage when he heard that Dumbledore had asked to see
his wand. Wands were a personal matter, and many witches and wizards
would rather walk naked before the Wizengamot than allow another to
handle their wand, besides a wandmaker of course. It was just different
somehow.
"So, at last I know the truth. Grindewald possessed the Elder Wand, and
therein lies the reason why he defeated me." A moment of vulnerability
came for the old wizard, and Aries wondered just how deeply the man
had wanted revenge, to challenge the most feared dark wizard of their
time to an honor duel. Grindewald had soundly defeated him and had left
him in a coma. When he recovered, Dumbledore had finally subdued the
would-be tyrant, and so revenge eluded Vladimir von Reich. "Will you
attempt to take the wand?"
"No." Aries said with a shake of his head. "At least not yet. Dumbledore is
too powerful, and Hogwarts is his home turf. I'll wait until I have the
advantage and have need of the wand."
"Good, I see my lessons of patience were not useless after all." Aries
flushed with embarrassment at the many memories of those awful
lessons. "Cassi told me of your meeting with Sirius before she left. I hear
James Potter was rather rude."
"Yes, that light bigoted idiot thought to insult Germany and me, and by
extension of the House of Black. Practically everything Aunt Cassi loves.
Seeing her rip into him was brilliant."
"Yes, the Potters are rather loyal to Dumbledore, though your revelation
may shed some truth on their situation." Aries gave him a curious look.
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me Aries, how much do you know about Harry Potter?" The boy
who had mysteriously died? What did he matter? He was dead.
"Something happened the night the Dark Lord was defeated that made
him sick and then he died three years later."
"I see." Von Reich said with disappointment. "Cassiopeia has not told you
the truth. You see, Harry was abandoned by the Potters. The events that
led to the Dark Lord's defeat left him a squib, and so they gave him to
Lily Potter's muggle sister. Sometime shortly after, the boy disappeared,
and no one found out until three years later. The muggles had told no
one, not even his mother. They looked everywhere, and he was later
confirmed to be dead. It was a tragedy that Dumbledore covered up."
Aries was furious inside. He knew of what some purebloods did with
squibs, and it was an issue he longed to rectify one day. "I can see your
anger, but I believe there are a few clues that lead to something rather
interesting anomalies. The first being a man: Remus Lupin."
"Let me guess. He's a werewolf?" Aries asked sarcastically.
"Yes, he is." Now that was ironic. "Remus Lupin was one of James Potter's
three best friends, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew being the other two.
We know of Pettigrew's betrayal, but did you know that Lupin had a
falling out with both Black and the Potters shortly after the fall of the
Dark Lord? It's curious indeed. I doubt Black nor Lupin would have
believed this illness story, considering Lupin was Thomas' godfather and
Sirius was Harry's, though Sirius is now Thomas' as well. Even if the child
was truly sick, why could he not be raised with Black or Lupin? Such an
illness would not have been contagious. So, what caused it? What caused
such a loving family to abandon a child? It does not seem likely the
Potters would do this, no matter the circumstance. I give you my
conclusion: a compulsion charm."
"Absolutely not." Aries disagreed. "A compulsion charm would not be
strong enough. Hell, maybe the Imperious curse, but not a compulsion."
"Perhaps, but you are forgetting both the caster and what he possessed.
There are many magical objects that can increase one's power, many of
them being magical rings hidden or lost through time, but the Elder
Wand has often magnified a user's power. A man as powerful as
Dumbledore could potentially channel magic through it without actually
holding it. My guess is that a number of compulsion charms forced the
Potters, and Sirius, to abandon Harry. No doubt it was cast many times
and perhaps is the very reason James Potter does not sit among the
Wizengamot as his father, Charles, did."
"It seems far fetched. . ."
"And here is my relevant data. Remus Lupin is technically a magical
creature. Certain spells harm him and others have little effect, such as the
Imperious curse. Few spells can control the wolf that resides inside him. I
believe that Dumbledore thought the Elder Wand would over power the
wolf and failed. You see, no doubt the wolf inside him saw Harry and
Thomas as its cubs, its own children. When Remus went to release his
friends, Dumbledore forced them to shun the werewolf, which is why he
has not been seen in England for the past thirteen years. Why the wolf
would have a stronger nature than Potter's parents is unknown to me, but
alas I believe my theory is correct. I contacted Remus Lupin myself to
find out. I also suspect memory charms, no doubt to remove any evidence
of his compulsions, though Lupin made provide the evidence we need
under Veritaserum. This could potentially ruin Albus Dumbledore if used
correctly. This I leave to you."
Aries nodded, the information being processed too fast to speak. This was
a manipulation far beyond any he had thought the Headmaster capable
of. How many compulsion charms had the Potters and Sirius been placed
under for the past thirteen years? How many times had they realized just
what they had done and been done to them and had their memory wiped
so they would forget what the old man made them do to their child? He
had developed a dislike for the Potter patriarch, but now he just felt pity.
It was a wrong that made Aries sick to his stomach. The loss of an
innocent child to an old man's manipulations. Aries would kill one day,
yes, but only when necessary. This was far beyond necessary.
"You should discreetly check your uncle for any charms." Von Reich
warned. "Do not tell him the truth until you are ready, for you will most
likely need to keep him from murdering the Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"I agree." Suddenly the guilt Aries had felt in Sirius made sense. "When
Lupin confirms your theory, I'll release Sirius of his guilt. Perhaps we can
wrestle the Potters to our cause as well when their confidence in
Dumbledore is shaken. But in due time. We will ruin Albus Dumbledore
when it will benefit us."
"Good." Aries took a moment to refill his glass and did the same to his
mentor's. "Do you know of the second task?"
"No, and I do not wish to. It might not be very Slytherin, but the
unknown can bring about many opportunities."
"Oh, I think you'll find this to be an excellent chance to show the people
of England just who you are Aries Black." The smirk on Vladimir von
Reich's face was as dark as Aries' had ever seen it, and he would not
disappoint the man.
The four champions stood in the same tent as the First Task, though Ludo
Bagman was no where near to be found. Sirius Black, James Potter, and
two other aurors were with them, but the champions made no attempt to
talk to them. Thomas and Diggory were having a hushed conversation,
no doubt about the task, and Aries was having a pleasant time with Fleur.
She had expressed her disappointment that he already had a date, though
she admitted she would drop her current date if he did as well. Aries
respectfully declined and once he brought up that he was born in Paris
the veela launched into describing the beauty of her home country. At
last it was time for the Second Task to begin. The two others aurors took
Fleur and Diggory while James took Thomas. Aries followed Sirius lead
and was led into the walls of the stadium under the stands.
"Aries," Sirius began as they walked. "I just wanted to apologize for
James' actions back in Hogsmeade. He's not normally like that."
"It's alright Uncle."
"No, it's not. But maybe I can explain." Sirius took a deep breath and
sighed. "I'm not sure what you know about Harry Potter but what the
papers were told isn't the truth. Its not my story to tell but James made a
mistake, and either way Harry died. Two years before that I made a
mistake and lost Regulus. The thing is that for the past thirteen years
James and I have silently wished to see Harry and Regulus return to us,
even though its impossible. That grief brought us closer than ever,
especially once Remus abandoned us. Then you showed up. You'd be in
Harry's year and I think that's what kills James inside. He wishes with all
his heart that you were Harry. You came to me in Regulus' place, and
Harry is still gone. James hates you for that, because you're everything he
thinks Harry would not have been. For me though, well, you're
everything Regulus would have wanted in a son, and I can't help but love
you, and Aunt Cassi, for that. I know Regulus would be so proud of you
Aries, and I just hope that I can be the uncle he would've wanted me to
be."
Sirius was crying silently, and for the first time Aries did not care. He
didn't know why it meant so much to him, but he was now determined to
rip Dumbledore's manipulative claws off his uncle, even if he had to kill
the old bastard and take the Elder Wand from his cold dead fingers
himself. They reached a small door that Aries realized would open into
the stadium. He wore similar robes from the First Task, and no doubt the
specific charm he had placed on them last year might come in handy if
his suspicions of the task were correct.
"Look Aries," Sirius said now that he was recovered. "It's not cheating
anymore but you're about to do a free-for-all duel. Only one winner.
Thomas and Cedric have been working on some plan. I don't know if
Fleur is involved but she might be. It's probably why she was distracting
you in the tent. Don't tell James I told you this but Thomas can have a
quick temper, and if he thinks Cedric deceived him you might be able to
turn the tables. You know, even the playing field."
"Why Sirius, that is rather Slytherin of you." Aries said approvingly.
"I may not act like it all the time, but I'm still a Black dear nephew." They
shook hands warmly. "Now kick some ass and win the damned thing."
The coliseum had changed somewhat since the First Task. Rocks still
jutted out of the ground but for the most part the area was flat. Oh, and
there was snow covering every inch of the coliseum. Nearly five inches
deep. It crunched under his feet, and the element of surprise would be
removed in this condition. The four champions stood like the four points
of a compass. He saw Thomas' attempt at a discreet nod towards Diggory,
and Fleur was ignoring them both far too intentionally for it to be
innocent. Aries was tempted to take on the three of them at once, but
while he had a good feeling he could defeat them, it was an unnecessary
risk. No, he needed to act like the Heir of Slytherin, just as Salazar had
commanded. A flick of his wrist and an invisible spell made its way over
to Thomas.
"Hello Potter." Thomas nearly jumped at the other side of the stadium at
hearing Aries' voice. "Don't move like that! I cast a spell that makes it so
we can hear each other for now. Listen close and only give a slight nod or
shake of your head." Bagman was introducing the champions and the
task. He only had so much time. "Sirius didn't get a chance to tell you and
your dad didn't believe him. You know how they're fighting right now.
Anyway, he said that Cedric is planning on turning against you. Fleur is
going to attack me as planned and then he's going to take you out. We're
first and second in the table, so they're hoping to take over us." He could
see the anger in Thomas from here and smirked. "I'll shoot a blasting hex
at Cedric to give you a shot at some element of surprise, then I'll take out
Fleur. After that it's a free-for-all. Good luck Potter." Once Thomas gave
him a nod, he cancelled the spell. Everything was set and now their duel
in the snow would begin.
"Lastly," Bagman was saying. "This tournament is set by the old laws. As
such the only spells off limits are the Unforgivables. To eliminate an
opponent, they must either surrender or be incapacitated. No penalties
will be given should a champion die, though killing your fellow
competitor is deeply frowned upon. Good luck champions and let the
Second Task of the 1994 Tri-Wizard Tournament begin!" A canon
sounded and chaos erupted.
"Bombarda!" The blasting hex exploded the rock next to Diggory just as
Thomas' stunner passed by him. Aries paid them no mind and sent a
bone-breaking curse towards Fleur. She spun out of the way threw a ball
of fire at him. His right hand extended, catching the ball of fire, and as he
closed his fist the fire was absorbed into his palm.
"You must not have been paying attention with the dragons, or you did not
believe the tales." Aries said in French. "I can bend dragon fire. Yours is
nothing more than a nuisance." At the last word he threw his hand forward
and the fire ball was blasted back at her. Her eyes widened in surprise, as
the fireball had doubled in intensity, and leaped out the way. She barely
dodged another bone breaker before a blasting hex made him find cover.
Aries had no intention of going back and forth with the veela, so he
returned a blasting hex of his own, exploding the rock she was hiding
behind. He brandished his wand straight into the air.
"Tempestas frigus!" The sky above them suddenly darkened and thunder
rumbled. The air felt electric and a cold rain started to fall. It turned to
sleet before it hit the ground and lightning struck ever so often in the
coliseum. Aries had researched veela thoroughly since the Weighing of
the Wands. Unlike the Sirens of Greek Mythology, veela have a difficulty
dealing with water and extreme cold, and the temperature in the
coliseum was dropping rapidly. His robes magically provided more
warmth than he could ever need, but the mobile robes of the French
champion did little to comfort her, and her warming charms were having
no effect, much to her disadvantage. Fleur started to cast fire frantically,
hoping to heat up the area around her, but between her flame and
extreme cold of the storm it only turned the snow into ice cold water.
Aries was aware that this could kill the girl and had to move quickly to
eliminate his opponent before she died. A bone breaker shattered her leg
and stunner took her in the chest. One of the aurors levitated her body
away while Aries took a seat on a rock to watch Potter and Diggory.
The cold was affecting Potter much more than Diggory, who had been
smart enough to transfigure his robes into a thick fur coat. Diggory's
extensive repertoire of spells was giving him the advantage but Potter
was quicker and smaller, using it to his advantage to weave around the
rocks in a guerilla warfare like manner. He took a deep breath and
calmed the storm that was raging in the coliseum, letting the temperature
rise and the rain to stop. Thunder still rumbled as an occasional bolt of
lightning struck the ground, but the snow had turned to slush and had
started to freeze. The final duel would be interesting for sure. Aries
opened his eyes as a thump sounded and saw that Diggory had finally
managed to stun Potter. He closed his eyes again. Diggory's hard
breathing was loud in his ears, but after a few moments he quieted.
Aries opened his eyes to find Diggory standing roughly ten paces from
him, wand brandished and ready to fight. His robes began to glow as
they changed, obsidian black and golden armor styled in Greek smithing,
formed, and Aries readied himself. He had gone on the offensive at the
beginning with Fleur, but those of Durmstrang recognized the famed
stance of the Viper. He would wait for Diggory to make his move, and
then when the time was right, he would destroy him. There was a tense
moment, thunder rumbled as the intensity of the lightning strikes picked
up, and then their duel began.
Cedric's light magic barreled towards him and Aries' darker magic raced
back. Cuts and bruises started to cover his opponent, but no spell touched
Aries, though he was not entirely unaffected. Diggory had taken to
blasting his surroundings and more than once a shard of stone had
embedded itself in him, though he was sure that he had shattered his
opponents' non-dominant arm. He had to admit, Cedric was powerful,
and he began to unleash magic not seen since Grindewald's war. He
reached out, bending the air around them into a torrent that threatened
to throw Diggory off his feet. Then Aries unleashed fire, allowing the
wind to take it until they were surrounded by a tornado of fire, one that
Aries seemed to control with ease with his hand, as curses flew from his
wand.
The heat drew them closer, as Diggory tied to get away from the wall of
flames, and they forced to dodge each others spells as neither had enough
time to cast a shield due to their proximity. Diggory was clearly giving
his all, but Aries hadn't even started yet. He let loose of the tornado, and
began firing curse after curse towards Diggory, who was forced to relent
his own offensive and raise a shield in defense. Aries drew his magic
upon him, and thunder rolled, as he summoned the lightning that struck
his opponent's shield, shattering it. The explosion threw Diggory back
and his wand went flying across the stadium. Aries walked cautiously
over to the champion, dismissing the torrent of fire as he struggled to his
feet, before casting a simple stunner to finish the duel. Diggory ducked
under the spell and threw his fist towards Aries's face. It connected and
Aries saw red, forgoing a simple end to the duel. A blasting hex caught
Diggory in the chest and landed hard on his back. The rain had started
falling again, but now with each slow step Aries took, lightning struck
and thunder rumbled, a sign of his struggling control over his magic. The
storm he had created was thriving off his anger and power, and the
darkness that he so often contained inside himself screamed for Diggory's
death.
He was on all fours as the thick boot of Aries caught him in the gut. He
landed on his back, clutching his stomach, but he stared defiantly at the
Black Heir. A bone-breaker shattered Diggory's leg, and his screams
echoed off the stone walls. That darkness in the back of his mind
screamed to unleash the Cruciatus Curse, but he shattered his other leg.
Aries' heart was pounding and there was a voice whispering in the back
of his mind to finish it. Aries reached out with his magic, wrapping it
around Diggory's throat and squeezing. His fist clinched as his opponent
clawed at his throat, gasping for air. Silent moments passed before he
released him, and Diggory's loud gasping of air filled the coliseum. He
could feel his blood racing through him, the power within him screaming
to be unleashed, and lighting flew from his fingertips. Diggory writhed on
the ground and there were screams from the stands for him to stop, but
he refused, not yet. When at last he relented, trails of smoke floated from
the burns on Diggory's body.
Aries thought the fight was finally done, and he waited for Diggory to
surrender, but the champion remained determined. For a moment, Aries
felt a certain appreciated of the boy, and then Diggory sent a rather
sickly purple looking spell towards him. There was a gasp from the crowd
and Aries saw red again. Another bone breaker shattered the champion's
hand. The Hogwart's champion screamed as Aries stomped hard on the
hand he just broke. Another kick to the ribs and he heard several cracks.
Aries reached down, grabbing Diggory by the front of his robes, and
pulled him to his knees. He held them there, letting the cold rain hit
them both. Blood was running from Diggory's mouth and nose, and his
robes were soaked from the cuts he had given him. Aries struck him
across the face with an armored fist, soaking in the satisfaction of his
actions. He struck him again and again, and on the fifth strike he heard
Cedric's jaw break as he fell to the ground, unconscious. Cheers rose up
from the Durmstrang delegation, who appreciated his brutality, but the
students and staff of the other two schools were dead quiet and Aries
could feel their fear. Part of him rejoiced in it, it rejuvenated him, and as
he raised his arms, clinching his fist, thick bolts of lightning struck the
ground and the stadium shook from the thunder, as his magic struggled
to be contained. The Durmstrang students only cheered louder, but the
rest reeked of fear.
"Ladies and gentlemen your winner." Ludo Bagman said shakily. "Aries
Black of Durmstrang."
His black and golden armor had already turned back into his robes by the
time Madam Pomfrey began to fuss over him. The few shards and the
deep cut were easily taken care of and he was the least of the matron's
worries. Fleur and Thomas had been treated for hypothermia, but the
cold of his storm had been magical and they still seemed to be shivering.
Diggory lay unconscious, though Pomfrey had already said he would
recover fine. None of the injuries Aries had given him had been fatal,
only brutal. His burned flesh had already been healed and Aries could see
the bottle of Skele-Grow on his bedside table. Cho Chang was holding
Diggory's hand, looking very pale, and every time she glanced towards
Aries she flinched. The First Task had shown his power and the Second
Task his utter brutality. The people of England now had two remarkable
reasons to fear and respect him. Draco and Haydn had come in shouting
rather loudly about how awesome what they had seen was. Ivan watched
on quietly with a smile as the other two started reenacting his battle
versus Diggory's stone army. Daphne had pointedly fixed him with a
playful glare .
"Can I help you Greengrass?" He asked with a smirk.
"A tornado of fire? Really?" Daphne ask sarcastically.
"How else was I supposed to impress you?" Daphne blushed but
trademark icy look remained as she took his hand.
"Next time you can just defeat your opponent quickly and not be a show
off."
"Daphne darling, I'm a Black." Aries said with a smirk. "Being dramatic is
what we do best. If you're wanting to stick around you better get used to
it."
"You tricked me!" Thomas shouted across the room, pointing an
accusatory finger at him. Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Susan
Bones, he had finally learned their names, all had matching angry looks.
"You lied and you cheated!"
"I cheated? Tell me Potter, how you, Diggory, and Fleur knowing about
the task before hand and making a plan to team up against me isn't
cheating?"
"It's. . . Well. . ."
"It's the same damn thing Potter." Aries growled. "Life is perception. From
your point of view, I tricked you. From mine I played the same game you
three did and I won. And while we're at it, let me give you something to
think about. Who the hell do you think Fleur and Diggory were going to
go after if you three managed to take me out? Each other? We were in
first and second. You think they were going to risk letting you get into
first place? No. They would've taken you out together and then dueled
each other. So why don't you shove your hypocrisy up your ass and stop
getting manipulated by everyone around you. Start thinking for yourself
instead of blindly following everyone with a good idea. It's going to get
you killed one day."
Aries made to leave but stopped at the sight of Sirius. He looked right at
him with fear, and there was something else in his eyes. Hatred? No that
wasn't it. Disappointment. It cut into Aries like a knife. A growl escaped
his lips as he practically stormed away. He wasn't sure why it had upset
him so much, but he found himself changing and running through the
woods. His four padded feet beat the ground as he ran, the light of the
moon dancing in his wolfish eyes. There was something truly calming
about giving into the wolf inside him. His black fur legs carried him
through the forest until at last he stopped. A howl came from his
powerful jaws, and his green eyes shown brightly as snow began to fall.
He reveled in the peace and quiet of the snow-covered forest. An hour
passed, before the great wolf sighed, and Aries turned to make the long
journey back to Hogwarts.
AN: Next chapter: The Yule Ball
8. The Yule Ball
N: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. For those that haven't read the
updated version of The Duel in the Snow I'd recommend giving it a
read through as I updated some parts. Hope you enjoy this chapter
and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
He watched helpless as the explosion ripped through the room. His body hit
the table hard and he felt his ribs crack as he landed on the floor. Aries looked
up slowly, blood pouring down his mother's pale face. Panic set in as he saw a
bone sticking out of his chest. Power swirled around him, far from his control.
Glass shattered sending dangerous shards flying through the air. The breathing
exercises were far from his mind, the raging torrent that he always held back
came rushing forth, always out of reach. Waves of energy pushed out of him
as he closed his eyes, screaming for it to end.
"Aries." His mother's calm voice came to him. "Aries, it's alright."
Darkness rushed forth from deep inside himself, lashing out at his mind,
wrestling for control. Aries fought against it, and power pulsed through the
room. He could hear the breaking of tables, shattering of vials, and cracking of
stones. He felt his mother's soft hand cupping his face.
"Aries look at me."
He sat up quickly, his breath came in gasps as the dream assaulted his
senses. The pain in his chest still lingered and his stomach felt queasy at
the sight of his mother's blood. His whole body was tense as he
summoned the void, pushing the memory as far back into his mind as
possible. He would not linger on the past, not when he was destined to
shape the future.
Hogwarts opinion on Thomas Potter had changed drastically following
the Second Task, in fact it had done a complete one-eighty. Now it was
Aries Black that earned the ire of not only Hogwarts, but of Beauxbatons
as well. Despite the fact that Cedric had recovered fine, everyone outside
of Durmstrang seemed to think that Aries had intended to kill him. Not
entirely surprising, but most of Durmstrang knew that if Aries had
wanted the other champion dead then he would have finished the job.
Most of his classmates had taken to telling the competing schools that as
well, something that only increased tensions that week, and it all would
come to a head with the Quidditch Final today. Both Durmstrang and
Hogwarts had played their reserves for their third match of the
tournament, giving neither side any advantage, and only added to the
drama. Aries knew that Viktor far outmatched Chang, but he was also
aware of Draco's skills at Chaser, and he wondered if Durmstrang's
defense would give his older friend the time needed to catch the Snitch.
Beauxbatons and Hogwarts were mixed today leaving Durmstrang to
themselves on the other side of the Quidditch stadium. Aries was left to
sit next to Ivan and a seventh-year with Haydn being on the team and
Arianna no where to be found. Her continued absence was beginning to
infuriate him, and he intended to have a conversation with the girl before
the ball.
Viktor Krum led the Durmstrang team out, dark red robes flying in the
wind. Hogwarts wore black and he noted that their keeper seemed to
stare starstruck at Krum. Ginny Weasley and Roger Davies, two choices
that Aries had learned caused much controversy among the Quidditch
players of Hogwarts, looked ready to play, though Draco looked cocky as
ever. Aries wondered how they'd get along today, considering that he
knew Draco despised the other two.
"Welcome to the Quidditch Final of the 1994 Tri-Wizard Tournament!"
Aries recognized the boy as Lee Jordan, his biased commentary towards
Hogwarts had been in full force during Hogwarts versus Beauxbatons,
and he wondered just how biased it would be today." "We have
Hogwarts!" Cheers rose loudly from the other two schools. "Against
Durmstrang!" Boos overpowered the loud cheers of the leading school.
"For the home team: Weasley, Davies, Malfoy, Weasley, Weasley, Fleet,
aaaaaaaaaaand CHANG!" The cheers were even louder this time, as the
Hogwarts team took a lap, waving to their supporters. "For Durmstrang:
Muller, Milan, Nikola, Hahn, Heinrich, Miroslav, aaaaaaaaaaaand
KRUM!" This time the boos of the other two schools could not contain the
cheer of Durmstrang as their team flew around the stadium with Viktor
Krum at the lead. The two schools faced each other and as the quaffle
was thrown into the air, the game began.
Krum immediately soared high, Chang following, as Draco snagged the
quaffle. A quick pass to Davies and then another to Weasley who threw
towards goal. The Hogwarts section cheered in anticipation, but Miroslav
swatted the quaffle away towards Muller at the last second. Haydn took
off at a lightning pace, yelling in delight as Aries' had allowed him to
borrow his Firebolt. Milan and Nikola flew at intervals to his left and
right, allowing them to juggle the quaffle until Haydn threw it past Fleet.
"Durmstrang scores." Jordan announced dispassionately. "They lead ten to
none."
Hogwarts would not be swayed however, and Davies led a roaring rush
that, with a well timed bludger from one of the Weasley twins, kept
Milan distracted long enough for Draco to get the quaffle past Miroslav.
Neither team could keep a rhythm and any time it seemed one side
would begin to dominate the other would come fighting back. It allowed
for a much more enjoyable game in Aries' opinion, but his frustration
mirrored Krum's as neither had seen the snitch. Chang was having an
even harder time, she seemed to afraid to let Krum out of her sight long
enough to actually look for the snitch. Then Krum dived fast and hard.
The Asian girl panicked speeding after her fellow Sneeker at a back-
breaking pace. Krum pulled up early and sped towards the wall just as
Draco scored for the sixth time. Hogwarts led one hundred and sixty to a
hundred and forty. The Durmstrang Chasers were used to playing rough
Quidditch and it had served them well against Beauxbatons, but the
Hogwarts Chasers were playing fast, avoiding their opponents as the
Weasley twins' bludgers hounded them.
Krum had slowed down, but he was flying in circles with Chang
following, eyes flying over the stadium. Suddenly gasps rang through the
crowd. Aries tore his eyes from the snitch to see Milan smack the ground
with a loud thump. Viktor called for a time out just after Hogwarts scored
again, now up by fifty. Milan would not be able to continue, and their
substitute, Ader, replaced him. The game resumed but suddenly it was
entirely in Hogwarts' favor. The Durmstrang chasers were tired, and
despite the freshness brought by Ader, they could not keep up with their
opponents. Aries caught sight of the snitch, as did Krum, just as Hogwarts
scored again, putting them up two-hundred and nighty to one hundred
and fifty. Viktor dived after the snitch as he flew straight downward,
Chang falling further behind every second. Aries' attention was turned to
Draco who flew deliberately towards Miroslav and let loose the quaffle. It
flew through the goal just as Krum caught the snitch. Dead silence
followed and Viktor looked up towards the scoreboard in confusion and
then it changed to shock.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Lee's voice came through in awe. "The game has
ended, with a score of three-hundred to three-hundred. Um, Professor?
What happens now?"
"We have a tie!" The referee's annoying voice sounded through the
stadium. "A rare occurrence but there are procedures to be followed. This
final will be decided by penalties!" The cheers and screams of the crowd
were louder than they had ever been. This was something that Aries
doubted any of the crowd had ever seen. "Each team will attempt to score
six times, with each player of the team, minus the keeper, making an
attempt. The order is to be decided by the team captains. Hogwarts, as
they did not catch the snitch, will go first!"
Ginny Weasley was up first for the home school. She started off slow, and
then sped past Miroslav, dumping the quaffle through the hoop. Muller
followed and Fleet would have had a better chance saving Haydn's shot if
he had stayed still. Davies' was shocked when Miroslav made the save,
but unfortunately Ader's shot glanced off the post. The score was one to
one and the tension in the stadium was mounting. The first of the
Weasley twins' shot was blocked, and when Krum's shot went through the
Durmstrang section cheered loudly, they had the lead. The second
Weasley twin was successful, but so was their own beater Hahn.
Durmstrang led three to two and their cheers only grew louder. Next
came Chang's whose made goal was a shock to many and it rejuvenated
the Hogwarts side, especially after Heinrich missed. This only left Draco
Malfoy and Igor Nikola. Draco smirked, before flying like a bullet
towards Miroslav before pulling up at the last second, lofting the quaffle
over the Durmstrang keeper. The Hogwarts and Beauxbatons section
were like a roaring storm, and their cheers threaten to deafen the
spectators. It all came down to Nikola. He started slow, going at an easy
pace, swerving left and right. Fleet stuck with him, but when Nikola
continued to go left, he went right, leaving a wide-open goal for him to
score.
"WHAT A MATCH!" Lee screamed. "I have just been informed that it is
now SUDDEN DEATH! The first to break the tie wins!"
Durmstrang would go first, and Nikola eagerly grabbed the quaffle. He
started off similar to his last, before plowing ahead as Draco had done. At
the last second, he dived up and right as he released the quaffle. Fleet
had guessed wrong, but the slight gust of wind caught the quaffle and it
bounced off the Hogwarts' keeper extended foot. The silence around Aries
threatened to suffocate him, and he could do nothing as Draco sealed
their fate. He played no tricks this time, simply outclassing Miroslav, and
scoring the winning goal. The stadium was loud as the Durmstrang
students left the stadium with broken-hearts. While Aries was
disappointed at the result he was proud of Draco's performance, and
made a point to come congratulate his friend, much to the chagrin of the
Hogwarts' students.
Aries' stood impatiently at the entrance hall. Potter, Diggory, and Davies'
joined in their wait for their dates. Chang came first, followed by Susan
Bones. That surprised him as he thought Potter would take the Weasley
girl, but Bones was a better choice for a number of reasons. Fleur came
next and she was positively radiant. Nearly every eye in the hall followed
her, but it was the next girl that caught his attention. Daphne Greengrass
walked down the steps in her exquisite silver dress. There was slit in the
bottom, allowing him a glimpse of her long legs. The top left her
shoulders bare and her hair was up in a braid that formed a halo around
her head. Aries thought she might be the most beautiful girl he had ever
seen and he prayed that his hopes for the girl worked out. He took her
hand and placed a soft kiss to it, before pulling her close and placing
another on her cheek.
"You look magnificent darling." Aries whispered softly before pulling
away from her. Professor McGonagall led them into the Great Hall, where
many of the students had already begun taking their seats. The
champions sat at the table at the end of the hall, where the Headmasters
of the school joined them. The rest of the staff occupied two tables just
below it, and he saw Professor von Reich having a conversation with
Professor Flitwick. Aries could not help but wonder who would win
between the two international duelists. The Hogwarts' elves served up
another fantastic meal and the conversation down the table was light and
merry. He was surprised that wine had been served, Daphne taking full
advantage, though Aries was far more interested in the not so subtle
glances the Weasley twins were giving the bowl of bunch.
The food vanished and a light overture began, signaling the opening
dance. Aries noted, with much surprise, that Hermione Granger was
sitting next to Viktor, who looked far more nervous than he ever had
before a Quidditch match. Ron Weasley, who sat at the same table with a
rather put out looking Indian girl, had a furious look on his face. Aries
pulled Daphne into his arms and began the waltz. Aunt Cassiopeia had
drilled the art of dancing into him at a young age, refusing to allow him
to embarrass her at any of the German Ministry balls they attended. If
Daphne was surprised, she did not show it, and gracefully followed his
lead. It was as the song ended, and others began to enter the dancefloor,
that Aries noticed Arianna. She had slight bags under her eyes that she
had tried to hide with makeup. Otherwise she was her normal gorgeous
self, except that she was on the arms of Elia Kruger. The sixth-year had
been his rival last year and the scar Aries had given him during their
vicious honor duel remained, a small cut across his cheek, so he would
always remember his defeat, and the mercy he had received. He slipped
into Arianna's mind to find it a confused jumble, a sign that the girl was
already drunk, and he felt her jealously, but also the hope of inspiring
jealousy in him. If that was her goal, she would be sorely disappointed.
Aries pulled Daphne closer to him, pushing Arianna out of his mind, as
the next song began.
Aries breathed in the cool air of England as he and Draco stepped outside
the castle. Daphne had wanted to spend a few moments with her friends
and he had welcomed a break from the warm Great Hall. They both had
a glass of firewhiskey in their hands and had been sipping it slowly for
awhile now. The Weasley twins had spiked the bunch, but thankfully he
had brought his own flask full of his favorite drink.
"Parkinson looks like she's having fun." Aries said with a laugh. Draco's
sour face was priceless.
"If only de Cordova hadn't gone with that idiot." Draco muttered. "Merlin,
I hate Pansy. All she cares about is her damn clothes and the latest
gossip."
"Why Draco, some could say the same about you and your hair."
"Hey, some of us have to be good-looking. We can't all be hideous like
you."
"Ponce."
"Smart ass."
"Little dragon."
"Hey now!" Draco yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at Aries. "You
promised you'd never tell anyone about that!"
"And I haven't." Aries said with a smirk, downing his glass. Haydn and
Ivan were great friends, but the relaxed nature around Draco was
refreshing. The two friends from Durmstrang were connections and
future allies. Draco, on the other hand, was a friend and would always be
regardless of his familial status.
"Aries." Sirius' tense voice cut through their mood like a dagger. "Can we
talk?" A short nod to Draco sent him away and there was a silent plea to
keep others away from the coming confrontation.
"How can I help you Uncle?" Aries did not keep the edge from his voice.
They had avoided each other since the Second Task, though he noticed
the distance between Sirius and James had grown as well. Sirius'
disappointment in his actions during the duel had affected him far more
than he liked, but it did not change his opinion on what he had done.
"Your actions during your duel with Cedric." Sirius started. "I think you
owe me an explanation."
"An explanation?" Aries replied. "Why?"
"You tortured him! You had him beat! A simple stunner would have been
sufficient but you used your magic to choke him, cast lightning on him,
shattered dozens of bones, and then beat him unconscious!"
"It isn't my fault that he refused to surrender. And for your information, I
had planned on just stunning him, until he cast a rather dark curse my
way."
"That's entirely different!"
"How?" Aries nearly yelled. "Because it was one curse and not brutal?"
"Yes!" Sirius exclaimed. "So why did you do it?"
"Recognition."
"Recognition?" He repeated. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Our House is weak!" The volume of Aries' voice was rising. "Ever since
Grandfather died the respect and fear that our House has instilled in
every other has dwindled until now we are nothing more than a laughing
stock."
"What the hell does our House matter if we descend into madness?!"
"Everything! Our House is everything! It's the legacy we leave behind to
our children and their children. It's a history that they can look back on
and look to emulate. You look at my actions at the Second Task and you
see another Bellatrix. Did I use the Cruciatus? Did I use the Killing Curse?
No. I made a point, and a damn good one too. I used powerful magic that
shocked and awed and yet Diggory lives. He lives. If I wanted that boy
dead, he would've died in the first ten seconds. If I wanted to torture him
then his screams would still be haunting your nightmares! Not a single
spell I used would have killed or maimed or harmed him beyond repair.
But no, it only matters what kind of magic for you. Not the intent, which
is the only thing that matters."
"The only thing?!" Sirius screamed. "They think you're the next dark lord!
They think you're going to replace Voldemort!"
"Maybe I will!" Aries confessed. "And who's going to stop me? You?"
"If I have to." Sirius said softly. "Maybe James was right. I don't know
why I thought you'd be the best of Regulus, but maybe you're the worst.
Dumbledore was right about you after all."
"So, it's the old man influencing you is it Sirius?" Aries questioned. "Talk
to your old friend Lupin, and tell me what he has to say of your champion
of the Light."
Aries ignored Sirius' shock, and strode past him. Daphne was waiting for
him next to Draco and pulled him onto the dance floor after handing him
a glass of firewhiskey. The music of the Weird Sisters played loudly in his
ears as he let himself be distracted by the sway of Daphne's hips and the
glint in her eyes. The night continued and Aries had hoped the drama for
the night was over, until he saw Arianna again. She was drunk, incredibly
drunk, but that wasn't what angered him. It was the wandering hands of
Kruger that got his attention. Too often in the past few moments had his
hands dipped below her waist or slid intentionally near her chest.
Arianna kept pushing him away but he did not appear to be listening.
Aries slipped into his mind and fury unrelenting came forth. Kruger had
been steadily force feeding her alcohol the entire night with one specific
intention: relieving her of her virginity in one of the abandoned
classrooms, forcefully if he had to. Aries nodded to Haydn to distract
Daphne and Draco to follow him while he dealt with the situation.
Despite her drunken state it was quite easy to pull her into his arms away
from Kruger. Her tense state from before relaxed as she melted into his
arms. They danced slowly until he could pull her into the entrance hall
and out of the castle.
"What the hell were you thinking de Cordova?"
"I got your attention now, don't I?" She tried to sound seducing, but her
words came out slurred.
"You've done nothing of the sort." Aries said sternly. "You've only
embarrassed yourself." Arianna looked like she wanted to cry but Aries
refused to look at her. Draco got the hint and wrapped his arm around
her waist to escort her back to her cabin. Aries trusted Draco to do the
right thing, despite what much of Hogwarts thought of him. Haydn and
Ivan were waiting for him, their dates amusing Daphne who was giving
him a quizzical glance.
"Kruger had every intention of getting 'lucky' with Arianna tonight." Aries
said far more calmly than he felt. "Even if he had to rape her." That drew
anger from both of them and like two silent shadows they went after
Kruger. It wasn't hard to entice him from his friends, a small compulsion
charm convinced him to follow. Aries led him to the very classroom
Kruger had intended to use for his deed tonight. He conjured a chair and
thick black ropes to tie him to the door. Black chains extended from the
walls, keeping his arms out from his body. Haydn stood outside as a
watch and Ivan inside to make sure Aries did not kill him. A wave of his
cancelled the compulsion, and as expected Kruger freaked. A silencing
charm ended the annoying rant and Aries took a seat in front of the boy.
"I'm not sure what has gotten into you Kruger." Aries began. "Perhaps it's
been the comradery of our school during this competition or perhaps it's
been that my attention has been toward more interesting pursuits, or
maybe it's because we're surrounded by wizards that would rather report
the normal actions of our school than chalk it up to boys being boys."
Kruger had begun to shake at the cold tone of the Black heir. The green
specks in his eyes glowed dark and dangerous. Aries had pulled a knife
from his boot and was cleaning the tips of his fingernails. "I'm not sure
what it was, but somewhere along the line you've forgotten just who I
am.'
"I can see into your mind Kruger, there is not a secret you can keep from
me. I know that you intentionally got Arianna drunk. I know you took
advantage of her jealousy. I know the very intentions that you had for
this room tonight. But what you forgot, is that regardless of her feelings
right now, Arianna de Cordova is under my protection. And you intended
her harm. You intended to rape her if she did not give in willingly, and
trust me, she had no intention of it. You were nothing more than a tool
she had hoped to use to win me back. I feel for you, to be used like that
is harsh. But I can't let what you would have done slide. I have a
reputation to uphold."
"Please don't kill me!" Kruger begged.
"Kill you?" Aries said with a cold laugh. "I won't kill you. No, I'm going to
hurt you, the way everyone thought I was going to hurt Diggory. I'm
going to hurt you in ways unimaginable, and then I'm going to leave you.
Don't worry, Professor von Reich will find you. He'll heal you. You'll live
for one purpose only: to remind your friends what happens to those that
mess with Aries Black and those under my protection." Aries moved quick
as lightning and slammed his knife into the boy's knee. "Oh, that was a
close one. I almost got the artery." He conjured another knife and stabbed
his hand. Tears were already falling down Kruger's face, but Aries was
just getting started. Another knife was imbedded in his shoulder. "You
have to understand, I'm no monster. I don't enjoy this, as others do. But
you left me no choice. I have to do this. I have to make an example of you
or others will think me weak. I can't afford that." Another knife through
the other hand and the boys screams echoed off the walls.
"Please. . ." Kruger cried. "Please stop."
Aries flicked his wand into his wrist and pointed it at Kruger. "No.
Crucio." Power ripped through his body, into his wand, and struck the
boy. He writhed against the ropes and chains, and blood dribbled down
his lips as he screamed his voice hoarse before Aries finally relented. A
clinch of his fist conjured his Roman gauntlets as he threw punch after
punch into Kruger's face.
Suddenly the door was wrenched open and Aries turned around to lock
eyes with Daphne, Haydn trying to pull her back outside. She looked
from him to Kruger and then back. Aries knew he was covered in the
boys blood, but made no attempt to hide what he had done. This was a
crucial moment, and he wanted the girls true reaction.
"What did he do?" she asked simply.
"He planned to rape Arianna."
"Will you kill him?"
"No."
"Why not?" Daphne had cocked her head to the side at that.
"Killing him would only lessen the sentence. We need him to talk. To be
an example."
"Good." Her answer surprised him, but it was a welcome one. "Hurry up, I
don't want to have to dance with Draco." Aries could not hide the smile
as he turned back to Kruger.
"You heard the lady." Aries said, brandishing his wand again. "Crucio."
Aries cracked his knuckles. Kruger was alive, but barely and Aries had a
few last tricks he wanted to use. "No doubt you enjoyed the Second Task,
but let's see if you can stand it as well as Diggory did." He reached out his
hand, slowing closing his fist, and Kruger began to choke. It wasn't until
Aries was sure he was about to pass out did he release him. He did not
wait for Kruger to get his breath back before a torrent of lightning came
from his fingertips and struck him. Screams filled the classroom again
and everything him in screamed to kill the boy. Aries wanted to finish
him off more than he had ever wanted to in his life, but he relented at
last. Blood was everywhere, but Ivan would clean it up. He was good at
that. A simple cleaning charm removed Kruger's blood from him and as
he made his way to leave Haydn stopped him.
"Aries?" He said. "Could you cast some of your wards on the door?"
"Why?"
"You didn't think you'd get all the fun with him would you?" Haydn said
incredulously. "Arianna is our friend too."
Aries nodded, casting the spell, and left them with only one instruction:
"Don't kill him."
Daphne was waiting for him again in the entrance hall, giving him a look
over before nodding her approval. She had taken a step forward in his
plans for her and he knew she deserved an award for her faith in him. He
had danced with other girls leading up to this moment: Fleur, Clarissa
Mayer, Emma Dubois, and even Susan Bones, but now he focused only on
his date. The night ended far quicker than he would have liked, and that
was something considering he truly disliked balls other than the
opportunity to make connections. Aries walked Daphne down to the
dungeons, stopping often as she told him a story regarding a certain spot
in the castle. When they at last reached the dungeons she gave him a
look of expectancy and he returned it with a smirk.
"You surprised me tonight." Aries said as he tucked a stray hair behind
her ear. "I did not think you would approve."
"You think me weak?" she answered coldly.
"I think there's more to you than meets the eye."
"Perhaps." A smile met her lips. "He deserved it. And those who deserve
pain should not be spared."
"An interesting view, one that seems an outlier among your others."
"And what do you know of my views?"
"I'd like to know them all. Especially about our society and what you
think should be done about it." Aries answered truthfully. Daphne
pondered his words, pulling away from him.
"Dumbledore is good for our society." Daphne began. "And at the same
time people like Lucius Malfoy, as much as I loathe to admit it, are as
well. They represent the meeting of two worlds. But the problem is that
they refuse to talk, to compromise. You are either a blood-supremist or
you're a blood-traitor. My father has sat with the Greys for years trying to
bring the two other parties to the table, to create a society that holds to
our traditions while refining it all the same. I do not want our world to
become like the muggle world, but neither should it stay stagnate."
"And what of the muggle world?" She hesitated for a moment, biting her
lip in a way that threatened to distract the young wizard.
"We should not be in hiding." She answered at last. "We are their betters.
But that means we have a responsibility. Not to enslave them, but to
guide them. They should answer to us yes, bow down to us if they have
to. We should be their kings and queens, not hiding far from them. I don't
believe we should enslave them or massacre them, but they need to learn
their place in the world."
"I could not agree more." Aries said. "So where do I come in?"
"What?" It clearly caught her off guard.
"I'm no fool. You think I did not notice? Your thrill for the Dark Arts and
your attraction to me is real, but we are alike in far too many ways for
me not to see what you see. What is your end game?"
"Your influence." Daphne was calm and confident, her composure
restored. "You could bring both sides to the table. I see what you're doing
with this tournament and that article with Skeeter. Father could tell you
that it's working. If you joined my father's party, we have a chance at
making that dream a reality."
"I would not be Lord Black for some time."
"No, but your influence. Your reputation. Simply supporting my father
and his party would do wonders for his agenda."
"And does your father know of your intentions?"
"Of course not. Father would disapprove. He'd disapprove of me learning
the Dark Arts and most certainly disapprove of you. Though he would
dislike Malfoy even more."
"Why the Dark Arts?" Aries asked. The girl had been soaking up the
powerful spells and her Occlumency was improving. She was becoming a
fearsome duelist and Aries could not be prouder.
"He fears that if it becomes known that we know the Dark Arts then-"
"He'll lose his influence within his supposed neutral party."
"Yes."
"Daphne, I have plans," Aries confessed. "Things I wish to do one day. I
want to change the world, and its no Albus Dumbledore that I intend to
be. But neither will I be the Dark Lord. I think that you and I could do
great things together, it will be difficult. But it can be done." He stepped
closer to her, and she instinctively pressed herself close.
"Together?" There was a slight vulnerability there, a tremble in her voice.
"Perhaps." Aries leaned forward and kissed her. It was short, but when he
pulled away Daphne had a bright smile on her face. "Goodnight Daphne."
Aries left her, knowing that he had taken a large gamble tonight, but he
had a strong feeling that his roll of the die would pay off. The Return of
the Ancient House of Black was just beginning.
AN: Next chapter: Discovering Secrets
9. Discovering Secrets
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. Finally got around to finishing up this
chapter. Work has been a nightmare. It turned out a little better
than I had hoped, but we're halfway through with Part 1 and things
will pick up as we approach the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Thank you all for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following. It
means a great deal to me and continues to motivate me, to get the
next chapter out to you as soon as possible and to do my best to
keep the quality matching for each chapter. As always I hope you
enjoy this chapter, and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
The mystery of Tom Riddle, former Heir of Slytherin, had puzzled Aries
Black, the current Heir of Slytherin, since the portrait of Salazar Slytherin
came to life shortly before the Second Task. It was the reason he poured
through the library's extensive collection of the Daily Prophet instead of
playing cards with Haydn or enjoying the pleasures of a broom cupboard
with Daphne. Fifty odd years ago Riddle had opened the Chamber of
Secrets and yet as far as he could find there was no magical family with
the surname of the former heir. The Gaunts could trace their lineage back
to Slytherin but they had no connection to the Blacks that would give
him any claim to the ancestral line, nor the ability to speak Parseltongue.
The article about the death of Moaning Myrtle revealed little, only that a
culprit was found and later proven innocent by who else but Albus
Dumbledore.
It was with a long sigh that Aries left the Hogwarts Library. He had
wanted to confront Potter on the matter, but the second Hogwarts'
champion had been too caught up in his new girlfriend, Susan Bones, to
discuss it. Draco had told him that it was the Weasley girl that had been
taken into the Chamber by the supposed Heir. If so, did that mean that
Tom Riddle was alive? And if he was, how could there be two Heirs?
Something was not adding up and Aries hoped that today's meeting
would reveal some of the secrets that eluded him.
His associate was waiting for him in the Three Broomsticks and with a
curt nod the man went upstairs to the room they had reserved for the
Hogsmeade weekend. Rosmerta gave Aries a bright smile and leaned far
more forward than necessary as she handed him a butterbeer. No doubt it
caused other patrons to bend themselves over backwards to impress the
barmaid, but he paid her no mind. Aries sipped on his drink until Aunt
Cassiopeia walked in with Sirius in tow. His uncle stiffened considerably
at the sight of his nephew but under the glare of their aunt he took a seat
beside him.
"Thank you for coming Uncle Sirius," Aries attempted to sound as polite
as possible. Their last argument was fresh in his mind, but today would
require some civility between them both. "I think you'll be glad you did."
"Aunt Cassi made this seem very important." His voice was rough and
there was no doubt that this was the last place Sirius Black wanted to be.
"It is. A guest of mine is waiting upstairs for us." Cassiopeia explained.
"He will have the answers you seek." She led them up the stairs to the last
room on the right. The door creaked as Aries stepped through it and
turned back at the shocked gasp of Sirius. The man waiting for them
stood about six feet tall with a pale face and light brown hair that seemed
to be graying. Thin scars ran along his face and there was a pained look
in his eyes. He gave a rough appearance that only contrasted the fine
robes he wore. Remus Lupin looked nothing like one would expect of a
werewolf in Aries' opinion. Most werewolves wore shabby clothes and
had nothing to their name, but Lupin seemed to have become an
exception to the rule. Aries took a seat facing the door, watching as Sirius
took in his old friends' appearance with a flabbergasted look. Lupin
himself looked rather nervous, wringing his hands over and over while
failing to meet Sirius' eye.
"Remus." Sirius' breathed out. "You look. . . Hell you look better than I've
ever seen you."
"Russia has a unique stance on werewolves." Remus began, his English
sounded rough from the years of speaking Russian. "I've done well for
myself, better than I ever could have in England."
"Russia? What were you doing there?"
"After everything, well, I had to get away. I knew the laws were laxing
there and gave it a shot. My education at Hogwarts allowed me
opportunities to work within their Ministry. Department of Magical
Creatures."
"Perhaps you should both sit down." Aries interrupted. "You two can
catch up after we have had our discussion, and there is much to discuss."
Sirius cautiously took his seat and Remus mirrored his apprehension. His
uncle downed the offered glass of firewhiskey before turning back to
Aries. "A theory of mine was confirmed shortly before the Second Task,
and in turn it supported the theory of my mentor, Vladimir von Reich. He
reached out to Lupin and thanks to Aunt Cassi he has joined us here
today. Sirius, I'm afraid there is something we have to tell you and it
something you will not find pleasant."
"What does Remus have to do with this?"
"Everything." Aries answered. "Sirius, Albus Dumbledore has placed a
number of compulsion and memory charms on you since the fall of the
Dark Lord, mainly concerning the welfare of your deceased godson,
Harry Potter."
"Harry?" Sirius asked. "What the hell do you mean?"
"You ever wonder how exactly Harry ended up with his muggle
relatives?" Cassiopeia asked. "Explain to me how the Potters and you,
Harry's godfather, abandoned that child."
"I. . ." Sirius shook his head as if to clear it. "It was the best thing for
him."
"Purgare mentis." It was a spell of his own creation, derived from his skill
at Legilimency. It reached out with tendrils of magic into one's mind,
removing anything foreign within it, no matter how long ago it was cast.
The success of the spell relied solely on the power of the castor, and Aries
was incredibly powerful. Sirius tensed as the magic swarmed into his
mind and then slumped as it faded. He grabbed his head and Aries
noticed the immediate signs of shock. The auror leapt out of his chair
with a yell, pushing himself back into the wall.
"No!" He sobbed. "It's not true!"
"Sirius listen to me." Remus walked slowly over to his friend and grabbed
him by the shoulder. "Weeks after Voldemort fell, I returned at your
urging. You told me how you thought I was the traitor and wanted to
apologize. When I asked about Harry you became confused and your eyes
glazed, just as they did now. I recognized the compulsion charm and
removed it and you remembered everything. You confronted Dumbledore
on your own as I went to go get Harry, but he was already gone. I came
back only to find Dumbledore had replaced the charm on you, and
another on James and Lily. You were all in a stasis and he tried to place a
compulsion on me. It didn't work so he made all of you reject me. Made
you all think I was jealous of how successful you all were and you forced
me out before I could even tell you what happened to Harry."
"No. . ." Sirius was sobbing and had fallen to the floor.
"Your godson's death is not on your hands Sirius." Cassiopeia's voice was
unusually soft to Aries' ears. "Stronger minds than yours have fallen
victim to such charms and curses. The fault lies only with one: Albus
Dumbledore."
"Yes." Strength returned to Sirius at last and he came to his feet, wand in
hand as he made his way to the door. "I will kill that bastard myself."
"You will do no such thing Sirius Black." They all turned to Aries sitting
calmly in his seat, but there was a power there, a sense of authority none
of them could refuse.
"Why not?"
"The return of the Dark Lord is near. Albus Dumbledore and his Order
believe so as well, and as much as I loathe to agree with him, the signs
are there. The death of Dumbledore would only pave the way for the
Dark Lord's victory."
"So, you mean to let him live?" Remus questioned. "To get away with his
crimes?"
"No." Aries answered. "Dumbledore will fall, and he will die." That
seemed to pale Sirius despite the anger that wanted to consume him.
"Sirius, I have a destiny before me. There are changes I intend to achieve
in this world. I will not be another Voldemort, but neither will I be an
Albus Dumbledore. A war is coming and everyone expects there to be
only two sides: the dark and the light. But I tell you now that there will
be a third side: mine. And when the smoke clears it will not be Albus
Dumbledore or Lord Voldemort that will be victorious. It will be me."
"You?" Sirius was pale as could be and his wand was nearly falling out of
his grasp.
"Aries will bring about a new age for the Wizarding World." Cassiopeia
gave Sirius a stern glare. "You can join us in our return to prominence or
you can be left behind with the rest of our enemies."
"And Albus Dumbledore will die?" Remus asked quietly. He cared little
for the world after what Albus had done to him, he wanted only
vengeance and to free his friends.
"Many will die Remus Lupin." Aries spoke with a cold edge. "Those who
you claim are good, those who you claim are evil. But yes, Albus
Dumbledore will die. Not today, not tomorrow, but when it serves the
Ancient House of Black. He will pay for what he's done to us and to
Harry."
"Why do you care what happened to Harry?" demanded Sirius.
"Dorea Black." He answered simply. "She was the mother of James Potter,
and the grandmother of Harry and Thomas. The blood of the House of
Black runs in their veins. They may be Potters, but they are Blacks as
well. I will not allow anyone to harm members of our House, no matter
how distant or how estranged they may be." Sirius walked slowly until he
stood before Aries. He seemed to have resolved the conflict within
himself. Aries could tell he was hesitant and he doubted that Sirius would
ever fully agree with what he had planned, but what his uncle did not
know could not turn him away.
"What would you ask of me?" His tone was genuine and Aries could not
help the smile that reached his face. Sirius had taken a step into the deep
end and there was no way he would let him return to the grasp of Albus
Dumbledore. Aries pulled out a small black ring and placed it into Sirius'
hand.
"This magical ring will protect you from compulsion charms." Aries
explained. "You will need to master your emotions, for when the time
comes I will need someone within Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix.
Remus will have his own assignment, but you will be my agent within
the Order and the Ministry."
"You won't hurt them, will you?" Sirius asked quickly. "My friends?"
"No, but we need to be one step ahead of Dumbledore. We can never
allow him to become aware of our plans. He is gifted at Legilimency, so
you must make it as if nothing as change. You will get your revenge
Sirius, but you must be patient." Sirius nodded to that, retook his seat,
and downed another glass of firewhiskey.
"And what of James and Lily specifically? They need to be freed as well."
Remus interrupted.
"No harm will come to your friends, but for now they will have to
endure. Their sense of betrayal and anger will be magnified tenfold, and
even I may not be able to keep them from taking revenge on Dumbledore
before it would benefit us. We will release them in time." The two old
friends agreed to that, content for the time being. "I know you wish catch
up with your friend Sirius, but there is something else I must ask you."
"Anything Aries, anything." Aries smiled a genuine smile.
"Tell me what the Dark Lord has done since Thomas came to Hogwarts."
"Well that will be a bloody long story." Sirius said with a long exhale.
"His first year Voldemort came after the Philosopher's Stone, which now
that I think about it was kind of stupid to hide in a school full of
children, but he possessed the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I
think Dumbledore suspected, which makes it even worse, but I don't
know for sure. When Thomas confronted Voldemort, he somehow burned
the professor by touching him though it did not kill Voldemort. He
escaped as a sort of wraith. At least he did not get the stone. Second year
was much weirder." Aries leaned forward expectantly. "The Chamber of
Secrets was reopened. Dumbledore kept a lot of it silent, but Thomas kept
us informed. It was then that he found out that he was a Parselmouth."
"What?" Aries interrupted. "How?"
"We don't know. Dumbledore thinks that Voldemort transferred some of
his powers the night he was destroyed."
"Did he discover how or why?" Cassiopeia asked. Aries and her
exchanged a silent look. This was a serious matter that she would have to
research.
"No, but Parseltongue is how he learned that the monster was a Basilisk.
Dumbledore was removed after the Governors got wind of Hermione's
petrification. Somehow no one died, they only got petrified. Anyway
Thomas and Ron went down into the Chamber with Gilderoy Lockhart. A
failed memory charm wiped his memory but it left Thomas separated
from Ron. That was how he found Ginny and Tom Riddle." A chill went
up Aries' spine. No, it was not possible. "Riddle told Thomas how he had
started with wanting to kill muggleborns, so through a diary he had left
he possessed Ginny, but then Thomas became his new target. He made
her leave messages on the wall and petrify people. You see it was only an
imprint of Tom Riddle, not the actual person himself. The diary was
cursed and it possessed Ginny. The next part. . . I could never forget. We
saw the whole thing in Dumbledore's pensieve."
Aries' Legilimency picked up on Sirius' strong emotion and it pulled him
in. He was back in the Chamber of Secrets. A young Thomas stood over
Ginny, who was unconscious on the floor. A handsome sixteen-year-old
wizard began to write in flames until it formed a name: TOM MARVOLO
RIDDLE. A flourish of his wand and it rearranged to form a sentence
Aries could not believe: I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.
"Voldemort tried to summon the Basilisk but somehow it was just gone."
Sirius continued. "Thomas figured out that it was the diary that needed to
be destroyed and the flash of a phoenix dropped a dagger before him.
Thomas thought it was Fawkes. Somehow he connected that the ghost of
Voldemort was tied to the diary so he grabbed the knife and stabbed the
diary. It freed Ginny and destroyed Voldemort. Sometime after the knife
just disappeared, we still don't know how."
"The diary." Aries interrupted again, letting a hand slide to his left wrist
where the knife Sirius spoke of rested against his arm. "How did Ginny
Weasley come to have it?" Sirius hesitated for a moment.
"Malfoy." Sirius said hesitantly. "Lucius Malfoy gave her the diary. We
wanted to take it before the Wizengamot, but Dumbledore seemed to
think we would not be able to charge him." The news infuriated Aries,
but he controlled his emotions and motioned for Sirius to continue. "His
third year was actually uneventful. We always joked about how some
Death Eater would break out of Azkaban or something but it never
happened. Then this summer came and Thomas started having weird
dreams."
"About what?" Aries forced himself to concentrate. The image of a young
Voldemort, the former Heir of Slytherin, was burned into his mind.
Salazar Slytherin's portrait would have much to answer to, as would
Lucius Malfoy.
"Voldemort. And Wormtail." Sirius said with worry. "Voldemort killed an
old man somewhere we have yet to find, but Thomas said the snake ate
the old man afterwards. Poor kid couldn't sleep for a week without
Dreamless Sleep Potion." That only confirmed Aries' suspicion. Somehow,
they were sharing dreams, but how?
"Thank you, Sirius." Arius said at last. "I think that's enough for today. I
have much to think on, and you and Remus have a lot of catching up to
do."
"I expect you to make our meeting on time Mr. Lupin." Cassiopeia said as
she broke her silence at last. "We have much to do before this summer."
Aries could not help the speed with which he walked through the halls of
Hogwarts. He cast his protective charms as he entered the bathroom
entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. The discoveries of the morning were
still fresh in his mind and he needed answers. Sirius had provided more
than he could have hoped and his loyalty to House Black was now
assured, but Tom Riddle was his next problem. His footsteps echoed
loudly in the Chamber before he entered Slytherin's study. Salazar was on
the far wall as always, reading some painted book as the black snake
curled around his arm.
"You knew!" Aries shouted, his voice laced with accusation.
"Knew what exactly?" answered Salazar sarcastically.
"Tom Riddle is Voldemort." Aries answered tersely. "My predecessor is the
man who killed my father."
"I thought you did not blame the Dark Lord for that?"
"Not blaming him is different than wanting vengeance!" Sparks were
flying through the room as Aries struggled to control his anger. "I
understand why Voldemort killed him and if I had been in the same
position I would have done it as well but it does not mean I won't tear his
soul into oblivion should he ever return."
"Ah, I see." Salazar gave him a critical look. "Yes, Tom Riddle eventually
became Lord Voldemort sometime while he was at this school though he
sealed the Chamber until you came eight years ago. To be honest, I do
not think Tom is the Heir anymore. There cannot be two Heirs.
Regardless of the fact that you are most decidedly not his son, my guess
is that when he was destroyed he lost his right to be my Heir and thus it
was passed to you. How or why is of little concern. The magic of this
Chamber, the magic of this portrait, and the magic inside you recognize
you as the Heir. This Chamber, the House of Slytherin, and all their
secrets belong to you, Aries Black." That gave him some comfort and he
regained control of his magic. "So tell me, why does it matter if
Voldemort or the Heir of Slytherin killed your father?"
"Part of me believed that Tom was perhaps my grandfather, or my great
grandfather. That just maybe the Gaunts were a false line and Riddle a
false name and this whole time the Blacks were your descendants. But
Voldemort was not a Black. At the same time being your Heir makes Tom
and I almost a weird kind of family. It makes the fact that he killed my
father even more difficult to swallow."
"But does it really change anything?"
"No." Aries said with absolution. "My plans stay the same. When the Dark
Lord returns I will play my part. I will destroy him and Albus
Dumbledore when the time is right. It will just be a little more sweeter of
a victory."
"Speaking of victory," Salazar began. "Tell me of your progress with the
egg." Unfortunately, Aries had made little progress with the blasted thing.
He was confident that he could succeed in the coming task regardless,
though he would like to have the offered clue.
"Next to nothing." Aries confessed. "I'm rarely stumped but this egg has
me dumbfounded."
"Perhaps your translation spell was not as unsuccessful as you think?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've been giving it some thought, and I have to wonder if translation is
not entirely the issue, rather the environment." Salazar had a thoughtful
look as he spoke. "For instance, Merpeople can speak clearly in water, yet
they sound completely different out of it."
"Merpeople!" Aries exclaimed. "Salazar, you genius!" He grabbed his egg
from where it had been sitting in the study and rushed out to the edge of
the Chamber, where long, thin pools of water lined the two walls. Setting
the opened egg in the water, he lowered his head, and a melody reached
his ears.
Come seek us where our voices sound,
We cannot sing above the ground,
And while you're searching, ponder this;
We've taken what you'll sorely miss,
An hour long you'll have to look,
And recover what we took,
But past an hour — the prospect's black,
Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.
They were going to take something from him? No, something he would
sorely miss. It had to be a person. But who would they take from him? At
the beginning of the year he would have assumed Draco or Arianna, but
now Daphne had replaced her in his life and among his friends, not to
mention she steadily avoided all of them. It had to be either Draco or
Daphne. Aries doubted that any true harm would come to them seeing as
they were not the champions, but if anything did there would be hell to
pay.
"Salazar," Aries said as he returned to the study. "We have to rescue
someone from the Black Lake. You wouldn't happen to know how to
breathe underwater for an hour would you?"
"Rescue? That sounds like something Godric would do." Slytherin said
with disapproval. "Well there is always gillyweed or the Bubble-Head
Charm."
"Gryffindor, eh?" An idea came to him. "Godric wouldn't happen to have
a portrait here too would he?"
"Of course, he did! He was a Founder of this school after all."
"Where is it?"
"The Room of Requirement of course."
The Room of Requirement, according to Salazar Slytherin, was located of
the seventh floor, opposite of a very interesting portrait of Barnabas the
Barmy, who was trying to train trolls for the ballet. Aries stood in front of
the blank wall before pacing three times, focusing on the desire to see
Godric Gryffindor's portrait. On his third path an intricate door appeared
with a large golden griffin engraved on it. He went through the door and
found himself in a cosy, round room full of squashy armchairs. Like
Slytherin's study, the portrait of Godric Gryffindor hung on the far wall.
He had long red hair and a beard to match it. A ruby encrusted sword
was on his hip and a red cloak fell from his shoulders.
"Do I know you know boy?" He had a deep voice, one that could easily be
imagined while reading a book of adventure.
"No, though I would say you know my ancestor." Aries answered, meeting
Gryffindor's critical gaze. "I'm the Heir of Slytherin."
"Are you really?" Gryffindor sounded intrigued and a puzzled look came
to him. "You look like you could be one of mine." The comment caught
him off guard, but he maintained his calm composure.
"I can assure you that I am Salazar's Heir. It was his portrait that told me
how to find you."
"Did he now? That's surprising indeed."
"I'm curious as to why you left your portrait here, rather than in some
secret room for the Heir of Gryffindor."
"I always admired Rowena's creation of this room and she allowed me to
leave my portrait here on one condition: that anyone could find my
portrait so long as they asked for it. And here you are, yet, I cannot help
but ask again. Are you sure you're not one of mine?"
"I'm sure." Aries said with irritation. "I'm the Heir of the Most Ancient and
Most Noble House of Black. We have no lineage from you." But a sliver of
doubt slithered into his mind, for they supposedly had no lineage to
Slytherin either. "I think I know your Heir."
"Truly?" Godric asked curiously.
"Thomas Potter I believe. He's in your house. I can say that I think you'd
be proud of your Heir."
"Tell me about him."
"Well he's foolishy brave." Aries began. "Often acts without thinking and
values his friends' opinions far more than he should. He thinks the best of
people until they wrong him, though he forgives them nonetheless. And
he's kind, far kinder than many who are as famous as he." Aries was
surprised at his description of Potter, perhaps he did not dislike the boy
as much as he thought, though he would never admit that to anyone.
"Famous? What for?"
"When he was a child a Dark Lord came to kill him. Somehow the Killing
Curse failed and the Dark Lord was destroyed. He's known as the Boy-
Who-Lived."
"Ah." Godric looked grateful. "He sounds like a man of my own heart. I'd
very much like to meet him."
Aries left with the promise that he'd return with Godric Gryffindor's Heir
before the end of the year and an interesting recommendation for the
Third Task. Gryffindor was more interesting than Salazar had admitted
and his views on magic were far from what current wizards thought.
January ended quicker than many of the students liked and February was
fast approaching which meant one thing for the three schools: Valentine's
Day. Daphne had already accepted his request to escort her to
Hogsmeade that weekend and he looked forward to the break from
training and homework. Professor von Reich had taken to pushing him
incredibly hard in their training sessions in preparation for the final tasks
of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The result was that Aries felt far more in
control of his magic than ever before and he had good reason to suspect
it would be needed sooner rather than later.
The morning of his date with Daphne was crisp and cold. Aries, however,
was warm within his Durmstrang coat while many students of the other
schools were bundled tightly under thick winter coats and scarves. The
cold felt refreshing to him though it never truly affected him thanks to
his affinity for fire. It always gave him a certain warmth, something that
Daphne took advantage of as she took his arm and pulled herself close to
him. They walked among the shops nearly in the same order as their
previous date. Daphne wore the silver necklace holding a small sapphire
at its end that he had bought her, though he still felt inclined to purchase
just about anything that caught her eye. The Blacks were a rich family
but even without access to the Black Family Vault, Cassiopeia had
gathered herself a small fortune, one that Aries himself had access to.
Aries had a vault of his own of course, the Slytherin Vault, which
contained riches that Aries doubted he or his descendants would ever be
able to squander.
The young couple, though the official nature of their relationship had yet
to be decided, took a seat in a cozy booth in the back of the Three
Broomsticks. Aries saw that Thomas and Susan were across the room and
gave the Potter heir a respectful nod. Potter seemed thankful earlier that
Bones had not wanted to go to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, something
that Aries agreed with. The tea shop seemed terrifying, even to one who
had been subjected to his aunt's Cruciatus Curse. Ginny Weasley sat with
them next to Neville though it was clear that she'd rather be in Susan's
place than their own, something that Aries thought the other redhead
undoubtedly noticed. Daphne was observing her surroundings as well,
but Aries noted that her attention was focused on her younger sister
Astoria, who was sitting alone with one of her male Slytherin class mates.
Aries' date was tense and it was obvious she disapproved of something.
"Father is thinking of accepting Malfoy's marriage proposal." Daphne
offered when he expressed his interest. "He knows that I would never
accept to marry Draco, but Astoria has a different outlook on the Malfoy
heir.. She has a bad taste in men in my opinion."
"Your father would say the same of you if he knew of your involvement
with me." Aries said cheekily as he finished his butterbeer. The drink was
good, but all it did was make him want firewhiskey. "I worry that he
might attempt to find a suitor for you."
"That would be a problem depending on your intentions with me." She
gave him a coy smile. "Though I wonder what would happen to said
suitors."
"They would be. . . encouraged to seek a contract elsewhere should my
intentions lean one way or the other."
"Encouraged is one way to put it, my dear." Daphne gave her sister one
more look before turning to Potter and Bones. "Amelia Bones could make
a good ally to the Potters. She would make a better ally for you."
"I agree." Aries said with an air of approval. "Plans are already in place.
Though Potter's relationship with her niece could accelerate things."
"And when will I know these plans?" She asked. "You spoke very
cryptically after the Ball and I had hoped you'd be more forthcoming
than you have been."
"In time darling." Aries replied. "Now is the time to lay the foundation."
Thomas and Susan were in fact making their way over to them. Aries
could not have asked for a better moment as he welcomed them to their
table. Susan gave them both a look of caution but given Thomas' ease
with the two she seemed far more accepting of the Ice Queen and the
Durmstrang Champion than her classmates.
"Aries, Daphne." Thomas greeted. "Having a good Valentine's Day?"
"It's been excellent Potter." Aries said more than likely cutting off a
sarcastic comment from Daphne. "I have to say Hogwarts is far more
festive than Durmstrang."
"You don't celebrate holidays there?" inquired Susan.
"Oh, the students do, but other than Yule, most of the staff ignores the
holidays. We do not have an Easter break either as Karkaroff deems such
things a distraction from learning."
"That sounds suffocating." Daphne interjected. "I know Pureblood families
with more festivity than that." Her comment seemed to relax Susan fully
and an enjoyable conversation came forth. The three were all very
interested in the coming Dueling Tournament but Aries had paid it no
mind. None of those who had competed in the Quidditch Tournament
were allowed to duel and it put Durmstrang and Hogwarts at a significant
disadvantage. Aries felt that Beauxbatons were the clear favorite to win
this tournament as one of the French seventh-years, Jean Pole, had been
devastating his opponents in the early round. The conversation turned to
politics and the mysterious disappearance of Bertha Jorkins, a member of
the British Ministry's Department of Magical Games and Sports but then
moved back to more light-hearted topics. Daphne and Susan were
surprisingly getting along well, but Aries had to wonder just how much
of Daphne's warmness was faked. Perhaps she had picked up on his
insinuation of playing nice with Susan Bones to form a bridge to her
aunt. The two girls left, making their way over to the bar to grab more
drinks. Aries slipped a thought into Daphne's mind, their many lessons of
Occlumency allowing her to recognize his presence with ease should he
allow it, and she nodded her understanding.
"Have you figured out the egg Potter?" His Legilimency picked up again.
A large bathroom. Moaning Myrtle floating through staring down at Potter
through the bubbles. Come seek us where our voices sound. Library books.
Neville Longbottom showing him a bundle of slimy, grey-green rat tails.
"Yes." Potter answered truthfully. "Cedric gave me a push in the right
direction. You?"
"I have as well. Though it took me longer than I would like to admit."
"I don't think I would have ever figured it out without Cedric." Potter
laughed at that before a concerned look took over. "Who do you think
they'll take?"
"Draco or Daphne." Aries admitted. "I would guess yours to be Susan. I
have to admit that I approve."
"Really?"
"She's attractive of course. Hufflepuff indicates that she'll be loyal to you.
Not to mention her connections. Her aunt is the Head of the Department
of Magical Law Enforcement. Her work has been outstanding and if I sat
in the Wizengamot I would support many of her recommendations for the
Auror program." Aries paused allowing the comment to sink in, hoping
Potter would pass it along to Susan and then her to Amelia Bones. "You're
famous and connected already Potter, but if you truly believe the Dark
Lord is returning you will need allies of your own. You cannot rely on the
friends of others."
"You mean, like, building up followers?"
"Perhaps." Aries noted the hesitant look on Potter's face. "Though I would
reiterate my phrasing of friends and connections. It would benefit you to
have others act in your best interest because of their loyalty and
friendship to you, not to others."
"Oh, that makes sense." Thomas said with a relieved look.
"Sirius told me about some of your adventures before this year. I have to
say you've accomplished a lot and survived immensely dangerous
circumstances. I suppose your third year was nice until the fiasco at the
World Cup."
"Yeah, that was crazy." Potter scratched his head nervously. "The Dark
Mark still gives me creeps."
"You saw it?"
"Yeah I watched some guy cast it actually, though I had lost my wand so I
couldn't do anything to stop it." As Potter recounted what happened
Aries' Legilimency kicked in again and a memory came forward. It was
clearer than Potter seemed to remember in his story but it was there
nonetheless. A slim figure walked into the clearing. He was oblivious to Potter
as he hid behind the bush. Aries pushed deeper, hoping Thomas would not
notice. The man had straw-colored hair and freckles that adorned his face.
The bright flash of green lit up his face for a moment. Aries fought to keep
his complexion normal as he stared into the eyes of a man he had only
seen twice before. The first time had been in the newspaper when he died
in Azkaban three years ago and the second had been in his dream this
past summer. There, clearly in the woods beneath the Dark Mark, was the
very much not dead Barty Crouch Junior.
AN: Next chapter: Under the Lake
10. Under the Lake
N: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. This task is my least favorite, though
it allows for things I want to happen later in the story. We have four
chapters left of Part I and I hope you enjoy what is to come. As
always I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you don't, whatever
floats your boat y'all.
"Where exactly are we?" Thomas Potter asked in way that made Aries
want to forget his promise, but instead opted for sarcasm.
"Hogwarts of course."
"Where exactly in Hogwarts are we?" Potter was clearly annoyed, though
being pulled away from an attractive witch and dragged through the
castle without any clue as to their destination would annoy him as well.
"The seventh floor, next to the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy." Aries
smirked as a look of pure indignation came to Potter's face and he
relented at last. He paced three times in front of the wall and enjoyed
Potter's shock as Gryffindor's entrance formed before them. "Welcome to
the Room of Requirement."
"This is the Gryffindor common room!" Potter's exclamation brought a
newfound dislike for the red room. Aries had not been fond of the color
scheme and now knowing that the Gryffindors of Hogwarts were
consistently surrounded by this catastrophe made him want to be sick.
"You live in this?"
"I would be careful boy," the deep voice of Godric Gryffindor said. "That's
my house you're insulting." Potter looked awestruck, fighting for a word
to say but nothing came out.
"Godric." Aries greeted with a slight bow of his head in respect. "I have
fulfilled my promise: here is your Heir."
"It would seem he is indeed." Godric gave Potter an analyzing glance.
"Heir? What are you talking about Aries?"
"You don't know?" Did the Potters even care about their lineage? "Merlin,
Potter you're the Heir of Godric Gryffindor! Didn't you ever wonder why
your family was so powerful? I mean granted that the potential of each
Heir ebbs and flows but the Potters have had some of the most influential
and powerful witches and wizards for the past few centuries! There's a
reason the purebloods are so obsessed with blood and lineage Potter, it's
because it does matter, to a point."
"It would not surprise me if it was hidden intentionally," Gryffindor
offered. "Being one of our heirs can be very dangerous, as some of my
children unfortunately learned. No doubt there are some that still believe
that if you kill a wizard you gain his power through conquest."
"They are led by a misguided truth." Aries interjected. "Gold, heirlooms,
lordships. Such things can be claimed through conquest, but to absorb
another's magical core is impossible." He missed the sudden sharp look
Godric gave him.
"One should never assume anything is impossible, Aries Black." There had
been a certain emphasis on his name that did not sit well with the Black
Heir. Thomas finally regained himself and suddenly had a thousand
questions for his ancestor, as Aries had when the portrait of Salazar
Slytherin came to life. Aries busied himself with a few of the books, after
checking them for any wayward magic of course. Gryffindor did not seem
the kind to protect knowledge as Salazar did, but no doubt there was
family magic that even Godric would not allow others to learn.
"What do you mean there isn't light and dark magic?" Potter's question
caught his attention and he closed the book to look at the portrait.
"Well there is and there is not." Godric answered cryptically. "You have to
understand that in our time, before even Merlin, dark magic was
considered to be blood magic, something that was neither light nor dark
although the evilest kind of magic could be accomplished through its use,
but perhaps there is a better way to explain it." He paused for a moment
and appeared deep in thought. "Did you know in my time there was no
potion to regrow bones or to simply mend them? It was more
complicated than that. Spells that you would consider routine were
ground-breaking at one point. At one time such curses as the Bone-
Breaking Curse and the Blood-Boiling Curse were not dark magic but
actually spells used by healers. Sometimes they would need to break a
bone further in order to perform a proper healing. Other times a lord or
lady had been poisoned and there was not enough time to brew and
administer a healing potion, so instead the Blood-Boiling Curse literally
boiled the poison out of their system. Painful of course, but effective
nonetheless. Countless other spells that in your world are no longer used
to help heal but rather to harm did not always start out as such. Medicine
is meant to heal you, but too much of it can kill you, the same goes for
many spells of magic."
"But how does that explain the Killing Curse?" Thomas asked. "Or the
Cruciatus?"
"It all goes down to intent. Despite the intent for the Killing Curse's
creation, it was often used by healers during times of war. Too often
someone was in unbearable pain and there was no cure or spell or potion
at the time that could save them. Tell me Thomas, would you rather die
in agony or let a flash of green light take you into the after-life?"
Potter looked as if he did not like what he was hearing at all. "That does
not explain the Cruciatus."
"No, it does not." Godric let out a sigh. "My boy you see the world in
black and white. During our time there were wars and mighty battles that
held the fate of a country or the entire world as we knew it in balance.
Men do unthinkable things in war and that is when they often realize
that the world is a varying shade of gray. You're looking for an answer to
support your own theory, as many do. But it is one I cannot give. Magic
is all about intent. You can have the power, the right wand movements,
the right incantation and still be unable to cast a spell. You can use a
curse such as the Killing Curse to kill an enemy in anger or to show the
dying mercy. Yes, there are spells meant solely to harm another, but that
does not inherently make it dark magic. It is the intent behind it that
matters. Perhaps it would make more since to say that there is no such
thing as light and dark magic, but rather that there are those people that
are inherently good and those that are inherently evil. And then there are
some that fall somewhere in the middle, who are capable of both great
good and also terrible evil. It is not the tool or weapon that is evil, but
rather the person." Aries did not miss the fact that Godric's gaze landed on
him at his last statement. Potter himself looked confused, as if everything
he had ever learned had been challenged. "Maybe you will understand
that one day Thomas Potter, Heir of Gryffindor."
The library of Hogwarts had been a disappointment since the discovery
of the golden egg's clue, offering little to help him accomplish his goal of
the Third Task. It was just a few days away and he had still not chosen
how exactly he was going to breathe underwater. Draco had surprisingly
taken an interest in helping him but after having most of his ideas shot
down he had taken to playing with the Snitch he had nicked from the last
game.
"Why can't you use gillyweed again?" Draco asked in agitated voice.
"Potter is using it."
"What about the Bubble-Head Charm?"
"Diggory and Delacour."
"So? Why can't you do it as well rather than wasting our time in the
library?"
"I want to impress people Draco, using a simple charm won't accomplish
that."
"Oh, my bad." Draco drawled. "We can't all be like the great Aries Black."
"I am pretty great." Aries said with a smirk. "Thanks for noticing Draco."
"Tosser." Draco looked up quickly and fumbled with the Snitch. Aries
followed his line of site and locked eyes with Arianna. She looked horrid
if he had to be honest. Her normal healthy look had thinned slightly, as if
she hadn't been eating and the bags under her eyes showed that she still
wasn't sleeping well. They stared at each other for a moment before she
turned and walked right out of the library, causing Draco to let out a
depressed sigh. "She's bloody gorgeous. Too busy pining after you to even
look at me. Bloody shame that is."
Aries ignored that comment probably too intently. He was happy with
Daphne, something he had thought he'd never find in someone whom
could potentially be his equal of sorts. Arianna certainly would never
have filled that role, but even he could not deny that he missed her
friendship far more deeply than he'd ever admit. It caused a deep ache in
his heart he refused to recognize. If he gave into Arianna then she'd
always try to pull him away from his destiny. No, she had to give in first
by giving up on him. Aries only hoped that she would find a way before
she ruined their friendship forever.
"What about turning into a shark or something?" Draco offered.
"No transfigurations. Not very original."
"Alright, what about doing some crazy ritual, parting the black lake, and
flying to get your hostage on a broom?" Aries gave him a shocked look.
"Have you been reading Muggle religious books?"
"What?" Draco look almost disgusted. "I would never!"
"Eh, it wasn't that bad."
"And when the bloody hell would you have done that?"
"I got bored in Jerusalem. Figured I'd read up on the local history. Turned
out to be a religious book. Water into wine. Walking on water. Basic
magic until the whole resurrection thing." Draco seemed to be content
with that answer and went back to playing with his Snitch. It was as
Aries was distractedly reading the text in front, trying desperately to put
the issue of Arianna out of his mind, that he came across the perfect
solution to his underwater breathing problem. It was an old ritual from
Ancient Egypt and while not the most impressive solution, it would have
to do.
The next night brought his weekly lesson with Daphne, though she
seemed far more interested in snogging than actually learning anything
of the Dark Arts, not that he minded after all. Her Occlumency had
improved exponentially, though he feared that Dumbledore could still
break into her mind if he wished, and he was not entirely sure if the old
man would resort to measures the Dark Lord had considered trivial. It
was the very reason that he was hesitant to reveal any of his plans to her
especially with the increased whispers of the Dark Lord's return. The fact
that the triumvirate masters of Legilimency were also the leaders of the
three sides of the coming war was not lost to Aries. The war would be
centered around intelligence and the side that kept their intentions
hidden the best would have the greatest advantage.
Daphne's warm weight atop of him and her light caress of his face
brought him back from his musing. Her blonde hair was cascading down
her face and her blue eyes had a warmth that rarely existed outside of
this room. Perhaps that was what he liked best about her. She had a
fascination for the Dark Arts that had brought together his friends at
Durmstrang, the drive to succeed and shape a society but also allowed
him a place to get away from it all without attempting to pull him away
from his destiny. She created balance between what was wanted and
what was needed. Salazar had advised him to find something or someone
that made him whole. He had to wonder if he could honestly do any
better in that aspect than Daphne Greengrass.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" A smile threatened to overtake
her forced annoyance.
"I think I was rather lucky that the three schools decided to do an
exchange program." That caused her to smile at last and Aries could not
help but want her to do it more.
"Until you return to Durmstrang, though we'll have this summer. I expect
to get the premier tour of Germany."
"Of course, darling." Aries thought they'd spend the rest of the night in
silence and more than once thought the blonde witch had fallen asleep. It
was near curfew that she lifted her head and gave him a curious look.
"Why have you not taught me the Unforgivables?" He raised an eyebrow
at that. The Dark Arts, despite his belief that magic was all about intent,
contained a hundred ways to control, torture, and kill someone that it
made somewhat pointless to know the Unforgivables, and that had been
one reason he had avoided the curses. Godric's conversation with Potter
floated through his mind and the same exception they had both known
was there, glaring in their hypocrisy.
"I have often told you that magic is about intent." Aries sighed pinching
the bridge of his nose. "The Dark Arts has so many spells to do so many
things but at the end of the day many of those curses can be used for
different reasons. Each of the Unforgivables has only one purpose: to
control, to torture, and to kill. At one time the Killing Curse was merciful.
There is no pain, no suffering, but at the end of the day the intent is
solely to kill. You see killing another person goes against everything in
one's nature that it does something irreparable to you. I told you the Dark
Arts can change you, but there is no way you can use the Unforgivables
without them changing you.'
"You can torture someone with the Dark Arts but there is nothing that
can equal the pain created by the Cruciatus Curse. You can control
someone with the Dark Arts, but the Imperious Curse gives you such
control over another that you can make them defy their own human
nature. I stick to my belief that while we call it the Dark Arts, there is no
such thing as dark magic. But even I cannot deny the evil that can be
caused by the Unforgivables. It takes something inside you so resolute, so
deep, to cast them that in many ways once you do there is no turning
back. Despite what they may have been created for the truth is that they
are undeniably the cruelest of magic, simply because of what they do to
your very core, to your soul. Even giving someone the mercy of a painless
death with the Killing Curse is beyond anything the Dark Arts can do to
you. They will change you and if you aren't strong enough they will turn
you into something you can never come back from."
"Have you used them?" Daphne asked after a moment.
"Yes."
"When was your first time?"
"I was eleven the first time I used the Imperious Curse." She placed her
arms underneath her head so she could look at him as he talked. "I forced
someone to drink a potion that caused them to hallucinate, to suffer their
worst nightmares."
"Why?" He had wondered if she would be appalled at his action, but
instead she only seemed curious.
"He somehow learned about my nightmares. He thought it was funny, to
have to relive your worst memory over and over and over. So, I made
him suffer. He changed his mind after that." Aries could tell that she
wanted to question him on his nightmares, but thankfully she decided
against doing it now.
"And the Cruciatus?"
"Twelve." Aries remembered it very clearly. "A couple seventh years
thought they'd teach me a lesson. Arianna tried to intervene and they
broke her leg. I got so angry and it was the first spell that came to mind.
It was like I had casted it a hundred times before and the spell flew from
my wand. Those two never messed with us again." He closed his eyes,
bringing the last memory to the forefront of his mind. "The Killing Curse.
It was the summer before my third year. Aunt Cassi and I had gone
hiking in the mountains of Germany, where the Ministry kept most of the
country's magical creature, when we came across a pack of werewolves.
They weren't transformed, but they might as well have been. They were
almost rabid and we slaughtered them like animals. At the end there was
just one left. He had lost a leg and was just staring at me with such
hatred, such loathing. I don't how or why but it angered me. They had
attacked us. We had done nothing to them. So how could he be angry at
me for his fate? Before I knew it my wand was pointing at him and I said
the words. I felt detached for a moment, like I had passed through
something different from every kill before. It was then that I truly
understood that some magic was just not like the rest, regardless of
whether it was called dark or light. And that is why I have not taught
them to you."
The day of the Third Task had finally arrived and Aries was on edge.
Neither Daphne nor Draco had been waiting for him outside the ship as
he had asked, so he would know ahead of time who he would have to
rescue. The short walk to the platform where the other three champions
waited did nothing to cool his nerves, but he was not the only one who
seemed to be ruffled. Potter and Diggory both had a look of worry, but
Fleur Delacour seemed to be in a panic. He caught a word or two through
her frantic French, something about her sister and cold water. They took a
veela and placed her in a lake in the middle of winter? Were the organizers
idiots? Aries hoped that for Fleur's and her sister's sake that they had at
least put some sort of warming charm on the younger veela.
"Something was taken from each of our champions." Dumbledore's voice
rang out loudly, quieting the students of the three schools. "They will
have one hour to find their hostage and return them safely to the starting
platform. On the count of three! One! Two!" Aries slide his knife across
his palm. "Three!"
Potter wolfed down the gillyweed and jumped into the water followed by
the other two champions but Aries did not notice. He chanted softly in
Ancient Egyptian, feeling his body react to the ritual. His felt lighter as
his hands and feet webbed, but the real change occurred inside him. His
entire respiratory system was changing. Unlike with gillyweed he would
not have gills, but as he breathed in water it would change into air and
expelling the water as he exhaled. Suddenly he could no longer breathe
and Aries leapt into the lake and as the cold water poured down his
throat into his changed lungs he could breathe again. The ritual would
change him until he left the water, a uniquely specific ritual, one that he
could not find again no matter how many times he looked for the old
book.
Aries did a Point Me charm focusing on Chang who he guessed to be
Diggory's hostage. His wand pointed out and down towards the dark
abyss of the Black Lake. His webbed feet allowed him to move swiftly
through the water and as he swam closer to where he believed the
hostages were, the sweet melody of the golden egg reached his ears. A
scream caught his improved hearing and ripped his attention to his left.
The ritual had also improved his eyesight allowing him to see in the dim
light of the lake. Fleur Delacour was in trouble and that trouble was
grindylows. They tore at her, their long fingers cutting her arms and legs
as she kicked at them. Her wand was focused on keeping the water
creatures away from her bubble. Aries was torn between going to save
her and continuing on but his choice was made for him. Fleur blasted
back one grindylow just as the other's long finger popped her bubble.
He reacted on instinct and his spell hit Fleur before the water pressure
crushed her skull, but the momentary loss of concentration was enough
for the grindylows to swarm her. Suddenly the water was alight with
magic as spell after spell flew from Aries' wand and hand. The water
turned red as his spells ripped and blasted the dark creatures apart before
the last few swam away frantically. He kicked hard to get over to the
veela and a wave of his wand sealed up her wounds but she had lost too
much blood. A blasting curse pushed them up and he let go of her body,
casting a spell to make her float, just before he broke the surface. He
pushed the tip of his wand out of the water and shot up red sparks that
hopefully would alert someone. Aries turned back and swam as hard as
he could back towards his goal, knowing he had wasted too much time
dealing with the grindylows. Diggory was just releasing Chang as he
approached the hostages but Potter was floating next to Susan, seemingly
looking for something. They made eye contact and he shook his head
before nodding at Fleur's hostage. It was then that he noticed his own
hostage, Draco Malfoy, as he floated next to Susan, both in their
respective Hogwarts uniforms. A cutting curse released him but as he
went to free Fleur's hostage a trident found itself against his neck.
"Only one!" hissed one of the Merpeople. Aries raised his wand
threateningly but that only seemed to agitate the small clan more. He
moved quickly and his cutting curse hit the first mermen as he pushed
back away from the trident. Potter followed his lead and freed the veela,
pulling her and Susan upward after Draco. Bending the water around him
Aries threw a current towards the Merpeople, blasting them back and
away from them. He used the force of the current to push himself
upwards, towards the surface where Potter and the three hostages waited
for him. As he broke the surface the effects of the ritual ended and Aries
enjoyed the breath of fresh air.
"No!" Aries turned quickly at the sound of Susan's voice just in time to see
Potter's head go underwater. He lowered his own and growled at the
Merpeople dragging Thomas down. Before anyone could stop him, he
took a deep breath, diving after the Hogwarts champion.
Two of the clan came after him but a well aim cutting curse sliced them
in half. Aries flicked his wand three times sending long torpedo like
spears flying into the next three that came at him. His lungs were starting
to burn and Potter did not seem to be fairing much better. Accio! The
spell struck true and Potter came speeding towards him in the water. He
pushed himself to the side allowing Potter to reach the surface. A sharp
pain erupted in his side and he turned angrily back to mermen. Eviscero!
The merman that had grabbed Potter suddenly wailed in agony as his
entrails were ripped from his body. Merman blood filled the water as
Aries frantically swam towards the surface of the water and the
merpeople retreated. Draco's face was paler than normal when he
reached him and he followed his eyes back down to the still red water,
except the trail of red was coming from him. Blackness began to creep
into him and darkness consumed him.
"Aries!" A voice called to him. "Aries please wake up." That was another
voice, someone familiar. "Please wake up." He recognized the Spanish
voice and at last he opened up his eyes.
"Am I dead?" Aries had often wondered about the after-life, but if he
really was dead and the after-life meant having a gorgeous French girl, a
beautiful English girl, and a breath-taking Spanish girl wake you up, then
perhaps immortality was not so great after all.
"No, you decidedly are not dead Mr. Black." The matron of Hogwarts said
and pushed the three girls out of the way before she started waving her
wand all around him. "You let yourself get stabbed by a trident and it
pierced you good. A few minutes later and my spells and my potions
might not have been enough."
Now that his vision was clear Aries realized that he was back on the
platform. Potter and Diggory were holding their respective girlfriends
close, no doubt seeking warmth after the coldness of the Black Lake.
Fleur had her arms around her sister tightly but her eyes were on him
and him alone. He could feel a slight pull towards her and briefly
wondered about the possibilities of a life debt from the French girl before
arms wrapped around him fiercely. The sweet smell of Arianna's hair
came to him at the same time Daphne's possessive growl reached his ears,
though it did not deter the Spanish girl. Her small hands cupped his face
before she hugged him tightly again. Daphne was glaring daggers into
the girl's back and he wondered if he would finally get that cat fight he
was dreading.
"Aries please forgive me." Arianna begged. "I was foolish and I should not
have pushed myself away from you." Aries knew this was a sensitive
moment. Between Arianna's own guilt and the radiating jealousy of
Daphne he needed to handle this tactfully. He pulled her hands off his
face and held them softly, but not intimately.
"You will always be my friend Arianna. So long as I am yours." She flinched
at the slight emphasis he had placed on friend, but she nodded with a
smile before pulling back and walking over to Haydn, Ivan, and Draco. It
looked like she was having a similar conversation with them and he
hoped they would show her more warmth than he allowed himself to
show. Daphne gratefully went into his arms as he came to his feet.
Jealousy still poured from the girl and Aries had to admit he very much
liked it. Often throughout the year she had frightened off anyone that
had shown interest in him but she had never acted so possessively. Her
icy glare went next to Fleur, who answered it with a smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have made a decision." The rabid whispers of
the crowd quieted as Ludo Bagman addressed them. Dumbledore's
spectacled eyes passed over each of the champions, lingering on Aries
with a slightly worrisome look. "Fleur was unable to reach her hostage
but demonstrated an excellent use of the Bubble-Head charm. We award
her twenty-five points." Aries could tell the French girl was disappointed
with herself, though she seemed thankful enough for her sister's safety.
"Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head charm, was first to
return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time
limit. We award him forty-seven points." The Hogwarts section roared for
their champion. "Thomas Potter used gillyweed to great effect. He
returned last and well outside the time limit. However, the
Merchieftainess informs us the Mr. Potter was in fact the first champion
to arrive at the hostages. His delay in return was due to his determination
that all the hostages be returned safely. Most of the judges feel that this
shows moral fiber and deserves full marks, however, we award him forty-
five points."
There was a hushed paused before Bagman continued. "Aries Black would
have been first to arrive at the hostages and would have returned well
within the time limit. He was however delayed for as good as, if not a
better reason than Mr. Potter himself. Upon finding Ms. Delacour being
attacked by grindylows, he not only saved her from impending doom
when her Bubble-Head charm was burst, but also chased off the
creatures, closing off her wounds, and bringing her to the surface to be
taken away for medical attention." There were surprised whispers coming
from the Beauxbatons students. "Then upon reaching the hostages he
helped Mr. Potter in saving Gabrielle Delacour as well as their own
hostages, Draco Malfoy and Susan Bones. It was after their ascent to the
surface that some of the Merpeople, acting of their own accord,
attempted to take Mr. Potter. Though we are unsure of their intentions it
is thanks to Mr. Black, nearly at the cost of his own life, that Mr. Potter
was able to escape. It is our view that Mr. Black placing the well beings
of his competitors above his own success is deserving of full marks. We
therefore award him fifty points." The explosion of sound from the
Durmstrang section did not surprise Aries Black, as the school's very
competitive nature had been displayed full force since the beginning of
the tournament. The other two schools were standing, giving him a
respectful and cheerful applause, much to the contrast of their behavior
towards him since the Second Task. Aries Black could not help the smile
that reached his face. Everything was going as planned and it seemed to
him that there was no one that could stop the return of the Ancient
House of Black.
Hundreds of miles away in his muggle father's manor that disgusted him,
a deformed body watched his servant's memory of the Second Task with
eagerness. An idea formed in the Dark Lord's treacherous mind, an
alteration to his plans. Aries Black intrigued him to no end and he came
to one conclusion: he would serve Lord Voldemort, just as his father had
before him, or he would die with Thomas Potter.
AN: Next chapter: Unforeseen Consequences
AN: Before anyone writes angry reviews about how Aries/Harry
accomplishes breathing underwater, I spent two days staring at my
computer trying to figure out some awesome unique way for him to
survive the task. And I got nothing. What I ended up deciding was
what Aries does during the Third Task was far more important than
how he completed it. That's my defense, take it or leave it.
AN: A quick note about the view of magic from Aries, Salazar, and
Godric. None have denied that some magic can be used for evil, and
regularly is, and that these spells and rituals are commonly known
as the Dark Arts. They also understand that it takes a certain intent
to harm, and certain emotions, to use them. But to them, it does not
make magic itself dark. The believe magic is magic, and its rather
the individual who is dark or evil, not the spell. Its a complicated
belief, as it should be. Is the gun or the sword or the bow evil? Or is
it the person? Their belief is not perfect, and perhaps in many ways
they are biased. But that is the point. No character here is perfect,
they contradict themselves at times, as all people do. They see
world as grey, a mix of light and dark, good and evil, within every
person, rather than seeing things as black and white. While
someone like James would say you are either light or dark, Aries,
and the founders themselves, would say that you are neither. I hope
this clears up any confusion. (15 Feb 2020)
11. Unforeseen Consequences
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter Bible,
Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK Rowling, long
may she reign. This chapter is the final set up to the end of Part I and we
begin to see the start of things that will happen in Part II. I want to take a
moment again to thank everyone that has read, reviewed, favorited, and
followed. As I write this AN this story has over 300 favorites and nearly
500 followers. While it is little compared to many stories I enjoy, it is far
more than I ever thought would enjoy this story. The first part of this
journey is almost over, so always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if
you don't, whatever floats your boat.
The weeks following the Third Task was the most peculiar of Aries' time
at Hogwarts. Everywhere he went a sense of respect and appreciation
followed, most notably from the students of Beauxbatons. Hogwarts'
seemed to be grateful for his actions in the Black Lake as well, but it
mostly stemmed from the Gryffindors, something Aries still had not
decided whether he liked or not. The thing that intrigued him most was
the behavior of Fleur Delacour. Throughout the tournament she had been
rather flirtatious with him, often hinting at why she would make a more
suitable companion than Daphne Greengrass, sometimes even to the girl's
face. It had never seemed to bother the Slytherin, often answering the
veela's behavior with a back-handed comment of her own. It was the fact
that in the weeks since Aries had saved Fleur's life, the French champion
had steadily avoided him to a point. Often, he would catch her simply
watching him, as if studying him, or she would make as if to speak to
him, but then walk away at the last second. Hesitancy was something
that annoyed him and if Fleur did not address whatever issue she had,
Aries would eventually have to force her hand.
Draco was another one of the many things that seemed to annoy him
lately. Not only had the Malfoy heir taken exception to him saving people
over winning, but he had the audacity to say that his solution for the
Third Task had been unimpressive. Aries wanted to see if he could perform
an Ancient Egyptian ritual and not end up looking like Horus for the rest
of his life. Draco's attempts at wooing Arianna, much to her and Pansy's
annoyance, was nothing short of comicalFor once in his friend's life,
Draco had managed to not seem like the pompous ass he was but it had
done little to earn the affection of the Spanish girl.
Aries idly finished stirring his Strengthening Solution. His opinion of
Severus Snape had dropped immensely throughout the year and while
the man may be a Potions Master, he was a rather horrible teacher. At
last the class ended and he followed Draco out the door only to spot Fleur
Delacour waiting for him. She motioned towards an empty classroom
down the hall and he gave her a nod in acknowledgement.
"Draco." Aries said, grabbing his friend by the arm. "Cover for me." Draco
gave him a confused look before he noticed Fleur as she slipped into the
classroom. They shared an amused look before Draco agreed and made to
distract Arianna before she noticed Aries' disappearance. The unused
classroom was meant to be an extra Potions lab, though it looked as if it
had been abandoned a very long time ago. If not for the house elves of
Hogwarts, Aries would not have been surprised if the room had been one
massive web of spiders.
Fleur did not look nervous, something that intrigued Aries considering
her behavior up until now. She still looked at him as if she was studying
him, or rather sizing him up. Did she mean to fight? No. It was something
else, something that Aries could not put his finger on. The French girl
seldom seemed serious, rather spending her time laughing with her
friends or flirting with him. In fact, other than her date with Roger
Davies at the Yule Ball, Fleur had avoided nearly every other male from
all three schools. Still, there was a difference in her character now, a
change in her posture that seemed a red flag in his mind. The silence had
stretched out for a few minutes and when he had failed to come to a
reasonable conclusion, Aries decided to tackle the situation head first.
"If you have something to say Fleur, I would get on with it." Her eyes
flashed with annoyance. "I do not like being forced to wait."
"Zen perhaps you should wait." A smile returned to her lips. She walked
forward slowly until she was inches away from him. Aries felt a slight
pull, similar to what he had felt on the platform after the Third Task. The
situation amused him and rather than stop what he suspected would
happen, he decided to roll the dice and see how it played out. Fleur
cupped his face with both hands and kissed him. Unlike Daphne's kiss,
Fleur's was similar to Arianna's in the fact that it was absolutely
intoxicating. The veela's allure had yet to affect him, but somehow, he
thought it was now in play. She pulled her lips away and he answered
her questioning glance with a raised eyebrow.
"I thought I had made my intentions rather clear Fleur." There was no
edge in his tone, rather a challenge. Fleur had yet to end her little game
with Daphne, but she also had not been this forward.
"Would you really 'ave zat girl over moi?" Fleur answered him, though
she did not pull away from him, rather pressing herself further against
him. "You are not looking for a playzing I zink, rather an equal. Who
bezzer zan moi?" Now this was a surprise, a miscalculation that could
perhaps change things. Daphne was by far the better political choice
especially considering the area of his intended conquest, yet Fleur would
give him something connected to the continent, the missing link to the
French Ministry he had been looking for. Something, however, did not sit
right with him, and he pulled away from her. The idea of an equal meant
she was thinking in the long term yet she had time to play that game
rather than be so forward. So why now? Why after he had saved the life
of her sister and her own? The magical pull came back to him, and a
glance back confirmed that it was not the allure. He could tell when she
was using it, no this was something different. It was the only change
since the task and Aries needed the answer.
"I would not consider Daphne a plaything, though she is rather enjoyable.
She suits my needs both for now and in the long game." Aries watched
her every reaction, waiting for any clue as to her reason behind her
actions. "Perhaps I do not want an equal. An equal implies that there is
something worthy of that which I intend to ascend to." There it was, a
slight flicker of fear. Was it fear of a rejection? Or a missed opportunity?
Both if Aries had to guess, but there was still something more. "You seem
confident that you can give me something far better than Greengrass. Tell
me what is it exactly you can offer me? Because for now all I can see is a
more mature figure, something I have a feeling I can wait for with
Greengrass." The jab worked as intended, there was a flash of anger in
her eyes, but also desperation.
"Loyalty." Fleur continued to surprise and intrigue him. Loyalty was
something that was inspired or given through oaths. If Fleur expected
him to be impressed with that then clearly she had underestimated him,
but perhaps there was more to it. The magical pull came back only for an
instant. "When you saved me from ze lake, somezing happened. A life
debt."
"A life debt is not uncommon." Aries answered annoyed. Was that it? "No
doubt Potter has one to me as well. How does that inspire loyalty? The
only thing that gives me is assurance that Potter will not try to kill me
until the debt is repaid."
"You are correct of course." She hesitated for a moment. "I am 'alf veela.
As such many would consider me a 'alf-breed. A creature razzer than
human. Magic in some ways does as well." Fireworks went off in his
mind, lightning fast connections working at last to the conclusion that
had alluded him for weeks. "Ze magic of ze life debt tezzers me to you. It
is not somezing zat can be repaid. I am yours for life, whezzer you want
me or not."
The situation might have depressed most people, but her wording and
body language caught his attention. She had said 'tethers' rather than
enslaved. Her body language gave away her calmness, resignation yes,
but also the feeling of content. If Aries had to guess this was something
she wanted, an opportunity to latch herself to something that could sling
shot her to greatness. And there it was. Fleur did not seek some dream
like Arianna. There under her flirtations and laughter, lay a hunger for
greatness. She sought a life of luxury and power far greater than the one
she already knew. It explained her desire to be a Tri-Wizard Champion.
"And how do you feel about this?" Aries knew the answer, but he wanted
to hear her say it.
"Relieved." Fleur brought her coy smile back in full force. "I am no fool
Aries Black. Potter? Malfoy? Greengrass? And zen your friends from your
school. All powerful. All connected. You seek the life zat I want."
"I'm no Light wizard Fleur." She had walked up to him, letting her fingers
trail across his back. "And my goals are not what one would consider
good."
"Of course not. The paz to greatness is not for ze weak. But for ze strong.
And ze strong must make sacrifices, non?" Aries caught her hand before it
touched his cheek again.
"I'm not interested in some harem." It was not illegal per say in Magical
Britain, but definitely frowned upon. "Daphne suits my needs here,
without her my goals become harder to attain. I will not lose that to
someone who is already bound to me." Fleur flinched away from him.
"You are not my slave, but you are indebted to me. My plans will not be
bent or bowed to the desires of one person. You have much to offer me,
but bond or no bond I can cast you aside and let you see my ascent to
power from afar. If you wish to have a taste of that then you will do as I
ask, though what I ask of you will not be difficult or cruel by any means."
Aries gave her a coy smile of his own. "And perhaps while I do not wish
for a harem, what happens behind closed doors is something no one
needs to know right? There is my offer. Make your choice Fleur."
Fleur answered with a smile. "What would you 'ave me do Aries?"
"I want a meeting with your father." Aries commanded. "I have an offer
that I believe he will not refuse."
The months leading up to the fourth and final task of the Tri-Wizard
Tournament were passing by in a blur for Aries and his friends. Daphne's
preparation for her final examinations had begun to take up large
amounts of her time, forcing her to stay in the library or her common
room late into the night. While Aries would have much rather spent his
newfound free time in a broom cupboard with the Slytherin, it allowed
for much more profitable ventures. He had managed to befriend a few
influential seventh-years who had the potential to make their way up into
the hierarchy of the Ministry of Magic. More importantly though, Aries
had finally tackled a project he had intended on completing since his
mentor's first lesson at Hogwarts so many months ago: The Patronus
Charm.
His initial lack of success had frustrated Aries to no end. The Patronus
Charm seemed to be one of the few spells that did not give him a sense of
déjà vu. Often when he cast a spell for the first it did not feel like the first
time, but he had no familiar sensation with this charm. Perhaps the most
difficult part had been choosing the correct memory. Professor von Reich
had eased his frustrations stating that even the greatest of wizards had
difficulty choosing a memory that could fuel the immense power a
corporeal Patronus produced. After a couple weeks he had managed the
shield like version of the spell, but the corporeal still eluded him. He
could tell it was some four-legged creature though its actual form was too
blurry to confirm.
The last Hogsmeade weekend of the year looked to be a disappointment
for Aries Black. Daphne had come down with some sort of cold and had
taken the opportunity to study for her exams in the Slytherin dungeons.
Draco had finally managed to convince Arianna to join him for the
weekend, though it might have been more out of annoyance than
anything. This left Aries without any plans, until at least he received a
letter from his aunt. She, and a few guests, would be coming to the
Hogsmeade weekend to visit him. It was a surprise, considering that the
families of the champions were invited to view the last task of the
tournament, but it was a welcome surprise indeed. They had agreed to
meet in the same room at The Three Broomsticks they had months ago
with Sirius and Remus, and he had a slight sense of apprehension as he
made his way down the hall and entered the room. Cassiopeia was
talking to a tall, slim and very pale woman. Her hair was much lighter
than was common of the Black family, but she still had the arrogant good
looks that never failed among their family. Next to her, sitting stiffly,
with a look of mild annoyance, was a man with a pointed face that was
framed by long blonde hair. A walking stick with the head of snake, that
Aries knew hid his wand, lay across his lap.
"Aunt Narcissa!" Narcissa Malfoy gave him a warm smile, something that
would have been much of a surprise to many that dealt with the woman.
"It's wonderful to see you."
"I hope you've been behaving Aries." She hugged him tightly. "No doubt
Draco has been getting up to all sorts of trouble. You've been a good
influence I hope?"
"Of course!" Aries gave her a sly smile, which caused Narcissa to roll her
eyes. The Black Heir turned to Lucius Malfoy, the father of his best friend
and the older brother of his deceased mother. "Lucius."
"Aries." There was a tightness between them that had existed since the
day they met ten years ago. Aries was well aware that up until Lucius'
reunion with his sister that they had believed Draco to be the Heir
Apparent of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Aries'
existence had undoubtedly ruined many of Lord Malfoy's plans and it
kept them from being as close as he was to Narcissa. "How are you
finding Hogwarts?"
"It meets expectations, though I find the curriculum to be lacking."
"Well of course." Lucius drawled. "Dumbledore's disapproval of the Dark
Arts leaves us in an unfortunate situation."
"The Dark Arts are not for everyone Lucius." Cassiopeia's dislike of Malfoy
had been much more venomous than Aries had been able to figure out.
There was a missing clue there that no matter how hard he pressed, she
would not give up. "Hogwarts allows for what is needed and the last
thing we need is for more blood-purists like you to fill the Ministry."
"You mean people who follow the Old Ways?" Lucius sneered at the Black
matriarch. "You would see us compromise with those mudblood loving
fools."
"A society built by like-minded individuals cannot grow." Aries
interrupted. "It may prosper, for a time, but it will not progress. Those
mudblood loving fools, as you call them, help our society to improve for
all of the Wizarding World."
"At the cost of our traditions." Lucius countered. "It-"
"This is an argument you can have another time." Cassiopeia's stern voice
silenced them both. "I invited you both here for a friendly get-together,
not a political debate." She gave them both a glare before turning back to
Narcissa. "I hear you have few designs that Madam Malkin will be
creating. Do tell." The women carried most of the conversation with Aries
and Lucius adding in a polite word here and there. Their tension did not
go unnoticed by their companions, but they chose not to comment on it.
Aries had never truly liked or disliked Lucius Malfoy. His mother had
gone into hiding in France shortly after refusing Lucius' offer to join the
Dark Lord, thanks to the help of his father. Regulus had done much to
keep her location in Paris a mystery but due to the war no one was ever
sent after her. Aries had always partly attributed that to whatever
kindness Lucius was still capable of. He vaguely remembered his mother's
and uncle's reunion but what he did remember was that Regina had been
far more interested in seeing her nephew and sister-in-law than her
brother. Since Regina's death, Lucius had been far colder to Aries than
ever, no doubt he saw the Black heir as the reason for his sister's death.
Aries could not blame him, seeing as he blamed himself as well.
"It's been so good to see you both again." Narcissa hugged him tightly,
placing a kiss on each cheek. "You had better visit this summer Aries.
Draco will be bored out of his mind without someone to play Quidditch
with."
"Of course, Aunt Cissy." The three made to leave but Aries stopped them.
"You two can leave," He said to Cassiopeia and Narcissa. "I need a word
with Lucius." The obvious dismissal seemed to rub Cassi the wrong way,
but he gave a slight shake of his head. He would have to explain later.
"I have some important meetings Aries." Lucius' glare might frighten
many within the Wizengamot, but Aries' answered it with one of his own.
"Perhaps another time."
"You would do well to do as I say Lucius." Power rippled underneath
Aries' skin and his wand screamed to be unleashed at the challenge of
authority. Narcissa had paled considerably, but after a nod from Lucius
she left with Cassiopeia who gave Aries' a look that clearly demanded
answers. They sat across from each other, hazel with green flecked eyes
meeting vicious grey. "I am very curious to hear your thoughts on the
incident that occurred here at Hogwarts two years ago."
"The one with the Weasley girl?" Lucius hid his surprise well. "A rather
unfortunate event. Luckily Potter, how did he put it? Oh yes, saved the
day."
"Yes, yes he did." Aries leveled him with another glare, resisting the urge
to rip into his mind. "Perhaps you would like to tell me how an eleven-
year-old girl came into the possession of the diary of Lord Voldemort?"
"You will not say that name around me boy!" He had flinched at his
master's name, but not anger returned in full force. "I had nothing to do
with that."
"Sirius, and Potter's memories, have something very different to say. Do
not lie to me Lucius. I will rip the truth from your mind and give you a
reminder of what your master was capable of." Lucius paled instantly.
While he had never been on the receiving end of his master's Legilimency
he had seen the effects and knew very well that his nephew was
incredibly gifted in the art, perhaps as gifted as the Dark Lord. "The
summer prior the Ministry had been conducting raids thanks to the
Muggle Protection Act. If I remember correctly it was partially written by
one Arthur Weasley. A coincidence then that such a powerful artifact
ended up in his only daughter's cauldron."
"Why do you insist on this pointless interrogation when you already
know the answer?"
"Because I want to hear you say it." Aries answered. "I want to hear how
you endangered the life on an innocent girl, a pure-blood. One that had
just begun to experience the beauty of magic. You could have targeted
Arthur Weasley himself, instead you nearly killed an innocent eleven-
year-old girl."
"What does it matter to you?" Lucius countered. "The Weasleys are blood-
traitors! Trying to change our world into something it isn't and washing
away the traditions that our ancient families hold dear."
"They can be convinced!" He was suddenly immensely thankful for the
silencing curse Cassi had cast before she left. "They are not made of
stone. Perhaps one of the older Weasley children could have been
convinced to be less closed minded but now because of your actions they
become another vote that cannot be swayed."
"You worry about votes and politics" The venom in Lucius voice was
palpable. "You have power! Power that could have served the Dark Lord,
if not power that could make you a new one! Instead you choose to play
the Game. We should wipe them all out, just as the Dark Lord would have
wanted."
"Your Dark Lord was a fool." Aries voiced had turned to ice. "And so are
you." Lucius made to leave but Aries stopped him at the door. "Tell me
about Barty Crouch." The sudden change in topic and tone seemed to
surprise the Malfoy Lord.
"Why would you want to know about him? I think you could ask him
yourself."
"Not him." Aries said with a shake of his head. "His son."
"Oh." Lucius had a glazed look for a moment, as if remembering
something. "He was a fanatic. Not like Bellatrix but close. He did help
torture the Longbottoms after the Dark Lord was destroyed. But he died
in Azkaban a few years back. Barty was one of the Dark Lord's most
trusted followers, and he was a member of his Inner Circle."
"The Dark Mark that scared you and your friends away at the World Cup.
Remember it?" Lucius gave him a look of annoyance. "He cast it." The
look of shock was almost priceless.
"How do you know this?"
"The subconscious mind remembers things far more clearly than we do. It
catalogues everything we see. I looked into Potter's mind and saw Barty
Crouch Junior clear as day. There was no mistaking it." The surprise on
Lucius' face was genuine and it was somewhat of a relief to Aries. "I see
that the Dark Lord has not called you back into his service."
"The Dark Lord is dead."
"Is he?" Aries enjoyed messing with Lucius. "I wonder how he will feel,
knowing that you never sought him out. You never suffered in Azkaban
like his more loyal followers. You lied and you cowered behind a mask."
"If the Dark Lord has returned then you had best get your priorities
straight Aries Black." There was a hint of a threat in Lucius' voice. "He
does not share power."
"Neither do I Lucius." The challenge was clear and Lucius made to leave
again. "Oh, and Lucius? Should the Dark Lord return, and you drag Draco
down your path of racism and destruction, there is nowhere in this world
that you will be able to hide from me. I will destroy you for destroying
my brother. That is not a threat. It is a promise."
An hour passed that Aries sat in silence, simply thinking. If the Dark Lord
had yet to recall Lucius then it seemed that he was lying low, waiting for
something. Thanks to Sirius he knew that Voldemort was not alone,
rather Wormtail and Barty Crouch Junior were assisting him in his
endeavors. But what were they? The death of Thomas Potter seemed
likely and Aries had a hunch that the Dark Lord was connected to Potter's
name coming out of the Goblet of Fire. The real question was where did
Wormtail and Crouch fit into the picture? Did the Dark Lord require a
care giver? Were they slowly bringing in the old crowd or were they
accomplishing simpler tasks? There had been no mysterious
disappearances, besides Bertha Jorkins, and the Dark Mark had not been
seen since the World Cup. So, what was the Dark Lord's plan? Aries had
plans in preparation for his return, but he also had a sinking feeling that
the Dark Lord's return and the tournament were somehow connected.
"Lucius was fuming when he left earlier." Cassiopeia said as she took the
seat Lucius had vacated earlier. "I figured I'd give you some time to cool
off."
"Thank you, Aunt Cassi." He gave her a warm smile. "Your wisdom, as
always, hits the target." She gave him an expectant look and he
considered where to begin. They corresponded with letters often, but
they lacked detail as neither wanted to risk them being intercepted.
"Ginny Weasley came into the possession of a diary, one with the imprint
of a sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle. Through the diary Riddle possessed the
girl, forcing her to write messages in blood on the wall and petrify
students with Salmrissa." Cassiopeia showed no surprise, but Aries
recognized her calculating look, attempting to make connections with
what she was hearing to what she already knew. "As I told you before,
Riddle is my predecessor. The problem is that Riddle is Voldemort."
"An imprint?" Cassi said more to herself than to Aries. "That sounds like a
portrait, though portraits cannot possess or affect anything outside their
portraits. The exception being the portraits of Hogwarts' prior
Headmasters who can sometimes affect the magic of the castle." They
made eye contact for a moment. "I know of no magic that can do such a
thing to an object."
"Neither do I and I have found the Hogwarts' library to be lacking, which
is unusual. The magic itself does not sound dark. If anything, it was
Riddle that was dark. But my search has been fruitless, I had hoped you
might find something I could not."
Cassi gave him a nod, no doubt already thinking of where she would
look. "And Lucius?"
"He gave her the diary." Aries leaned forward, rubbing his temple. "A
member of his Inner Circle given a diary that belonged to the Dark Lord
himself. There must be some importance there. It makes our plan for this
summer important."
"You think she might provide the missing key?" Cassi was clearly
skeptical but it did not convince Aries to abandon the plan.
"Yes, I believe she will. And what of the other?"
"Remus works diligently, with a fervor I did not believe him capable of. It
will be ready by the beginning of summer."
"Excellent." Aries leaned back, giving his aunt a worried look. "This
tournament has accelerated our plans, but so far everything seems to be
working out. Almost too well. I think it's time we began implementing
the Guard."
"Already?" Cassi had long disapproved of this plan, rather than her
normal skeptical behavior.
"Dumbledore and the Dark Lord have their armies, I believe it is time we
started one of our own."
The night was dark as Aries walked down to the Quidditch field. It was
no longer smooth or flat, but rather looked as if someone had been
building long, low walls that twisted and crisscrossed all over it. Fleur
was already there, pointedly ignoring the odd looks Bagman was giving
her and attempting to stay as far away from the rather large man next to
him. Diggory's loud swearing at the condition of the pitch signaled his
and Potter's entrance.
"Don't worry Mr. Diggory, Mr. Potter." Bagman said at their offended
faces. "You'll have the pitch back to normal once the tournament's over!
Now can anyone guess what we have here?"
"A maze." Aries offered. It shouldn't be much of a surprise, it was a
common final task for the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
"That's right! Our final task will be very straightforward. The Tri-Wizard
Cup will be placed in the middle of the maze. The first champion to reach
the cup, wins the tournament."
"Zat's it?" Fleur asked.
"Well there will be obstacles of course." The rather large man seemed to
beam at that. "Hagrid, Hogwarts' Care for Magical Creatures professor,
will be providing creatures to challenge and hinder your progress to the
cup." They all nodded, though Potter looked rather unhappy. Aries had
heard of Hagrid's love for dangerous creatures and resolved to look over
some of Draco's homework from the class. "Now if there are any
questions? Good, we can be going. It is rather chilly."
The four began their walk back to their respective common areas, but
Aries pulled Potter back for a moment. Fleur looked disappointed though
she continued on her way, choosing to talk to Diggory who looked
flustered by the French girl's attention.
"Look Potter, this is embarrassing." Aries rubbed his temples. "Viktor
wants to know if there is anything. . . Romantic between you and
Granger." Krum had been very interested in the muggle-born girl, mostly
because she had never cared about his fame at all, something he was not
used to. The recent article from Rita Skeeter calling her a 'heart-breaker'
had worried him. He did not believe everything Skeeter said, thanks to
Aries, but he worried that there was some truth to the article. That was
how Aries found himself now being involved in the romantic affairs of a
Quidditch superstar and an annoying muggle-born.
"Oh! Um, no not at all." Potter seemed a little put off at the idea and
Aries believed his assumption to be correct, that he viewed Granger as
more a sister than anything remotely romantic.
"Good, Viktor will be ecstatic."
"Did he believe the article?"
"Not entirely but. . ." Something caught Aries' attention.
"What is it?" Potter turned confused.
"Get behind me Potter." Aries' wand was already in his hand as he pulled
Potter behind him. Was this the Dark Lord's plan? A midnight
assassination? Suddenly a man staggered from behind a tall oak. Aries
was about to cast a curse when he recognized the man. It was Barty
Crouch Senior. He looked as if he had been traveling for days. His clothes
were clearly worn out and there were spots of blood all over it. That was
not the worst of it. Crouch was muttering and gesturing widely.
"Mr. Crouch?" Potter asked curiously.
"Weatherby?" Crouch said madly. "Send a note to Madame Maxine, will
you?"
"Potter go get Dumbledore." Aries could see signs of memory loss, no a
memory charm. Something was wrong with his mind and he saw an
opportunity to fill in some of his own missing information.
"What? What's wrong?"
"Do as I say Potter!" It took a moment but finally Potter turned away,
running towards the castle. Aries tentatively touched the mind of Crouch
and upon seeing it a jumbled mess, dived in searching for his answers. It
didn't take long before memories came to him.
Crouch walked along the dark halls of Azkaban. The dementors haunted him
with memories of his son's trials. Barty Crouch Junior sat against the far
walls, muttering pleas for the Dark Lord to save him. His wife wailed as she
saw her son's fragile state, pleading and begging her husband to do something.
The flask was filled with Polyjuice potion and Mrs. Crouch drank eagerly
underneath the invisibility cloak. The Imperious Curse fell over Barty and his
mother took his place. A glass shattered at the news of Barty Crouch Junior's
death, but the man himself sat stoically, underneath the control of the
Imperious Curse. Suddenly Barty was free, and blackness took him as the
Imperious Curse came over him.
Aries pulled from his mind as a twig snapped. He moved quickly
dropping Crouch and erecting a shield just in time to block a stunner. A
man walked forward slowly, into the dim light the castle gave off.
"Barty Crouch Junior." Aries greeted. "Nice of you to join the party."
Barty licked his lips quickly.
"Black." Barty had a crazed look to his eyes and he seemed as if he could
not decide to have his wand pointed at Aries or his father. "My master is
eager to meet with you."
"No doubt he is." A duel here would end in his victory, but he had a
feeling Barty would die before he gave up any information. He had been
a member of the Dark Lord's Inner Circle, and few had been anything
short of dangerous and powerful. Barty Crouch Junior had been an
exceptional duelist and while Aries felt confident, he continued his play
of letting the dice roll. "Go. Take your father and leave." Barty raised an
eyebrow before placing the Imperious Curse on his father again. "Your
father's mind is gone. I destroyed whatever was left. I'd recommended
dumping his body somewhere far away."
"Why are you doing this?" There was a sincerity of confusion in Barty's
voice.
"No one should be caged." Aries answered simply. "Especially by their
family. Tell your master I look forward to meeting him as well. Though,
I'm afraid the meeting will not meet his expectations."
"Oh, I think you'll be seeing him far sooner than you think Aries Black." A
flash of green ended the life of Bartemius Crouch Senior as they left the
Hogwarts' grounds. Aries began to form a plan for how he would explain
Crouch Senior's disappearance and waited for the arrival of Potter and
Dumbledore. Aries had the answers he sought and now the foundation
was set for a rather interesting conversation with the Dark Lord. His
pieces were set, now he just had to wait for the game to begin.
AN: I had originally planned for 3 chapters to follow this one, but I may
combine the next two into one, depending on how long the next chapter
ends up being. So I have no title for you at this time. I'm hoping to have
it up by the end of next week. Thank you for reading!
12. The Final Task
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. The penultimate chapter of Part I. It's
been a surprising journey so far and I look forward to where this
story takes us. As always I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you
don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
It had not taken long for Aries to come up with a plan to explain Barty
Crouch Senior's disappearance. When Potter and Dumbledore arrived he
simply told them that the crazed man had run off into the forest and he
had not wanted to use magic to restrain an adult, let alone an esteemed
member of the Ministry of Magic. That had made sense to Potter, but
Aries could tell that Dumbledore was skeptical. He felt a slight probe in
his mind and used his Occlumency to keep his mind guarded as he locked
eyes with Albus challengingly. The look of surprise was well hidden on
Dumbledore's face but his eyes gave it away. They might have had a
confrontation if it had not been for the sudden arrival of Mad-Eye
Moody.
Mad-Eye had been an anomaly to Aries all year, choosing mostly to
ignore the retired Auror. Aries was not sure of the man's opinion of his
Death Eater father and had decided that it was better to avoid him rather
than risk a confrontation. But there was something different to the Auror
now. Often throughout the year when they had crossed paths in the
corridors of Hogwarts, Moody had paid him little mind but now the
Auror was studying him closely. It was not in the same way that
Dumbledore was. The only way Aries could explain it was that Moody
was looking at him with a new surprised calculating look, perhaps all too
similar to the way Barty Crouch Junior had looked at him moments
before he disappeared with the corpse of his father.
The days leading up to the task were filled with training sessions with his
mentor. Spells flew into the dummies as they moved around the room.
Aries ran through his arsenal of knowledge, focusing on curses and
charms that affected magical creatures more than anything else. Draco's
Care of Magical Creature's homework had illustrated Hagrid's immense
love for dangerous creatures and it only allowed for the number of
dangerous spells Aries knew to increase. His mentor and master,
Professor von Reich, watched his apprentice with a critical eye, looking
for any mistake or sign of weakness. Aries suddenly changed tactics,
turning to spells that would be found more frequently in a duel. He knew
that it might come down to another duel between champions to decide
the victor, and the dummies were blasted apart, cut in half, and
disintegrated until Aries and Vladimir were the only ones left. The Room
of Requirement had become his training ground since its discovery and it
had proved far more useful than he had ever imagined. Aries was unsure
if Potter used it for more than talking to the portrait Godric Gryffindor,
but he could not blame the boy. He had spent many hours talking to
Salazar Slytherin's portrait as well, and it had only increased his
repertoire of spells.
"Excellent Aries," Vladimir said approvingly and with a thought, two
chairs appeared. "Sit. I believe you are ready for the final task. There is
nothing else to learn so let us enjoy this moment of peace." Aries was
thankful for his mentor's approval and took the seat, letting the tension
that had built up between his shoulders disappear. "You have done well
for yourself this year."
"I have always tried to make the best of any situation." That was an
understatement if there ever was one. Aries had accelerated so many of
his plans that at this point he was just waiting for the Dark Lord's return.
Between Sirius, Daphne, Fleur, and Remus he had been able to
accomplish years of work in barely a years' time. There were still a few
tasks that needed to be completed, such as the meeting with Jean
Delacour, but it was of little consequence. This summer would change
things forever and he eagerly awaited the end of the tournament.
"Yes indeed." Von Reich ran a hand over his beard. "You've managed to
win Sirius back to your side with Dumbledore none the wiser. The
Greengrass girl has given you your connection to powerful members of
the Wizengamot, among other things. Remus has provided us with the
information needed to eventually take down Albus. You've gained a life
debt to the daughter of a powerful man in France. You've also discovered
the location of the Elder Wand." The last statement hung in the air, but
Aries had a feeling that his mentor did not think that was the most
important. "And you've brought Potter under your wing."
"What makes you think that?" Aries disagreed entirely. Sure, he had
helped the boy at times, but under no circumstance did he actually care
for Potter.
"How haven't you? Throughout the year you've looked after him. You
were there for him after his friends abandoned him, helping him to move
on and branch out. You taught him to look beyond the simplistic views of
his family, in a way. You led him to his lineage, helping him to realize
that he is far more than just a wizard that survived the Killing Curse. In
the Third Task, you went after him in an attempt to save his life. That
night you went to protect him from the unknown, even though it was
only Crouch." Vladimir gave him a curious gaze. "It seems to me like
Potter is as much under your protection as your other friends, or am I
mistaken? Regardless of what you know may come to pass in the future,
you have helped him on numerous occasions. Not for any political gain,
but because it was simply the right thing to do."
"Does it matter?" Aries was unsure why it annoyed him, but it did. He did
nothing without reason. Yet he could not deny that what Professor von
Reich said was true. Every time something happened with Potter, he had
looked out for him. Even he did not know why, but he still did without a
care for how it would benefit him. It was unlike him, and yet it had
always felt right.
"It does not matter to me. My question is this: what does it mean for
you?"
The entrance to the maze was surrounded by a half-circle stand, one that
had managed to fit not only all three schools but also the families of the
champions. Cassiopeia sat next to Sirius, Narcissa, and Lucius, Draco
having chosen to sit with his friends in Slytherin. There were four
openings that each of the champions stood in front of though no one
spoke to the other. Aries had considered commanding Fleur through their
bond that she was not to attempt to win the tournament but had decided
against it. He wanted to win the tournament by himself and felt that such
actions would lessen her opinion of their situation. A feeling of finality
had fallen over them and their silence contrasted the eager noise of the
spectators. The judges watched on and Aries noted that Karkaroff was
exchanging old glances with Professor Snape, rather than being his
normal arrogant self. Albus Dumbledore approached a small podium in
the middle of the opening, giving each of the champions a serious look.
"Earlier today the Tri-Wizard Cup was placed deep within the maze." His
loud voice quieted the noise, but the sense of anticipation was thick. "Mr.
Black, with one hundred forty-eight points, will be the first to enter the
maze, followed by Mr. Diggory, Mr. Potter, and then lastly Ms. Delacour."
Each school roared as their champion was called. "The first champion to
touch the cup will be brought back here and declared the winner of the
1994 Tri-Wizard Tournament." The crowd was roaring at this point but
quieted at a raised hand. "Should at any point a champion wish to
withdraw from the task, they need only send red sparks into the air, and
a professor will retrieve you. Champions gather round."
The four champions formed a half-circle in front of Dumbledore. Fleur
locked eyes with him and gave him an excited smile. Diggory and Potter
both had a nervous confidence in themselves. Aries felt nothing, no
nervousness, and no excitement. He was calm and the void consumed all
emotion.
"In the maze, you will not find easy challenges or obstacles. Instead, you
will find something even more challenging. People change in the maze,
they find something inside themselves that perhaps frightens them or
changes them forever, for there are those that enter and do not come out
the same. Find the cup if you can, but be wary, for you just might lose
yourself on the way."
It was as the champions returned to their starting spots that Aries noticed
Moody watching him intently. The temptation of Legilimency was too
much and he cautiously touched his mind. He will return tonight. Moody's
thought pushed against his mind with such fervor that Aries pulled back
from his mind immediately. He vaguely heard Dumbledore's count and
the cannon blasting but as he entered the maze Moody licked his lip
quickly, just as Barty Crouch Junior had done. The connection was made
and Aries suddenly had a hunch of what the Dark Lord's plan was, but he
forced it out of his mind. First, he had to survive the task, then he would
deal with whatever Crouch and Voldemort had been up to.
The opening to the maze closed as Aries went through it and darkness
encompassed him. There was an eerie silence, disturbed only by the
slight rustle of the wind through the hedges. He took a left at the first
intersection and continued straight for some time before deciding to take
a right, where he encountered his first obstacle: an acromantula. Aries
made quick work of it, slicing through its legs with a cutting curse before
destroying its head with a reductor curse. One would think that just one
giant spider would be enough, but apparently, Hagrid did not think so,
for as Aries took another right he came face to face with a group of the
acromantulas. He took no chances this time as fire erupted from his
hands, scorching the spiders alive. Aries noted that the hedges themselves
seemed impervious to the fire, unlike the ground.
Aries wondered through the maze trying his best to keep what he thought
was the center always within eyesight, though it was becoming quite
difficult. The paths did not always go straight, but sometimes curved or
took sharp angles. His eyes had started to take a more greenish color in
the darkness with a slight yellow tinge near the edges, much like they did
when he was a wolf. It allowed him to see far clearer in the darkness
without the need for a wand-lighting charm. Again, the eerie silence of a
task meant to be riddled with obstacles stumped him, before he felt
something odd.
There was a new coldness to the air and the night seemed to grow even
darker. Aries cautiously raised his wand, glancing around to find the
source of the change. Then he saw it, hovering above the ground. Dark
robes clothed the humanoid shape, giving it a wraith like look about it.
The Dementor made no move to approach him and for a moment Aries
wondered if it was a Dementor after all.
"Riddikulus." A flash of light illuminated the night, but the Dementor did
not change. The creature slowly turned to him and with a sinking feeling,
Aries realized it was not a boggart. Suddenly the air turned to ice and he
shivered in the darkness. More shapes came towards him and Aries raised
his wand again.
"Expecto Patronum!" A silver shield pulsed from his wand for only a
moment before it faded away. Panic started to grip him as the Dementors
came closer and closer. Memories started to creep into the forefront of his
mind, but one prevailed them all, attacking the void he struggled to keep
in check.
"Expectro Patronum!" This time nothing came from his wand and the
Dementors were nearly on top of him.
He watched helplessly as the explosion ripped through the room. His body hit
the table hard and he felt his ribs crack as he landed on the floor. Aries looked
up slowly, blood pouring down his mother's pale face. Panic set in as he saw a
bone sticking out of his chest. Power swirled around him, far from his control.
Glass shattered sending dangerous shards flying through the air. The breathing
exercises were far from his mind, the raging torrent that he always held back
came rushing forth, always out of reach. Waves of energy pushed out of him
as he closed his eyes, screaming for it to end.
"Aries." His mother's calm voice came to him. "Aries, it's alright."
Darkness rushed forth from deep inside himself, lashing out at his mind,
wrestling for control. Aries fought against it, and power pulsed through the
room. He could hear the breaking of tables, shattering of vials, and cracking of
stones. He felt his mother's soft hand cupping his face.
"Aries look at me."
"Expectro Patronum!" Again nothing and the memory consumed him.
The bright warm dungeon welcomed five-years-old Aries Black. His mother
looked on excitedly as she pulled out the Thaumatagoria. It was beyond rare
and she had been excited when Uncle Lucius had found it for her.
"Come closer Aries," her warm voice called. "We are on the verge of creating
something truly wonderful."
She held the plant over the cauldron when Aries felt it coming. His magic
raked at his body, fighting for control. He held it at bay, and then something
exploded. He watched helplessly as the explosion ripped through the room. His
body hit the table hard and he felt his ribs crack as he landed on the floor.
Aries looked up slowly, blood pouring down his mother's pale face. Panic set in
as he saw a bone sticking out of his chest. Power swirled around him, far from
his control. Glass shattered sending dangerous shards flying through the air.
The breathing exercises were far from his mind, the raging torrent that he
always held back came rushing forth, always out of reach. Waves of energy
pushed out of him as he closed his eyes, screaming for it to end.
"Aries." His mother's calm voice came to him. "Aries, it's alright."
Darkness rushed forth from deep inside himself, lashing out at his mind,
wrestling for control. Aries fought against it, and power pulsed through the
room. He could hear the breaking of tables, shattering of vials, and cracking of
stones. He felt his mother's soft hand cupping his face.
"Aries look at me." He opened his eyes slowly, focusing on the warm blue eyes
of his mother. "Everything is going to be okay." His magic continued to rip into
the room and shattered everything within its grasp. "Just breathe Aries. It's
your magic, it will do what you want. Think of the void. Let it consume
everything. And take control."
Aries imagined the void in his mind and pushed everything into it with all his
might. Emotion, desire, needs, wants, and his magic. The wind began to die
down and the cracking of lightning faded. At last, it was under his control and
turned to his mother. She was kneeling before him, covered in her own blood
which had already pooled underneath her. Shards of glass were embedded in
her chest and a long, thick sliver of wood ripped through her stomach. The
remains of her potion seemed to be eating away at the skin on her arms and
her beautiful blonde hair was falling out. What was left of her skin began to
pale. Tears started to fall from Aries' eyes, but his mother cupped his face with
blood-stained hands.
"Listen to me, Aries." Her voice was soft and fading. "You have to be strong
now. You can't be weak."
"I don't know how mummy."
"Then find out. Make yourself strong."
The memory broke something inside Aries and rage filled him. Suddenly
power flooded into his body and the Dementors flinched.
"Be strong Aries Orion Black. Be strong for me."
The torrent of magic was pounding against him, demanding to be
unleashed. Fire erupted around him, berating the flame impervious
hedges and catching the cloaks of the Dementors aflame. New memories
flooded forth from deep within his mind.
His mother's arm wrapped around him as magic came back to him, making the
objects of the room float as Cassiopeia watched on.
His wand was back in his hand, a glowing white light pulsating at its end.
The heat of the fire rose, burning at last through the edges and a cyclone
of fire began to form around the Dementors.
His mother's warm smile as he brewed his first potion.
The Dementors began to pull back, his power pushing out from him, but
they were trapped by the rising magical flames. They berated the flames
but it did not yield and they could not pass.
"No matter what happens Aries, you will always be my son."
He remembered his mother and warmness filled his heart that he had not
felt in years.
"Be strong."
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A white fox appeared before him and from it
pulsed waves of power, pushing back against the Dementors. They were
trapped between the magical flame and the pulses of the Patronus
Charm. A high and cold sickly scream emerged from one before the
others followed until they burst into black flame leaving nothing but
black dust behind. Aries knelt in the center of a charred circle,
surrounded by his pain and triumph. He breathed heavily, forcing the
magic into his control, but focusing on his mother and her memory. She
had been pushed back deep into the recesses of his mind so that he would
not have to remember the pain of her death, but now it had brought
something new. Aries felt stronger and the power that so often seemed
out of his control was now in his grasp, ready to be unleashed.
A scream caught his attention and he recognized it as Fleur's. Aries
wasted no time with the maze, unleashing a torrent of powerful flame,
burning a path through the flame impervious hedges towards his bonded
companion. It did not take long to find her, but she was not alone. Potter
was standing before her, wand pointed at Diggory. They appeared at
stand-off but Diggory turned away and faced him instead. Aries only had
a moment and noticed the glazed over eyes of Diggory just as he sent a
Killing Curse towards him. Potter screamed and Aries dodged it, rolling
to his left towards Fleur.
"Pugare mentis!" The spell's effect was immediate and Diggory fell to his
knees clutching his head. Aries disarmed him quickly and ran towards
him, reaching out with his mind before Diggory could react.
He walked through the hedges, trying to stop his clothes from smoldering when
a haze suddenly came over him.
"Kill Delacour and distract Black. Allow Potter to get to the cup first."
"What are you doing?" Potter's voice brought him back to the present and
Aries was suddenly far more concerned about the boy than he had been
at the beginning of the task.
"Someone Imperioused him," Aries replied as he helped Diggory to his
feet. He made his way over to Fleur who was unconscious but hurt badly.
"She needs Madam Pomfrey."
"I'll send the signal." Potter lifted his wand and sent red sparks into the
air. Aries waved his wand slowly over Fleur, healing what wounds he
could. "So, what now?" Diggory was still shaking his head, trying to clear
it from the haze.
"We go our separate ways." He wanted very badly to stun the other two,
but now he had to get to the end of this mystery. Someone wanted Potter
to reach the cup first and Aries had a good idea who that someone was.
"Watch yourself, Potter, something isn't right here. You're lucky that this
was not your fault Diggory, I hope we don't cross paths again."
Aries left the two to their own decisions deciding to go left. There were
no other obstacles that he came into contact with, which he found
incredibly odd, but thinking back to his two encounters created an even
more disturbing thought. Kill Delacour and distract Black. Someone had
clearly watched their duel and knew that Diggory would not be able to
kill him. Acromantulas and Dementors, on the other hand, had killed
many skilled wizards, regardless of their experience. Allow Potter to get to
the cup first. Aries was very confident that Mad-Eye Moody was, in fact,
Barty Crouch Junior, but how? Did he recently disguise himself as the
former Auror? Or had the former Death Eater been hiding among the
Hogwarts' staff all year? The latter seemed unlikely considering the
Headmaster, but if he had been, did that mean that Crouch was the one
responsible for Potter being in the tournament? These questions needed
answering, and Aries was determined to reach the Tri-Wizard Cup first.
Luck it would seem, was on his side, for as he took a right he came into a
large circular clearing. There on a small platform sat the Tri-Wizard Cup.
Aries glanced around and upon not seeing the other champions, walked
towards his goal. He stood before it with a sense of calm and reached out
for the cup. His hands grasped the handles- and nothing happened. Was
he supposed to still be here? Would the staff know he had found the cup?
Aries waved his wand over the cup and it glowed blue.
It was then that Potter and Diggory emerged on each side of him and
spells flew towards him. A bright blue bubble encompassed him,
absorbing their spells.
"Wait!" Their onslaught of spells continued before Aries had had enough.
He pushed out a wave of power, knocking them both off their feet. "For
fuck's sake, wait!"
"What is it Black?" Clearly, the two were willing to duel to determine the
winner, but technically he had already touched the cup.
"The cup is a portkey." They both had looks of shock and Aries' wanted to
groan at their stupidity. "Dumbledore said the champion would be
returned to the starting area but look at this." He waved his wand and the
bright blue shown again. Potter and Diggory slowly made their way
towards him, looking intently at the cup. "The fact that it's a portkey isn't
the surprise. Watch again." Another wave of his wand and this time they
saw it. Underneath the layer of blue, was another glowing blue layer, but
this was one a shade lighter. "This cup is a portkey to two locations. But
more importantly, this is keyed to someone." Aries touched the cup again
and nothing happened. Potter went to touch it, but he stopped him.
"Diggory, if you would." Again, nothing.
"What the hell is going on?" Diggory exclaimed. Aries' eyes fell on Potter.
"Someone wants Potter to win this tournament." Potter's eyes did not
leave the cup. "Someone placed his name in the Goblet of Fire,
confounding it so he would have to compete. Then tonight, someone
placed the Imperious Curse on you so that Potter would win the
tournament. Whoever did this wants Potter to touch this cup, but it will
not take him back to where we started, at least not at first."
"We need to tell someone." Diggory went to raise his wand but Aries
disarmed him quickly.
"Think Diggory!" Aries nearly screamed. "Who placed this cup here?"
"One of the teachers," Potter answered quietly.
"Yes. Someone wants Potter to walk right into a trap, and I bet you both
can guess who."
"Voldemort." The name hung around them and Diggory paled.
"So, what do we do?" Diggory asked.
"We spring the trap."
"Wait no! No way!" Potter had, at last, tore his eyes from the cup and
faced Aries. "We need to get help. My dad or Sirius or someone!"
"No." Aries' voice was firm. "If we tell someone then we risk the culprit
escaping. Think for a moment. They expected Diggory to be under the
Imperious Curse, Fleur to be dead, and me to be nowhere near this cup.
Whoever placed this cup here expected Potter to be alone and surprised."
Aries looked at the cup with renewed determination. "Except he won't be
alone. There will be three of us, and the element of surprise will be ours.
All three of us touch the cup, and we spring the trap. Once we handle
everything there, we use the cup to come back. Whoever the culprit is
will be surprised to see all three of us return, and we take him out as
well."
"This is insane Aries!" Potter was shaking his head. "There's no point! We
need help. This isn't like what Sirius told you. We have time. They can
come with us. We don't have to do this alone."
"Black's right Potter," Diggory said strongly. "If we ask for help then we
alert whoever did this. We need to do this. We can do this. Together." He
placed his hand on the cup. Aries followed suit, grabbing the cup as well.
Potter looked at them both as if they had grown horns.
"Are you sure about this Aries?"
"Yes. Trust me, Potter." He looked at Aries for a moment before he
grabbed the cup. There was a sharp pull on his navel, and they
disappeared from the grounds of Hogwarts.
Aries landed on his feet next to Diggory, though Potter landed with a
thump on his backside. They were in a graveyard at the base of a massive
mansion. As Potter came to his feet his eyes locked on one particular
grave. It was a marble headstone and on it was inscribed a name Aries
had become all too familiar with: TOM RIDDLE. Suddenly Potter
screamed in pain, clutching his forehead.
"Kill the spare." Aries and Diggory turned to the cold voice, brandishing
their wands. A hooded figure stood across from them.
"Avada Kedavra!" The flash of green light soared towards Diggory and
Aries reacted on instinct. He reached out with his magic, bending the
earth in front of Diggory upwards, creating a wall of hardened earth. The
Killing Curse struck it, blasting the earth in large pieces, and throwing
them both backward. Aries felt his head collide with a headstone and
darkness took him.
"Flesh of the servant. . . Willingly given. . . you will. . . revive your master. . ."
The shaky voice came to him followed by a scream of pain as he regained
consciousness. He slowly pulled himself up, using the headstone in front
of him for cover. The back of his head was caked with blood, but a
whispered spell cleaned the wound. Diggory was still unconscious and
the man who he now recognized as Wormtail walked towards Potter.
"Blood of the enemy. . . Forcibly taken. . . you will resurrect. . . your foe. . ."
A bubbling cauldron sat in the center as Wormtail cut along Potter's arm.
Blood coated the knife as Wormtail returned to the cauldron and tapped
three drops into it. The man dropped to his knees, clutching a stump at
his right arm.
The cauldron was shooting out diamond sparks before they suddenly
stopped. White steam erupted from the cauldron before it exploded,
blocking everything from Aries' view. Then slowly as the steam faded he
began to see the outline of a man.
"Robe me." The man commanded. Wormtail scrambled to collect black
robes and pulled them over the man's head. He turned towards Potter
and he received his first good look at him. The man was skeletally thin
with skin whiter than bone. It was his eyes that struck Aries. They were
wide and a livid scarlet with a nose that flared out like a snake. Aries
suddenly had a good idea who the man was: Lord Voldemort. The Dark
Lord had returned at last. He disillusioned himself quickly, making sure
Diggory was still unconscious and slowly moved to a better position as
the Dark Lord spoke with Wormtail.
"You stand, Thomas Potter, on the remains of my filthy Muggle father."
The Dark Lord's voice was high and cold. "You see that home? That is
where he lived and that is where he died. But alas, my true family
returns." The air was suddenly filled with the swooshing of cloaks as
wizards began to apparate into the graveyard. "Welcome, Death Eaters.
Thirteen years it has been and now you return to me as if it was
yesterday. We are still united under the Dark Mark then. Or are we?"
Diggory began to stir as the Dark Lord berated his followers. The same
spell Aries had used with Potter before the Second Task struck Diggory.
"Don't move!" Diggory tensed but lay still. "Wait until I attack and then
join the fighting. We still have the element of surprise."
"Ah Lucius, my slippery friend." The Dark Lord's voice came back to him
as he ended the spell. Aries watched his uncle remove his mask with a
sense of pride. "I hear you have not renounced the old ways, though you
present a respectful face to the world. Tell me, will you still be as
passionate as you were before? Your exploits at the World Cup were. . .
fun I daresay. And yet you never searched for me as other, more faithful
followers did."
"My Lord had there been any whispers or any sign of your return I-"
"And yet the sight of my Mark filled you with fear." The Dark Lord
sounded displeased. "I am disappointed in all of you. I expect far more
faithful service in the future." He looked around the circle, pausing at
unfilled spots. "We are missing a few members of our family. Some are in
Azkaban, they will be freed of course. A few are dead. There is one who I
believe has left me forever, and then there is one who has already
returned to me. He serves me faithfully even now." Suddenly the Dark
Lord turned to Potter.
"And oh, how could I forget my guest? The one whom we all have to
thank for tonight." The Death Eaters leaned in expectantly. "You see my
friends, years ago I miscalculated. I believed the Potter children to be the
ones Dumbledore saw as my downfall. And when I went to destroy them
something remarkable happened. I believe, in part, my curse reflected
due to the sacrifice of Dorea Potter, but there was something more. Harry
and Thomas somehow performed extraordinary magic and in doing so
the curse, that was meant to kill both children, was somehow turned
back on me. The boys lived, but the toll of the magic killed Harry and
now the Boy-Who-Lives remains."
"Three years ago, Potter thwarted my attempts to seize the Philosopher's
Stone and I thought all was lost until Wormtail found me. When others
failed he succeeded and he brought me Bertha Jorkins, who told us of the
coming Tri-Wizard Tournament. It was through the help of my faithful
servant that I formed a plan, one that would bring about my resurrection.
And now I have returned, to finish what I started thirteen years ago." The
Dark Lord brandished his wand, a ghostly looking yew, and pointed it at
Potter. "Crucio." Potter screamed and fought against the ropes that bound
him before the Dark Lord released him. "You see how foolish it was to
believe that this boy was ever the true cause of my downfall. But I do not
want there to be any doubt in anyone's mind. I will kill you tonight
Thomas Potter. Untie him Wormtail and give him his wand."
Potter struggled to his feet and Aries considered attacking now but
decided against it. The Dark Lord was not yet distracted. Potter and the
Dark Lord stood a few meters apart and the Death Eaters looked on with
eager anticipation.
"You have been taught to duel, yes Potter?" The Dark Lord seemed to be
teasing the boy. "First we bow. Come, Potter, we must follow tradition. I
said bow." As the Dark Lord pushed the tip of his wand down, Potter bent
downward into a bow. "Now we duel." Aries could tell Diggory wanted to
do something but he followed his lead. Moments passed as Potter avoided
the Dark Lord's curses and even managed to throw off his Imperious
before hiding behind a tombstone. "Come now Potter we are not playing
games. Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean you
wish for me to finish it? Come, Potter, it will be quick. It might even be
painless. I would not know, I have never died."
Aries watched Potter slowly rise to his feet in a defiant manner and face
the Dark Lord. They raised their wands towards each other and then
Aries stepped in between them. The Dark Lord's eyes suddenly widen and
he lowered his wand slightly.
"Aries Black." He hissed the name. "I've been looking forward to meeting
you for some time, though I hoped it would be after I dealt with Potter.
Be a good boy and step aside."
"I'm afraid I can't do that." Black immediately regretted the words, but he
could not allow Potter to die tonight.
"And why is that?" The Dark Lord looked at him challengingly.
"You see, Potter is under my protection." Every eye was on him and
Diggory was readying himself to strike. "Let him leave, and we can have
our talk."
"Ah, no one is leaving tonight. Unless you kneel before me." The Dark
Lord's red eyes narrowed.
"Not really the kneeling type. Now, Diggory!" The rush of power as his
wand came into his hand was intoxicating and the torrent of magic raged
inside him. Fire erupted around him and he threw it at the Dark Lord.
Diggory had sent a blasting curse towards the Death Eaters, but they
were now unsure of just who to attack. The Dark Lord dispersed the fire,
not caring if it struck his own men and the duel began. Aries stood
alongside Potter, each throwing spells while using his free hand to
wandlessly conjure a shield whenever a spell came towards them that
they could not dodge. The Dark Lord had little need for a shield,
choosing instead to simply deflect the spells until Aries began to up the
ante. Powerful spells of the Dark Arts flew from his wand as fire and ice
flowed wandlessly from his hand. The effects of the powerful magic the
two wizards were creating were harming the Death Eaters as well, but
Diggory was starting to tire. A rogue blasting spell struck the ground near
Aries, throwing him off his feet. The Dark Lord shouted the Killing Curse
just as Potter sent the Disarming Charm. A red bolt of light met green and
the wands connected.
At once a silver light burst from the center of the beam connecting the
two wands before creating a bubble around them. A ball of energy hung
in the middle pulsing back and forth between the two wizards. Aries
came to his feet, transfixed on what was happening, as did the Death
Eaters. Diggory leaned heavily on a tombstone, glancing towards the cup
which seemed so far away.
Suddenly Aries felt power from Potter and the ball of energy pushed
towards the Dark Lord. As it touched the yew wand a spirit burst from
the tip. It was an old man. The very same old man that Aries and Potter
had seen die in their dreams. Another pulse and a second figure emerged.
Aries recognized her immediately from his family tree. Dorea Black was
the ideal look of the Black Family and even in death had a stern look on
her face that rivaled Cassiopeia's. She glared at the Dark Lord before
turning to Potter.
"Hold strong Thomas, your grandfather is coming," Dorea stated. "Keep
holding on for just a little longer." She turned to Aries. "Protect him.
Make our family proud."
A third figure suddenly emerged from the Dark Lord's wand. He was an
old man, older than the first, and with hazel eyes filled with an odd look
as if one had seen far too many years. Yet there were lines across his
face, wrinkles from years spent smiling and laughing. For a spirit, he
looked remarkably happy and also determined.
"When we tell you, release the connection," Charles commanded. "You
will only have a few moments to get to the portkey." He looked at them
both fondly, something Aries did not understand. "We are proud of you.
Now go!"
Potter ended the connection and as the spirits raced towards the Dark
Lord, he ran towards the cup. Aries unleashed fire creating a perimeter
around himself, the Dark Lord and the cup. Diggory was almost to the
cup when a cutting curse struck him in the back of his leg. It ripped
through his ligaments and he fell to the ground.
"Go, Potter!" Aries ordered. "I'll get him back. Just go!" Potter hesitated,
but Aries wandlessly pushed him back into the cup.
He reacted instinctively and grabbed the cup. A swish of Aries wand and
wards formed over the graveyard. It was unfortunate that Diggory had
not made it to the cup as he would have to adjust his plans. The Dark
Lord, recovered from the previous affair, raised his wand but stopped as
Aries suddenly bound Diggory in tight, thick ropes. The Hogwarts'
champions shock was evident and only the gag kept him from screaming
in surprise.
"I think it's time for our chat, my Lord." The roaring fire encompassed the
three of them and the crackling of flames kept the Death Eaters unaware
of what occurred in the circle. "Sorry for all that mess. Had to keep up
appearances with the Boy-Who-Lived after all." The Dark Lord's cold
laugh filled the air.
"Will you bow to me now Aries?" The Dark Lord stared at him curiously.
"Like your father before you?"
"I told you before. I'm not the kneeling type." Aries cocked his head to the
side. "Surely you must understand? From one dark lord to another?"
"You call yourself a dark lord?" His amusement was clear and Aries'
bristled at his condescension. "It takes more the knowing the Dark Arts to
be a dark lord, my friend."
"What else could I be?" Aries hissed in Parseltongue. Suddenly all humor
vanished from the Dark Lord and his red eyes narrowed to slits.
"You speak it?" The Dark Lord was holding his wand tightly. "How is this
possible?"
"I am the Heir of Slytherin. I was born to be a dark lord. To finish Salazar
Slytherin's noble work."
"You lie!"
"Salmissra is rather needy, isn't she?" Aries enjoyed the Dark Lord's shock.
"Always wants to be itched behind her left eye? And Salazar? Much more
sarcastic than I ever thought. I mean, surely you were surprised as well, Tom."
"You are Salazar's heir." The Dark Lord looked at Aries with a newfound
interest. "Which makes you my heir as well. You continue to surprise me,
Aries."
"I make no claim as your heir. I am the Heir of Slytherin and Black. I need no
others."
"Then why are you here?" Aries felt the presence of his Phoenix arrive, at
last, sitting on the tombstone of Tom Riddle. "Why the appearances? Why
stay if you will not join me?"
"We have a common goal." Aries had recited these words in his mind for
months. "We both wish to finish our ancestor's work, yet we disagree on many
fundamental issues. But we also have a common enemy: Albus Dumbledore."
The Dark Lord continued to show his surprise. "While he lives, neither of us
can succeed. So, I suggest something rather simple: a truce. Neither of us will
move against the other directly until Dumbledore is dead, by your hand or
mine. After that, may the best dark lord win."
The Dark Lord's laughter erupted again. "Oh, Aries you continue to surprise
me. What exactly makes you think I will just agree to this?"
"Right now, Potter is telling Dumbledore exactly what has happened here. And
no doubt they will discover that Barty Crouch Junior has been masquerading
as Moody. You will lose your intended secrecy and one of your more faithful
servants." The Dark Lord's red eyes narrowed again. "Upon my return to
Hogwarts, I will deny your return. As far as I am concerned you, and your
followers, are some dark lord impersonators. It will not stop Dumbledore from
moving against you, but perhaps I can help delay it. I will also attempt to help
return your servant. In return, you agree to my arrangement."
"Aries Black, you are indeed a most interesting individual." The Dark Lord
smiled. Moments passed with an odd tension until at last the Dark Lord
nodded, an interesting gleam in his eye. "I accept."
"I will hold you to your word Tom."
"That name no longer holds any meaning to me," Aries smirked as the
irritation remained etched on the Dark Lord's features. "But how do I know
you will keep your side of the bargain? What can you give me that holds as
much weight as the secret of my return?" The eyes of the Durmstrang
champion fell on Diggory.
"With death." The Dark Lord gave him another look of surprise. "Our
arrangement ends with the death of Albus Dumbledore. Let is also begin with
death. A loose end that needs to be taken care of. If it should become know
that he died by my hand, I will lose the credibility that I have worked so hard
to earn."
"Truthfully?" Wide red eyes met in his. "You will kill the spare?"
"If I must."
"Then let it be done."
Aries raised his wand towards Diggory. It was now or never, he reminded
himself. Truth be told, Aries had many plans for the Diggorys, centered
around Cedric. But destiny had been unkind to the Hufflepuff. Had he
made it to the cup, he would have lived on. But now, his life was forfeit.
"Avada Kedavra." The green light struck Diggory and he fell to the ground
dead. The Dark Lord's laughter again filled the night.
"Again, and again you surprise me. Are you sure you wish this path? You
could rise to greatness with me Aries."
"I will never serve you." He felt Hades land on his shoulder. "When your
downfall arrives, it will not be Potter that brings about your destruction. It will
be me."
"You will serve me, Aries Black. Before the end of all this, you will kneel
before me. I will see to it personally."
The Dark Lord's red eyes bored into him as the flames of Hades consumed
him and they, along with Diggory's corpse, vanished from the graveyard.
He landed outside Moody's office, as he had commanded Hades to take
him to Crouch, and blasted the door open. Barty, still disguised as
Moody, grabbed Potter holding him up with a knife to his throat. They
locked eyes for a moment before Aries acted quickly.
"Stupefy!" The spell collided with Potter, who Barty dropped in surprise.
"Revelio!" Moody's flesh melted away and Barty Crouch Junior was
revealed to him again. They stood apart, wands facing each other before
Aries lowered his. "Go, your master is waiting for you." Barty raised his
eyebrows and moved cautiously towards the fireplace. "That's two you
owe me, Barty. I expect to be repaid in full." The green fire of the Floo
took the Death Eater away leaving the two young wizards to themselves.
A swish of his wand put the office in ruins, making it appear to any that
entered that a duel had occurred. Aries made his way over to Potter and
revived him. The boy sat up quickly, eyes wide, looking frantically
around for the crazed professor.
"What happened? Where's Moody?"
"Whoever that was, it was not Alastor Moody," Aries explained. "But he's
gone now. Escaped through the Floo. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I think so." Suddenly Potter looked around. "Where's Cedric?"
Aries let out a long sigh.
"He didn't make it." Potter gripped Aries' arm tightly and tears fell down
his face. Aries felt no remorse, no guilt but no joy either. He would not
enjoy what he had to do. Seldom few enjoyed the responsibility that
destiny gave them, but this was his. The war for the Wizarding World
had just begun.
AN: The last chapter of Part I: What Is To Come
13. What Is To Come
AN: As always let us begin with the first verse of the Harry Potter
Bible, Chapter 1, Verse 1: I own nothing and it all belongs to JK
Rowling, long may she reign. The last chapter of Part 1. This chapter
has a lot of dialogue that sets up things to occur in Part II. I hope
you enjoy this chapter and if you don't, whatever floats your boat
y'all.
The long hall of the hospital wing would have been peaceful if not for the
quiet sobs of Cho Chang. She held tightly to the limp hand of Cedric
Diggory as his body lay on a bed next to his father. Amos Diggory had
been distraught beyond comforting when he had seen the dead body of
his son and had only calmed after Madam Pomfrey gave him a glass of
water infused with Dreamless Sleeping Potion. Potter was across from
them surrounded by his five closest friends and his mother. Lily Potter
was quite beautiful in Aries' opinion and every emotion she displayed
was far more genuine than many others he had seen. She had given him a
curious look when she had sat next to Potter, but Aries dismissed it. He
was trying to hear the quiet argument James Potter was having with
Albus Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. It was a
very heated argument despite the whispered tones and he was tempted to
eavesdrop with magic before his own family walked in.
Sirius looked beside himself with worry but could not seem to decide
whether to go to Aries or Potter first. A slight nod towards Potter sent
him rushing off to his godson, not that Aries blamed him. While he had
not been unharmed in their duel with the Dark Lord, he had fared far
better than Potter and Diggory. Cassiopeia's face was serious, but her
eyes held a look of worry. Aries reached out with his mind and flashed a
quick image of the Dark Lord. Her eyes widened for a moment before
schooling her face. It was just in time as the whispered argument had
ended and the Minister of Magic stepped forward.
Fudge was a portly man, wearing a pin-striped suit and fidgeting with the
lime green bowler hat in his hands. Aries had heard many stories of the
man from Draco, and he hoped that he would have some advantage in
the situation he knew was coming.
"Now there have been some theories as to what has happened tonight,"
Fudge began as he glanced nervously towards Potter. "A student has died
and while we have heard one. . . er. . . story. . . we have not heard the
other view." At that, the Minister turned to Aries. "Thomas here says that
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned but that cannot be. Perhaps
you can tell us what happened tonight Mr. Black? From the beginning of
course." The entire room turned to him. He could feel Potter's gaze most
of all and Aries only hoped that he would one day understand.
"I entered the maze first." Aries brought up his Occlumency shields
strongly. "After dealing with a creature I heard Fleur scream. She and I
have become close over the year so I went to see if she was alright when
I found Cedric Diggory under the Imperious Curse. When I released him,
we went on our separate ways." Potter was nodding along, something
Dumbledore seemed to be watching closely. "I reached the cup first and
when I grabbed it nothing happened. I performed the Revealing Charm
on the cup and it showed the Portus Charm on it as I expected, but then
there was also another one. Given that Diggory had been under the
Imperious Curse and that Potter had been forced to compete I began to
suspect that something was off, as I told them both when they arrived.
We had Diggory touch the cup- nothing happened." Fudge's eyes were
narrowed with skepticism but Aries ignored him. "Then all three of us
grabbed the cup at once and it took us somewhere else. We were at a
graveyard near a mansion. Someone tried to kill Diggory but I bent the
earth to form a shield. Unfortunately, it exploded which knocked me and
Diggory unconscious." Aries took a deep breath. "When I woke up there
were now two others. One was Peter Pettigrew and the other claimed to
be the Dark Lord."
"Claimed?" Fudge looked incredulous as he questioned Aries. "What does
that mean?" Potter and the rest were dumbfounded at Aries' story and
Dumbledore himself look unsure as what to do.
"Yes," Aries answered. "I have never seen the Dark Lord in person so I can
not tell you if it was really him. For all I know it could have been just
some want to be dark wizard."
"Now wait one second!" James Potter interrupted. "Thomas said that was
Voldemort! You were there! How can you say it was not?"
"I did not say that it wasn't the Dark Lord. Only that he claimed to be."
Aries turned back to Fudge. "I have never seen the Dark Lord and Potter
was a child when He was vanquished, so neither of us can tell you that it
was indeed the Dark Lord."
"See Dumbledore!" Fudge pointed accusatorily at the Headmaster. "This is
all some elaborate plot!"
"What about the Death Eaters?" Aries suppressed the growl that
threatened to escape him. James Potter was being incredibly annoying.
"Thomas said that he saw Malfoy and other Death Eaters there, without
their masks!"
"Preposterous! Lord Malfoy is an outstanding member of the Wizarding
Community and the Wizengamot." They all turned back to Aries who had
seemed to become Fudge's lifeline to sanity. "Was Lord Malfoy there?"
"No." Aries' response silenced the hall. "There were individuals that
arrived after I regained consciousness. But they never removed their
mask, nor were they named." Potter was pale and a look of utter betrayal
was painted across his face.
"I have heard enough!" Fudge declared. "Clearly Thomas Potter is
distraught by the actions of a madman. We will find him and apprehend
him, but regardless You-Know-Who has not returned."
"How did you get back?" Potter's quiet voice stopped Fudge as he made
his way to the door and all eyes turned back to Aries. "You had no
portkey and you can't apparate to Hogwarts. How did you know Moody
was not Moody?" Dumbledore was failing to conceal the look of suspicion
in his eyes and there was a similar look from James.
"I'm not sure," Aries said directly to Potter. "One moment I was there and
the next I was here, outside Moody's office. I heard you struggling and
came in through the door. I had had my suspicions about there being a
spy in Hogwarts, just as we talked about, and assumed that Dumbledore's
phoenix brought me to save you. Considering that Moody was holding a
wand to your throat was enough for me to think he was not who he
really was." Potter seemed to accept that, though unhappily, Dumbledore
was still suspicious. Fudge gave them all a respectful nod before leaving
at last.
"How did you know I had a phoenix, Aries?" Dumbledore asked.
"No one just knows a phoenix, Professor." A slight twinkle returned to the
Headmaster's eyes, but the suspicion was still there. "Now if you'll excuse
me, I have some worried friends to find." Aries left the hospital wing
without waiting for any response, followed by his aunt. They hurried
along the halls of Hogwarts until they found the Minister by the Great
Hall. Fudge stopped when Aries called for him and gave him a pleasant
though nervous smile.
"Ms. Black, Mr. Black." Fudge greeted. "How can I help you?"
"I was hoping we could have a mutually benefiting conversation," Aries
said as they walked onto the grounds of Hogwarts. Cassiopeia looked at
him from the corner of her eye. They had not discussed what he was
about to do, but Aries felt that he had a moment of opportunity that he
could not pass up.
"Of course, of course! Lucius has spoken highly of you Mr. Black."
"Please, call me Aries." The Minister had relaxed considerably at that.
"What would you like to talk about Aries?"
"The predicament we have Minster, regarding this dark lord." Fudge
immediately tensed and it was apparent that the constant shifting of
emotions was taking its toll on the old man. "There is a madman out
there that not only kidnapped the Boy-Who-Lived but also managed to
infiltrate this school. Measures need to be taken, Minister."
"Now see here Mr. Black." The boiler green cap was thoroughly crumpled
at this point and Aries was tempted to burn it. "The Ministry will
investigate this matter and I will see to it personally that the situation is
handled. But there is no need to panic."
"I worry about the Ministry's choice as to who to lead this investigation."
"Auror Scrimgeour and his department are fully capable of handling the
investigation."
"Are they?" Aries leveled the Minister with a calculating gaze. "The
Department of Magical Law Enforcement is in dire need of revamping.
We need to hire more Aurors and train them to be better. Regardless of
whether or not the Dark Lord has returned, the Ministry needs to protect
its people."
"What are you suggesting?"
"A deal between us Minister." Fudge was eyeing the edge of the grounds
eagerly. "The Black family is incredibly wealthy, even more so than the
Malfoys." Now he had the Minister's attention. "Perhaps some of that
wealth can make it over to you if you give me something I want.
Scrimgeour is an adequate Head Auror, but the position of Assistant Head
is currently lacking. Personally, I feel that Sirius Black would make a far
better Assistant, with aims to one day be Head Auror himself."
"Auror Black would never accept the position from me!" Fudge
exclaimed. "The man detests me!"
"I will deal with my Uncle, you just make sure it happens. Do this and
perhaps we can become as good of friends as you have with Lord
Malfoy." The Minister of Magic glanced around nervously for a few
moments as if weighing his options. Then he nodded and quickly walked
away before apparating just outside the gates of Hogwarts.
"An interesting deal," Cassiopeia commented. "What is the goal?"
"Sirius now has weight within the DMLE and the Ministry, more so than
just being the friend of James Potter and Albus Dumbledore." Aries
glanced towards where the Minister had departed and then back to the
castle. "We will need it sooner rather than later I think."
Professor von Reich's desk was empty for the first time since they had
come to Hogwarts, but it was also the last time they would be in this
room. The delegations from both schools were leaving the next day and
the week that passed had been somber for many. Aries had spent as much
of it as he could with his friends and had far too many late-night
adventures with Daphne. The blond girl had taken to enjoying every
moment they had together before he returned to Durmstrang. Draco had
given up on his advances with Arianna, no doubt due to the fact that the
marriage contract between himself and Astoria Greengrass was looking
more like a when than an if. The time would have been perfect if not for
the cold shoulder from Potter. Ever since the conversation with the
Minister of Magic the boy had been ignoring him, accompanied by the
glares of his friends. Ron Weasley was the worst of them and Aries
looked forward to having an opportunity to blast him on his ass.
A sharp rap to the desk brought his attention back to his mentor, who
was waiting patiently for him. Karkaroff had vanished after the final task
which left the role of Headmaster of Durmstrang to Vladimir von Reich.
It was a position that Aries believed suited his mentor, and no doubt he
would succeed in making Durmstrang far better than it ever had been.
"It has been an interesting year indeed, Aries." Von Reich's voice was
softer than usual and Aries gave him a curious glance. "You have yet to
explain to me what happened to Cedric Diggory."
"I killed him." No emotion came to him and he wondered if that was
normal. "He was supposed to escape with Potter but he didn't make it. I
made a decision and took his life."
"Why not obliviate him?"
"There was too much visibility on this situation." Aries thought over his
reasoning again. "I feared Dumbledore might notice that his memory was
erased or charmed. There were too many risks. Death by the Killing Curse
was common of victims of the Dark Lord. It was the rational decision."
"I agree." His mentor stroked his beard as he looked at him. "And you
mean to go through with it?"
"It was always my plan. It's just happening sooner than I expected." They
looked at each other for a moment and Aries noticed an odd emotion
flash through his mentor's eyes. "The role of Headmaster suits you."
"Thank you, though I am in need of a new Battle Magics teacher." Now
Aries caught the next emotion, and he was beyond surprised.
"Me?" Aries questioned. "You want me to be the Battle Magics professor?"
"Your examinations will not be an issue. You could pass them all right
now with ease. The position is yours if you wish." Aries was speechless
and many moments passed before he finally responded.
"I thought you agreed with my plans. I thought you supported them."
Vladimir pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long sigh.
"Yes, I do, Aries." Von Reich began. "But those can wait if you wish it.
You can change the world at Durmstrang and then fulfill your plans later.
When you are older and wiser. Our destiny is not written in stone. You
always have a choice."
Aries stared at the desk to his left where Hades was perched. He could
not deny that the offered honored him, and a larger part of him wanted
to take it than he wanted to admit. The problem was the return of Lord
Voldemort. This year had accelerated his plans but even so he had not
been fully prepared to deal with the Dark Lord's resurrection. No, his
place was in this war and not a school. It broke his heart, but he knew
what he had to do.
"Years from now, perhaps, I will accept your offer." Aries stood and faced
his mentor. "But for now, my choice lies with my destiny." He went to
give a respectful bow but Vladimir stopped him, instead extending a
hand to him.
"You are no longer my apprentice." Aries could not stop the sudden look
of betrayal and was even more surprised when Vladimir smiled. "It is not
a punishment. I have nothing left to teach you, Aries." Vladimir took
Aries' hand and shook it. "It will be nice to finally greet you as an equal,
and to know my legacy is in good hands."
Draco stood quietly next to Aries as they stared out onto the lake.
Durmstrang would be leaving in the morning and they had yet to discuss
what had happened after the final task. His friend was well aware of the
Dark Lord's return, as the rumor of Potter's side of the story had
circulated the school. There was expected to be a vigil of sorts for the late
Cedric Diggory tonight and Aries wondered if he would feel any emotion
during it. Whenever the Hufflepuff was brought up, Draco had always
given him a questioning look, something that Aries tended to avoid. It
seemed that his friend would finally get the answers he desired.
"He's really back isn't he?" Draco asked. There was a resignation in his
voice with no anticipation as many no doubt expected of the Slytherin.
"Yes," Aries answered. "The Dark Lord is back."
"Was my father there?" Lucius Malfoy had only sent one letter since the
Dark Lord's return and it had said that they would have to discuss Draco's
future when school had ended. Aries knew that Draco had an internal
battle of what side he really wanted to be on and he pitied the choice his
friend would soon have to make.
"Yes." Draco's face fell for a moment.
"You know where my loyalties lie, Aries." He held up his right hand,
where a faint white line across his palm could be seen if one knew where
to look. "We have always been family, but we are brothers by blood. No
matter what my father does, I'm with you." Aries could not stop the
uncomfortable warmth he felt. They had been eight years old when they
had performed the blood ritual, making them brothers in magic and
blood. He had no idea how they had made the ritual work, but perhaps
their intent had succeeded where their knowledge and experience failed.
He had no idea what to say back, but thankfully he was interrupted
though not by whom he would have liked. Potter was making his way
towards him, alone but with a look of pure indignation. Draco glanced
towards the boy before taking his exit quickly. Aries had known this
confrontation was coming and was prepared as Potter took no time to
start shouting at him.
"You lied!" Potter said accusingly. "You were there! You saw Voldemort
and you saw Malfoy and you lied!"
"Yes, I did." Aries' answer seemed to render Potter speechless. "Tell me,
Potter, what would the truth have accomplished? Fudge was already
convinced of his own ideas. If he did not believe the Chief Warlock of the
Wizengamot, one of the most respected Aurors in the Ministry of Magic,
and the bloody Boy-Who-Lived, what makes you think he would have
believed me?"
"You still could have been honest." Aries rolled his eyes.
"Do you have any idea what's going on right now?" Potter shook his head.
"Fudge is running a smear campaign against Dumbledore and your
family. By summer's end, most of the Wizarding World is going to think
you all are off your rockers."
"Well, what about Malfoy? You could have told the truth about him and
the rest of the Death Eaters."
"Oh really?" Aries growled. "What if it had been Sirius under that mask?
Or Arthur Weasley? Or your own father? Tell me, would you have turned
them in? If it had been Weasley, would you have turned in the father of
your best friend? Would you do that to Ron?"
"I. . . I don't know." Potter suddenly looked troubled. "But Voldemort is
out there and we are doing nothing to stop him!"
"Wrong!" He was having a hard time not strangling the boy for being so
narrow-minded. "Dumbledore is regrouping the Order of the Phoenix.
Yes, I know about it. But most importantly I just secured the Black
family's say in the Ministry. Sirius will not be apart of that smear
campaign because as far as Fudge is concerned, the Black family sides
with the Ministry and not Dumbledore. So, when Assistant Head Auror
Sirius Black makes some recommendation about the DMLE or something
that should be done, Fudge will remember the gold I gave him instead of
what Dumbledore is doing." Potter's eyes were so wide that Aries thought
they might pop out. "Dumbledore can lead his group from the shadows
and try to stop the Dark Lord, but we are going to use the Ministry to try
to get them ready when the Dark Lord's return is discovered. I lied so that
Sirius and I can be the ones inside the Ministry trying to actually do
something without being thrown into the loony bin with the rest of you."
"So, you're on our side?"
"No, Potter, I'm on my side." Potter looked even more confused. "But my
side is against the Dark Lord, and for now that should be enough for you.
Maybe you should think about which side you're on as well." Aries went
to walk away but Potter called for him. He turned around, trying his best
to contain his annoyance.
"You're nothing like I expected." Aries gave him a curious look. "When we
found out about the tournament everyone said you all were evil. Ron was
the worst but even my dad didn't seem to like you."
"What did you expect then?"
"I don't know." Potter shrugged. "A dark wizard I guess. Not some alright
bloke with anger issues."
Aries let out an amused laugh. "I am a dark wizard Potter. But dark does
necessarily mean evil." He left Potter staring at him dumbfounded. Aries
hoped that one day Potter could get over his black and white views. He
had plans for the Boy-Who-Lived, but he had a lot of maturing to do first.
The Great Hall was filled with hushed whispers as the meal ended. All
three schools were packed onto the tables and there was a somber tone to
the conversations. Black banners hung from the ceiling and Aries saw
that the Hufflepuff table moved lethargically and seemed to dread the
coming announcement from the Headmaster of Hogwarts. Dumbledore
himself had a look of determination as he stood before the students.
"We have come to discuss a terrible tragedy that has befallen us."
Dumbledore began. "But also, to celebrate the life of a wonderful wizard.
Cedric Diggory was a determined hard-worker, infinitely fair-minded,
and a loyal friend. It is the reason why I think you should all know how
he died." Aries could hear the crying coming from the Hufflepuff table as
Dumbledore ran his hand through his long white beard. "You see, Cedric
Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort." Gasps rang out through the
hall. "The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this, but I
believe it would be an insult to his memory to do so. This year you have
formed bonds of friendship across that will be more important than ever.
Remember that, and Cedric Diggory will not have died in vain.
Remember that and we will celebrate a boy that was kind, honest, brave,
and true, right to the very end."
The students of Durmstrang walked back to the Spanish galleon without a
word. They had all saved their goodbyes for the morning, as they would
depart just after breakfast. Aries and his three friends settled in Haydn
and his cabin, each lost in their own thoughts. He dreaded the news he
would have to break to his friends. Haydn and Ivan would be okay, but it
was Arianna that he worried about the most. Since the Third Task, their
friendship had been recovering. Her disapproval of Daphne was still
obvious, but she had come to accept it and not run away at the first sight
of the blond girl.
"I will be thankful to return to Durmstrang," Ivan said in German. "It is too
warm here." Haydn let out a bark of laughter and even Aries cracked a
smile.
"Yes, and that means going home. The girls of Germany will be excited to see
me after all this time." Arianna smacked the back of Haydn's head hard.
"You are not magic's gift to women as you would like to think Haydn." She
said with a smirk. "But yes, I agree. I am excited to return to Durmstrang and
to Spain. You all will visit, yes?"
"I won't be coming back." There was already a look of acceptance from
Haydn and Ivan as if they expected it, but Arianna had a look of pure
shock.
"What?" Her voice was quiet and he barely heard her whisper.
"I am going to be living with my uncle here in England this summer, and then I
am transferring to Hogwarts next year." Aries looked Arianna in the eyes,
where tears were already beginning to form. "I'll, of course, visit you all,
and you're welcome to visit me here, but the Dark Lord's return has
accelerated my plans. I need to be here." Arianna ripped her eyes away from
him and practically ran from the cabin.
"She'll come back Aries," Haydn offered. "She always does." But Aries had a
feeling that this had been the final straw for the Spanish girl. There was a
pain in his heart he did not wish to acknowledge.
"We will do as you have always asked of us Aries," Ivan said with a slight
bow of his head. "Our loyalty lies with you. But that does not mean you get
out of visiting us."
"Yes, my father would be beside himself if you don't visit." Haydn grinned as
he pulled out his deck of cards. "Besides, what other rich friend do I have to
take money from?" Aries could not contain the laughter that erupted from
him. He knew the path ahead of him would be dark, and no doubt filled
with pain, but he was grateful that he had found those whom would
stand beside him through all of it. A sense of finality and determination
filled Aries Orion Black. The time for waiting was over. The time for the
return of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black had come at
last.
AN: That concludes Part I. Part II: The Order of the Phoenix begins
with its own Prologue followed by the first chapter: 12 Grimmauld
Place. This is where the story will pick up and feature more than
just Aries' POV. We will finally begin to see just what Aries' plans
are for the House of Black and his war against both Albus
Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort. I hope y'all are as excited for it as
I am.
14. Part II: Prologue
The face of Severus Snape was emotionless as he sat before the Dark
Lord. Deep within his guarded mind, a sliver of fear threatened to
emerge, but years of Occlumency training kept him calm. Lucius Malfoy,
sitting to his right, was fidgeting with his cane that sat across his lap.
Despite many of the Death Eaters' failing to search for the Dark Lord,
Severus was unsure as to why the Malfoy lord was so nervous before
their master. The Dark Lord had yet to truly punish either of them, in
fact, he had yet to do much of anything since his return a few weeks ago.
A few meetings had occurred where the most interesting event had been
the discovery of Barty Crouch Junior not being dead. It had brought to
light the true identity of the Mad-Eye Moody impostor, but no details as
to his escape had been shared with anyone besides the Dark Lord.
Lord Voldemort himself was calm sitting before his two servants. He was
idly reading over a copy of the latest Daily Prophet while sipping at a
glass of fire whiskey. His features were smooth, though he looked far
more like a snake than a man, yet there was a cold elegance that
contained the handsomeness of the Dark Lord's youth. It created a
frightening combination as if he was a walking trap that lured in his prey
to a painful death. But were they servants or were they prey as well?
Severus' position at Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix had already
proven valuable to the Dark Lord, but he was unsure as to why they had
been asked to remain behind after the meeting.
"My lord. . ." Lucius choked out. "How may we be of service to you?"
Severus caught the slight twinge of annoyance flash across the Dark
Lord's face.
"Service." The Dark Lord repeated. "Yes, your service will very much be
necessary. Severus, tell me about Aries Black." The question caught them
both off guard, though Severus was able to hide his surprise far better
than Lucius. The lord of House Malfoy's look of surprise quickly changed
to anger.
"Aries Black is an exceptional young wizard," Severus began. "He did not
turn in any assignment that was below an Outstanding, though he tended
to show little effort in attaining this success. His abilities far outmatch
any others near his age and his overall grasp of magic exceeds many.
Dumbledore fears he may one day be more powerful than Grindewald
and perhaps himself."
"Truly? Dumbledore actually fears him?"
"He does not fear him, my Lord, rather he fears what may become of the
boy, if not guided down the correct path."
"So, he wishes to guide the boy?"
"Yes," Severus answered carefully. "He hopes that the boy's uncle will be
instrumental in guiding the boy to the light. I, however, believe he will
be unsuccessful. Aries Black is far too independent and too grey in his
views to be strayed to Dumbledore's side."
"Interesting." The Dark Lord turned to Lucius. "What about you? Do you
think Black could be persuaded to our cause?"
"No, my Lord." Lucius glanced around as if looking for an answer. "Aries
has long expressed his disapproval with your methods, though not your
goals. He would see us rule over the muggles as a monarchy, not a
dictatorship. His dislike for you, in particular, is well known, my Lord."
"Yes, he made it quite clear during our duel." The Dark Lord seemed to
ponder for a moment and Severus took the opportunity to press for
information.
"And just what did happen during your duel, my Lord?"
"Ah, yes, I'm sure you all would like to know. That, for now, will remain
with me, however."
"But, my Lord, many are anxious to hear what happened after the Potter
boy escaped."
"Dumbledore included?" The Dark Lord let out a cold laugh. "Careful
Severus or I may begin to question your loyalty further." He looked
between them for a few moments. "I have assignments for you both
regarding the Black Heir. Lucius, you will report all you know of the
boy's actions and intentions. I hear Draco is quite close to him, use him to
get me what I request."
"My Lord," Lucius hesitated. "Draco is not forthcoming when it comes to
Aries. I fear he will be less than cooperative in providing information."
"He is your son, Lucius. I expect you to be able to control him far better
than you have the Wizengamot in my absence." The Dark Lord turned
away from Lucius. "Severus, you will attempt to persuade the boy to our
cause. If he is truly against both Dumbledore and me, he will have
created a third side to this war. Join him as my spy if you can. The boy
will serve me one way or the other."
Albus Dumbledore felt his feet hit the ground as he exited the pensieve.
Thomas' memory of his encounter with Voldemort floated in the silver
bowl before he waved it away. A heaviness crept over the Hogwarts
Headmaster and he felt his age for what seemed like the hundredth time
since the return of Voldemort. The memory brought troubling matters to
the forefront of his mind and he wondered just what Aries Black's
endgame was. His musing was interrupted as Severus Snape calmly
walked into his office.
The Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
seldom showed any sort of emotion beyond annoyance. Dumbledore was
aware of Snape's biased views towards those outside the Slytherin House,
but he had allowed it simply to keep the man from leaving. It had only
been through the actions of Dumbledore that Severus Snape had not been
sent to Azkaban, but it did not necessarily keep the man from leaving
England. Truthfully that reason belonged to another, though Severus was
blinded by the reality of the matter in Albus' opinion.
"What did he want with you?" Albus asked as Severus took the seat
before him.
"Aries Black," Severus replied. "He wished to know of the boy and if he
could be persuaded to join the Dark Lord."
"So, Aries has Voldemort's attention as well." Dumbledore adjusted his
glances slightly, glancing towards the now hidden pensieve.
"Yes, he has given Lucius and I assignments regarding Black. Lucius to
spy and myself to persuade the boy to join his cause. He even wishes to
me to spy for the boy, as I do for him."
"Indeed? You must proceed carefully Severus. Your position inside
Voldemort's inner circle is paramount to our success."
"I'm aware," Severus answered with some annoyance. "The problem is
how I will be able to persuade the boy in general. He has returned to
Durmstrang."
"I would not be so sure." Dumbledore gestured towards a letter with the
seal of Durmstrang. "Aries will be closer than you think. I also understand
that he will be moving in with Sirius in the coming days, though I am
unsure just what he's been doing since he left Hogwarts."
"You wish me to be around him as well?"
"Sirius' home serves as the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, I
have little doubt that you will find ample opportunities to converse with
Aries throughout the summer."
"I will not enjoy this, Albus." Dumbledore let out a long laugh at the look
of pure annoyance on Severus' face.
"You have been through much more than this my friend. I have no doubt
you will succeed."
A darkness seemed to spread out over the land. Whispers slithered along with
it creating a white noise that quietly drowned out all other noise. A bright eye
shared by three heads stuck out among the darkness that began to engulf him.
The whispers attacked his mind and visions came forth. He saw his father,
broken and bloodied. His mother lay next to him, sliced open along with her
abdomen and blood pooling around her. Draco and Daphne were held in the
air, impaled by long spikes that stuck out of the ground. Haydn hung from a
tree, a tight noose around his neck. Ivan's body twitched on the ground, his
head still rolling away from his body.
Then there was Arianna. She knelt on the ground, tears of blood falling from
her eyes. He stood before her, with red eyes like those of the Dark Lord. This
was the source of the darkness. A twisted version of himself. He held the Elder
Wand limply in his hand as he pointed it towards Arianna. He could hear her
cries for mercy. He could hear her profession of love. His face was cold, void
of all emotion. He saw himself whisper the words.
"Avada Kedavra."
Aries Black jolted up with a yell. He threw himself back against his
headboard at the sight of his room. For just a moment, written across the
wall in blood, read a chilling warning: The Dark One Comes.
15. 12 Grimmauld Place
A loud pop broke through the silence of the small square. The sight of
grimy houses welcomed Aries Black as he regained his senses. Sirius let
out a loud sigh next to him at the sight of the surrounding area. The
houses were not pretty by any sort of measure, in fact, they were
downright shabby. Many of their windows were broken or completely
shattered, the paint was peeling off some of their walls, and rubble or
trash sat outside their doors. It was not the sight that Aries expected to
hold the ancient home of the House of Black. Well, one of their ancient
homes at least but he did not expect their actual home to look like these
others. It was then that Aries noticed that there was a Number Eleven
and a Number Thirteen, but not a Number Twelve. He waited patiently as
Sirius fumbled in his pocket before pulling out a small piece of
parchment and handed it to him. It had neat, curly handwriting that did
not match the more unkept writing of Sirius.
The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may
be found at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London.
"Burn it quick," Sirius ordered. Aries pushed a small flame into the palm
of his hand, destroying the parchment. He focused on the words and
suddenly a battered door appeared before him, just between Number
Eleven and Thirteen. Grimy windows and dirty walls followed as Number
Twelve fully appeared. The stereo in Number Thirteen continued to thud
on as if the Muggles had not noticed a thing.
"The Fidelus?" Aries asked. It made sense overall, but he highly doubted
the Dark Lord would attempt an attack on the Most Ancient and Most
Noble House of Black, regardless of their agreement. Sirius was loved by
many within the Ministry and killing him would ruin any chance of
persuading others to join the Dark Lord.
"Dumbledore insisted." Sirius led the way across the street. "I'm still
surprised you think this would be a good place."
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Cliché I know, but until
we have more on our side, we need to keep the impression that we are on
Dumbledore's side."
The door opened to a poorly lit hall with old-fashioned gas lamps
hanging on the walls. Portraits lined the wall and a serpent chandelier
hung from the ceiling. The inside of their ancient home fared better than
the outside, but it was not perfect. He could see the faint lines of cobwebs
on the chandelier and in places along the wall, the wallpaper was
beginning to peel. Dust covered some of the items that Aries doubted had
been moved in years.
"Do you not have a house elf?"
"We do, though, he does less than good work. Not very fond of me living
here I have to say. I'm not here much, to be honest." That answer did not
surprise Aries at all considering his uncle's opinion of the family views.
Much of the house still held a liking to the dark views of the Black
family. A particular portrait caught his attention as it was the straightest
of the portraits on the wall, but two large curtains covered it from being
seen. "Ah yes, that is the portrait of my mother, Walburga Black. She's a
right nasty woman I tell you. Don't make any loud noises or she'll wake
up screaming her head off."
They made their way into the kitchen, a large room with rough stone
walls. Most of the light came from a fire near one far end. A long wooden
table stood in the middle of the room, crammed with chairs. Pots and
pans hung from the ceiling and a bar sat on the far end, opposite of the
fire. Bottles of fire whiskey and other alcoholic drinks sat on a shelf along
the wall with fine glasses and goblets next to them.
"This is where the Order of the Phoenix meets," Sirius said with cheerful
sarcasm. "Hours of sitting listening to people discuss how they can do
absolutely nothing. In fact, there is a meeting tomorrow."
"I doubt Dumbledore will allow me to attend," Aries said as he poured
himself and Sirius a glass of firewhiskey. Sirius gave him a questioning
look before shrugging and taking his glass. "You know how to work a
pensieve?" Sirius nodded. "Good, I will be able to review the meeting
afterward. What does he have the Order doing? Besides guarding the
prophecy."
"What? How?" He did not seem to know how to form a full sentence.
"How did you know about that?"
"I have friends within Britain's Ministry of Magic, uncle. And I have
known of the prophecy for some time, though I am unsure as to its exact
wording."
"James told me a long time ago. It says-"
"I do not wish to know." Aries interrupted. "That should remain between
the Potters and the Dark Lord. Whatever reason the Dark Lord went after
the Potter children is irrelevant. We have our own issues to deal with.
But that can wait for another time."
"Well other than that, practically nothing. Snape gives reports of
Voldemort's intentions, but they seldom have anything worthwhile."
"Severus Snape returned to the Dark Lord?" Now, this was a surprise.
There was no way the Dark Lord would allow a servant of his within the
Order, which meant that both sides believed Snape to be their man.
"Yes, he spies for the Order. Though I hardly trust the greasy bastard."
"I understand him to be a master of Occlumency." Sirius raised his
eyebrows at that. "Be more open to the man Sirius, he could prove useful
in bringing down both the Dark Lord and Albus Dumbledore."
"You want me to be nice to Snivelly?"
"Civil is the word I would choose." A sharp rap on the front door caught
both of their attention.
"They're here!" Sirius nearly jumped up like a giddy schoolboy and
rushed to the door, carefully avoiding the umbrella stand. He opened the
door to reveal two people: one he recognized as Remus Lupin, looking
smart in nice robes, and the other was a young woman. She was a head
shorter than Remus with pale heart-shaped face and short spiky pink
hair. "Aries you've met Remus. This clumsy woman is Nymphadora
Tonks, our cousin."
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" she said fiercely. She walked forward with a
glare towards Sirius before she suddenly hugged Aries tightly. "You can
call me Tonks, it's nice to meet you cousin."
"It is nice to meet you as well." Aries gave her a curious look. "What is
wrong with your name?"
"How would you feel about being called Nymphadora all the time? It's
not exactly as decent as Orion or Sirius or Aries." He failed to keep the
smirk off his face.
"Well, I'm sure there are some ways to shorten it without completely
abandoning your given name." He thought for a moment. "Dora perhaps?"
"It's not the worst thing I suppose," Dora said with a slight shrug. Remus
stepped forward and shook Aries' hand.
"Glad to see you finally made it, Aries." Remus gave him a mischievous
smile. "Sirius was worse than a girl. Thought maybe you weren't coming
at all."
"I had some things to take care of in Germany before I came here for the
summer." Sirius was glaring hotly at Remus, though the werewolf was
paying him no mind. "I'm glad to hear I was welcomed. Sirius and I have
already started drinking for the day. I hope you care to join us."
It turned out that while Sirius and Remus were a fun sort to be around,
they were a riot when firewhiskey was involved. By the end of the night,
Aries was particularly glad that he had cast a silencing charm on the
room, or the portrait of Walburga Black would have woken far too many
times. Aries had noted that as the night went on Dora had found herself
closer and closer to Remus, something the older man did not seem to
mind. Sirius noticed as well from what he could tell and did not seem to
disapprove.
Nymphadora Tonks had turned out to be far more interesting than her
unusual appearance gave off. She was a Metamorphmagus, a natural born
gift that was rare even though it was found in the Black family tree. The
woman was also an Auror, who had trained under Alastor Moody, and
from what he could tell was an excellent witch. Sirius spoke highly of her
abilities and Aries wondered if she could be persuaded to join their cause.
She seemed to be incredibly loyal to Dumbledore and the Order, but her
fondness for Remus and obvious love of family might be enough for him
to convince her to switch sides. It would be a matter left for another
time, as the two left, Dora far more intoxicated than Remus.
"Come on Aries, I can show you your room." Sirius led him up the stairs,
past a row of house elf heads that hung along the wall. They stopped at a
door with deep scratch marks and a sign that was nailed to the door. It
was neatly lettered by hand and Aries' heart stopped as he recognized the
handwriting.
Do Not Enter
Without the Express Permission of
Regulus Arcturus Black
"All the rooms are nice, but the family rooms are best. I figured you
should have Regulus' old room." Aries could hear the pain in his uncle's
voice and again was reminded just how deeply Sirius had loved his
brother. He slowly opened the door to reveal a room that reveled in the
pride of their house. Emerald and silver draped the room from the bed to
the covers and the walls. The crest of House Black was painstakingly
painted over the bed along with its motto, Toujours Pur. The far wall was
covered in yellow newspaper clippings, stuck together to create a collage.
Aries could see that they were all about the Dark Lord, showing the
obsession of his father's youth.
A photograph caught his attention and he slowly moved towards it. It
was a picture of a Hogwarts Quidditch team with snakes emblazoned on
their chest. He saw his father sitting in the center of the front row. Aries
immediately saw himself in his father who looked at him curiously from
the photo, before smiling and waving brightly. His heart tightened for a
moment and he forced himself to look away from the picture.
"He played Seeker," Sirius said as he gestured towards the picture. "He
was quite good. Might have been able to play professionally if. . . if
things had been different."
"Always pure." Aries translated, trying to ignore the tightness of his chest.
"Hypocritical really. Familia Primum would fit better."
"Family First." His uncle gave him a look of agreement. "I like it."
"No pureblood family has been truly pure for centuries. Perhaps an
addition to our motto is in order." He glanced over the collection of
books his father had kept. "Thank you, Sirius."
"I'll leave you to it then." Sirius gave him a respectful nod and left the
room in a hurry. Clearly, despite all the years, Regulus's death still struck
him deeply. Aries found his luggage, brought here by Sirius' mysterious
house elf, and changed into sleep ware. His vision from the night
returned vividly in the darkness as he slid into the bed. Goosebumps
crept along his arms and he formed his Occlumency shields, trying to
push the vision deep within his minds. Tomorrow he would search the
Black Library for answers, but for now, he would sleep.
The clash of pots and pans falling to the ground woke Aries from his
restless sleep. A nightmare version of his vision had plagued his dreams
throughout the night. Seconds later screams echoed through the house. It
was obvious to Aries that this was the screams of Walburga Black's
portrait. He dressed smartly, trying to ignore the portrait's screams,
before making his way downstairs. The velvet curtains had been thrown
back, revealing a life-size portrait of Walburga Black. The old woman was
drooling and her eyes were rolling as her yellow skin stretched taut with
her screams. Sirius was trying unsuccessfully to pull the curtains back.
"Blood traitor, abomination, the shame of my flesh!" Walburga screamed.
"I said SHUT UP WOMAN!"
"Mudblood loving fool! Not worthy of our name! Not worthy of-" Suddenly
the portrait ended her wailing as her rolling eyes landed on Aries.
Moments passed as her mouth opened and closed like a fish. "Regulus?"
"I am not Regulus Black," Aries replied, drawing himself straight. "I am
Aries, son of Regulus."
"Regulus' son?" Walburga lost all sense of surprise and was now studying
him closely. "You have his look. Yes, you could be his son."
"I will not be judged by a portrait who has lost all sense of herself." Aries
strode purposely as the portrait recoiled from his words. "You disrespect
this House with your incredulous screams. Regardless of your views,
Sirius Black is Head of House Black. You are not Walburga Black, you are
a portrait. One I will remove if you cannot learn how to act like a proper
vassal of House Black. Do I make myself clear?" He hissed out the last
words and the portrait of Walburga Black paled before giving a short
nod. "What is the name of our house elf Sirius?"
"Kreacher," Sirius whispered, still dumbfounded by the silence of his
mother's portrait.
"Kreacher!" Aries summoned. A loud crack brought Kreacher into the
hall. Save for the filthy loincloth tied around his waist, the house elf was
completely naked. Its skin looked too big for the elf, a few white hairs
sprouted from its bald head with bloodshot eyes and a snout-like nose.
"The filthy blood traitor's guest calls." Kreacher lamented. "Stayed in
master's room. Oh no, what a disgrace."
"Silence elf." Kreacher suddenly straightened at Aries' harsh tone. "I am
Aries Black, son of Regulus, and you will give me the respect I deserve.
Sirius is your master now and if I hear one more word against him I will
cut out your tongue and give you clothes." Its eyes were wider than plates
then the elf threw himself at his feet.
"Master's son has come!" Large tears fell from the elf's eyes. "Oh, I tried to
help Master Regulus, I tried so hard but nothing would work! I failed
Master! I failed!" This had not been the reaction Aries had expected and
knelt before the elf.
"How did you fail my father?"
"The locket." Kreacher croaked. "He told me to destroy it. I did everything
I could but nothing could destroy it."
"Perhaps I can try Kreacher." Aries locked eyes with Sirius and could tell
he knew nothing about what the house elf spoke of. "Bring me the
locket." Kreacher popped away for a moment before returning carrying a
golden locket. A serpentine 'S' was formed by green jewels. Aries took it
from Kreacher and immediately felt a powerful darkness, but not
unfamiliar. It created a sense of familiarity as if he had held it before. A
crystal cave surrounded him as he placed the locket in a crystal bowl. The
moment passed and Aries struggle to bring more of the memory forth.
"What is it, Aries?" Sirius was looking at him with concern. Aries
suddenly regretted his words to the creature, for he had no desire to
destroy the locket.
"This locket cannot be destroyed by ordinary means." Kreacher bowed his
head. "So, we will have to find an extraordinary way to destroy it. We
will finish my father's work Kreacher, whatever that might have been."
The house elf raised his heads, eyes filled with hope. "Your outfit is filthy
and does not show the greatness of our house. I expect you to have a
proper uniform by the time breakfast is finished."
"Right away Master Aries!" Kreacher popped away, a renewed vigor with
him. Aries led Sirius into the kitchen and was pleased to find toast
already laid out along with the Daily Prophet.
"Just what the hell is that locket, Aries?" Sirius asked. He was rubbing his
temples as if he had a headache and kept glancing towards the kitchen
bar.
"It's Salazar Slytherin's locket." Aries ran a hand over the locket. "I've seen
it before."
"Where?" He wanted to tell Sirius the truth but hesitated for a moment.
"I need a vow that you will not repeat what I am about to say."
"It's that serious?"
"Yes." Sirius seemed to ponder for a moment before removing his wand.
"I, Sirius Orion Black, vow to keep the secret of Aries Orion Black, so
mote it be." The tip of Sirius' wand flashed brightly and the deed was
done.
"I am the Heir of Slytherin." Aries waited for a moment to sink in. "I've
been to the Chamber of Secrets and behind the stone carving of Slytherin
is his study which contains his portrait. The locket is in the portrait."
Sirius was silent for a long while before finally speaking up.
"How is this possible?"
"I do not know." Sirius had paled slightly. "I've been able to speak
Parseltongue for as long as I can remember. I visited the Chamber of
Secrets when I was seven and that is when I discovered I was the Heir
because I could command Slytherin's beast."
"The Basilisk. Then how did the diary control it?"
"That is a piece of magic that I have yet to understand." Aries glanced
towards the locket. It seemed to call to him, as the Chamber had once
done. "I am, however, the reason the Basilisk disappeared. I helped her
escape sometime before the Weasley girl was taken. I was thirteen at the
time and did not know how of the diary or her possession."
"Dumbledore said that Thomas slew the Basilisk."
"One of Dumbledore's many lies. I do not know if Thomas agreed to the
lie, or if he was memory charmed." Sirius looked deeply troubled at that.
"If Thomas agreed, it was for the best. The diary was destroyed and
control of the Basilisk was gone."
"I suppose you're right. I guess I should have expected you to have
something else insanely crazy about you. The Heir of Slytherin." Sirius
shook his head and clearly did not want to continue the conversation.
Kreacher almost skipped over as their breakfast appeared before them.
The house elf's demeanor had completely changed though he was still a
little stiff towards Sirius. Aries would have to make sure Sirius treated the
elf with some civility. House elves possessed an incredible sort of magic
that was often able to transcend their own magical wards. A wronged
servant could become a powerful asset to their enemy.
"You mentioned last night that there would be a meeting of the Order
today."
"Yes," Sirius answered as he began to eat. "It should be this afternoon.
Dumbledore will arrive last. The Potters and Weasleys will arrive first."
"The Weasleys?" Aries asked incredulously. "Here?"
"They live with the Potters right now. They didn't want to leave all their
children alone so they will come here for the meeting." Sirius gave a sour
look. "They also managed to invite themselves for dinner, though it seems
more like James invited them. He's been closer to Arthur than to me for a
while now."
"Because of me?"
"Because of a lot of things." Sirius made it clear he did not wish to
continue the conversation. Aries finished his breakfast and excused
himself.
The library of House Black was larger than one would think, given the
relative size of the home, but magic was a wonderful thing. Life, on the
other hand, was not being so wonderful as it had thrown two large
questions into his path: the vision and the locket. Were they connected?
Or was it two paths converging at a point? Aries began to scour the
library for answers. Hours later found Aries surrounded by old texts, but
nothing had brought him close to any answers. The pop of Kreacher
arriving brought his attention away from his unsuccessful research.
"Master Aries, Master Sirius wished me to tell you that the Potters have
arrived," Aries noted that Kreacher had left out the Weasleys, no doubt
intentionally. The house elf was clearly doing his best to contain himself.
"Thank you, Kreacher. Ensure that no one enters the library unless I bring
them. This knowledge belongs to our House, no others."
"As you wish, Master."
Aries took a slow, purposeful walk downstairs towards the kitchen, where
the sounds of the arrivals came. He silently opened the door and
surveyed the scene before anyone noticed him. Sirius was talking
exuberantly with Thomas, who seemed very happy to see his godfather.
Ron, Fred, and George were listening closely, which meant his uncle was
probably telling some story. Lily Potter was talking quietly with an older
woman, most likely Molly Weasley. James Potter was talking to Arthur
Weasley, while Ginny sat off to the side reading a book and giving
Thomas furtive glances.
"Aries!" Thomas greeted. The room immediately quieted. There was a
sudden tension in the room. Most gave him looks of suspicious, besides
Sirius, Thomas, and surprisingly Ginny, but Ron gave him a look of
downright hatred. It was then that he noticed there was another guest in
their home, Hermione Granger, who had just entered the kitchen. She
gave more of a curious look than anything.
"Hello Thomas, it's good to see you again." His polite tone seemed to
relax most of the room, but Ron and James continued their looks of
disapproval. He accepted the cup of tea Kreacher offered him and sat at
the table next to Thomas. "I suppose it isn't a surprise that your parents
are in the Order."
"You know about the Order?" Ron asked angrily.
"I am aware of the Order, yes. It's hardly a secret, Weasley." Aries turned
to Hermione. "I was unaware that you were a member of the Potter or
Weasley family. Did I miss a marriage proposal?" He noted that Ron's ears
turned crimson immediately.
"I'm living with the Weasleys," Hermione replied hotly. "Professor
Dumbledore felt that it was not safe for me because. . . well. . ."
"Because she's friends with me. Professor Dumbledore thinks that
Voldemort could target her." Thomas offered. "It's the same with the
Weasleys. The protections at our home are better than the Burrows so
they're living with us."
"Perhaps if you had told Fudge the truth none of this would have to
happen." The venom in James Potter's voice was clear and there a new
tension between the man and Sirius.
"We have been over this James." Sirius looked as if he wanted to rise to
his feet. "Aries made a decision that will benefit the Order."
"Like your promotion?" James replied, the jealousy in his voice clear. "I
apologize, Assistant Head Auror, but I fail to see how he has done
anything to benefit anyone other than himself and you."
"Enough!" Lily's shout made both men realize their argument was not
private. "You two are squabbling like school boys. I had thought you both
more mature than that. The rest of the Order will be arriving shortly.
Children go to your rooms. Now!"
Aries made no intention to move rather returning the glare he was
receiving from James. It only intensified when the man realized he was
not going anywhere at all. The tension was building again and Aries
wondered if the Auror would bring it to a duel. His wand was pulsating
against his arm, begging to be released for combat. A hand on his
shoulder stopped him, as Sirius gave him an almost pleading look before
he finally relented.
Sometime during his long walk towards the kitchens earlier than Potters
and Weasleys had been shown their rooms for the night. He politely
knocked on the door where he felt Thomas' presence, though he was not
alone. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny shared the room and the four were in
the middle of a heated discussion that quieted as Thomas called for him
to come in.
"What are you doing here?" Ron's continued anger was beginning to be an
annoyance to Aries, one he very much wanted to squash like a bug.
"I had come to see if Thomas would like to join me in the library, but
now I think I might invite your sister as well. There's so much forbidden
knowledge in the Black library." Ron's and Ginny's faces were now
matching shades of red, though for very different reasons. Aries turned
from them both to Thomas. "I'd like to show you something if you would
oblige me."
"Of course, Aries." Thomas jumped up from the bed, leaving his friends
gaping back at him. The walk to the library was a short one, but the
Potter boy managed to fill it with meaningless conversation anyway. "So.
. . um. . . Do you have a thing for Ginny?"
"Fortunately, no," Aries said with a laugh. "What heart I have belongs to
Daphne for now."
"For now?"
"The future is in constant motion, to act as if something is forever is
foolish." Thomas seemed to be hanging on his every word so he decided
to elaborate. "Life is full of an infinite number of variables. If one is to
succeed at all their goals, they must attempt to plan for as many as
possible. To see every choice's possible consequences and if it leads
towards the outcome that you wish to create."
"Like chess," Thomas interjected. "You're trying to plan multiple moves
ahead and to guess what your opponent is doing."
"Exactly like chess, Thomas." Aries motioned for Thomas to enter first as
they reached the library. He walked past his collection of research from
earlier towards a bookshelf in the far back corner. One of the books stuck
out more than the rest and Aries pulled it down from the bookshelf.
Thomas raised his eyebrows as he was handed the book.
"What is this?" His eyes roamed over the title How to Win When No One
Else is Playing.
"A book Potter." Aries drawled.
"I meant what is it about?" Thomas said as he rolled his eyes.
"The Dark Lord is no fool." Aries made eye contact with Thomas. "If not
for the miracle of your survival, the world would be under his rule. He
will not make the same mistakes as last time. He will not fight the same
way he did before either. This book focuses on how to make alliances, to
make deals that favor your goals. It teaches exactly what we just talked
about."
"I don't think I'm going to be doing much fighting, to be honest."
"You already have. Whether you or your parents like it or not, you're
going to be at the center of this war. You-"
"Master Aries!" Kreacher cried as he popped next to them. "The mudblood
wouldn't listen! She goes to the Black books!" Aries took off at a dash, his
wand in hand. He rounded the corner just as Hermione began to reach
for a book.
"Stupefy!" The red bolt of magic struck her, throwing her to the ground.
Ron leaped to his feet, wand raised, but Aries disarmed him with ease.
"What the hell Black?!"
"You fucking fool!" Aries yelled. "What is wrong with you? Are you a
pureblood or not?" He strode over to Hermione and pointed his wand.
"Enervate."
"You stunned me!" Hermione accused as she sat up.
"Listen to me you fucking mudblood." He spat out the words with more
hatred than they had ever seen. "Do you have any idea what touching
those books would have done? You would have died. Those are part of
the Black Grimoire. Secrets recorded throughout the centuries for
members of the Black family and the Black family alone." Aries turned to
Ron. "And you! You of all people should know better! Did you want your
friend to die?"
"They're just books!" Ron replied trying to seem innocent.
"Just books!" Aries' anger was fueling the darkness within him and he
desperately tried to push back inside himself. "Tell me, Thomas, do the
Potters have a grimoire?"
"Yes," Thomas said quietly.
"And what would happen if someone outside the family touched those
books?"
"I don't know if they would die, but it would be bad."
"That's barbaric!" Hermione cried, looking appalled at Thomas. That only
rejuvenated Aries' anger.
"That's our world!" Their heated argument had brought visitors as Sirius,
James, and Lily entered the library. "Our world is full of peril and secrets
and traditions that you have yet to know and learn. You spend so much
time in books yet you know nothing of our world!"
"Knowledge should not be kept secret. And maybe our world should
change." Hermione had risen to her feet and was glaring at Aries. Thomas
looked as if he wasn't sure who he should report and Ron looked
downright fearful of them both.
"Knowledge is power," Aries replied. "And power is not shared by the
House of Black. You chose to leave your world for ours, Hermione
Granger, maybe it's time you learned about your choice."
Aries walked away from them all and exited the library heading towards
the room he lived in now, the room of his father. As he sat down on the
bed he was suddenly aware of the heaviness of the locket around his
neck, and the heat emitting from its emeralds. He pulled it off and stared
down at the mysterious locket. A weight seemed to be lifted off his
shoulders and Aries began to wonder if his anger in the library had truly
been his or the locket his father might have died trying to destroy.
AN: The next chapter: Lord Black.
16. Lord Black
AN: I really enjoyed writing this chapter. We finally get to see a bit of
what Aries and CO have been planning. If you read 12 Grimmauld Place
but did not read the Prologue make sure you do. It has a few things I will
be referencing more and more as we move on in the story. As always, I
hope you enjoy reading, and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
"James, have you created the next schedule?" Dumbledore's deep voice
seemed to resonate off the stone walls of 12 Grimmauld Place's kitchen.
The many members of the Order of the Phoenix crammed around the
long table turned their heads to James Potter, who was sitting in between
his wife and Arthur Weasley.
"I have, Albus," James replied holding out a piece of parchment.
"Everyone get a good look, I'll be burning it before the evening is done."
A murmur of acknowledgment passed through the Order.
"Severus," Dumbledore continued. "Do we have any news?"
"None, I'm afraid." Severus was the lone one not sitting at the table,
choosing to stand at the far end next to the fire. "The Dark Lord does
little besides keeping an eye on those who guard the Prophecy. His
followers within the Wizengamot continue their agenda, adding fuel to
the fire of discreditation of yourself and the Potters."
"Needless work of fools." Alastor Moody cut in. "If not for Black, perhaps
the Minister would be on our side."
"You will not speak ill of my nephew in my presence, Alastor." Sirius'
words cut through the room. "Dumbledore and I have explained his
actions more than once to this Order. I see no need to repeat myself."
"I care little about what he told you, Sirius. I've heard enough from others
to see he's a rotten one. We're harboring an enemy, regardless of if he
serves Voldemort now or later."
"Enough." The chatter that had started ceased at Dumbledore's
interjection. "Aries Black is an immensely powerful wizard, one that may
tilt the balance of this war. Regardless of his intentions, I believe he may
come to be our ally. Sirius?"
"I've spoken to Aries." He glanced nervously around the room, stopping at
James. "He knows his views are not welcomed here, but I think
eventually he may be able to be brought within the Order if nothing
more than to help us fight. He will not serve Voldemort. That much I
know."
"That boy would see no one as his master other than himself." Moody
spat.
"And are we servants then?" Sirius returned with heat. "I thought we were
free witches and wizards? Is there a master in this room I am unaware
of?"
"You know damn well what I mean Sirius."
"Aries Black is not our enemy." Again, Dumbledore's firm voice ended the
argument. "If there are no other issues?" He paused for a moment. "Then
we are adjourned."
Aries' feet hit the floor as he exited his uncle's memory within the
pensieve. He had been aware of some hostility from members of the
Order, but he had underestimated just how many saw him as more foe
than friend. There was a rumor that he had been the real murderer of
Cedric Diggory and he was far too aware of it. Regardless of the truth
about Diggory's death, there was no evidence to confirm the rumor. Their
duel during the Second Task seemed to be all anyone wanted to talk
about when the topic of the late Hogwarts student came about. It
unnerved Aries that though these members of the Order knew of the Dark
Lord's return, they still seemed convinced of his guilt.
His attention turned to the sudden sense of darkness coming from the
lockbox on his dresser. He had kept the locket hidden inside his room
since the library incident. In truth, the entire event unnerved him, as he
did not enjoy the idea of anything influencing his actions. Hours spent in
the library had yet to reveal any clue as to the origin of the locket or just
how it came to be in his father's possession, though he guessed it was
somehow related to the Dark Lord. Regulus Black's death was not a
certain thing, as a body had never been found, but the Dark Lord had
always been accused of his father's murder. Aries had begun to wonder if
there might be some sort of connection between the diary and the locket,
but with the diary being destroyed, and no inkling of how it had worked,
he was out of options for the moment.
The issues of the powerful objects would have to be set aside for now, as
Aries and Sirius were having important guests today. They patiently
awaited the arrival of Remus Lupin and Cassiopeia Black, frequent travel
partners of late. Aries was well aware of their work, it had been his plan
after all, but had yet to hear of whether or not it was completed. It was
vital to the success of this summer's campaign against both Dumbledore
and the Dark Lord. His arrangement with the former Heir of Slytherin
had been no direct actions, but it mentioned nothing of indirect attacks.
Both of their enemies had already been able to move their pieces around
on the board, now it was House Black's turn.
Remus Lupin's appearance had, at last, stopped being a surprise to the
residents of 12 Grimmauld Place. Today he wore elegant black robes,
unknowingly at Aries' command, and had begun to grow a light graying
beard. Cassiopeia still looked as intimidating as ever, despite the few
white hairs Aries could see among the sea of grey. Kreacher, wearing a
robe fit for an elf with the crest of their house stitched above his breast,
brought each a hot cup of tea. There was an expected silence that
surrounded the four conspirators. Unknown to the world, it was Aries
Black who was the master in this circle, despite being only sixteen years
of age.
"Remus, I trust you have good news for me." Aries opened with a serious
tone. He reserved all hints of a friendly tone from these meetings, hoping
to instill the seriousness of his vision.
"The land has been purchased and facilities have already begun to be
built." The werewolf answered with a slight bow of his head. "We have
two potion masters hard at work and we will be ready for the first few
trials. I have gathered a small group that will test the wards, though we
have already confirmed the success of the muggle-repelling charm."
"Excellent work. And the documentation?"
"Finished and polished, Aries." Cassiopeia provided a thick stack of
paperwork to him. He took a moment, carefully reading the first few
pages before setting on the table before him.
"What about our loophole?" Aries sat back as Cassiopeia collected herself.
"Spotless. There's nothing Albus Dumbledore nor the Wizengamot can do
to stop this from happening."
"I don't see why we can't just get rid of Dumbledore completely," Remus
growled. "He belongs in Azkaban."
"I don't disagree with you," Aries replied. "However, we need him for
now. So long as Dumbledore remains, the Dark Lord will be cautious.
This provides us time to prepare for the downfall of them both." He
turned to his uncle. "I trust you know what is required of you?"
"Yes." Sirius fidgeted with himself. "Are you sure this will not get me
kicked from the Order? James is a bit of a head hot lately and I don't
think Albus will appreciate all this."
"Your position within the Ministry is too valuable, especially with Rufus
unlikely to consider joining a group of vigilantes." Cassiopeia's words
seemed to calm him. Aries felt compassion for his uncle, who was seeing
his desires and goals stray from that of his friends. No doubt he worried
about never seeing his godson again, but that was unlikely no matter
their course of action. Thomas would be seventeen in a few years and not
even his parents could stop him from seeing his godfather at that point.
"Cassiopeia's right," Aries said once Sirius' looked more composed before
turning to Remus. "Remus Lupin, I'm afraid we've kept you out of the
loop. Stand before us." The werewolf was suddenly cautious and slowly
rose to his feet. "You have been wronged by those who you once called a
friend. In turn, you have acted with courage and since your return you
have been beneficial to the future return of our House. Such loyalty to
your friend can not go without being honored."
"You have been a better friend that I have ever deserved," Sirius stated,
taking his cue. "Your loyalty to my house cannot go unnoticed."
"Your labors help to see the greatness of our House restored," Cassiopeia
added. "Your loyalty to our honor cannot go unrewarded." Sirius rose to
his feet, removing his wand from its holster.
"I, Sirius Orion Black, Head of House Black, do name you, Remus John
Lupin, a vassal of House Black. From henceforth your name carries with
it our crest. Your actions carry with it the weight of our power. You will
find safety from your enemies within the shield of our protection." He
smiled for a moment before continuing. "As our vassal, it is within our
right to bestow upon you the right of nobility. From this day until the last
day of your children, you shall be Remus, Head of the Noble House of
Lupin, vassal to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black." Sirius
waved his wand in an intricate pattern above Remus' heart. A crest began
to form resembling the crest of House Black, save for the large wolf head
that emblazoned its center.
"An oath of fealty is owed to a greater house, Lord Lupin," Aries said,
rising to his feet. Remus' eyes were wide as Sirius returned to his seat.
The werewolf slowly pulled out his wand and knelt before Aries.
"I, Remus John Lupin, do swear fealty for my house to the House of Black
in perpetuity." Remus paused, glancing at Sirius who nodded back. "I also
swear fealty to Aries Orion Black, to serve him faithfully until the end of
my days, so mote it be."
"Rise, my friend." Aries clasped the man's arm tightly before Sirius bear
hugged his friend. Cassiopeia gave him a strong look of approval. Not
only had they ensured a faithful servant to their House but had also
presented a strong statement once news of the creation of House Lupin
reached the Wizengamot. Few seldom created new houses, solely for
keeping power to themselves but now others would see the potential
rewards for serving the House of Black, and swing power into his favor.
"This is well justified. I expect you and Sirius to be drunk by the time I
return. I have one last arrangement before the meeting tomorrow. Toast
to the long-awaited return of our House." Aries left them as Kreacher
began to bring bottles of firewhiskey. Cassiopeia, he noted, had made her
way to the library, no doubt double checking parts of their plan. He
disillusioned himself before making his way down the streets of London.
It was a quiet night with clouds overhead that blocked the crescent
moon's light. An alley appeared to his left and he took it before he felt
the spinning of apparition. Aries landed in the middle of a pathway with
a silent crack, felt only through the pattern of magic. A great mansion
stood before him and as he approached the gate he saw a great 'M' carved
into stone gates. He placed his hand on the center of the 'M' and the gates
opened before him.
The path towards Malfoy Manor was long, but he had not wanted to risk
apparating into the grounds themselves. He was aware that the Dark Lord
did not currently stay at the manor, but who knows what kind of traps
Lucius had instilled since his return. His magic gave him warning now as
he approached the great doors, and a simple wave of his hand dispelled
the wards. A flick of his wrist lifted the heavy door knocker and it
pounded on the wooden doors. He heard the popping of an elf before the
great doors opened.
"Master Aries!" cried the little elf, exuberantly. "Mistress and Master will
be so happy to see you."
"I have no doubt of it." Aries said, handing the elf his coat. "But I have
come to see Lord Malfoy."
"I will go tell the Master at once!" The elf popped away and Aries was
grateful. No elf should be that cheery in his opinion, but at least that
stupid elf, Dobby, was gone. Now knowing the full extent of the elf's
departure made it even more enjoyable. He made his way to the study,
already knowing Lucius would be there, and knocked politely on the
door.
"Enter." Malfoy's voice had a stern tone to it and Aries savored in
annoying his best friend's father. "What cause have you to grace my
home, Aries?"
"A proposition." He replied. "For you and the Dark Lord."
"Truly?" Lucius leaned back. It was obvious he was interested, but he did
not look as if he wanted to agree to anything Aries had to say.
"Tomorrow the landscape of the Wizengamot will change. The Dark Lord
stands to benefit from it, so long as you hold to your end of the bargain."
"And that would be?"
"I understand that the Dark Lord has some laws he wishes you to see
passed. Help me tomorrow and some of those will pass far easier than
expected." Lucius raised his eyebrows and leaned forward expectantly.
"Tell me how I can help you."
Sirius and Aries wore nearly identical robes, though his was far more
intricate than his uncle's. The Hall of the Wizengamot was a circular
room, where the members could face each other as they debated with a
lowered section to hear from any who wished to lay a matter before the
council. Albus Dumbledore, from his seat of Chief Warlock, looked
questioningly at them both in their seats of the visitor section. Their
presence was not disallowed, as both were members of a great house,
though it was perhaps unusual. Cassiopeia seemed to glare at each
member from her spot next to Aries, and many of the powerful lords
refused to meet her gaze.
The Chief Warlock banged his gavel three times and the lords and ladies
of the Wizengamot took their seats.
"This council is now in session," Dumbledore stated. "I see we have a
guest. Lord Black, have you come to reclaim your seat on this council?"
"No, Chief Warlock." Sirius' answer seemed to relax Dumbledore. "Aries
will one day be Head of House Black and so I have brought him to see
the working of this great council."
"So be it. I open the floor to Undersecretary Umbridge, who brings forth
issues within the Ministry of Magic."
Aries found the woman, robed in far too much pink, to be incredibly
annoying. He had heard of her of course and her hatred of all things half-
breed. She was also a pureblood with a staunch opinion of the
muggleborns within their society. As far as Aries knew she was not a
follower of the Dark Lord, but it did not necessarily mean she did not
help him accomplish his goals. The meeting passed with little of serious
consequence occurring. In fact, it was downright boring, but Aries did
not mind. Their time was coming soon and he could not wait to see the
Wizengamot's reaction.
"Are there any more issues that any wish to lay before this council?"
Dumbledore asked the assembly. Lord Malfoy, who had been silent
throughout the meeting, rose to his feet, much to the surprise of his
party.
"I do, Chief Warlock," Lucius said with a smirk. "I call Aries Black to the
stand, who has asked to speak to this council." Whispers filled the hall as
Aries elegantly made his way to the center of the council.
"Thank you, Lord Malfoy." Aries began. "Lords and Ladies of the
Wizengamot I come before you to bring to light an injustice against the
House of Black." Dumbledore was failing to contain his glare towards
Aries but he continued on unhindered. "Years ago, my grandfather, Lord
Orion Black, cast out my uncle, Sirius Black, from our home, though he
was not disowned as many believe. Still, it was not his intention that
Sirius should ever be Lord or Head of our great house." Aries pulled out a
rolled scroll and handed it to Amelia Bones, Director of the Department
of Magical Law Enforcement. "This is a copy of Orion Black's will,
graciously provided by Gringotts. It states that while he did not wish for
the removal of Sirius from House Black, he passed the responsibility of
Head and Lord to my father, Regulus Arcturus Black." Loud murmurs
began to creep among the hall.
"I bring this matter before you today for a reason." Aries turned to Sirius.
"I do not accuse Sirius Black of attempting to steal the lordship of House
Black. For those who know him my uncle could care less about this
council. He would rather drink fire whiskey, dance with witches, and
catch the bad guys." Laughter erupted at his words, but the assembly
began to hang on his words. "Regardless, he is recognized as the Head of
House Black. It was the wish of my grandfather that Regulus and his sons
continue that honor instead. Sirius has acted upon the knowledge that no
other Black living could accept the responsibility. As you can see that is
not the case. I hold no ill will towards my uncle, but yet I cannot allow
this injustice to my grandfather to continue. I, Aries Orion Black, in the
presence of this council do lay claim to my right of birth as Head and
Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. I will duel to
the death if I must Sirius, though it would pain me far more than I wish
to admit to do so."
"That will not be necessary, Aries," Sirius said he stood from his seat.
"What my nephew has said is true. I would not make a good lord, as
many of you know." Again, there was laughter among the lords and
ladies. "Aries will make a far better lord than I ever could. This is the
wish of my father and regardless of the actions of my brother, the sins of
the father are not the sins of the son." He pulled out his wand and held it
before him. "I, Sirius Orion Black, renounce any claim to the lordship of
House Black. May it pass to the rightful heir as Lord Orion Black, my
father, would have wished." A flash of light nearly blinded the court as
Aries removed his own wand.
"I, Aries Orion Black, son of the rightful lord Regulus Arcturus Black,
claim the lordship of House Black." Magic began to pulse from his wand.
"I accept all responsibilities for my house, its vassals, and its lands. I
stand as Head of my House and will guide it towards greatness, as my
ancestors would have done. So mote it be." A flash of black light erupted
from his wand, forming a great raven above his head, before fading into
nothingness. Silence filled the hall as the new Lord Black stood regally
before them. Albus Dumbledore stared down at him with a look of pure
indignation and Aries could only smirk in return.
"We welcome you to our council, Lord Black," Malfoy said with a large
smile.
"Thank you, Lord Malfoy, but I am afraid that I am not finished." Aries
turned to his aunt. "Cassiopeia Black is a renowned study of magical law.
Tell me, what law was passed on the fourth of November, in the year
sixteen hundred and four?"
"The Proxy Act, my Lord," Cassiopeia answered. "It was designed to
create rules for proxies to follow during a conflict involving many lords
of the Wizengamot who were not able to actually attend the meetings
themselves."
"And what did it require of the proxies who stood in place for these
lords?"
"It was a requirement that each proxy takes appropriate notes to be given
to the respective lord, held for the public record to ensure that the
proxies were following the law. Also, in order for the said proxy to vote
in place of the lord, a letter detailing their vote with the seal of the Lord's
ring was required. Otherwise, they were to abstain from the vote."
"Were there any exceptions to the law?" Aries asked as he made eye
contact with Dumbledore.
"Yes, my Lord," Cassiopeia smirked. "A proxy could vote in place of a lord
who otherwise did not have the capacity to understand the vote or the
ability to vote. This applied mostly to children and those were
incapacitated. Still, in order for this exemption to take place, the next
ruling member of the house had to give approval. Such as a brother or
uncle."
"I see." Aries turned fully to Albus Dumbledore. "Chief Warlock, how long
did you serve as a proxy for House Black?" The entirety of the
Wizengamot stared shocked at Dumbledore.
"Fifteen years," Albus answered, his face slightly pale.
"Interesting." He pulled out a small vanilla folder. "This was magically
created the day you became proxy. I find it odd then that it is empty.
Upon further examination there is no letter of approval from the then
acting Head, Sirius Black, to vote in his stead. Yet, I find years' and years'
worth of voting results in which House Black voted erroneously."
Whispers filled the hall as Aries let this information sink in. "While your
votes may have reflected the views of my uncle, you voted without
official approval. Regardless if you conversed with Sirius or not, you did
not follow the law."
"Surely this is not necessary." Albus attempted to interrupt, but Aries
continued,
"Not necessary, Chief Warlock?" His emphasis on Dumbledore's title did
not go unnoticed by the assembly. "I find it troublesome that the
individual whom we raised to this position acted against a law he is
supposed to uphold." Aries turned to a man he recognized as Lord Nott.
"Tell me, my Lord, would you appreciate someone voting without your
approval or consent?"
"Of course not, my Lord." He, like many of the conservative party who
had long fought against the liberal reform, had a feral grin as he replied
to Aries. "To do so is to act in the name of my house without my
consent."
"I think many would agree with Lord Nott." Aries paused so that
Dumbledore could hear the murmured agreements. "I was angered when
I realized this and so, with the authority granted to Assistant Head Auror
Sirius Black, an investigation was conducted into the Wizengamot affairs
of Albus Dumbledore. He has not followed the protocol for any of the
House he proxies for. That is six houses he has voted for throughout the
years without the official and lawful consent of their houses."
The Wizengamot exploded in outraged cries and not all of them were
from the conservation party. The grey party was outraged as well and
even some from the liberal party stood, shouting their anger towards the
Chief Warlock. Aries raised a hand quietly and the crowd slowly ceased
their cries. A man from the grey party stood and he recognized him from
Daphne's photo she kept as a bookmark. Lord Greengrass was a tall man,
with dark brown hair and steel blue eyes. The hall watched as he
pondered Dumbledore before turning to Aries.
"Lord Black, you have accused Albus Dumbledore of a crime against not
one, but many Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses." Greengrass' voice
was deep and it resonated within the hall. "It is your right to challenge
him to an honor duel or to request a trial in which time in Azkaban will
be the punishment. You have presented enough evidence for him to be
sentenced today. The choice we leave to you."
Aries stared at Albus for a long moment, hoping that the Headmaster
would understand the gravity of the situation.
"Albus Dumbledore is a great wizard." The new Lord of House Black
began. "Truthfully I do not believe what he did was out of malice or ill
intent. Regardless, it was against the law, and as Chief Warlock we
expect him to be the most lawful of us all." Aries paused for a moment.
"Therefore, I move that he should be removed as Chief Warlock and
forbidden from holding the position of a proxy within these halls for two
years as a probationary period." Dumbledore looked as if he was about to
collapse from relief.
"You do not wish him to see time in Azkaban, Lord Black?"
"No," Aries replied. "That would be a waste of a great wizard and we need
as many of those as we can in the days ahead." He gave a deep bow and
returned to his seat next to Sirius and Cassiopeia.
"I second the motion." Lucius' voice rang loud in the hall and suddenly
many voices rose in agreement. Albus Dumbledore gave a look of
rejection before standing.
"I will not resist, my lords and ladies." The old wizard stepped away from
the great seat and left the hall with a purposeful walk. And then a
hundred voices began to argue over his replacement. Aries noted that
those among the conservative and grey party whom he knew to be Death
Eaters said nothing but looked to Lucius to lead them on.
"I would hear what Lord Black has to say." Aries did not know who made
the statement, but suddenly the whole hall had their eyes on him. He
stood and eyed as many of the crowd as he could, stopping on Lucius. It
had taken them hours into the night to agree on this decision, but based
on the look he received, he had little to worry about.
"We live in troubled times." Aries would have to lie to say he did not
enjoy the way each member of the hall hung on his words. "Two worlds
collide and we do not see it clearer than in this hall. The traditions of old
versus the reform of the new. One is either a blood supremacist or a
blood traitor. My lords, my ladies we cannot divide ourselves. We must
each come to the table, not just to compromise, but to create a world
where we can live in harmony. Where men can live in the old ways and
men can live in the new ways, without the controlling of the other." He
turned to the grey party. "For years, your party has attempted to be that
bridge and we need that bridge between two worlds now more than ever.
I believe there to be no one better for this position than Lord Greengrass."
The grey party broke out into shouts of agreements before Lord
Greengrass himself quieted them. "He has long been a man of honor and
one who is willing to hear both sides of an argument and make the
appropriate decision. Through his leadership, I believe we may be able to
reach a true accord within these walls." As Aries returned to his seat
applause and agreement began to ring out in the hall.
"I accept your nomination, Lord Black." Lord Greengrass said with a
respectful bow.
"And I second it." Lord Malfoy's declaration shocked the hall. "Are there
any other nominations?" There was a silence. "I call for a vote. All for?"
Nearly everyone in the hall, including Aries, lit the tips of their raised
wands. "Those against?" Only a few, mainly from the liberal party. "Any
abstains?" None raised their wand. Lucius waited for a moment, as the
magical quill logged the votes before announcing the results.
"Congratulations Lord Greengrass, you are our new Chief Warlock."
Applause again filled the hall the new Chief Warlock took his position.
Three times he banged the gavel and the applause died away.
"I think we've had enough excitement for today," Lord Greengrass
laughed. "But there is one last matter to handle." He turned to Aries.
"Lord Black, will you choose a party to offer your support? Or will you
abstain?" This had not been part of the conversation Aries had had with
Lucius, but there was a look of hopefulness from all three parties.
"I will, Chief Warlock." Aries stood to face the assembly. "It is my humble
request to join the grey party and to assist the bridging of two worlds."
There was a look of complete shock from both parties, as they had both
expected him to join the conservatives given his darker nature. The grey
party, on the other hand, looked absolutely delighted for such a
prestigious house to join their fold.
"A new leader for the party has yet to be chosen, so the decision rests
with me." Lord Greengrass stated before turning to said party. It took
only a moment, as the entirety of the group gave a quick agreement.
"Lord Black you are welcomed into our party. Now, it is my pleasure to
end this council. Session adjourned."
The hallway outside the Wizengamot Hall was filled with members
wishing to greet the new Lord Black and congratulate the new Chief
Warlock, Lord Greengrass. Aries noted that Lucius, and a few of his Death
Eater associates, were waiting patiently for him at the far end of the hall.
He had a few guesses as to what that conversation would be, but it was of
little concern to him. Truthfully, he was looking forward to speaking with
Lord Greengrass, even if it was not in private. Aries truly believed the
man would be an excellent Chief Warlock especially given Daphne's
comments about her father after the Yule Ball last year. His girlfriend
was, in fact, the reason he wanted to speak with her father, as he was
unsure as to the extent of Lord Greengrass' knowledge about the
relationship Aries had with his daughter.
Aries shook far too many hands than he would have liked and his face
was sore from pretending to be nice and courteous to the many members
of the Wizengamot before at last, he came face to face with Lord
Greengrass. Despite Aries being many years younger, they stood at a
similar height, with the older man only being a few inches taller. He
noted that the Chief Warlock gave him a look of respect, rather than
looking down on him for his age as some members had when they
greeted him.
"Daphne has told me much about you, Lord Black." It was an interesting
way to start their conversation and it showed that the man was aware of
some part of their relationship.
"I hope she has spoken highly of me," Aries replied with an innocent
looking smile. "She has spoken of you as well, Lord Greengrass."
"Has she?" Greengrass now seemed to be studying him, as if he was not
sure if Aries was truly friend or foe. "I heard an interesting rumor when
discussing the likelihood of a marriage contract with Lord Malfoy during
the year."
"I'm afraid I'm not one for gossip." He smirked. "I tend to leave that to the
woman's circle."
"Is it gossip when I suddenly find my oldest daughter is, as they would
say, off the market?" The older man definitely had a gleam of the sort, as
if he was testing the young lord.
"I was unaware you had accepted a marriage contract for her. I believe
she would not approve from what I know of her."
"No marriage contract has been accepted." Aries could tell this was a test,
no a game. He felt no tension in the air, other than that of two wolves
trying to decide who was the bigger threat. "Should I be expecting one?"
"That remains to be seen, my lord. Perhaps it could be discussed over
dinner? As well as many other important matters."
"My wife would be delighted to have such a renown guest such as
yourself, Lord Black." He reached out a hand for Aries to shake. "As well
as my daughter, if what I hear is correct."
"We shall have to find out." Aries glanced back to find Lucius still waiting
for him. "Forgive me, I must excuse myself. I fear my Uncle Lucius is an
impatient man." He left Lord Greengrass with a short, but respectful bow,
before making his way over to Lucius. He stood among his associates,
Lord Nott and Lord Avery. He could feel their unease and slight
displeasure. "My lords, how may I help you?"
"Your decision to join the grey party was most unexpected, nephew."
Lucius was gripping his cane tightly.
"I chose the option that would most benefit me, as well others."
"Perhaps you could elaborate." Lord Avery offered.
"You have a strong grasp of the conservative party, but it is often the grey
party that decides the vote," Aries said slipping into Avery's mind to find
out just how much he knew. "I will be able to bring the party to heel and
help pass laws that will benefit us all." His words triggered the response
he needed. He could see Lucius telling his friends of an agreement with
himself, though no mention of any sort of benefit to the Dark Lord. As he
slipped into Lucius' mind he saw his uncle in a meeting with the Dark
Lord alone, telling him of their agreement.
"Lord Black is correct." Lord Nott nodded approvingly. "We will have a
chance to pull more votes."
"Indeed." Lucius attempted to give Aries a chilling look, but he paid it no
mind. "I hope you keep up your end of the deal, Lord Black."
"I will, Lord Malfoy. Just remember that I hold the cards here." Aries
basked in their confusing looks. "I would hate for a certain memory of a
meeting in a graveyard to find its way onto Director Bones' desk. Good
day gentlemen." He left them, paled faced and shocked, and made to
leave the Ministry. Everything had gone according to plan and soon
Britain would see the greatness of House Black once more.
AN: Next chapter: The Werewolf Conservation Act
17. The Werewolf Conservation
Act
AN: I own none of this. It all belongs to JK Rowling, long may she reign.
This chapter turned out better than I hoped. As always I hope you enjoy
reading, and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
Thomas Potter enjoyed the silence he was surrounded in, for once, as
Potter Manor had been far too noisy for most of the summer. His mother
had taken them to 12 Grimmauld Place to see Sirius, though he was
unsure as to why. He had noticed a tension of sorts between his parents
and it gave him a cold ache in his gut. They were fighting more and more
every day and the awkward presence of the Weasleys did not help much.
The recent meeting of the Wizengamot in which Albus Dumbledore had
been removed as Chief Warlock had only added fuel to the fire on his
father's increasing anger. Thomas knew the real source of it: Aries Black.
Aries recent ascension to Lord of House Black had angered James Potter
to no end, and Thomas had not needed to even attempt to eavesdrop to
hear his heated argument with Dumbledore. James thought of Aries as
the next Voldemort, though Thomas disagreed. The older boy definitely
had views that Thomas did not agree with, but that did not make
someone necessarily wrong or evil, did it? Thomas certainly hoped it
didn't, as a sickening feeling came into his gut again. He let out a long
sigh and tried to focus on his Potions assignment.
"That was a pretty heavy sigh for an almost fifteen-year-old," Sirius said
cheerfully. Thomas smiled brightly at his godfather, honestly happy for
the distraction from his homework. "What's going on, cub?"
"I don't really want to talk about it." And he didn't, though he felt that he
should.
"Come on, you can tell me. I'm a Black. We're good at keeping secrets."
Thomas hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell him.
"Do you love Aries?" Thomas asked. "Even though his views are different
than yours?"
"Oh." Sirius pondered for a moment, staring down at his hands. "Not at
first. It took a while. But yeah, I do. He reminds me so much of the good
in Regulus." He looked at Thomas seriously. "Why?"
"Sometimes I feel like dad. . . Well, that dad wouldn't love me if I saw
things differently than him." The words stumbled out of his mouth. "That
he would label me evil as he does with Aries."
"Oh cub, James would never do that." Sirius' heart suddenly broke and he
pulled Thomas into a bear hug. What was going on with his best friend?
"You're his son. He will always love you."
"He used to think of you as a brother." Thomas countered pulling away
from Sirius. "But now its like he hates you. He wants nothing to do with
you."
"People change Thomas, and sometimes even the closest of friends go
their separate ways, but family always comes back. James is still my
brother and I know we will smooth things out eventually." Sirius took a
deep sigh. "It's late Thomas, you should be getting back home. Go and get
your things."
"Can I stay? Just for the night?"
"If you would like, sweetie." Lily's singsong voice came as she entered the
library. "Go home, grab some clothes and then come back." Sirius was
thankful that Aries had found a way to connect the Floos between Potter
Manor and 12 Grimmauld Place. It had made travel for his closest friends
much easier not to mention the fact that his godson visited nearly every
day. Thomas took off at a near sprint and Sirius felt a heavy weight in his
heart, but it lifted slightly as Lily sat down beside him. "He loves you. So
much more than you know."
"He means everything to me," Sirius answered. Lily was absolutely
beautiful in her summer dress and he tried with all of his might to look
anywhere but her.
"He was jealous of Aries for a while," Lily said sadly. "He thought that
with Aries around, you wouldn't care for him anymore. The fact that you
still do means everything to him."
"I could never replace him. He and Aries are like the sons I never had."
She reached over and gripped Sirius' hand. His heart beat slightly faster
as her soft hand contrasted his rough one.
"James will get over this, I promise." Lily let go of his hand and stood up.
"But thank you for loving my son as your own. I can never thank you
enough." She left Sirius though, with a breaking heart and wounded
pride. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he did not hear Aries
come up behind him.
"Does she know?" Aries asked softly.
"No," Sirius replied, a deep sadness in his voice that Aries never thought
he would hear, besides when talking about his father. "And she can never
know."
"How long?"
"Sixteen long years. I can't tell you how many women I've seen or slept
with trying to drive her from my mind. But then I see her again, in a
home, with a son I could not be prouder of and then my will breaks over
and over again. I love her Aries, but she will never be mine." Aries placed
a comforting hand on his uncle's shoulder and then left the man to rid
himself of pity and return the mask of a content man.
The robes of Lord Black equaled his status as he appeared before the door
of the Greengrass home. It was a large manor, though not quite as large
as Malfoy Manor but then Lucius did always feel like he had to
compensate for something. He knocked politely and only had to wait a
few moments before the door opened. Daphne Greengrass was stunning
in the light blue summer dress she wore that reached just below her
knees. She smiled brightly at him, extending her hand for him to take
and lead him through the door.
"Good evening, Lord Black." Aries could tell the girl rather enjoyed his
new title and given their Yule conversation, was delighted with how the
Wizengamot meeting had unfolded.
"Good evening to you as well, Miss Greengrass." He bowed slightly,
bringing the back of her hand to his lips. Daphne smiled even brighter
before pulling him into the next room. The Greengrass family was there
to meet him in perfect form for a family portrait. Lord Greengrass stood
tall in elegant silver and emerald robes, matching the colors of his house
crest. Lady Greengrass, studying him with a thorough gaze, wore a silver
gown that was far fancier than either of her children's dresses. Astoria,
who gave a friendly smile to Aries, wore a similar sundress to Daphne.
"May I present our home, Lord Black," Daphne said with a slight bow to
her father.
"It is an honor to be invited to your home, Lord and Lady Greengrass."
Aries gave a respectful nod to them both but did not bow. He would not
show deference to another house.
"We welcome you to our home, Lord Black." Lord Greengrass greeted.
"Dinner is being served in the dining room. Daphne, if you could lead our
guest there."
"Of course, father." She tugged on his hand and lead him through to the
dining room. The room was a decent size and could easily fit a large
party though the table was smaller than one would expect of the room. It
had clearly been shrunk for their dinner even though it could still fit a
small feast. Five chairs surrounded with one at each end, two on one
side, a lone chair on the other. Daphne led him to one of the end chairs
before standing behind the chair nearest to him. Astoria stood behind the
chair next to her and Lord Greengrass took the other far end with Lady
Greengrass next to him. They waited patiently for Lord Greengrass to sit,
then Lord Black, before the rest finally seated themselves. Food appeared
before them as it did at Hogwarts and Aries was delighted with the
excellent cuisine.
"So, Daphne," Lady Greengrass began. "Tell us how you met Lord Black."
"You can call me Aries, my lady." He said with a roguish smile.
"Formalities are not necessary with such excellent food here. Do you not
agree, Lord Greengrass?"
"Of course." Cyrus Greengrass said almost begrudgingly.
"Unfortunately, I met Aries through Draco," Daphne said with a sour look
about his friend. "I'm afraid it's the only beneficial thing Draco has
brought into my life. It took me some time to warm up to him until I
learned that he was nothing like his friend. He invited me to Hogsmeade,
after a bit of encouragement from me, and then we attended the Yule Ball
together."
"I still don't know how he melted your heart, sis," Astoria said causing her
mother to chuckle. "I thought you were into girls, to be honest." Aries
nearly choked on his baked chicken as Daphne's face flushed in anger.
"Astoria!" Lady Greengrass glared at her youngest daughter. "Such
vulgarity will not be used here. I apologize, Aries. My daughter does not
think before she speaks."
"It is not a problem, my Lady." Aries offered, trying his best not to laugh.
"But I was surprised as well, Astoria. I heard many stories about
Hogwarts 'Ice Queen.'"
"Daphne tends to have a cold composition to those she is not close to."
Cyrus offered. "I was unaware you were so close to the Malfoys?"
"Everyone focuses on who my father was, but many forget my mother
was a Malfoy. Regina Malfoy."
"Ah, yes, I remember her." Lady Greengrass said turning to her father.
"She was such a kind-hearted soul for a Slytherin. I do remember her
hexing a few boys once, nasty sight. Quite good at Charms if I remember
correctly."
"I remember her as well." Cyrus leaned forward. "And do you have similar
views as the Malfoy family?"
"Cyrus, I hardly think this is dinner conversation."
"Lord Black is courting our daughter." Cyrus rebuked. "Now is as good as
time as ever to see what his goals are. His actions, whether his courting is
successful or not, could affect our house, seeing that he is now also a
member of the grey party."
"I have a sense that you already disapprove of me, Cyrus." Aries
statement was stone, opening a challenge for the older man.
"I do not disapprove of you as an ally, or as a member of the
Wizengamot. But for my daughter? Yes."
"Then this conversation is meaningless. Let us retire and speak of politics
as you would clearly wish to do."
"Father, if I may," Daphne interrupted. "Perhaps you misjudge Aries."
"Do I?" Cyrus turned a careful eye to Daphne. "Perhaps it is you that
misjudges him. This man would break the neutrality of our house."
"And yet could help us accomplish all that we dream." Daphne had a
confident gleam in her eye. "House Black is on the rise and has already
shown a glimpse of its power and potential. His presence within the grey
will bring members of both sides to the table. We can be there as we
write history and create the world we have dreamed of."
"So, you allow this courting because of ambition?" Her father had a
curious look on his face. "Your heart plays no part in this?"
"Emotions blinds one from seeing clearly," Daphne said though Cyrus did
not miss the look of approval from Aries. "I see someone whom can fulfill
my heart and help to accomplish not only my goals but the goals of my
house. If our neutrality must be sacrificed for that, then so be it."
"My vision is simple, Cyrus." Aries offered, squeezing Daphne's hand
under the table. "I wish to see a world where our traditions are held
sacred but that we progress. We cannot remain stagnant but we cannot
forget our past. I envision a better tomorrow than what we have today."
"A vague and auspicious goal." Cyrus rubbed his short beard. "And what
of the Dark Lord?"
"He is as much of the problem as any. He pushes for genocide and
slaughter of all. We should not shun those of magical ability because of
their blood status."
"So, you would see us live among side muggles then? As we always
have?"
"No." Aries did not hesitate. This was the moment that their alliance
would make or break. "Are we not their betters? If Merlin had been king,
not Arthur, where would we be today? We should rule, as is our right.
But not as the Dark Lord wishes, through fear. We are their betters, so we
should guide them. Through our magic, we can create a world of global
peace under our banner."
"And who's crest flies on that banner?" Cyrus leaned forward expectantly.
"Yours?"
"Perhaps." He did not back down. "If I am the man deemed worthy of
such honor."
"Is this not our dream as well, father?" Daphne's hopeful voice seemed to
catch her father off guard. "Is this not what we've talked about long into
the night when we saw wrongs in our world? We can make that dream a
reality, but not by ourselves." Cyrus Greengrass was quiet for some time
as the house elves cleared away their plates.
"You are a dangerous and cunning man, Aries Black. You did not come
here for talk of courting at all did you?" Cyrus shook his head. "You wish
for an alliance between our houses."
"Your cleverness precedes you." Aries dipped his head in respect. "An
alliance would benefit us both in many ways. The most being that we can
work together to create a plan for this dream of yours."
"Were you in on this, Daphne?"
"Yes, father."
"I see." Again, the Lord of House Greengrass was silent before he nodded
his head at last. "I agree to your alliance, Lord Black, but I do not
approve of you courting my daughter."
"Father!" She went to continue her resistance but Cyrus held up a hand.
"I do not know if you are the best fit for her yet, and perhaps it is not best
for my house. Time will tell."
"I expected nothing less, Lord Greengrass." The conversation, it seemed,
was over and Aries had no intention of overstaying his welcome. "Dinner
was excellent, perhaps you can join me at my home sometime."
"We will see, my Lord." Cyrus turned to Daphne. "I will permit you to say
your goodbyes." Daphne stood up as quickly as formality dictated and
pulled Aries towards the door. She wasted no time wrapping her arms
around his neck and crashing her lips to his. They stood there, wrapped
in passion before they pulled away solely for the need of air.
"Well, that went better than expected," Daphne said as she breathed
heavily. "I think father might actually like you."
"Really?" Aries asked with a laugh. "How so?"
"You had a backbone and did not give in at the first sign of danger." She
leaned up and kissed him again. "Don't worry. Father will fight and fight
until he realizes its inevitable. He knows this is the best but he likes to
keep his options open."
"I perfectly understand."
"You could sneak back tonight you know," Daphne offered with a sly grin.
"I can change the wards a bit."
"Now that is an unnecessary risk, though one I wish I could take. I have
to prepare for the Wizengamot tomorrow." Aries gave her one final kiss
before leaving the manor and apparating home.
The Wizengamot Hall slowly filled as Aries watched from his house seat
in the grey party. It was not surprising to find it near the front where
Lord Greengrass' seat had once been. As Chief Warlock, he was no longer
the head of their party and one had yet to be chosen in the four meetings
since the removal of Albus Dumbledore. Aries personally did not want
the position just yet, but he would not refuse if it was offered to him.
Cassiopeia gave him a nod as she took her seat beside Sirius in the visitor
section. He had booked a slot to present in the meeting today and
Cassiopeia had been charged with assuring that his guests arrived in a
timely manner. The houses in which Dumbledore had previously proxied
for had yet to choose a replacement save for the Longbottom family.
Augusta Longbottom now sat proxy for House Longbottom and if Aries
was correct she had had one hell of an earful for the Hogwarts
Headmaster. It was a requirement that every proxy sign acknowledgment
of the Proxy Law and clearly Albus had used his position of Chief
Warlock to sweep his doings under the table.
Lord Greengrass banged his gavel, signaling the beginning of the
meeting. The lords and ladies of court quickly returned to their seat,
ending their mindless talk. That was when he was surprised to see a last-
minute guest, Lily Potter. She took a seat beside Sirius, giving him a
questioning glance that Sirius returned with a smile.
"This court is now in session." The Chief Warlock lifted a piece of
parchment to read before addressing the assembly. "Today's session is
short unless we have matters to address within the court." He turned to
Aries. "Lord Black, you have requested to present a matter before the
Wizengamot."
"I do, Chief Warlock." Aries stood regally and purposefully walked to the
center of the hall. He paused for a moment, gathering himself. "Lords,
ladies, wizards, and witches of the Wizengamot, we face a serious
problem. One I would see rectified." He turned towards the entrance
where Cassiopeia now stood, but she was not alone. "Come, my child."
Aries extended a hand as a young boy, no older than eight walked
towards. He waved his wand and a cushy chair conjured before him in
which the child sat. "To the common eye, this is a normal boy. A son of a
pureblood family with dreams." Aries tried to look at each party,
ensuring their attention was caught. "He had dreams, my fellow lords and
ladies. Dreams of magic. He dreamed of performing what we now take
for granted every day. He dreamed of Hogwarts like his parents before
him. He dreamed of wearing the red of Gryffindor and flying for their
Quidditch team. Scoring the winning goal as they won the Quidditch
Cup. Dreams that we all had when we were children.'
"But these dreams were ripped away from him." Aries clinched his fists
tightly. "Monsters came into the night, slaughtering and devouring his
parents leaving him cursed with an affliction that has no cure. I speak of
werewolves." Gasps at the atrocities rang through the hall. "These culprits
have long been apprehended and it was discovered that they possessed
the potion known as Wolfsbane, that allows one to maintain their own
mind in the wolf form." Aries turned to the child. "But my lords these
beasts are not my reason for being before you today. They should suffer
as the Death Eaters do with the Dementor's Kiss. But what of this boy?"
He pointed to him as every eye landed on the small child. "He is a
wizard. A pureblood. Not of an ancient family but yet still pureblooded.
Many of you would cast this child aside as a monster but this affliction is
not of his making. Our kind is diminishing and yet we throw aside
witches and wizards because they are different. Why?'
"They are classified as dangerous but yet it is one day in a month in
which they change. Twelve of three-hundred and sixty-five days of every
year are enough to throw this child aside and force him to live in
poverty? Are we such prejudiced individuals that we can not see beyond
the affliction of this child? Past the beast that is not of their own
making?" Aries turned to Lady Abbot. "Tell me, if your daughter was
attacked by a werewolf, would you allow what would happen to this
child to happen to yours? Of course not. It has not happened to us, but it
happens to those that this council rules over. We must be better my lords
and ladies. I have a solution, but I also know someone that has lived it."
Aries heard the entrance door open. "May I present to the Wizengamot
Remus, Lord of House Lupin, vassal to the Most Ancient and Most Noble
House of Black."
The shocked whispers that spread throughout the hall were not only for
the return of Remus Lupin, one that many knew from their time at
Hogwarts and famed split from the Potter family. Aries had announced
him as a lord and vassal, indicating his new status and who protected
him. The wizarding world was going to learn about his affliction, and any
retaliation would be considered an insult to the House of Black.
Lily Potter sat still as a stone as Remus Lupin walked towards the center
of the hall. Her eyes followed every step, staring at the person who had
abandoned them just after the death of their eldest son.
"Thank you, my Lord." Remus bowed deeply to Aries, as one would to a
master. Many of the Wizengamot noted this and some looked to Aries
with a sense of greed. The werewolf turned to the child, who was looking
at him curiously. "I was once just like this boy. I was cursed with an
affliction of which there is no cure and no escape. Thankfully, Albus
Dumbledore saw something in me and helped me to attend Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Despite the man's injustice against
my lord's house, I will never forget what he did for me. School was
difficult but I came to have two friends, James Potter, and Sirius Black.
They even became Animagi when they discovered that the werewolf
curse cannot be transferred into animals and so they were immune when
transformed. Through the kindness of others and the keeping of secrets, I
was able to live a normal life. Without them, I do not know how I would
have survived." Remus caught Lily's eyes as tears began to form in them.
"But not all are as fortunate as I was and after a disagreement with the
Blacks and Potters, I left. I traveled for some time until I ended up in
Russia, where their ministry was having difficulty with the local
werewolves. Thankfully due to being educated at Hogwarts, the officials
listened to me and hired me to serve as an ambassador to the packs.
Through much dialogue, the packs and the ministry came to a solution.
Land was awarded to the packs and was warded off so no one without
the curse could enter. They lived as they wanted, left alone with no risk
of attacking anyone because, on the night of the full moon, wards were
erected that prohibited the werewolves from leaving the land. Attacks
decreased dramatically and to this day the ministry has an open dialogue
with the packs."
"Werewolves living alongside wizards and witches." Aries began as
Remus took a step backward. "Russia's solution worked, but like
anything, I believe we can do better." He snapped his fingers and a thin
piece of parchment appeared before every member of the Wizengamot. "I
present to you an outline of the Werewolf Conservation Act. This law
would cordon an area that every werewolf in Magical Britain can live, if
they wish, and be given shelter during the full moon. It will have muggle-
repelling charms as well as charms to keep those with the affliction from
leaving during the full moon. Also, wolfsbane will be provided to all
those that come in order to ease their transformation.'
"Having a safe place to transform is not the only benefit of this bill. Those
that choose to participate have now been removed from the possibility of
being a danger to any individual. This bill would then replace the
werewolf legislation drafted two years ago that prohibits those with the
curse from possessing full-time jobs within the Ministry of Magic.."
"This bill says that each werewolf must register himself and keep a form
of identification saying they are indeed a werewolf." Lord Davis from the
grey party said. "That is a dangerous proposition, Lord Black."
"And why should they not?" Aries asked incredulously. "The registry is to
keep account of the expenses for Wolfsbane and lodging. Also, it allows
an employer to know if said wizard is a part of this bill. Those that do not
register and do not use this asylum will not reap the benefits of it. They
can continue to be outcasts. It is a small price to pay to live a normal
life."
"So, there will be no enforcement of the bill?" The question came from a
member of the conservative party, whom Aries did not know.
"Not to those who decline the offer. This is an opportunity for those with
the werewolf curse to have a normal life. If they choose to ignore it then,
as I said, they will not reap the benefits. Those who register will be
required to be at the asylum during the full moon. They can stay in
provided lodging temporarily until they get jobs that can allow them to
pay for their own homes. Then they can pay to remain at the lodging or
purchase their own homes."
"What say you. . . Lord Lupin?" Lord Greengrass asked. "Would you
register for this?"
"I already have, Chief Warlock," Remus replied. "For months now I and a
group of werewolves have tested the wards and the lodging. Registering
myself as a werewolf would be a small price to be pay to be able to work
the job I have always dreamed of within this Ministry." The assembly
broke into chatter, discussing the proposed bill. Aries knew he had
backed the Wizengamot into a corner, they just did not know it yet.
"Hem hem." Dolores Umbridge stood as the chatter came to a halt.
"Werewolves are half-breeds, Lord Black. Why should we give them any
sort of help? They are a danger to our society and way of life."
"Are they Madam Undersecretary?" Aries challenged. "Perhaps you have
not talked to a werewolf before. Come here, child." The boy stood from
his chair and walked over to Aries. "What is your name?"
"Christopher, my Lord."
"I challenge you to tell that to Christopher, Madam Undersecretary."
There was an immediate tension in the hall. "Tell this child who watched
helplessly as his parents were devoured and slaughtered that he is a
danger to this society. Tell this child whose dreams could have had been
ripped away just as easily by any person in this hall with a few powerful
curses. If this boy is a danger to society because he changes to a beast
once a month, then so I am. Every last wizard who is capable of casting a
spell that causes harm or death is a danger to this society. So, go ahead,
repeat your words." The silence was deafening as Dolores retook her seat
defeated.
"We have heard Lord Black's proposition." Lord Greengrass said to the
hall. "The full law will be delivered to each member of the Wizengamot.
Are there any further questions for Lord Black? Then this matter is
adjourned and will be voted on in seven days' time. We will recess for ten
minutes before continuing with the session."
"What are we going to do about Black, Albus?" James Potter asked hotly.
"Which one?" Moody added and for once James did not immediately
disagree. This was their first meeting since the removal of Albus
Dumbledore from the Wizengamot and it only contained his most trusted
members and Sirius' absence was noticed by all.
"My removal from the Wizengamot was coming, whether Aries caused it
or not," Albus answered. "Fudge had been pushing for it for weeks."
"Except now most of the Ministry mistrusts you and some parents do as
well." James shook his head as he spoke. "This doesn't look good for us. I
didn't even know about the Proxy Law. I mean, who even cares about
that? We chose you as a proxy for a reason."
"It is an old one, still followed by many, though rarely enforced. A
mistake on my part that allowed an opening for Aries to exploit. While
you and many others may not care, those of the old ways care much for
tradition. Truthfully, Aries took hold of an opportunity that
circumstances provided. Many of the Wizengamot wanted me gone but
had no real reason to remove me. He provided it with a rather ingenious
solution."
"You don't seem very angry." Arthur Weasley offered.
"It would accomplish nothing. We must now focus on the present. I will
present a letter to the Daily Prophet offering my apologies and reasons for
my actions. It will gain us some friends but we will have to wait until
Voldemort's return. Then this smear campaign will end."
"So, what is our goal?" James asked.
"You and Alastor will begin to organize response teams. We need
individuals who are ready to go at a moment's notice when Severus
brings words of a Death Eater attack." Albus turned to Arthur. "You will
take over the organization of protecting the prophecy. It is imperative
that we keep Voldemort from retrieving it."
"What about Remus?" James was curious as to what Dumbledore's
decision about the man would be.
"I will approach him about possibly returning to the Order," Dumbledore
answered with a sigh. "But I fear he has chosen to side with Aries."
"Black's werewolf bill throws a large wrench in our plans," Moody
growled. "Any chance of them siding with us goes out the window when
the Ministry is on the verge of giving them a better option than we or
Voldemort can provide."
"It will almost certainly be passed," Arthur added. "Aries was a genius
when he allowed himself to be interviewed by Skeeter. The whole of
Britain knows about the law and what it would mean. The fact that she
interviewed the young boy didn't help either. Both sides are going to look
like racists if they vote against."
"What I don't get is the point of it," James put in. "Besides the registry, it's
a great idea. But what does he stand to gain?"
"Popularity and favor among the people." The old man answered. "He is
the talk of the Ministry and most of Britain. His rising popularity lowers
our chances of him agreeing to join us. Sirius alone remains our best
chance."
"But can we trust him?" Moody gripped his staff tightly. "He could be
Aries' spy for all we know."
"Sirius has every reason to wish for the downfall of Voldemort. We must
hope and believe the best in our friends. Once we begin to fight among
ourselves, then Voldemort wins."
"I understand you have a dinner with the Delacour family tonight,"
Cassiopeia said smoothly as they waited for the official vote. It was
customary that the Lord who sponsored or wrote the bill to not be in the
chamber during the vote, in order to prevent retaliation against members
of the Wizengamot. Pointless in Aries' opinion, as he had already secured
his votes through the uproar of Rita Skeeter's article. None would dare
see it fail at this point and too many were trying to win his favor. He
would not know the official vote, but Legilimency was a gift meant to be
used.
"Indeed, I do," Aries answered. "I received Fleur's invitation last night."
"And does Daphne know of your relationship with Fleur Delacour?" Aries
raised his eyebrows.
"She does not know of the life debt that Fleur owes. Not yet at least."
"A dangerous game, Aries," Cassiopeia said disapprovingly. "I thought I
taught you better."
"I will handle the situation." Aries retorted. "I have already secured the
alliance between our house and House Greengrass. I do not need
Daphne's hand to maintain it."
"But insulting their daughter could ruin the alliance."
"Touché." Aries conceded as he heard his name called for by Lord
Greengrass himself. He entered the hall confidently, triumph resolute on
his face. Once he reached the center he stopped and awaited the council's
result.
"Your bill has passed, Lord Black." The Chief Warlock announced.
"Unanimous save for one vote." Aries had a strong hunch that that vote
came from someone drowning in pink. "You will be expected to find a
full-time supplier for the Wolfsbane Potion in two weeks' time. The
registry will be regulated through the Department for the Regulation and
Control of Magical Creatures. Your recommendation for Director of the
Werewolf Conservation Program has been approved as well."
"Thank you, Chief Warlock." Aries returned to his seat among the grey
party triumphantly. Many shook his hand and clapped him on the back as
he seated himself. Phase two of his plan for this summer was nearly
complete. There just one final action that needed to be done.
"Come in, Remus." Aries sat at his desk within the Ministry of Magic. It
was far plainer than one would expect of a lord of the Wizengamot, but
its simplicity drew attention to the young man himself, rather than the
room. Remus had yet to hear the news of their success and seemed
nervous as to the point of the meeting. "I have good news for you. Your
law has passed, congratulations." The werewolf sighed audibly in relief.
"Thank you, my Lord."
"There is no need for such formalities here," Aries instructed. "We are
celebrating after all. Kreacher!" The house elf popped into the office and
bowed deeply to Aries. "Two glasses of fire whiskey, if you would." Once
the elf had returned with their drinks, Aries leaned back in a relaxed
fashion before addressing his guest. "I'm sure Cassiopeia has made you
aware of the Ministry's choice of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Honestly, I'm surprised Albus went with it, but given his situation, I
cannot blame him. I had considered pushing your name forward as a
more qualified replacement but I do not wish for your talents to be
wasted."
"Wasted?" Remus asked. It was clear to Aries that Remus wished to teach,
but he had more important uses for the man.
"The Wizengamot requested a recommendation as to whom should lead
this Werewolf Conservation Program. I personally could not think of
anyone better than you."
"Surely someone else would be more qualified."
"Perhaps," Aries mused. "But none that I can trust. The Dark Lord and
Albus Dumbledore will push to have werewolves join their side. One for
their abilities and the other to keep them away from the opportunity to
harm others."
"And what would you have them for?" Remus had a slight edge to his
voice and Aries considered his next words carefully.
"Simply put we need allies, Remus. If they are on our side then they are
not on the Dark Lord's side. And do you really think Dumbledore is a
better alternative? Given his past?"
"No," Remus relented. "Neither is a good option."
"Exactly my point, my friend." Aries downed the rest of his drink before
leaning forward. "I think the position of director will suit you very well
and it gives us another in at the Ministry. You have no need to worry
about mistreatment, it's against the law now after all. The werewolves
know that is was our work that achieved this for them. Now give them
something to aspire to reach, Director Lupin."
Aries was far too aware of the similarities to his dinner with the
Greengrass family as he kissed Fleur's hand and was led inside to meet
her family. The Delacour chateau was remarkably beautiful as were its
inhabitants. Jean Delacour stood a few inches shorter than Aries, but he
had the composure of a powerful man and one who knew it. Apolline
Delacour was a beautiful woman and Aries could see that Fleur very
much resembled her mother. He noticed the absence of the younger
sister, Gabrielle, but did not think much of it. This night could take a turn
for the worst, as perhaps Jean predicted.
"Gabrielle is with friends tonight," Jean explained. "I felt that perhaps this
conservation was better had without her presence." The Frenchman's
English was perfect, no doubt from dealing with the English just across
the channel.
"I agree, monsieur." Aries inclined his head respectfully, speaking fluent
French. He had spent many long hours studying the language since his
bond formed with Fleur. "I look forward to tasting the cuisines of France. I
have heard the wine is to die for." Apolline tensed slightly at his wording
and Jean narrowed his eyes. Fleur nervously fidgeted with her hands
before the ringing of a bell broke the tension. She quickly grabbed his
hand and pulled him into the dining room. He waited until all had
entered the room before sitting on the left of Apolline. They took notice
of his awareness of their culture and no doubt they took this as a hopeful
avenue of how the night would go.
Dinner was a smooth affair with the talk mostly centering trivial things.
They strayed away from the Tri-Wizard Tournament, his recent law, and,
of course, Fleur's life debt. Aries thoroughly enjoyed the food and found
it to be the best food he had ever had in France. He was surprised to
learn that Apolline and Fleur, rather than the house elves, had cooked the
food. If this was the result then perhaps he should look into cooking.
After he had completed his goals of course.
"I think it is time we discussed the elephant in the room," Jean said as he
placed his napkin on the empty plate.
"I believe it is," Aries replied. "I take it you are aware of Fleur's life debt? And
from the body language of you and your wife, you are not overly joyed at the
dilemma?"
"How could we be? She is enslaved to you." Fleur looked affronted by her
father's word but Aries ignored her.
"That is not how she put it." Jean clearly did not like the answer and it
seemed to frustrate Apolline.
"Slavery is slavery, no matter how you word it." The hostess' words were
meant to cut but Aries skin was thicker than stone.
"And here I was thinking we could come to a mutual agreement."
"An agreement?" Jean asked with raised eyebrows.
"You do not wish to see Fleur enslaved correct? I can ensure that happens, so
long as you give me something I want." Fleur looked back and forth as anger
etched itself across Jean's face.
"You would blackmail me with my daughter's life?"
"Her life belongs to me, Jean." Aries leaned forward. "An uncomfortable
reality but there it is."
"Her life is her own." Jean fired back.
"As I understand it she is tethered to me. Compelled to obey my every
command as a result of the veela in her blood reacting to the life debt. How
that plays out can go many ways."
"And just what exactly would you command her to do, eh? Cook your food,
wash your clothes, and warm your bed at night?" The Frenchman seemed to
fill with anger. "I know what men tend to expect of veela and I will not see
my daughter enslaved. Release her from this bond at once!"
"No." Fleur's voice was steel as she cut into the conversation. "I will not see
this bond ended."
"Nor would I." Aries agreed. "You misjudge me for a coward, monsieur. One
who would take from someone that which they would not give. I am no
monster, Jean Delacour."
"You would have me believe that you would take care of her? When you will
not release her from this bond?"
"This bond provides me an opportunity to get that which I desire," Aries said
rather coldly. "I will not fold when I have the winning hand."
"And what do you desire Monsieur Black?" Jean spat out.
"Power, Monsieur Delacour." Aries leaned forward eagerly. "The power to
defeat my enemies, to help instill the vision I have for this world. And now,
sitting in the palm of my hand is the daughter of one of the most powerful men
in France. My vision will one day expand beyond Magical Britain. This is an
agreement that can benefit us both."
"You wish to conquer?"
"I wish to transform. To create a world better than the one we live in now.
Some will need to be conquered, as there are always those who stand in the
way of progress. I will build a brave new world, with Fleur at my side, that
will last for a millennium."
"And if she does not wish to be at your side?"
"But I do father," Fleur said rather eagerly. "This is my opportunity for
greatness. To live a life outside of the ordinary. A life of adventure and doing
something meaningful. I know you don't like this father, but truthfully, I am
relieved. Who is going to say no to Aries Black now? You did not see his
power. He will change the world father. Better to be on his side than on the
other."
Jean was silent for some time, pondering the words of his daughter. He
looked to his wife and after she nodded, rather reluctantly, he turned
back to Aries.
"I do not like this at all." Jean sighed. "If I could I would ensure you never
saw her again. What would you have me do?"
"I will need friends within your Ministry," Aries instructed. "I will require
invitations to your Ministry events and for you to begin to build my popularity
within France. And perhaps when it comes time for an election, Jean Delacour
will be on the ballot. And he will win."
AN: Next chapter: The Return of the Estranged
18. The Return of the Estranged
AN: I own none of this and it all belongs JKR. I've enjoyed writing
the summer arc, with one more left in it before they return to
Hogwarts, and it sets up a lot of things to come both in this school
year for our characters but also into the next one and so forth. Right
now a lot is going Aries' way as he's caught a lot of people like deer
in headlights, but I promise you that won't always be so. This year
will bring him challenges and I look forward to both writing them
and enjoying y'alls feedback. I never imagined so many would enjoy
the story, y'all are a gift. Thank you for motivating me to continue
this story. As always I hope you enjoy this chapter and if you don't,
whatever floats your boat y'all. Happy New Year!
The halls of Hogwarts were warm to Aries as he approached the stone
gargoyle. They had always seemed warm to him compared to those of
Durmstrang, but given where he had just come from, it was as if he stood
next to a roaring fire. If Aries was, to be honest with himself, he
somewhat dreaded the coming meeting, though he was well aware that it
was necessary. Dumbledore had often made his way through 12
Grimmauld Place and despite the Headmaster's avoidance of Aries, he
had not given the young lord the answer he had expected. Many of his
plans were centered around his attendance of Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry this year and he would not be denied.
Stoic was the word Aries would use to describe the guardian of the
Headmaster's office. He had heard that Dumbledore enjoyed using the
names of candy as his passwords. Eccentric, but also rather ingenious. It
made for a more presentable entrance, but Aries would not be distracted
from the fact that Albus Dumbledore was, in fact, a very dangerous
individual, and a master of the Game.
"I am Aries, Heir of Slytherin. Open in the name of my ancestor." The
stone gargoyle bowed his head low and moved aside, revealing the
winding staircase. Aries walked slowly to the intricate wooden door and
knocked three times.
"Enter." Dumbledore's voice came from the room, with a poorly hidden
sound of surprise. "Good morning, Mr. Black," The old man greeted
warmly, despite his slight hesitation, and gestured to the seat in front of
his desk. Aries took it nonchalantly and refortified his Occlumency
shields before his eyes met the Headmasters. "While I am grateful for
your visit, I am curious how you managed to get past the gargoyle."
"A wizard never reveals his secrets, Dumbledore," Aries replied with a sly
grin. "I have to say your office is as expected. Intimidating and yet
welcoming. A difficult combination that you succeeded in."
"I will try to take that as a compliment." The Headmaster paused for a
moment, his eyes flicking toward the stack of papers that were all too
familiar to Aries. "Your recent travels were not one I would expect of a
student on holiday, Mr. Black."
"I was unaware that my doings on holiday were your concern,
Headmaster," Aries said tersely. He had known that Dumbledore had been
watching his movements closely, but even he thought his recent trip had
gone unnoticed. "Though if we are speaking of prisons and travels, I have
to admit I was disappointed that you did not visit us in Germany on your
trip to Austria last month. Tell me, how is Grindewald?"
Any warmth that had been in the room vanished at the mention of
Dumbledore's incarcerated lover. Aries had known of the man's guilty
pleasure of visiting Nurmengard Castle in the mountains of Austria and
had it watched closely since the beginning of the summer.
"Why are you here, Mr. Black?" Dumbledore's tone was ice now, and
Aries rejoiced in the slight victory over the old man. Despite this, he did
not miss the old man's eyes flashing toward the wand that sat on the desk
between them. The Elder Wand, considered to be the greatest and most
powerful wand in existence, sat unknowingly to all, save a few, within
the halls of Hogwarts.
"Not for that," Aries answered, inclining his head towards the Elder
Wand. "At least not yet."
"You believe that you do not need it?" It was a challenge, one that Aries
recognized.
"It is not suited for me, at least not yet." Dumbledore's eyebrows raised
and Aries pushed back the slight probe of Legilimency. "For now, my own
wand will suffice. I believe formalities will no longer be needed when I
come for the wand, Professor."
"Perhaps not. If not for the wand, then why have you come?"
"I believe we both already know the answer," Aries said with no care to
hide his annoyance. "You received my letter exactly a fortnight after your
end of term and I, nor Headmaster von Reich, have received any form of
confirmation. Your tardiness in response has been noted."
"Indeed, it has." Dumbledore ran a hand through his beard, looking
towards the stack of papers before him. "Your fifth-year examinations for
Durmstrang were impressive. Perfect marks in every subject. I was
surprised to see that you managed to take the OWLs as well. Oustandings
across the board. Your letter of approval and recommendation from
Headmaster von Reich gushed your praise, as well as detailed some of
your private studies." He let a long sigh. "Mr. Black, I have no doubt that
you could sit for your NEWTs right now and pass with at least Exceeds
Expectations, if not Oustandings, in every subject you took for your
OWLs. Your position within the Ministry would see any requirements
waived. So, perhaps the real question is this: why are you wanting to
attend Hogwarts when there is almost nothing my professors can teach
you that you do not already know?"
"Is that really the question you want to ask me? Because I think you
already know that answer." Dumbledore graced them both with his look
of surprise, before leaning back.
"I reviewed Thomas' memory of the final task many times. Your own
story lacks details that would bring it in any resemblance to the one
Thomas had told."
"I have already told you and the Order the reasoning for my lie to the
Ministry," Aries said confidently. "It has already benefited us greatly and
will continue to do so until the Dark Lord is defeated."
"Fear of a name only increases fear itself."
"I thought you were a patron of formalities. He is the Dark Lord."
"Your lies regarding the presence of Death Eaters is questionable,"
Dumbledore said, ignoring Aries' slight jab. "I understand saving the
father of your friend, but all it has done has left others to help with
Voldemort's mission."
"And reduced my credibility. It would've caused chaos within the
Wizengamot. Any steps forward we have made towards a world that can
live in harmony after the Dark Lord's fall would never have happened
without them. We both seek balance. But true balance is not having the
scales of judgment be weighed down by one side. You cannot just have
yin, you must also have yang."
"Chinese proverbs are an idealist, but not always practical."
"Yet we are not looking for idealism or practicality, rather the sum of
their equation. We must have our Malfoys to combat the Potters and vice
versa."
"So, you would see people like Diggory die for the sake of a vision? You
would let a war be raged because you believe it attributes to true
balance?"
"Did you not also believe that at one time?" Aries could feel their
argument coming to a point. "You speak as if you are not at fault as well.
You allow conflict within these halls for the sake of tradition. While the
Sorting Hat does not put entirely like-minded students together, you
allow the Slytherin House to be filled with individuals whose ambition
turns to madness. Every child of a Death Eater wears the silver and green
and I do not see that changing with me."
Dumbledore seemed troubled, as evident by the slight scrunch of his face,
and was silent for a moment. It was then that Aries noted that every
portrait of the former headmasters of Hogwarts was watching their
exchange intently, including the one of his great-grandfather.
"Cedric Diggory died of the Killing Curse," Dumbledore began, "But he
was not entirely unharmed." Aries rolled his eyes.
"All of us had just gone through the maze. We were all harmed in some
way shape or another."
"That is not entirely what I meant. When Madam Pomphrey was cleaning
his body she noticed bruising, ones that are consistent with the
Incarcerous Spell. During my review of Thomas' memory, I did not come
across any Death Eater using it nor was he subject to spell upon his
return. Can you tell me how this came to be?" Suspicion rolled off
Dumbledore's words and Aries more violently threw off his Legilimency
probe.
"Simple. One of the Death Eaters hit him with it, though who I cannot tell
you. I freed him of it during my duel with the Dark Lord, though he was
killed moments later. I was making my way to his body when we were
returned to Hogwarts, just outside Moody's office." The lie rolled off Aries
tongue easily and he hoped it was enough for the old man.
"Speaking of that, I have spoken to Fawkes. It would seem he was not the
Phoenix that returned you here."
"Then perhaps another was responsible?"
"You would have me believe that another Phoenix, out of the blue,
rescued you and brought you here?"
"Phoenixes are rare and mysterious creatures. Who I am to say what one
would or would not do?" Aries let out an agitated sigh. "Your suspicion is
noted, Professor Dumbledore, and unfortunately my time is valuable. Are
you going to approve of my transfer to Hogwarts or not?"
"You have not given me a valid reason to approve of such a thing."
"You clearly have been keeping your eye on me, one way or another. I'll
admit my reasoning for attending Hogwarts is not entirely academic,
though I would argue that they are valid reasons. The Dark Lord has
returned, and as much as you believe that I may become your enemy, I
can assure you that he is mine. The enemy of my enemy is my friend,
Professor."
"You have yet to prove that you are entirely on our side, Mr. Black."
"You have yet to give me a reason that your side is better than my own."
They sat silently across from each other for some time, neither willing to
be the first to speak. Neither wanted to lose what had become a battle of
ideals, rather than a conversation of switching schools, but Aries knew
that Dumbledore wanted him right here in this castle, where the old man
could watch his every move.
"I believe you know when the train departs, Mr. Black." Dumbledore
relented at last. "You will be sorted with the first-years, though I do not
think it to be entirely necessary."
"No," Aries answered with a smirk. "Slytherin is in my blood after all." He
only wished the old man knew just how much it did.
The bang of a gavel brought the voices of the Wizengamot to a close.
Lord Greengrass, the Chief Warlock of their assembly, turned an amused
look to Aries, who sat almost regally in House Black's seat.
"Lord Black," the Chief Warlock greeted with some humor, "I see you
have another matter to present before us. I hope you do not intend to
give this council any more grey hairs." Aries chuckled along with the rest
of the Wizengamot as he stood and made his way to the floor.
"I wish I could say it was so, Chief Warlock," Aries called out. "Alas, I'm
afraid that my matter today may be a bit more controversial than my
past presentations." He paused for a moment, waiting for the full
attention of the Wizengamot. Once they were all silent, he turned to
Madam Bones. "Tell me, if you would, what the Department of Magical
Law Enforcements defines insanity as?"
"Madness, irrationality, dementia." Bones answered curiously.
"And if one was insane, are their actions really their own?"
"It would depend on the level of insanity."
"And you agree that the use of the Cruciatus Curse can cause insanity?"
"Through prolonged expose, yes."
"Must it be used in one occurrence or can the continued exposure in short
bursts over a long period of time cause insanity as well?"
"The last war gave us the answer rather often, Lord Black." Bones
answered with heat. "Though it is not out of reach to assume that the
latter can occur as well."
"What is the meaning of this line of questioning Lord Black?" The Chief
Warlock asked before he could continue.
"I can assure you, Chief Warlock, that I am about to show you. I just have
one more question for Director Bones." He turned to her again. "If I were
to use the Cruciatus Curse on an individual, which resulted in that person
being considered insane, enough so that their views of right and wrong
became twisted, and they committed the act of murder on my command,
who would be charged with a crime?"
"You would be, my Lord. If it was determined that the individual could
no longer determine that murder was wrong both legally and morally,
they would be detained at Saint Mungo's and you would be convicted and
sent to Azkaban, if not receive the Dementor's Kiss."
"I personally agree with that assessment, Director, and it is what I will
request next that will be the difficult part." Aries took a deep breath. "As
the Head of House Black, I call for the release of Bellatrix Lestrange nee
Black from Azkaban under the plea of insanity." There was a shocked
silence and then the entire hall exploded in noise. He waited patiently,
though sending an annoyed look towards Lord Greengrass as he
attempted to reign in the crazed assembly.
"Surely you are insane, Lord Black," came the voice of Director Bones as
the yelling died out.
"I have in my possession a detailed report from a renowned mind healer
of Saint Mungo's who, with my permission, studied Bellatrix's mind and
came to the same conclusion as I did: the prolonged use of the Cruciatus
Curse, as well as the repeated use of Legilimency, has warped and ruined
her mind into insanity." The Wizengamot tried to erupt again but Aries
stopped them. "Igor Karkaroff, in his statement securing his freedom,
commented under Veritaserum that the Dark Lord repeatedly used the
Cruciatus Curse not only on his victims, but on his servants as well. It is
well noted that Bellatrix Lestrange was among the ones that received his
wrath more than most. It is also noted that rather than hear reports from
his Death Eaters, the Dark Lord would use his gift of Legilimency to
forcefully rip the information from their minds, as he often did with his
victims. Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black exhibits signs of both of these
actions as documented by a Ministry certified official." He pulled the
report from his robes and handed it to Director Bones. The Wizengamot
was silently and eagerly awaiting her word as she methodically looked
over the report. She let out a long sigh before facing the council.
"Lord Black speaks true." Director Bones announced, almost dejectedly. "If
this was brought before me, we could not convict her of any crimes, as
we would be unsure of exactly when she became clinically insane."
"She is a Death Eater!" Amos Diggory's voice rang out through the hall.
"She took the mark and therefore is a criminal!"
"And at what point did becoming a Death Eater start being a crime?"
Aries questioned the hall. "At what point does believing in something
become a crime? Many of your forget but the Dark Lord was not always a
dark lord. He was charismatic. Many found him to be handsome. Smart.
An idealist. An individual with a vision to create a world that resounded
with those around him. So, they joined him. What was a mark in
exchange for a better world? And then the killing started. And the
torture. Suddenly that charismatic man was a monster who was more
powerful than any other in centuries. Who are we to know who stayed
with him out of loyalty or fear?"
"Any good man would have died rather than stay." A voice called out.
"Would they? If the Dark Lord walked into your home and told you that
if you did not join him, he would slaughter your family, would you watch
it happen? If so then you are a better man than many. What is honor in
exchange for the love of another? Would you watch your children die for
your honor? Many would not. And if we say that simply joining the Dark
Lord before he ever murdered anyone is a crime, isn't fourteen years in
Azkaban enough justice?"
"So, the lives of Frank and Alice Longbottom mean nothing to you?" Aries
turned to Augusta Longbottom, the mother of Frank Longbottom, who sat
silently behind Diggory.
"What happened to the Longbottoms was tragic. But it is my belief that
the true cause was the Dark Lord, not Bellatrix. I cannot change what
happened to them, but I can do what I can for my house. Bellatrix is a
Black, and I would see her returned home where we can begin to heal
what is left of her mind from the ravaging of the Dark Lord. I only hope
that you can see that it was not truly Bellatrix that went to the
Longbottom's home that night. Rather a twisted version of the Dark Lord
controlling her. If those under the Imperious Curse now walk free, then I
see no reason why Bellatrix should not return to the House of Black."
Aries knocked on the wooden door three loud times before stepping back
next to Cassiopeia and Sirius. It was a warm summer evening that
brought to this wooden door with a purpose very similar to that which
brought him before the Wizengamot just days prior: the return of
estranged family members. Andromeda Tonks, unlike Sirius, had been
formally disowned and stricken from the House of Black years ago when
she had run off and married her muggleborn husband, Ted. Aries had met
their daughter, Nymphadora Tonks, and was expecting the up and
coming Auror to join them this evening. While Aries was rather
optimistic about the situation, Cassiopeia and Sirius did share in his
belief.
A middle-aged woman with light brown hair and soft, wide eyes opened
the door cautiously, glancing between the three skeptically before silently
waving them inside. Truth be told, Aries was surprised Andromeda had
even answered his request, let alone accepted. It was why he was so
optimistic, but he knew there were obstacles they would all have to
maneuver through.
Andromeda seemed to have no interest in pleasantries and led them
straight to the dining hall where Ted and Dora awaited. It was no
surprise that Aries found himself sitting at the end of the table facing
Andromeda with Ted on her right next to Sirius and Dora on her left next
to Cassi. He sat where the Lord of House Black would across from the
head of their household. One would expect Ted Tonks to fill that role, but
Andromeda remembered some of her training and understood that their
house would never recognize him in that position. This left only
Andromeda, the reason they were here in the first place.
"Forgive the rudeness, my Lord," Andromeda started with some sarcasm.
"Dinner is here to make what I believe to be an unpleasant conversation
somewhat bearable. I don't want to sit through arguments when we can
at least enjoy food and get on with our lives."
"I think we can forgo the formalities," Aries responded. "We have not met
though I highly doubt that you are unaware of who I am. Aries Black,
Lord of House Black. I believe you recognize Cassiopeia and Sirius." He
turned to Ted, who seemed unsure of just what to do. "I have met your
daughter before but I am glad to meet you. From what I hear you have
loved a daughter of my house and raised an excellent Auror." Andromeda
raised her eyebrows at his statement but remained silent.
"Thank you, Aries," Ted said with a sideways glance at Andromeda, who
simply nodded. "I have to admit, welcoming the new Lord Black into our
home was not something I ever expected to do." Now it was Aries' turn to
glance sideways at Cassiopeia, who seemed to way her options before
nodding.
"Perhaps then dinner was not necessary at all," Aries stated, frowning at
his plate. "Andromeda, years ago you were banished from the House of
Black. Then, the reasoning was just and one that I cannot help but agree
with even now. That being said, forgiveness should never be out of reach.
House Black stands divided. I would see it united." He took a moment to
look at each member of the Tonks family before continuing. "I, Aries,
Lord of House Black, would see Andromeda reinstated in the House of
Black. Her husband, Theodore Tonks, and her daughter, Nymphadora
Tonks, would be therefore recognized as scions of House Black."
The shock of his proclamation was not lost on the three hosts. Ted and
Dora were downright flabbergasted and Andromeda's mouth kept
opening and closing. Aries made no move to speak, rather hoping that
their wits would return to them sooner rather than later.
"Why would you do this?" Ted asked.
"The time for our family to squabble over differences has passed,"
Cassiopeia said firmly. "The Dark Lord tore this family apart in the
previous war. We would see our family rise above the pettiness that has
plagued it for generations and see it rise to greatness."
"Voldemort was not the reason this family was torn apart." Andromeda
nearly spat out the name of the Dark Lord and sent a glare towards her
aunt. "Bigotry and racism have done more damage than any monster
could."
"And what of selfishness?" Aries asked quietly. The eyes of everyone
turned to the Black lord. "You turned your back on your family for a
muggleborn. Disobeying your father without any means of reconciliation
or compromise."
"He disowned her!" Ted exclaimed.
"And what else should he have done?" Aries gave the man a curious
glance before turning to Andromeda. "Lord Lestrange was a powerful
man and the implied support of the Dark Lord did not go unnoticed.
Turning down his marriage offer was out of the question for Cygnus, who
too often lived in the shadows of Orion. When you ran off and eloped,
the entire reputation of the Black family was at stake. We could not
afford a blood-feud with the Lestranges and the others that would have
supported him. So you were disowned, Bellatrix married Rudolphus
instead, and all was forgiven."
"All was forgiven?" Aries could see the light of anger in Andromeda's
eyes. "You speak as if this is some fairy tale and everything happened as
it should've."
"It did, considering all the alternatives." Cassiopeia interrupted. "The
Lestranges felt that you had been punished enough and did not pursue
vengeance. The battles between the Order and the Dark Lord
notwithstanding of course. You live your life freely now, with a loving
husband and a successful daughter. All that remains is returning to your
family."
"This is my family now." Andromeda's voice was firm and her eyes
hardened. Ted and Dora did not reflect her certainty. Dora was not a
surprise but Ted was for sure. Perhaps it would be the muggleborn whom
she had left her family for that would get her to return. Aries took a deep
breath before rising to his feet.
"Regardless, my offer remains. Whatever you choose, if you ever need
something I am here to help. We may not see eye to eye on certain things
Andromeda, but we're family. Disowned or not. I could reinstate you
without your approval, but I will not do so." He nodded to Dora, hoping
she could help her father change Andromeda's mind and turned to leave.
He knew that Sirius stayed, though he did not hear the words his uncle
spoke. All he knew was that when Sirius returned, he looked more
dejected than he had ever seen him in the short time they had known one
another.
"Come on Aries, you can't really think you'll be in Slytherin," Thomas said
enjoying the older boy's annoyance.
"The Black family has a bit of a tradition in being in Slytherin, Potter."
"Sirius was in Gryffindor. Besides your outgoing attitude would fit well
with us." He had to fight hard from bursting into laughter at Aries' near
horrified look, though it quickly disappeared as they entered Diagon
Alley. Hermione and Ron hung back slightly from them and Thomas was
again reminded of the library incident. Their friendship had been
strained since then and Aries outburst including a certain m-word had
not helped anything. Thomas reminding Ron that he also tended to say
things he did not mean when he was angry had only made matters worse.
"Weasley and Granger seem to be close these days." The nonchalant tone
that Aries spoke with reminded Thomas way too much of Malfoy in his
opinion.
"Can you read my mind?" Thomas asked a bit paranoid.
"I am gifted in the Mind Arts," Aries replied, giving him his trademark
curious glance. "Though I do not read your mind Potter. It's not a book."
"Well whatever it is, you seemed to always say what's on my mind."
"You wear your thoughts on your sleeve, I think anyone with any sense of
observation could tell what was on your mind." Aries glanced back at the
two behind them. "Some friends aren't meant to last forever Potter."
"What's that supposed to mean?" The older boy never got a chance to
answer as Thomas was suddenly engulfed in red hair. Susan Bones had
nearly tackled him with her hug. Their embrace kept the frustrated look
of Aries hidden from them.
"Thomas!" She pecked his cheek quickly before pulling away. "It's good to
see you again. The summer has been dreadful not being able to visit."
"Yeah, sorry about that," Thomas replied with a slight shrug of his
shoulders. "Mum and dad have been a bit paranoid lately with everything
going on." Susan went to say something else, but suddenly noticed the
presence of Aries, who had been far too interested in the books of
Flourish and Blotts window.
"What are you doing here?" Susan's change in tone was immediate and
would have cut like ice if Aries cared about her opinion at all.
"Taking a lovely stroll through the alley. Purchasing books for school.
You know, normal things."
"I meant what are you doing here with-"
"Susan, it's okay." Thomas interrupted, looking slightly worried his red-
headed girlfriend might trying to duel the older boy right here in the
street. "It's complicated but everything's alright." She looked back and
forth between them, before crossing her arms.
"You owe me an explanation."
"I'll explain on the way to Hogwarts." Susan went to respond but Thomas
cut her off. "We can't talk about it here. You have to wait. I'm sorry."
The rest of the day was eventful though Thomas did feel sorry about
Aries. He had overheard that Daphne had already been to Diagon Alley
and that Draco would be going the next day. Honestly, Thomas had no
idea why Aries had chosen to come along that day, but he hoped that it
was a sign that their awkward friendship could continue into the school
year. It was when they left Quality Quidditch Supplies when it happened.
Thomas suddenly became aware of Aries tensing up beside him and that
their Order bodyguards were nowhere to be found, and there had been
more than a few. He started reaching for his wand when the street before
them exploded. The bright blue aura of Aries erecting a shield was the
last thing Thomas saw before the slight pull of his navel whisked him
away back to Godric's Hollow.
Lord Black criticizes Ministry following Diagon Alley Attack!
Witches and Wizards, it was not even an hour after the shocking events
at Diagon Alley that Lord Black, 16, was in the Minister of Magic's
office criticizing the supposed reforms of the Department of Magical
Law Enforcement. Following the meeting with Minister Fudge, Lord
Black chose to have his concerns voiced here with your favorite writer,
Rita Skeeter. When asked just what he had spoken with the Minister
about, he had this to say: "A few months ago two students of Hogwarts
and one of Durmstrang were kidnapped from Hogwarts by a madman.
The Minister has yet to provide any proof that this person is anywhere
close to being caught. Today innocent people were attacked and we're
lucky that no one was fatally injured. Director Bones has complained
again and again that despite the increase of funding and recruitment,
the Ministry is still keeping them on a leash. I think its high time that
Cornelius stops trying to please everyone and allows the DMLE and the
Auror Department to find and apprehend these criminals." Lord Black's
statements seemed to echo with many of the Ministry employees
themselves and the very members of the Wizengamot. The Minister's
office was flooded with complaints and rallying cries for support of the
well-known desires of Director Bones have filled the Ministry's halls.
Assistant Head Auror Sirius Black declined to comment on the target of
the Diagon Alley attack, but Auror Potter, as well as others, believe that
his son, Thomas Potter, was the intended target. This raises questions of
if the supposed madman from the Tri-Wizard Tournament was behind
the attack and if so, what will Minister Fudge do about it? Is it time for
perhaps a different wizard to be in charge?
Aries threw the article to the side with a small smirk as he sat outside the
Wizengamot chamber. Rita was proving to be an invaluable asset and
with the profits that she was getting, he hardly had to pay her. The idea
that Aries Black was not someone to be messed with was beginning to
really settle in, and the fact that an entirely new guideline for the
Department of Magical Law Enforcement, graciously co-written by Black
himself, passed not twenty-four hours later hammered the idea home. It
made what he was waiting on now, an almost certainty.
"Are you sure about this?" Cassiopeia asked. "Don't get me wrong, I am
excited to see Bella again and back to her old self before that maniac
came along. Still, do you think it's worth it?"
"The locket, the diary, Malfoy and Black." Aries recited trying to suppress
the shiver of remembering how the locket had affected him. "Powerful
objects. Powerful families. Loyal followers. There are questions that need
answering."
"Why not just take it from Lucius? That man could rot in Azkaban for all I
care."
"I will not do that to Draco's father." He answered sternly. "Besides Lucius
could come of use. I will need to be in Bellatrix's mind often to heal her. I
should come across the information I need. No one was closer to the Dark
Lord than her. We should learn a great deal from her and have someone
on the inside we can trust."
"You'll trust her?"
"Indoctrination works both ways, Aunt Cassi."
"I see," Cassi answered, though somewhat disapprovingly. "If it must be
done, then some be it. But speaking of having someone on the inside, you
are aware of Severus are you not?"
"That he has been instructed to attempt to bring me into the Dark Lord's
fold?" Aries asked. "Yes, though I hope to swing him to our side."
"Be careful." She warned as the doors to the Wizengamot opened. "He is
far more than a simple Potions master." Aries nodded in agreement
before walking through the doors. There was a sense of finality to many
of those seated before him, but he could sense much apprehension from
the liberal party. Lord Greengrass banged his gavel three times, bringing
the whispers of the hall to a halt.
"Lord Black, this council has made its decision regarding your request
and the evidence provided by you." The Chief Warlock began. "During
the time between your request and now, another investigation was
completed, one that only confirmed the information brought before us
previously. While the vote was not unanimous, it was an overwhelming
majority." Greengrass took a breath before addressing them again.
"Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black is henceforth placed on probation. As
outlined in the formal written request from Lord Black, she will be placed
on house arrest at a home of his choosing. She will be required to be seen
monthly at Saint Mungo's by professional mind healers to study the
progress of her mental rehabilitation, though the manner of her healing is
to remain up to Lord Black as Head of House Black. The allegations of
being a Death Eater are not reversed, however in one year's time should
more evidence be submitted, we will consider the removal of the charge
of her assault on Frank and Alice Longbottom." There was a slight
murmur of unrest here, but Lord Greengrass continued. "Many in this hall
know the claims of Albus Dumbledore and the Potter family. While there
is no proof of the Dark Lord's return, the recent attack on Diagon Alley
reinforces this condition." Aries met Lord Greengrass' look with a
challenging look of his own. "Bellatrix Lestrange is not to own a wand or
perform any magic intentionally until she is considered to be medically
sane if that day ever comes. If at any point she should perform any act
considered to be in the nature of a Death Eater and attempt to finish the
work her former master wished, then she will forfeit all rights given this
day and upon immediate capture by the Department of Magical Law
Enforcement be subjected to the Dementor's Kiss. Do you, Lord Black,
accept this condition given by the Wizengamot?"
"I do." Aries tone was like a sword that cut through the Wizengamot.
Truthfully, he had expected as much, but he would not let his
disappointment go unnoticed. He was thankful when the meeting ended
and quickly made his exit, flanked by two wizards a foot behind him.
They were former students of Durmstrang, ones that had graduated just
last year, and were excellent duelists. Dark purple robes covered them,
with leather gauntlets over their forearms. Each walked with a tall
wooden staff, characteristic of the Battle Magics class taught at
Durmstrang. Gunter and Jurgen had often acted as bodyguards
throughout his first few years at Durmstrang and had leaped at the
opportunity to resume their post following the attack of Diagon Alley.
Their presence, nor the Black crest woven onto their breast and the
ancient symbol of the Praetorian Guard on their cloaks, went unnoticed
by the members of the Wizengamot exiting the chamber. It dissuaded
many from approaching him, but not Lucius Malfoy.
"Personal guards? A bit paranoid Lord Black?" Lucius drawled.
"I'm afraid they insisted on coming with me." Aries drawled back.
"Having powerful friends can be rewarding, don't you agree?"
"And did they insist of the choice of insignia? The Praetorian Guards of
the Roman Empire if I remember correctly." The blonde hair wizard
looked disdainfully at the two guards, who stared back with no emotion.
"Many here will remember that the Praetorians guarded the muggle
emperor and the wizard one. It might not go over so well with those who
will come to power." Aries smirked darkly before leaning forward.
"It wasn't meant to," Aries whispered to Lucius. "The Dark Lord has his
servants and I have mine. There's only room in this world for one ruler
and I can assure you that I will be the emperor of this world." Lucius
recoiled with a glare looking around to make sure no one had overheard
them.
"Releasing Bellatrix was a mistake. I don't know what happened between
you two in the graveyard but right now no one is allowed to move
against you. The Dark Lord favors Bella more than anyone. You just
might lose your exemption over this. Serve the Dark Lord and we can
make this world right."
"Oh, I don't think so," Aries said confidently. "He has much worse to
worry about than where Bellatrix is staying. It's kind of you to worry
about me Lucius, but you should be worrying about yourself. Maybe you
should think of switching sides before it's too late."
"This isn't a game Black!" Lucius whispered fiercely. "Sooner or later your
games will catch up to you and the Dark Lord will see you as an enemy
rather than a weapon to wield."
"I'll be waiting for the day, Lucius. I just hope for Draco's sake that you're
on the right side." Aries left his uncle and best friend's father fuming in
the Ministry's halls. Lucius attempts to sway him to the Dark Lord's side
were futile, but Aries had been sincere. He knew at some point Lucius
would have to die if he remained with the Dark Lord and he really did
not want to kill Draco's father if he didn't have to.
Aries' home in Germany was unusually quiet when Sirius Black walked
through the front door. Aries waited for him and cringed at the sight of
Bellatrix Lestrange. They had been granted permission to place the
Imperious Curse on her during the travel trip to the continent, but it did
nothing to hinder the horrid look of her. When Aries had visited her in
Azkaban, he had hardly looked at her, focusing on the state of her mind
instead, but nothing kept him from taking in her appearance now. Her
face was gaunt and her once thick, shiny hair had dulled and frayed. It
reminded him of Hermione's hair, though somehow still much more
managed. If one was looking at her she would seem clumsy, yet still
walked with a grace that many would have been envious of. Sirius
silently walked her up the halls until at last, they arrived at the room
they had prepared her. Once they had forced her to lay on the bed, Aries
placed a comatose spell on her and bound her to the bound.
"That should keep her body in a healthy stasis, though Narcissa has
already provided me with nutritional potions that should heal her body,"
Aries said softly. "I have a month left until Hogwarts to radically heal her
mind."
"Cissy is here?" Sirius asked, seeming to have not heard anything else
Aries has said.
"Yes, though she left to get Draco."
"Why does she want Draco here?"
Aries was saved from giving an explanation at the sound of the front door
opening again and a familiar voice met his ears. Andromeda Tonks, with
her husband and daughter in tow, stood awkwardly next to Narcissa and
Draco in the entrance of his home.
"Can you do it?" It was a vague statement but Aries knew what she was
asking.
"It will take a toll. On her and I, but yes, I can heal her. She will never be
the same and she will remember everything, but perhaps she can be a
portion of how she used to be. It would be easier of course if you were
here with her during it all." That at last seemed to break Andromeda, her
stern appearance softening.
"Do you really mean all of it?" Andromeda asked quietly. "Restoring our
house, making it better, making the world better?"
"Yes," Aries answered resolutely. "And even more."
"Then I, no we, accept your offer." Narcissa and Sirius suddenly shared
looks of joy before simultaneously embracing Andromeda, and Sirius
shook Ted's hand rather violently.
"I cannot tell you how pleased I am to hear it," Aries said with a genuine
smile. "I think a feast is in order, and no doubt our Head Elf has prepared
one for the ages."
Aries, at last, slipped away from the feast. It had been awkward at first
but slowly they had all opened up. These moments were perhaps what
best separated the Dark Lord from himself, as Aries cherished them while
the latter saw only weakness. He made his way towards his study and
took his seat, waiting for his guest to arrive. It had taken a lot of effort to
coerce the mind healers and others to give the reports and votes
necessary to bring Bellatrix home, though her mind was indeed insane.
Hours spent talking with Dora, while enjoyable, had rewarded him at last
with the return of Andromeda and her family to the House of Black. The
estranged Black family was once again whole. It was just one more step
along the way to restoring their house to greatness. The flash of his
private floo coming to life brought him from his musing as Remus Lupin
entered the study.
"My Lord," Remus greeted, bowing deeply before him.
"There is no need for such formalities here, Remus. Sirius is downstairs
celebrating." Aries instructed. "Please sit." Once Remus had seated, he
poured them both a glass of firewhiskey. "The conservation has been an
overwhelming success these past two months. Your hard work and
dedication have paid off. I'm impressed."
"Thank you."
"And the recruitment?"
"It goes well. It wasn't hard to find those that didn't seem suited for desk
work."
"Good, good. Our army grows and the Dark Lord's dwindles." The sudden
change of the Daily Prophet's front cover caught his eye. "Your work in
Diagon Alley was excellent. I honestly didn't think you had it in you.
Attacking all those families and children."
"It was. . . difficult. But if I have learned anything its that the ends justify
the means."
"Indeed, they do, my friend." Aries sighed at the slight remorse in Remus'
face. "One day Sirius, James, Lily, and all of them will understand. We
bear the burden that they cannot. This war requires sacrifice, one that
not all are willing to give. We're making a better world Remus, remember
that always."
AN: Next chapter: The Trial of Thomas Potter.
19. The Trial of Thomas Potter
AN: We are nearing the end of the summer and the return to
Hogwarts is near. As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if
you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
Thomas did not know why they had to do this every year. These people
did not even want them in their home. As far as he knew the muggles did
not consider them family, even though his mom was the woman's sister.
Petunia might be his aunt, and Vernon might be his uncle, but truth be
told family was the last thing he considered them to be as well. Every
single year they came out to this dreadful and perfect home just to have
his parents ignore all the side comments the Dursley's threw at them. Not
to mention he had to put up with Dudley's bullying just so his mom could
keep some sort of relationship with her sister. After everything that had
happened with Harry, he had thought they would never see them. He
knew his father hated these muggles, and he could never understand how
his father was could be so polite to them.
No one had ever told him just why Petunia hated his mother so much,
though he had a guess it had to do something with Hogwarts. It could
have been that she ended up with someone like Vernon, who seemed to
get fatter with every year, while his mum ended up with his dad, a rich
guy that did not seem to break the couch when he sat. Though Petunia
seemed happy enough with her life, it was just when they arrived that
she was unhappy, or at least that was what she made them believe.
His mother signaling that he could leave the house for some fresh air
nearly caused him to burst into joy, and he did his best not to run
outside. Thomas knew he was not genuinely alone since, after
Voldemort's return, he had never really been alone beside when he was
sleeping or in the loo. He was aware that there were at least two
bodyguards from the Order following, well hidden under invisibility
cloaks and ready for a fight if it happened. Any attack was doubtful in his
opinion though, as just because people knew his mother was
muggleborns did not mean anyone knew where her dreadful sister lived.
"Running away already, freak?" Dudley's voice quickly turned what had
been a peaceful walk into a nightmare. Countless times before, when
there had not been Order bodyguards, Dudley had taken to physically
bullying him, and as they grew older, he made sure to punch where no
one could see the bruises right away. Thomas had always been forced to
take the beating since Dudley outweighed him and he could not use
magic outside of school, at least not here where there were no powerful
wards to block the Trace.
"Just away from you, Dudley," Thomas said with a sigh. "I don't get why
either of our families wastes time with it." He had thought Dudley was
going to hit him, but he was just staring at him in what Thomas thought
was a confused face. "You know my mum loves your mum. I mean they're
sisters. She just wants to have her sister back to how it used to be. I don't
see why that's such a big deal."
Thomas waited for an answer, perhaps beginning the first real
conversation between the two boys, but suddenly the sky grew
unnaturally dark, and the wind started to race. A chill went up his spine
as it reminded him of Aries' duel with Cedric during the Tri-Wizard
Tournament, yet no lightning or thunder came, but it was getting
remarkably cold.
"What are you doing, Thomas?" He barely recognized that Dudley had
called him by his first name before, but he knew what he heard in his
voice: fear.
"I'm not doing anything!" Thomas drew his wand though, ready for
whatever was causing the sudden, unnatural storm. Frantically he
searched for his bodyguards, who should have come racing to him by
now, but they were nowhere to be found. He reached to his chest for this
portkey, but his heart dropped as he realized it wasn't on him. His walk
had taken him far from his cousin's house, but he saw a small tunnel
where they could take cover from the wind. "Come on, follow me!"
They rushed towards the tunnel as heavy rain began pouring from the
sky. A dreadful feeling that Thomas could not explain was creeping up
into him, and it became even worse as the water on the ground began to
freeze. Then Thomas came face to face with his first Dementor.
Thomas knew the spell to repel the horrifying creature and how to use it,
but as the Dementor drew closer, his happiest memories seemed to slip
from him. Darkness closed in around him when suddenly a bright light
flashed throughout the tunnel. He thought he heard a terrifying scream
and the Dementor recoiled from the light. Vaguely Thomas could hear his
mother's voice as his father's face came into view.
"Thomas, can you hear me?" He tried to answer, but words seemed
confusing, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
"My son did nothing to Dudley," James said with anger. "It was the
Dementors."
"The what?" Vernon asked as he did his best to match the venom in
James' voice.
"Dementors," Lily answered. "They guard our prison. But there's no reason
why they would come here."
"I need to report to the Ministry." James left quickly, and Lily heard the
loud pop as he apparated away. Many things had gone wrong today with
the top two being the sudden disappearance of Order guards for Thomas
and then the Dementor attack. Her eyes rested on Thomas who was
asleep on one side of the couch with Dudley on the other side.
"Dudley will be fine," Lily said, trying to soothe her sister. "Chocolate will
help him feel better."
"Perhaps it would be best if you left." Petunia's words struck deep inside
her and Lily could only nod. She woke up Thomas, who just gave her a
groggy acknowledgment, before lifting to anti-portkey spell and
activating the portkey she wore. Sirius was waiting for them along with
Albus Dumbledore. Lily had found that Sirius tended to avoid the
Headmaster, though she was unsure why. He seemed to be tolerating his
presence now as he rushed forward to grab Thomas.
"What in the hell happened?" Sirius was pulling Thomas over to the table,
where the now well-mannered Kreacher had laid out a smorgasbord of
chocolate desserts and drinks.
"I also wish to know what has occurred." Albus echoed gravely. "Thomas,
if you could tell us between sips of the excellent hot cocoa Kreacher has
provided."
"I can't really explain it," Thomas answered awkwardly. "One second we
were there and the next thing a storm blew in. But I knew it wasn't
natural. It felt like the storm Aries created back in the tournament." Lily
caught the slight way Albus glanced towards Sirius, who tensed up at
Aries' name. "Then it got so cold, and it started to rain. So, we rushed
over to that tunnel. And then the Dementor's showed up." Thomas
shivered suddenly. "I tried to cast the Patronus charm, but I couldn't get
it to work. But then mum and dad showed up and were able to get rid of
them."
"Who could have done this Albus?"
"I'm not sure," Albus replied. "But unfortunately, this is only the
beginning of our problems."
He floated through the grey of Bellatrix's mind, searching for his prize. A
wasteland that seemed to want to attack him at every move but was too
preoccupied with fighting itself, as if both he and her own mind were
foreign entities. At soft points he would smooth out the radicalization,
attempting to rid her mind of anything that seemed to be the cause of the
Dark Lord's Legilimency. Aries tried not to think about how he knew how
to do this, but the images of Bellatrix's mind were more than a reminder
to the mind of Arianna than he wanted to admit. Hours each day he spent
working at his task of freeing Bellatrix's mind, hoping that it would, at
last, give him a final clue to the mystery of Slytherin's locket that had
plagued him for the summer. He had yet to wake her from the magically
induced coma, somewhat unsure of the form her mind would take when
freed.
Aries pulled out of Bellatrix's mind as he felt a presence enter the room,
one he immediately recognized as Cassiopeia. She had been very busy
this summer helping Remus with the Werewolf Conservation, providing
logistics to the Praetorian Guard which had become his own private
army, and collecting as much blackmail as she could on all the prominent
figures in Magical Britain. Cassi seemed slightly annoyed, though Aries
could guess where it was directed, as she examined her formerly
imprisoned niece.
"Any success?" Cassiopeia asked, no doubt probing the outer edges of
Bellatrix's mind.
"Some," Aries answered slightly less victoriously than he would have
hoped by now. "The Dark Lord's rape of her mind goes beyond what I
thought. At times his lingering presence seems to fight against my own
repairs."
"Perhaps another avenue of approach would yield better results?" He
stood up, turning away from Bellatrix and leaving the room, Cassi
following closely.
"No. Bellatrix has the key. The locket, the diary. . . These powerful
artifacts are connected to the Dark Lord. If anyone knew of their exact
importance, it would be her."
"Have you considered opening Lord Slytherin's locket?" Aries eyed her
suspiciously. The question came out more as a challenge than one would
expect.
"I have considered it." He replied slowly. "But the magic surrounding it is.
. . Complicated. There is a darkness there that seems to draw one in. I
will not risk opening it until I know the spell it contains, and how to
counter it."
"A responsible answer," Cassiopeia said approvingly, taking a seat at their
table. "I had feared that you might become reckless considering its ties to
you and your ancestor." Aries was about to respond when the door burst
open. Fleur Delacour walked through and stopped immediately, a slight
blush rising into her cheeks. Her presence would not have been too bad,
Aries considered, if she wore more than the red bra and thong that clung
tightly to her. Fleur took one look at Cassiopeia, who was struggling to
contain her anger, before hastily leaving the kitchen. Aries enjoyed the
site of her quick exit before turning to Cassiopeia somewhat amused.
"Is her presence necessary, Aries?" Cassi asked through gritted teeth.
"Of course." He doubted his cheekiness helped, but when did anyone ever
see Cassi so flustered? "I need to keep up good relations with the
Delacour's, especially with the French Ministry's ball upcoming."
"And I suppose keeping those 'good relations' requires fucking Jean
Delacour's daughter every night?"
"Every other night is the minimum requirement," Aries answered with a
smirk. "At least, that's what Fleur says."
"I wonder how the Greengrasses feel about this arrangement?" Cassi
smirked at what she believed to be a good move in their verbal chess
match.
"No doubt Lord Greengrass cares little. His cooperation came without the
marriage contract to his daughter."
"Yes, but what will he say when his beloved daughter is shamed and
embarrassed by her lover's infidelity? Perhaps he will believe you have
wronged her and decide to gift his cooperation elsewhere?"
"I can deal with the Greengrasses," Aries answered, anger flashing into his
eyes. "You can rest assured of that."
They sat in silence for some time, as Aries considered what his aunt had
said. Did he really want to marry Daphne? Perhaps at one point but that
opinion had begun to change, as tying himself to one person would
eliminate potential avenues to power that Aries may not be able to
afford. He had avoided her since the dinner with their family, opting to
attempt to stay within the good graces of the Chief Warlock. But then
again came the question of Daphne or Fluer. Daphne was indeed
powerful, though not nearly as powerful as Fleur, but the veela would
never equal the English's girls ability to traverse British politics. England,
however, was only one part of the world he would one day rule. There
was time to figure these things out, so he pushed them from his mind,
just as Cassi began to speak again.
"What are your intentions with Potter's trial?" Aries raised his eyebrows
at that.
"Nothing." He answered honestly. "It's open and shut. I looked at Auror
Potter's incident report. The Wizengamot will clear his son of all charges."
Cassi studied him for a moment before leaning forward.
"The grays are fully in your control, so long as you do not anger Lord
Greengrass." Cassi began, a thoughtful look dressed on her face. "The
conservatives are with you now, and those who cling to the Dark Lord
are beginning to see you as a better alternative to a madman. The
liberals, however, need some work to come to your side."
"You have my attention. What do you suggest?"
"Heir Potter is a member of one of the oldest families. A Most Noble and
Most Ancient family. That family is also a strictly light family. There is
perhaps a way to earn the gratitude of all the Wizengamot, including the
conservatives. And at the same time remind Fudge that he is not the one
truly in charge."
James Potter, along with his wife and soon to be on trial son, rushed
through the Ministry of Magic, trying to reach the courtroom as fast as
possible. They had just received the last-minute notification that Thomas'
trial had not only been moved but had also be scheduled three hours
earlier. He had tried to reach Dumbledore, but nothing had worked to
find him, not even a Patronus. They were almost to the elevator when
Sirius stepped in front of them.
"Move Sirius!" James shouted.
"Wait, Head Auror Scrimgeour needs to see you right now, James," Sirius
said, looking far more severe than he ever had.
"Tell Scrimgeour he can shove-"
"Auror Potter," Sirius said sternly. "That wasn't a request." The two friends
glared at each other hotly before Lily stepped in between them.
"That's enough you two," Lily said turning to James. "Go and then hurry
to the trial." James gritted his teeth before nodding and rushed off to
Scrimgeour's office. He paid no attention to the Head Auror's secretary
and threw the door open to his office.
"James, welcome please have a seat." Rufus Scrimgeour greeted.
"Biscuit?" James quickly took his seat, waving off the biscuit.
"I think you forgot about my son's trial. I need to go right now."
"Yes, I'm afraid I can't let you go to that. Orders."
"Orders?!" James yelled. "If it's the Minister's orders he can go shove them
right up his ass!"
"Well now that we know how you really feel," Rufus said with a laugh. "It
was not the Minister who ordered me. Rather it was Lord Black."
"What?" Anger swelled within James. Was that boy trying to get his son
expelled? Was the Black lord trying to get him fired as well? "Why would
you even listen to that brat?"
"Perhaps you should take care with how you describe a lord, Auror
Potter. And to be honest, because I agreed with his explanation. Also, I
believe now is a good time to have this chat." Rufus took a deep breath,
appreciating that James did not interrupt his pause. "Do you know how
many times the Minister has tried to fire you since the end of the Tri-
Wizard Tournament? Weekly. If not twice or more a week. Do you have
any idea who you have to thank for that?"
"You?" James guessed weakly.
"The House of Black. More specifically Lord Black himself." Rufus
corrected, much to James' astonishment. "I think you can guess that
Fudge is running himself into a grave and soon he will be removed.
Especially considering the Dark Lord's return."
"What? I thought you agreed with the Minister!"
"Agree with that blubbering fool? No. Lord Black told me the truth
immediately. And he has played the Minster and the Wizengamot like
puppets on a string. Once Fudge is removed, Lord Black needs only speak
a name, and we will have a new Minister of Magic. And when that
happens, we will, of course, need a new Head Auror." James' mouth
seemed to drop, though without him noticing.
"You?" Potter said when he had, at last, regained control of his mouth.
"I believe so. Though I cannot be quite for sure. It would make sense.
Sirius Black will never become Head Auror, though perhaps the Head of
the DMLE itself if I could guess. And when I am gone there is only one
logical replacement: you."
"I don't understand." Rufus sighed very audibly. His time as a Slytherin
truly made him appreciate what Lord Black was doing, but it made
dealing with this Gryffindor complicated.
"He intends to make you Head Auror if what I have come to suspect plays
out. It's only logical. Especially when one considers that you will have an
excellent Assistant Head in Sirius Black. Now, your animosity with Lord
Black, and in turn, your former friend Sirius, is well known. But to be
frank James, at this point you owe your job and any future you have in it
to Lord Black. I would recommend that from now on you be more. . .
Amiable to him. He is not as bad as you believe he is. Have I made
myself clear, Auror Potter?"
James stared back incredulously for many moments, struggling to accept
what he had heard. Did he really owe all that to Aries? And why would
Aries make him Head Auror? Honestly, it did not entirely make sense to
him, as it contradicted everything he had begun to believe about his
friend's nephew. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, before slowly
nodding back to the Head Auror. James could be amiable to the boy, but
his actions did not make him any less suspicious, it only made him more
in James' opinion.
"Good," Rufus said happily before gesturing to the door. "Now don't you
have a trial to attend to?"
"Good luck, Thomas." Lily said as she hugged her son, trying to hide her
worry as best as she could.
"But what about Professor Dumbledore?" Thomas asked, looking around
for his mentor who was nowhere to be found.
"He'll be here cub, don't worry." The lie came easy for Sirius, as had
countless other lies this summer. He was beginning to understand just
how grey Aries saw things, but with Voldemort's return, his resolve had
only strengthened. He had lost nearly everything by the end of the last
war, and he would be damned if the same thing happened. James would
never understand, though Sirius cared less for that every day. He hardly
recognized his friend and had grown much closer to Remus, despite the
fact that he was off far busier with tasks from Aries than Sirius ever could
be. "Come on Lily, we have to go to the visitor's section." Sirius hugged
Thomas tightly before pulling Lily away.
"What is this about Sirius?"
"What do you mean?" They took their seats alone, as the rest of the small
section was empty. Sirius' eyes floated to the Potter seat of the
Wizengamot which remained empty. Augusta Longbottom had happily
returned to her position and accepted the offer of being a proxy for the
Potter family. He wondered if Aries, who sat a few rows down conversing
with Lord Greengrass, wanted the Potter seat for himself but his nephew
had never paid it any attention.
"I mean why did Rufus want James now of all times?" The worry and
slight anger in her voice concerned him, and he almost spilled the beans,
but he had to console her somehow. "And where is Albus? This should be
a simple case, and yet the entire Wizengamot is here!"
"Keep your voice down!" Sirius furiously whispered. "Look everything is
under control. Aries didn't want James here because he might interfere
and with the way things are going right now, if James and Fudge go at it
in front of the entire Wizengamot things will get ugly fast for you family.
Dumbledore won't be here since anything he does will only turn the
Ministry more against your family. Aries is hoping that what he does
today will restore some respect to your family name and get the Ministry
off your family's back. If not keep James from nearly being fired by the
Minister of Magic every week." Lily stared at him, wide-eyed for a
moment, but was stopped from speaking as the Minister of Magic
Cornelius Fudge hammered the gavel three times. Thomas was brought in
flanked by two Aurors that Sirius recognized as Kingsley Shacklebolt and
Dora Tonks. He shook his head in wonder. Just how far did Aries' reach
go these days? His hand was suddenly crushed by Lily's grasp as chains
wrapped around Thomas' wrist, and he had to fight to keep her from
erupting in outrage.
"The accused is before us." Fudge announced. "State your name for the
record."
"Thomas Charles Potter." The boy's answer was shaky, and Sirius could
tell he was nervous."
"Now-"
"Witness for the defense! Aries Orion Black, Lord of the Most Ancient and
Most Noble House of Black." All eyes turned to Aries as he stood regally
and made his way down beside Thomas, who stared up at the older boy
in shock.
"There is no need for a defense, Lord Black." Fudge began nervously, his
eyes frantically glancing towards Lucius who seemed to be staring very
intently at anything other than the Minister. "A rather open and shut case.
I believe those were your words." Aries smiled at the man's foolish
attempt to catch him off guard.
"Yes, indeed they were. But of course, when I said that I believed it was
for Heir Potter to be cleared of all charges. Not be tried before the
entirety of the Wizengamot." The hall had suddenly gone very still. None
had missed the younger Potter's title that Aries had dropped rather
intentionally. "And we had just finished looking over Auror Potter's
incident report. It was rather clear in my opinion."
"Yes, um, however, the rules must be followed." The Minister seemed to
be reaching at this point. "This is his second incident. It requires a
hearing."
"A hearing yes, not a criminal hearing." Many had begun to nod along
with Aries' words. "And besides, that formality is only required in two
proved incidents. Lord Malfoy provided that his former house elf had
been trying to get Heir Potter expelled three years ago. And this previous
incident report provided by an official Auror of the Ministry of Magic
proves that Heir Potter acted in self-defense. All considered I am
confused on just why you brought Heir Potter into court today. Perhaps
you wished to increase your defamation against the heir of a Most Noble
and Most Ancient family?" If the hall had been still before it was now a
graveyard. Every eye was on Fudge, who seemed to want nothing more
than to apparate from the hall. "That would be absurd of course.
Especially considering how his grandmother was Dorea Black, making
him the last Potter that can be legally and magically claimed by the Black
family as one of their own. You would never plot against a member of
both House Potter and House Black?"
"Of course not!" Fudge banged his gavel quickly. "Cleared of all charges!"
"Excellent!" The entire Wizengamot seemed to sigh in relief. "Then, of
course, the reason you assembled the entire Wizengamot was to discuss
our Dementor problem, correct?"
"Excuse me?" The Minister's voice was weak, and Sirius was struggling to
laugh at the entire situation.
"Have you forgotten that two Dementors went rogue and attacked the
Heir of one of our esteemed Houses? Surely the Ministry, who has
complete control over our dark friends, could explain what happened?"
"Hem hem." Sirius' head snapped to the toad-like the woman next to the
Fudge. He recognized the pink covered woman as Dolores Umbridge,
who had recently been promoted to Under Secretary. "I'm afraid I don't
understand what you are implying Lord Black. Are you saying that the
Ministry had something to do with this?"
"I would never imply such a thing, Under Secretary. But unless you have
something valuable to add to the conversation, I think you should sit
back and wait until you understand what is said and leave this to the
Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot." Aries' angered response threw
Sirius off guard. Did he dislike the woman? Surely her voice was
annoying, but Sirius had yet to learn much about the new Under
Secretary. "Now Minister, I expect an investigation will take place?"
"Of course, Lord Black, of course." Fudge smiled nervously, and the one
that Aries returned with was almost predatory. Sirius wondered if the
Minister understood that the entire Wizengamot had found out who
honestly ran the Ministry today.
"What was that all about?!" Sweat seemed to pour from Fudge's face as he
sat across from Aries in the Minister's office. The man was pitiful and
truly disgusting, but Aries needed him for now. He knew Rufus
Scrimgeour had guessed his plan easily enough, though he had let him
honestly. It was important that Rufus believed himself to be important;
otherwise, he might become suspicious.
"Your media tactics against Dumbledore and the Potters have been
understandable and tolerable," Aries said staring down the other man.
"But dragging the Heir of House Potter, an ally to House Black, before the
entire Wizengamot on bogus charges is ludicrous. You forgot your place,
Cornelius."
"My place?" Fudge asked incredulously. "I am the Minister of Magic!"
"A position that you retain so long as the Wizengamot allows you to."
Aries sipped at his fire whiskey happily. "You remain Minister because
those of us with actual power want you here. And the day that changes
you will be gone before you can say Quidditch."
"You dare?" Aries slammed his glass down, shattering it, and got to his
feet. Towering above the other man.
"Yes, I dare," Anger flashed in Aries' eyes. "This defamation against the
Potters and Dumbledore goes on because I allow it. Your foolish follower
is going to be at Hogwarts because I allow it. You sit here because I
haven't decided to have you removed. You do nothing without my
approval. You live a lavish life due to Lucius and I. You can lose it all in a
second. Think about it, Minister." Aries left with a feeling of blood lust.
Everything in him wanted to slaughter the arrogant man. But there was
no need. He would remove Fudge in time, and then the Ministry would
indeed be his.
Memories flashed before her eyes, but she saw them differently as if she was
standing in a pensieve watching herself make decisions and do things that she
could not explain. What was happening? She saw herself tortured, felt her
mind being ripped apart, and in turn abusing others. Cruelty was not
something she had ever shied away from as her father, Cygnus, would never
have accepted weakness from his daughter. Yet what she saw herself doing
was sick and beyond anything that could be explained. Even she did not know
what ends these means could be justified with.
"Crucio!" She watched, horrified, as her own body writhed on the floor.
Minutes passed by, and she wondered how long the body she saw could hold
on. Then the spell was released. Most would expect tears or cries, but all she
heard was laughter. It was cold and haunted, but she knew it was hers.
Her eyes flew open as she sat up quickly. Pain raked at her body as if she
had just experienced the very Cruciatus Curse she had seen being used.
Her vision was blurry but has things came into focus, she found herself in
her childhood bedroom, though she had not been here in years. But
where had she been? And why did everything look so. . . Old? She wore
nothing but a simple medical gown, something commonly worn by those
at Saint Mungo's. Had she been at the hospital? Then she saw herself in
the mirror. She hardly recognized the woman that stared back at her. The
black hair was long and healthy, and her face was fuller, but her eyes
seemed haunted. What had happened to her? She looked more vigorous
than the women in her dreams, but her eyes just seemed so. . . Worn?
The door opened to a familiar hall with the heads of house-elves that she
could suddenly remember. She tried every door she passed, but each was
locked. It felt like she was being led somewhere until at last, she opened
the door to the lounging room, where she knew their family tapestry was
kept. She nearly gasped as she saw the man awaiting her.
"Regulus?" Her voice cracked as if it hadn't been used in months.
"I'm Aries, his son." The young man said softly. He gestured to the seat
before him. "Perhaps you should take a seat, Bellatrix. We have must to
discuss." The door behind her slammed shut, and Bellatrix Lestrange
could not help but wonder what the hell was going on.
AN: Next chapter: Gatherings, Reunions, and the Sorting Hat
20. Gatherings, Reunions and the
Sorting Hat
AN: As promised the next chapter. We are finally going back to
Hogwarts. Lots of set up for things down the road and things will
start to begin to come to a point in our plotlines. Thank you for
everyone still going with HP aka Aries Black and House Black. As
always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you don't, whatever
floats your boat y'all.
Green fire enveloped him, pushing him through the network of chimneys
across Germany before it disappeared, revealing the elegant ballroom of
the French Ministry of Magic. Soft music filled the background as quiet
chatter passed from guest to guest. Aries scanned the room quickly,
looking for his aunt and uncle who had arrived sometime before him. He
had wanted to enter alone, hoping that Sirius and Cassi's previous arrival
would draw more attention to him and those he intended to meet with
first.
Sirius was not hard to find as the Englishmen stuck out among the French
with ease, though he had dressed up for the occasion. He was not
obnoxious, thankfully, but perhaps that was due to Cassiopeia standing
next to him. Aries had known his aunt would jump at the chance to
come, considering how much gossip was sure to be passed around
tonight. No doubt by the end of the night she would have enough
blackmail to control most of the French Ministry.
He spotted Jean Delacour at last, but his eyes shifted quickly to his
company. Fleur stood next to him, standing in a silver dress that Aries
could not help but compare to the one Daphne had worn at the Yule Ball.
While Daphne had been beautiful, she paled in comparison to how Fleur
looked tonight. A weaker man would have been dumbfounded by the
young woman, especially with her veela charm. Aries, however, just
shrugged off the slight allure and went to greet the French family.
"Bonjour, Monsieur Delacour," Aries gave no bow or tip of his head as he
greeted the man in French and Jean did the same. Anyone watching
would see that they saw themselves as equals, though Aries knew it was
far more of a master to servant.
"Lord Black, thank you for accepting my invitation," Fleur was casually
conversing with her mother, trying her best to look anywhere other than
Aries it seemed. Her mother, on the other hand, seemed to study him
with a hard look in her eye. Clearly, she was not over their former dinner
party.
"How I could I refuse?" Aries said with a laugh. "It's not often an Englishmen
is welcomed so into France." He spoke louder than he was accustomed to or
preferred, but Aries needed to be heard, whereas normally he did his best
not to be overheard. "I hope this is a sign of more to come. I have always
hoped for more international cooperation between our great ministries. But we
are here to enjoy ourselves."
"I could not agree with you more, on both counts." Jean turned back to his
family, motioning for them to join the conversation. "I do not believe you
have met my family, though I'm sure you remember my daughter, Fleur, from
the Tri-Wizard Tournament."
"An excellent champion." Aries took her hand and kissed it, before doing
the same with Apolline and Gabrielle.
"Jean! You did not tell me you knew Lord Black!" The sudden loud voice
came from Louise Martin, whom Aries recognized from Cassiopeia's
comprehensive back brief this morning. While Jean Delacour was the
head of the Bureau de la Justice Magique, Louise Martin was the head of
the Bureau des Magicommunications, the equivalent of the British
Department of International Magical Cooperation. Aries knew that Jean
and Louise worked closely together, considering criminals sometimes
passed across France's borders into Spain and Germany.
"Yes, I met him shortly after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Lord Black, this is
the man I spoke of before, Louise Martin." Jean's answer was believable if
not somewhat the truth. Aries' noticed that the other man had no
problem lying, even to one considered a close friend. "I was concerned this
'madman' they are after could cross into France. If he was good enough to
sneak into Hogwarts right under Dumbledore's nose, then who knows what he's
capable of?"
"Completely understandable!" Louise said with a smile before he turned to
Aries. "Chancellor Muller speaks rather highly of you. He said you grew up in
Allemagne?"
"A rather eye-opening experience. I believe it's why my fellow lords and ladies
of the Wizengamot find me rather abrasive." That drew a laugh from the
other two men as they each grabbed a glass of wine from the server that
stopped briefly at their group.
"Speaking of a madman, Albus Dumbledore seems rather convinced that their
so-called 'dark lord' has returned." Aries did not miss the slight edge to
Louise's voice. "It might be refreshing to have an unbiased opinion? I believe
you were there as well?" He nearly smiled, but years of training kept the
temptation at bay. Louise might have attended Beauxbatons, but he
would have been a Slytherin for sure.
"I was indeed," Aries began, taking a sip of his wine. "Though even I cannot
say if it was the Dark Lord. Not even his most trusted servants ever saw his
face, so how am I to know if it was him? Besides, they consider him to be the
greatest dark lord. I highly doubt a fifteen-year-old and a fourteen-year-old
could escape him so easily."
"Surely you humble yourself? Chancellor Muller and Headmaster von Reich
speak so highly of you and your skill. I also saw your duel with that poor boy
who died. Quite impressive."
"Excellence at dueling does not always equate to excellence in war." Aries'
voice was hard, his eyes locked with Louise. The man was clearly testing
him, and Aries had every intention of winning. There was a slight tension
within the group, but it ended as another joined their group, oblivious to
that very tension.
"Louise, Jean!" Sometimes Aries wondered just how good his luck could
be as the man who had joined them was Jaimie Lemaire, the head of the
Bureau des Aurors. Aries also knew that these three were the main
opposition to the current President of the French Ministry of Magic,
Gareth Belcourt. "And Lord Black it's a pleasure to meet you. Jaimie Lemaire,
at your service. I just had the pleasure of meeting Sirius. I must admit I had
my reservations given what I've heard of the man, but he seems to be an
excellent Auror."
"I'm a little biased in that, Monsieur Lemaire, though I would have to agree."
"We were just discussing this madman the English are after and whether or not
it's their 'dark lord.'" Louise said to the group as Jaimie's eyebrows raised,
glancing between Aries and Jean, who had been rather silent.
"Truly? A bit of a heavy subject so early into the party, Louise, though you've
never shied away from the more. . . difficult things." Aries did not miss their
eyes flicker quickly to President Belcourt, who was conversing rather
enthusiastically with Sirius. If Sirius did his job well enough, the
president would be drunk well before the night ended and hopefully
make an ass of himself rather spectacularly. "Please forgive me for
indulging in a personal question, Lord Black. There are few Englishmen who
spend any significant time of the continent, let alone grow up in Allemagne. I
was curious to whom you believe to be the more powerful dark lord. Your He-
Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or Gellert Grindewald?"
Aries did not answer right away, choosing instead to finish his glass of
wine and study the room. There were a few groups that could potentially
hear what he was about to say and there was little doubt it would be in
both the French papers but the Daily Prophet as well. The three men did
not seem to mind his pause, though he knew he could not keep them
waiting.
"If we are to discuss the Dark Lord and Gellert Grindewald we must take into
consideration what connects the two. Dumbledore." Aries let the thought
settle for a moment. "Now the two waged completely different wars with
Grindewald focusing more on urban warfare while the Dark Lord concentrated
on guerilla warfare and acts of terrorism. Dumbledore only fought Grindewald
once, but he met the Dark Lord in battle multiple times but never to
completion. Both dark wizards seemed to fear Dumbledore though only one
was defeated by him. One could reason that given Dumbledore met the Dark
Lord in the field multiple times, that he considered him a more powerful threat
over Grindewald. The man's own account seems to point to the fact that the
Dark Lord was more powerful. Personally, I would have to agree with the
man. And here is my reasoning.'
"Grindewald was indeed powerful, but the source of his widespread fear can
more easily be connected to his mighty army and overall destruction
throughout Europe. One hears that the ultimate battle between Dumbledore
and Grindewald is worthy of the gods of war and is a testament to his power.
However, without the massive army and support that Grindewald possessed, I
do not believe his campaign would have been anywhere near as successful.'
"Now take into consideration the Dark Lord of Britain. It is not arrogant to
consider that the wizards and witches of Britain are exceptional considering
the bloodlines we possess: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and
most importantly Merlin himself. Given the Dark Lord's blood purity
propaganda one could reasonably suspect him to be a pureblood. Perhaps an
heir of one of those powerful families? While Grindewald was defeated in a
single batter against Dumbledore, the Dark Lord survived multiple times and
even forced the great wizard to retreat himself a time or two. He is supposedly
a master of Legilimency, Occlumency, the advanced methods of the Dark Arts,
and, if one believes Dumbledore, the dark wizard has cheated death. The Dark
Lord's power is in himself and only himself. One cannot overlook the fact that
Grindelwald's war was far more devastating than that of the Dark Lord's war.
That being said, I believe that had the Dark Lord conquered Britain and
turned his attention to the continent, well. . . Let us just be thankful for
Thomas Potter stopping him fourteen years ago."
"A well-reasoned answer, Lord Black," Jaimie answered, studying Aries
with a different look than before. "I look forward to hopefully working with
you in the future."
"I concur," Louise said as he glanced towards Jean with a nod. Aries'
smirked, his assumption, at last, being confirmed. Jean had set this up,
every part of it, and it seemed he had won the approval of Louise Martin
and Jaimie Lemaire. Now he just had to convince them to follow his
plan.
"I would enjoy that but considering our current political situations, I find it
unlikely." Aries over-exaggerated its glance towards President Belcourt.
"Perhaps in the future, we can find ourselves in a place where international
cooperation is a more pressing concern. I know how well Director Bones of the
Department of Magical Law Enforcement enjoys working with Jean. Perhaps I
can introduce you three to Minister Fudge?"
"We would look forward to meeting your minister, whomever that might be,"
Louise said the last part much quieter than the rest and Aries simply
nodded.
"Now if you would excuse me, I think I must dance. It would be rather
unforgiving if I came all this way and simply talked! There are beautiful
women here, as I'm sure you agree." The three men laughed loudly with
Jean waving over to his wife. Aries glanced towards Fleur then back to
Jean. "With your permission, of course."
"His permission is not needed." Fleur's sing-song voice cut in, taking him by
the hand and pulling him to the dance floor. Classical music flowed
throughout the hall, and they danced quietly for the first song, and Aries
took the chance to study the hall. The President was indeed drunk by
now, and Sirius was now occupied dancing with a beautiful French
woman. Aries' hoped he would not fall so quickly, as he had a surprise
for his uncle that he had been working on most of the summer.
Cassiopeia was speaking to another woman he recognized as the head of
the Bureau des Accidents et Catastrophes Magiques. Aries wondered if Cassi
would have the women on their side by the end of the night. Personally,
he thought that France would have a new President by Halloween if
tonight continued the way it was going. "Staring at other women, are we?"
"I would not consider studying to be staring," Aries replied, continuing his
study of the room. His eyes narrowed as he saw Prime Minister de
Cordova of Spain. Why was he here? Did that mean Arianna was as well?
The father of his friend had recently won Spain's election, thanks to years
of work from Cassiopeia, but Aries did not think he would be present
here. Perhaps years as Ambassador of Spain had made him enjoy these
events.
"Call it what you like," Her voice was flirtatious, and Aries wondered if
they would end up at her place or his. She had recently moved into a flat
in England and taken a job at Gringotts. It was not the most exciting of
jobs, but her half-breed status gave her credit with the goblins, and it
kept her close if anything needed to be done discreetly within London.
"Regardless, I believe I am owed your entire attention."
"Tonight is too valuable for childish things, Fleur." She did not tense at his
hard tone, something that infuriated Aries to no end.
"Ah yes, but in two days you return to Hogwarts and that prissy little
Greengrass girl." There was a sliver of jealousy in her voice that Aries' was
surprised to hear. "It would be unfortunate if I let the night pass without
marking my territory, no?"
"Mind yourself. We are in public. We have never met outside the tournament."
"Do you not believe in love at first sight, Aries?" He ignored the rhetorical
question and continued to dance. A few songs passed before Aries left
casually. Any onlookers would not see anything out of place, and he
honestly did need a drink. He had spent far too much time in Fleur's
company for his own good, and the effect she was beginning to have on
him was not agreeable. She did not fear him despite being little more
than a slave enforced by deeper magic than either of them could
understand. And to be honest, he enjoyed her presence. At one point he
had not considered her to be an equal that could stand beside him. He
had thought Daphne to be that one, but had the summer truly changed
his perception? Or had it been that he had spent so much time with Fleur
rather than Daphne? Neither could defeat him in a duel, but Fleur
possessed far more power and could hold herself against him far longer
than others, even without the use of the Dark Arts.
Aries sighed and pushed the thoughts away as he drank some punch. It
was refreshing and far better than allowing himself to become drunk on
the wine as many had by this point. He considered rejoining the dance
floor, to complete the idea that he had come on honest intentions when
he saw a familiar face leave the ballroom onto the balcony. Every fiber of
him said to avoid the temptation, but logic and emotion won out. She
had been his confidant for years, and she was the daughter of the Prime
Minister after all.
Arianna faced away from him, looking out over Furstenberg Square and
the Sixth District of Paris. There were few onlookers, as the building had
powerful Notice-Me-Not charms, just like the one he had placed over the
balcony itself. Aries did not want anyone observing them from the
ballroom, as he was unsure where this conversation would go. Arianna
made no move of recognition as he stood beside her.
"Hello, Arianna," Aries greeted in Spanish, choosing her native tongue in
hopes to make her feel more comfortable. "How have you been?" She
turned to him, finally admitting he was there. Aries noticed she looked as
beautiful as ever, though her eyes seemed distant. He wanted to reach
into her mind, to feel her emotions as she spoke, but decided against it.
The indoctrination of Bellatrix's mind was a constant reminder of what he
had unintentionally done to the girl before him. Did she even know? It
was nowhere near as painful or immense as what the Dark Lord had
done, but how much of their friendship, and the girl's own feelings, were
due to her own personality or what he had done to her mind?
"Fine." He expected more, but while the girl stared at him, she said
nothing more.
"You have not answered any of my letters."
"No, I have not."
"May I ask why?"
"I had nothing to say." Aries felt anger flash in his eyes. Was this a game to
her? He turned from her, looking into the ballroom. "I see you're having a
good time with Fleur. You've convinced most that you've never met. Though we
both know you spent time in the prefect's bathroom at Hogwarts together. I'm
surprised Daphne never found out." This is what she wanted to talk about?
"I am not betrothed to the Greengrass girl. I can do as I please." That seemed
to surprise the girl.
"What happened to your grand plan for England?"
"It changed. The Dark Lord's return has. . . forced me to accelerate things."
Was there a look of hope in her eyes now? What was going on with this
girl? His natural Legilimency was not picking anything up either. "The
Wizengamot has fallen into place without a marriage contract. They were far
easier to manipulate than even I suspected."
"Then your plans have not changed." Now he understood. Did she really
think he would abandon everything simply because some dark wizard
had returned? That he would give up his pursuit of conquest?
"My goal is continuous," Aries stated firmly."My methods and plans will
change, but my destiny will continue."
"Then we have nothing to talk about."
"What is it that you want from me, Arianna?" There was anger in his voice,
and it surprised her, as his anger was rarely directed at her. "To abandon
all that I have worked and trained to have some cottage on the seashore? For
love and happiness while death and pain thrive in this world when I have the
power and the responsibility to change it?"
"All I have ever wanted is your love, Aries."
"Don't lie to me. I told you before, I have seen your mind."
"And you think because of that I won't stand beside you throughout all that?"
Arianna clinched her fists tightly as if she wanted to hit him. "I want to be
the only one who receives your love and affection. And because of that, you
see weakness. I know you better than you believe I do."
"That isn't why I think you're weak!" Aries had said it at last. All of his
friends were powerful, and while Arianna possessed both political and
magical power, she lacked what he truly needed her to have.
"Then tell me!" Arianna yelled, and Aries was grateful for the privacy
charms he had placed over the balcony.
"You let emotion rule your life. Even now, you allow it to make a fool of
yourself here at a Ministry gathering. You focus more on your dream world
than you do on the present. While you could defeat anyone in a duel, you lack
the fortitude to actually kill someone. I cannot trust you to do what must be
done if it ever came down to it. I have surrounded myself with people who
would kill and die for the idea that we strive for every day. You, on the other
hand, are unpredictable and that makes you dangerous to me and to my goals.
You are good for little other than being a confidant. It makes you a liability."
"So that's all I am? A weakness?" The girl seemed broken.
"No." Aries sighed as he answered honestly. Who was he to chastise the
girl over emotion when it was threatening to rule him now? "You have
always been my friend and confidant. But I cannot be what you want me to
be." He glanced towards the party that he had been away from for far too
long. "Think on this Arianna. Would you rather have me in what way you can
or not at all? I will not play this game with you forever."
Aries woke up slowly, feeling the weight of Fleur on his chest. The
warmth of her naked body threatened to keep him in the bed, but he had
only today to accomplish his last goal for the summer. Aries dressed
casually, leaving a small note for Fleur, and made his way to the room
where Bellatrix had been staying. She looked far healthier than she had
months ago when she arrived and younger if he had to guess. Narcissa's
potions and constant attention to her sister had done Bellatrix well.
"Are you sure about this?" Cassiopeia asked from her seat next to
Bellatrix. "By your own account, her mind is still fragile."
"She needs to be rearranging her mind herself." Aries' answered. "This
stasis does not allow enough conscious thought for that to occur."
"And how do you recommend getting her to the Black home? It's under
the Fidelius, is it not?" Aries smirked and pulled out a small piece of a
paper.
"Sirius should not be so trusting. This is the note with the secret, written
by Albus Dumbledore himself." Cassiopeia raised her eyebrows and
simply nodded. "I trust you can make a portkey?"
"Of course."
"Good." Aries glanced around and cast a quick compulsion charm on
Bellatrix before readying himself to leave. "Take her to her room there
and remove the stasis. The charm should bring her to me. Sirius has
already ensured that the home is clear. Everyone is at the Potters' right
now."
"I hope you find the answers we seek, Aries."
Aries waited patiently as Bellatrix made her way through 12 Grimmauld
Place. Her mind was chaotic, pushing out thoughts that any natural
Legillimens would pick up on. At last, the door opened, and Bellatrix
entered the room. She gasped loudly as her eyes met his own.
"Regulus?" Her voice cracked as if it hadn't been used in months.
"I'm Aries, his son." He gestured to the seat before him. "Perhaps you
should take a seat, Bellatrix. We have must to discuss." The door behind
her slammed shut, causing Bellatrix to jump slightly. She looked at the
chair suspiciously and slowly sat before the man who claimed to be her
cousin' son.
"Regulus was killed-"
"By the Dark Lord, yes." Aries interrupted. "My mother was Regina
Malfoy. She was hiding in France at father's instruction. He feared the
Dark Lord may kill her and his unborn child should he have failed him. I
was raised by our Aunt Cassiopeia."
"What happened?" Bellatrix said, somewhat frantically. "What's going
on?"
"The year is nineteen-ninety-five, and you have been imprisoned in
Azkaban for the past fourteen years." Her eyes widen, and Aries knew her
mind was struggling to grasp what was happening. "Fourteen years ago
the Dark Lord went to Godric's Hollow and attempted to kill the Potter
children. Something happened, and he was destroyed."
"The Dark Lord? Gone?"
"Yes and no," Aries answered. "His body was destroyed, but in June he
returned." Bellatrix was wincing in pain now, her hands holding her
head.
"Why was I in Azkaban?" She seemed to struggle with the words. "Why
am I not with the Dark Lord? Why do I have all these horrifying
memories?" Aries suddenly realized her dual personalities were fighting.
There was Bellatrix, and then there was the Inner Circle Death Eater.
Aries needed Bella to win at all costs.
"After the Dark Lord was defeated, you, Rudolphus, Rabastan, and Barty
Crouch went to the home of the Longbottoms and tortured Frank and
Alice to insanity." He caught her sudden look of disgust and outrage. "The
four of you were caught, tried, and sentenced to life in Azkaban."
"Why would I do that? They're purebloods." Bellatrix was shaking her
head, almost violently. "Wait, why am I here? And not in Azkaban?"
"The answer to both of those questions is identical." Aries began. "What
do you know of indoctrination? And of the effects of the Cruciatus Curse
to the mind?"
"Little," Bella looked at him confused.
"The Dark Lord is a master of Legilimency. Many of the confessions of
Death Eaters, both given freely and under Veritaserum, reveal that he
would often break into their own minds for his reports." Bellatrix nodded
at that. "He also often used the Cruciatus Curse on his own followers. You
seemed to be the subject of both of these methods more so than anyone. I
have been attempting to undo the damage done to your mind these past
months, and it has been extensive. The constant and consistent uses of
Legilimency and the Cruciatus Curse have changed you, Bellatrix.
Changed you into some twisted form of yourself. A twisted form that was
capable of murdering children, massacring helpless witches and wizards,
and torturing a pureblooded family into insanity. When I discovered this,
I immediately demanded your release in front of the Wizengamot after I
claimed our house seat."
"The Dark Lord did that to me?"
"Yes," Aries took a sip from his fire whiskey, enjoying the taste before
pouring Bellatrix a glass. "I do not condemn your decision to join the
Dark Lord, as much of what he aims to accomplish is similar to my own
goals. That being said, I do not condone his methods or the methods that
you came to use due to his indoctrination of your mind. I would see you
freed from his grasp and I would hope that you would aid me in my
goals."
Bellatrix rose to her feet and faced away from him. "Why would you have
me released?"
"I aim to see House Black restored to its former glory," Aries answered,
Bellatrix's back still to him. "That is. . . difficult when one of its most
infamous members is incarcerated in Azkaban. Freeing you and thereby
exonerating you of your crimes helps to create a new image for our
house. One that can, in time, return to greatness." He paused for a
moment, and Bellatrix seemed to understand that he was not finished.
"There is also the fact that the Dark Lord has returned. While your former
master and I share certain beliefs, our ultimate goals differ entirely. I
believe you to possess critical information that may lead to his
destruction."
"And if I were not to cooperate?" Bellatrix turned back to face him, a
certain gleam in her eye.
"I would take the information from you," Aries answered, his resolve
unwavering under a stare that had broken countless members of the
Order of the Phoenix. "And then I would eliminate you if I could find no
other use for you. I want this family to return to glory, but I will not
allow you or anyone to stand in my way." They stared at each other for a
few moments. Aries could guess that if Bellatrix knew Legilimency, she
would be attempting to invade his mind and if she possessed a wand,
they would most likely duel. He could not help but enjoy the thought of
dueling Bellatrix, someone perhaps more skilled in the Dark Arts than
even he was.
"So, you really are a Black." Bellatrix, at last, said with a small smile
before she cocked her head to the side. "You say your goals differ from
the Dark Lord's own goals. How?"
"He means to rule them through power and fear. World domination in
which he would enslave every being. The problem is that it ends with
only one thing: death. For everyone." Aries rose to feet and stood before
her. "I mean to rule everyone through deception, manipulation, and
outmaneuvering our enemies. House Black will rise to power and rule
both the Wizarding and Muggle world before anyone knows what
happened to them. We will put the muggles in line so that they know
who their betters are. We will end the Statue of Secrecy. There will be
war. There will be death. But at the end, we can live and coexist rather
than enslave others and commit genocide. A genocide that would destroy
everything we strive to create and preserve."
"And you need someone who can kill," Bellatrix answered strongly.
"I need someone who can do what needs to be done without destroying
our world in the process." Aries turned his back to her to pour himself
another glass of fire whiskey. "The Dark Lord's path will only end in
chaos. My path will end in victory. Victory for wizards. Victory for House
Black. Victory for all of us."
"How?" There was a desperation in her demand, but he could sense
something else as well, a certain longing. Had his own indoctrination
gone so far already? Or had the Dark Lord's indoctrination, void of its
very master's presence in her mind, latched onto the only thing similar in
Bellatrix's mind?
"I will destroy the Dark Lord." He handed Bellatrix another glass of fire
whiskey before raising his in salute. "By the end of the year, I will have
my own man as Minister of Magic. Soon after the ministries of Europe
will fall in line. And then all of Europe will. Once I have the continent
others will flock to our civilization. I will not do it through war or
conquest, but by manipulating the very systems that these fools have
created to control themselves."
"How can I help?" And there it was. The very inception he had planted in
her mind from the beginning. Trust, specifically in him. He knew he
should feel a certain sickening feeling, but there was nothing. The ends
justified the means and in doing so, he would free a member of the Black
family from the grasps of the Dark Lord and gain what he believed to be
invaluable information.
"I believe the Dark Lord entrusted certain items of importance to his most
trusted members," Aries said as he swirled his glass. "He gave his
childhood diary, one that contained the imprint of his sixteen-year-old
self, to Lucius Malfoy. And then, in a way, he gave Slytherin's own locket
to my father. Both items possessed remarkable dark magic. The diary
nearly killed a student at Hogwarts, and even I'm not sure what the
locket is capable of. Did the Dark Lord ever give you anything to guard
or keep safe?"
"Yes," Bellatrix said slowly. "A cup. I placed it in my vault at Gringotts."
"And was there anything special about this cup?"
"It was possessed incredible magic, but I never knew what exactly made
the cup so special. It did feel like I was in his presence when I held it. He
said he would destroy the entire Black family if anything were to happen
to it." Aries leaned back slowly and turned his head towards the family
tapestry.
"Let me see it." Bellatrix flinched for a moment, before relaxing with a
nod. Aries gently entered her mind, the natural protection provided by
the Dark Lord's indoctrination gone, and at last, saw his goal.
The Dark Lord stood above her, a cup in his hands. It was a golden cup, with
two large handles on each side, and a large badger on the front of it.
"You will protect this cup with your life, Bellatrix Lestrange."
Aries released the memory and slowly left her mind. Helga Hufflepuff's
cup! The Dark Lord has possessed two of the founder's personal items? He
now had an avenue to search as there were few items directly linked to
the founders. Gryffindor's sword and Ravenclaw's lost diadem were the
immediate things he needed to check. The main problem was that
Ravenclaw's lost diadem was just that: lost. The only good thing that
came to mind is that Hogwarts was the best place to look for both of
those things.
"Thank you, Bellatrix. Your help has been invaluable. I'll let Cassiopeia
and Narcissa know of your recovery." Aries made his way to the door
before he stopped and turned back to Bellatrix. "If I discover you've
betrayed me, or that you've returned to the Dark Lord, I will see to your
death. Personally." It was harsh, perhaps, but how else was he supposed
to deal with Bellatrix Lestrange?
Platform Nine and Three Quarters was a hectic affair as parents said
goodbye to their children and those children rushed off to the gleaming
red train. Sirius had accompanied him here as Cassiopeia had chosen to
stay and lead her own line of questions with Bellatrix. It seemed a fitting
end to a crazy summer that had been filled with plots and plans but not
without its own good moments. Much to Aries' chargon, he had come to
enjoy the times spent with Sirius, especially when they went to watch the
Heidelberg Harriers. Of course, there was the fact that he would never
mention that he, a lord of a magical house, had ridden a muggle
motorcycle, one that could fly no less. But the thing Aries' had enjoyed
the most was watching Sirius go from someone who could be blindly led
to someone who could begin to see the bigger picture of what they
wanted to accomplish. The summer had changed Sirius far more than
Aries had ever hoped. Perhaps would day Sirius would be a part of that
bigger picture, rather than just a cog like everyone else.
"Uncle Sirius, it's alright," Aries said with a laugh. "I'm not really a
hugging person. A handshake will do." Sirius nervously laughed and
rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
"I guess that makes sense, Aries," Sirius sobered for a minute before
extending his hand. "Thank you. For this summer. For everything. It's
nice to have a family again. My family."
"Well, maybe you can start one of your own." He placed a small piece of
paper into Sirius' hand and then shook it.
"What's this?"
"It's the address of Marlene McKinnon." Sirius paled considerably, and
Aries smiled confidently. "She's not dead if that's what you're thinking.
But having your entire family murdered before your eyes takes its toll. If
you're honest about finding her and maybe rekindling your relationship,
it will take a lot of work. Maybe it will help you forget more. . . unlikely
avenues." Aries did not miss Sirius' eyes flick towards Lily Potter, but he
chose to ignore it. "I'll see you at Christmas, Sirius." Aries left his uncle
feeling good about the entire situation, though Sirius did not know
everything about Marlene McKinnon. That would come in due time after
all.
Aries made his way through the train, looking for the apartment that
Draco had described in their last letter. The two had spent little time with
each other this summer, but that had been with good reason. Aries was
all too aware that the Dark Lord had tasked Lucius with finding out
everything about him, which included using his own son as a spy. Draco's
loyalty lied with him; he was sure, but every son wanted his father's
affections. It made what he could reveal to Draco difficult this year, but
so long as Dumbledore lived his truce with the Dark Lord remained. It
was sealed in death after all.
The compartment was rather full when Aries found it with Draco,
Daphne, and some of their friends as well. Aries recognized Blaise Zabini,
someone who he intended to become more acquainted with throughout
the year, and Tracey Davis, a cog of the rumor mill he planned to exploit.
The last individual was someone he did not precisely know, but he could
put a name to a face, however.
"Aries Black," he greeted extending a hand. "Pleased to meet you."
"Theodore Nott, my lord," he returned, standing up to shake his hand.
"Please, we're all students here," Aries said, physically waving off the
formalities as he sat down next to Daphne. "There's no need for titles
while we're at school." He casually let his arm rest over Daphne's
shoulders. She did not shrug him off, but the coolness he felt from her
was not exaggerated. "It's good to see you all again. Good summers?" The
conversation turned to meaningless chatter, something that Aries could
only stand as it was a means to an end, though it was nice to be around
those who were not consistently plotting against him. He knew Theodore's
father was a staunch supporter of the Dark Lord and that the son did not
often associate with Draco nor vice versa. Still, if this was to be his main
support in Slytherin, he supposed it would do.
The girls graciously exited the compartment when they neared the castle
so that they could all change into their school robes. Aries very much
disliked the robes compared to those of Durmstrang, but the
Acromantulan silk was a nice change for sure, although it was hardly
tactical or strategic. It would take time to see if his Greek Armor spell
could be adapted to these new robes.
Aries could hear the half-giant Hagrid calling for the first years but
followed Draco as they made their way to the carriages. He recognized
the threstrals that pulled them, finding the odd creatures that he had
been able to see since he was five somewhat comforting. They were the
closest thing to death itself, and unlike the Dark Lord, he wanted to make
an ally of Death. He made a note to visit the creatures, wherever they
were kept.
The Great Hall was a constant among the ever-changing theme of
Hogwarts and Aries felt a certain fulfillment standing on the outside
looking in. The Heir of Slytherin and the last of the House of Black had,
at last, returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Aries
enjoyed the fulfilling moment as he waited for Professor McGonagall. He
had been instructed to go with the first years, but he would have killed
Hagrid if he had been forced into those boats.
"Ah, Mr. Black," Professor McGonagall called, followed by the newcomers
to the school. "We had been looking for you."
"I chose the less traveled road, Professor." If his politeness surprised the
old woman, she made no show of it. Aries followed the group of students
and hardly listened to the hat sing its song, though he caught the
message in its entirety. Strength through Unity. It was shocking how
close it was to his own belief, though perhaps the goal was different.
"Black, Aries!" He could not even express how happy he was that he was
the first to be sorted. Aries did not know how much longer he could take
standing up there with a bunch of eleven-year-olds before he starting
shooting Bone-Breaking Curses everywhere. He sat down on the stool and
felt the hat hit his head.
"Finally! I've been waiting for this for some time, Aries Orion Black." The hats
thought entered his mind, and Aries felt the mental probe, shoving it
back hard. "Now then, I can't exactly sort you with those shields."
"My mind is my own hat. You will not enter."
"Your secrets are safe with me, Aries. I am bound to this school and to its
students."
"And what of the Headmaster?"
"He is not the school. Regardless I need something to sort you."
"I already know where I belong, and so should you. In fact, you knew from the
beginning."
"Of course, I did, Heir of Slytherin. But I must admit that I am most curious.
Because the last Heir was a Riddle, no pun intended."
"It's a mystery to us all. Now can we get this over with?"
"Since you said it so nicely. Come and find me, when you realize the answers
you seek are out of your reach. Now, there is nowhere else for you but-
SLYTHERIN!" The Slytherin table erupted into cheers that none of the
other sortings equated to. The Sorting Hat's words stuck with his as he
made his way to the Slytherin table but Aries pushed them aside, he
would think of them later, as he took his place across from Draco and
next to Daphne. Along with still feeling the cold shoulder of his icy
girlfriend, he caught a slightly disappointed look from Thomas, before
the boy smiled, though rather unconvincingly, and waved. He gave the
boy a curt nod back before studying the table, already making a mental
note of how he would deal with each and every person in Slytherin. At
last, the sorting ended, and the food was delivered. Aries ate slowly,
paying as much attention to the conversations around him, and again
noting Daphne's silence. She would need to be dealt with and soon. It
would be disappointing if Daphne proved to be less than useful.
The reality was that so much had changed since in the year since he had
arrived at Hogwarts for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He had never
intended to attend Hogwarts until his seventh year, and only after
graduating would he have taken over his seat in the Wizengamot. Years
of plans had been accelerated into one summer. He had thought a well
reasoned marriage contract would have been needed to assure alliances,
but after his show of power during the tournament and the fear campaign
Dumbledore seemed to be running, the Wizengamot had fallen into his
hands. He had truly enjoyed the relationship he had had with Daphne
last year, even with the few midnight adventures he had had with Fleur,
and truly thought that she could be an equal. The Dark Lord's return had
changed much, if he was honest with himself. Suddenly he had no time
for silly romances and games of Quidditch. Every move, every decision,
and every word had to direct him towards his goal.
Dumbledore made to give his speech but was interrupted by Dolores
Umbridge, the annoying Under Secretary, and the new Defense Against
the Dark Arts professor. Her speech was nearly mind-numbing, but she
made her point. The Ministry was interfering at Hogwarts, just as Aries'
had pictured it months ago when he had dropped the idea on the
Minister of Magic himself. Though he would have chosen someone less
annoying and less pink, all that mattered was that Dumbledore and the
staff were far more interested in what this annoying and weirdly
prejudiced half-blood was doing, rather than what he was doing.
Everything was working out rather nicely, but Aries was honestly
concerned that when something went wrong, it would go wrong badly.
Draco, being a prefect, led the first years down through the halls of
Hogwarts into the dungeons where they ended at the portrait guarding
the Slytherin dormitory. Aries glanced around and, upon immediately
noticing the nice leather chair facing the fireplace, took a seat in it and
waited as the rest of the House gathered. Daphne perched herself on the
arm of his chair, an action that Aries found out of place with the rest of
her recent behavior. Though, upon further review, the rather ravished
looks from the other Slytherin girls their age seemed enough for Daphne
to want to mark her territory. He only hoped that she did not find how
Fleur chose to mark her territory.
"First-years, welcome to Slytherin," Draco started. "First things first,
everyone hates you. The staff, the other houses, and everyone in this
room. We are all each fighting to become the best in the world. Whether
that's through brute force, deception, or by simply being better is up to
you. That being said our house is a united front. Our squabbles do not
leave this dormitory. If you have issues, deal with them where no eyes
can see you. The only person here that will help you are your allies and
Professor Snape, our Head of House. If you're in trouble, he's the only one
who can get you out of it. The other professors will be biased against
you. But that's okay because Slytherin is the House of the Cunning and
Ambitious. Your rooms are down the staircase two floors and to the right.
Your name is on your door. Your room is your sanctuary, guard it well.
For the first week, you will be ready at six-thirty sharp and the prefects
will take you to the Great Hall and then to your classes. After that, you're
on your own." Draco finished his speech and as he made his way over to
the fireplace, Aries gave him a slow clap.
"Excellent speech, Draco," Aries said with a laugh. "'Everyone hates you,'
a great way to motivate the first years."
"Well, what else was I supposed to say?" Draco said with a grumble. "It's
not like any of the past prefects prepared us very well."
"It was a rather interesting change of tone for you, Malfoy," Daphne, at
last, broke her silence from her spot on the chair. "I would say it was a
refreshing and accurate description of our house, thankfully without all
the blood prejudice." Draco's eyes flashed to Aries for a moment.
"Yes, well, the summer changed some things for me." Aries made a
mental note to discuss that comment with Draco later. Perhaps the Dark
Lord and his friend's idiotic father had been harsher than Aries expected.
"And I think we are about to see our first 'squabble.'" Daphne gestured her
hood towards another Slytherin who was making his way towards their
group. Aries leaned back, letting his arm slip around Daphne's waist and
the boy came to stand before him.
"That's my chair, Black."
"Is it?" Aries asked rather innocently. "I don't see your name on it. Of
course, I don't exactly know your name so it could be anyone's chair as far
as I'm concerned."
"It's Cassius Warrington," Cassius said hotly. "And I'm the Seventh Year
Prefect and, seeing as the Head Boy this year is not in Slytherin, that
makes that chair mine."
"Really?" He slightly nudged Daphne off the chair, freeing his arms, and
slipped into Cassius' unguarded mind. The boy's intentions were clear, a
fight would occur regardless of how the situation played off. Cassius
would be nuisance regardless, better to end it quickly. "Why don't you
take it from me then?"
Cassius growled and went to reach for his wand, but Aries was quicker.
His wand snapped into his hand and screamed to be unleashed. The
overwhelming power of the wand flowed through his veins as Bone-
Breaking Curse struck Cassius square in the sternum with a loud crack.
Aries stood quickly as he twisted his wand clock-wise and swept right,
casting an inverted Cutting Curse that sliced along Cassius' calves.
Sectumsempra! He had no time to think of just how he knew the spell
before he slashed his wand across his body. Blood spurted out, splattering
his face and robes, but Aries paid it no mind. Cassius' back hit the ground
hard just as a flash of lightning flew from Aries' hand into him. His
screams were loud, despite Aries releasing the lightning almost
immediately. He discreetly cast a wandless healing charm, only to ensure
that the boy did not die though he would be in pain for some time.
"Have you all forgotten who I am?" Aries asked the room, which was
deathly silent. "Have you all forgotten the Tri-Wizard Tournament
already?" He gestured towards Cassius, who lay moaning in his own pool
of blood. "Things are about to change here and quickly. Change with it or
be left behind." Aries turned to the chair and flicked his wand, so that
BLACK was engraved in fine letters across its back. "Just so we're clear on
who's chair it really is. Goodnight, Slytherin."
Draco barged into Aries' room just as the Black heir finished his wards,
which was quite lucky for the Malfoy heir as he would have spent a few
weeks at a minimum in the hospital wing had he even been just a minute
earlier.
"What the hell, Aries?!" Draco nearly screamed. "What was that?"
"A message, clear and simple." That did not seem to relieve his friend,
which only agitated Aries. "I entered his mind, Draco and sensed his
intentions. Cassius Warrington meant to make my life a living hell while I
was here for Merlin knows why. I don't have time for such small-time
rivalries. So, I ended it before it began and at the same time made it clear
just who rules in Slytherin."
"So, what now?" Draco said after a moment, sighing almost dejectedly.
"Now, our next phase begins my friend," Aries clasped his friend's
shoulder. "By the end of this year, everyone will want to be on our side,
Draco. Everyone."
AN: Next chapter: Sides Must Be Chosen
21. Sides Must Be Chosen
AN: This chapter turned out much shorter than I expected, but I felt
it best to split this chapter into two. It's taken me awhile to see
where I wanted to go with this story as I've changed certain things
and added in others. Thanks for everyone still sticking with this
story, it is not abandoned. I will finish it, though it may take longer
than I had hoped. I just want to put out the best story I can. As
always I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and if you don't,
whatever floats your boat y'all.
The Great Hall was nearly empty as Aries made his way to the Slytherin
Table, save for the few early risers of Ravenclaw. They paid him no mind,
clearly engrossed in their heated argument, though it was kept to
whispers. He was an early riser himself, having spent the morning
running around the lake of Hogwarts and doing what Cassiopeia had only
disdainfully called 'muggle exercises.' She was not wrong, but even she
could not disagree with the results. Outside of Quidditch players, few
witches and wizards were muscular in any way and the speed and
strength brought to him from the training gave him another edge over
any future opponents. Fortunately, the food of Hogwarts was more than
enough to fulfill the hunger brought on from the exercising.
Aries only gave those that entered the Great Hall a fleeting glance,
making a note of any who he felt he should approach throughout the
year. Most of Hufflepuff was quickly disregarded, especially considering
the more aggressive looks he was being given. He was more than aware
of the unfortunate idea that he had killed Cedric Diggory in that
graveyard and that there had never been a resurrected dark lord. A
completely illogical thought, even though he had, in fact, killed the
former Hufflepuff champion, but memories of their dramatic duel during
the Tri-Wizard Tournament only fueled the idea. There was little proof,
and Potter's own statements freed him of any guilt. Still, there was a clear
bias against him in Hufflepuff that might affect his plans for the year. It
would need to be rectified somehow, thought at the moment Aries was
unsure of just how to go about that.
His musings were interrupted as Theodore Nott sat before him. The boy
was a curious case that Aries had not yet decided what to do with. Nott's
father was a member of the Wizengamot, and often leaned whichever
way Lucius did, but he was also a staunch follower of the Dark Lord. Lord
Nott had a mean streak, one that had caused the deaths of men, women,
and children alike during the first war, though it was hardly known
unless you knew a Death Eater personally. A member of the Dark Lord's
Inner Circle, there was little doubt that Lord Nott's stock was rising, as
were the expectations for his son, Theodore.
"It's rather unusual for me not to be the first at our table," Theodore said,
gesturing to the still empty table. "Most of Slytherin will arrive soon
before the rest of the school does anyway."
"I gathered as much from Draco's speech last night," Aries still meant to
talk to his friend about his now changed persona. "A united front.
Interesting ideas considering our current political state." Theodore simply
raised his eyebrows before making his plate. Students began to trickle in,
but many of the Slytherins seemed to be wary of Aries. For now, they
feared him, but soon they would need to respect him as well.
"Why are you at Hogwarts?" Theodore's question was surprising, but it
did not catch Aries' off guard.
"Every Black has walked through these halls," Aries began, watching
Nott's reactions closely. "Durmstrang taught me valuable lessons, but I
had hoped to attend Hogwarts. Last year only reinforced that idea."
"And the real reason?" It seemed that Nott had no time for games. "I've
seen your OWL results. Outstandings across the board and
recommendations to take your NEWT's two years ahead, both from the
proctors and from Headmaster von Reich."
"You think there is nothing for me to learn here?"
"I think academics is the least of your concerns right now."
"Would the same be said for you?" Aries asked with a smirk. "I hear that
the Dark Lord wishes for you to spy on me, and report back to your
father. Taking the Mark so soon then?" Theodore did his best to not show
emotion, but the way his eyes slightly widened and the little bit of color
that drained from his face told Aries all he needed to know. "And here I
thought you didn't want to be like your father."
"If you know that, then why talk to me?" Theodore asked as he squinted
his eyes towards Aries.
"You honestly think I'll give you anything of value to report?"
"And what happens when the truth about Diggory comes out?" Aries
smiled, causing Theodore to be even more confused.
"And what truth is that?"
"No one knows what happened to him, besides you and the Dark Lord.
One minute he was alive, the next he wasn't. The Death Eaters that were
there don't even know." Theo glanced left and right, assuring himself he
wasn't going to be overheard. "But I know something happened. The Dark
Lord has a no-kill order on you that you're to be brought in alive. That
means he thinks you'd make a good follower. What possible reason could
he have to want to recruit someone who fought him and stopped him
from killing Potter? He wouldn't have us spying on you if you were
already a follower, which leads to only one thing: Diggory. I think you
killed him."
"A rather interesting theory, Nott. But let me ask you a question." Aries
leaned in closely. "Even if that was true, is trying to blackmail someone
who killed one of the most powerful students at Hogwarts and then
managed to duel to a standstill with the most powerful Dark Lord in
history really wise?"
Theodore showed no emotion, but his eyes flicked towards Aries' right
wrist, where his wand rested against his forearm. Did he think they
would duel right here in the Great Hall? Or was he worried about some
discreet curse he might cast? Aries' could feel his wand calling to him,
screaming to unleashed hellish magic throughout the hall.
"Great another early riser!" Draco's voice broke through the tension as he
took a seat next to Theodore. The Malfoy heir was seemingly unaware of
the duel that had nearly broken out between the two sixth year
Slytherins, but as Daphne sat down next to Aries, she gave him a rather
curious glance. He offered her a small smile, one that did not quite reach
his eyes. She sat down close enough to signify something closer than a
normal friendship, but lacking the slight touches was evident compared
to what occurred between the two the previous year. It was clear that
Aries would need to deal with the Ice Queen's sudden coldness but now
was not the time. "What were you two talking about?"
"The finer points of Arithmancy in the modern magical word," Aries lied
easily, locking eyes with Nott.
"Yes," Theodore confirmed, "Though we were about to discuss schedules."
His cue was just on time, as Severus Snape neared their group. Aries
gladly took the offered parchment from the Potions master, though not
without noticing the slightly suspicious glance he received. Daphne
noticed it as well, as she sat quietly beside him.
"What are you all taking?" Draco asked with an annoyed look at his own
schedule.
"Defense, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Arithmancy, and Ancient
Runes." Aries recited. "Mondays are easy, just Potions and Arithmancy.
Defense and Transfiguration, both with Gryffindor, on Tuesday. Charms
with Ravenclaw and Defense on Thursday. Friday a nice batch of Potions
and Ancient Runes."
"I see we have identical schedules," Nott commented and Draco looked
downright insulted.
"Six NEWT level courses?" Draco exclaimed. "Both of you?" He suddenly
looked at Daphne's schedule before cursing. "How the hell are you in
Potions with us? Oh, who am I kidding. You should probably be in all of
our courses with us." Nott seemed surprised, but Aries was not. He had
been aware that she had taken her Potions OWL over the summer, thanks
to a word from her father and himself. "Tracey, please tell me you won't
be like these showoffs."
"Oh no not at all," Tracey said, sitting down between Draco and Theodore
while clutching her schedule that Snape placed in front of her, to much
annoyance at her tardiness. "I don't plan on taking any extra NEWTs next
year, besides Care of Magical Creatures."
"You're still taking classes from that oaf?" Daphne said with much disgust.
"That oaf seems not to be here," Aries stated, inclining his head to the
now full staff table. "I believe Dumbledore said some Grubby-Pank lady
was teaching it."
"Grubbily-Plank," Daphne corrected, though she gave him an annoyed
look. "Don't act as if you didn't pay attention to the feast."
"I wonder where he's gone," There was clearly a dejectedness to Tracey.
She was softer than most of Slytherin, but her connections would pay off
in the long run.
"Hopefully the big oaf is dead," Draco said rather cruelly, as the group
stood up to head towards Potions. Tracey waved goodbye to them, as she
was the only one in the group not in NEWT level potions, thanks to
Daphne's extra work over the summer. "I'll never forgive him for that
blasted hippogriff."
"You mean the one where you acted like an absolute idiot and had to
suffer the consequences?"
"Aries control your girlfriend," The slight way Daphne tensed was lost to
Draco, but not Aries. She had slipped her arm into his, but he felt how
rigid she had become, if only for an instant.
Thankfully, due to their being in Slytherin, they made it to the dungeons
quicker than most and had already found seats in the classroom before
the rest of the sixth-year students climbed in. The class was relatively
small, so much so that the course was made up of all four houses. Aries
only recognized a few, Katie Bell from Gryffindor and Cho Chang from
Ravenclaw. The Asian girl looked sullen, and where her face had once
been full, it was now thin, almost unhealthily so. Clearly, the death of
Cedric Diggory had affected her greatly, and the depth of their
relationship deeper than he had thought. For a quick moment, Aries felt a
pang of guilt, but it passed quickly. Cedric's death had been guaranteed
the moment he failed to escape with Thomas. There had been no way he
would have been able to leave alive. Aries had given him a quick and
merciful death. He would not have gotten the same mercy from the
Death Eaters.
Aries nearly laughed at the instructions on the board for the first potion
of his sixth year. The Draught of Living Death. It was a potion he had
brewed for years, and one he knew by heart. He was about to collect his
ingredients with the rest when he stopped, his eyes locked on the
chalkboard. A quick glance at his textbook, confused him even more
before he looked towards the potion master. Last year, throughout the
lessons, there had never been a mistake in either the instructions or the
textbook, but step five was clearly wrong. There was a small knowing
smile, and suddenly, it all made sense. One had to know that some things
did not work in brewing potions, and thus the mistake was intentional. It
may have been an honest mistake in the text, but it was an intentional
one from Snape. Aries collected his ingredients, and brewed his potion
almost by memory, paying far more attention to the failed attempts of his
classmates, though Daphne's was near as perfect as is. Her mother is a
potion mistress herself after all. Did she know of the mistake as well? If so,
she gave no inclination, or desire to warn her classmates. But why would
she? She was a Slytherin after all.
"While most of you have made passable attempts at our lesson," Severus
began with a drawl, "Others have failed entirely. Only Mister Black and
Miss Greengrass have provided us a perfected potion. The rest of you owe
me a foot on the proper brewing of the Draught of Living Death by our
next lesson." Aries' assumption of Daphne was correct, as her eyebrows
raised at Snape's emphasis. "You are dismissed. Mister Black, if you
would stay a moment."
He made no rush to pack his things, allowing time for the small class to
disperse, leaving two of the three most dangerous wizards in the school
alone. Aries' mental shields had been in place the entirety of the course,
and he had little concern that Severus could penetrate his wards. He
knew, however, that one could learn just as much from what said and did
not say, as from Legilimency. Aries had hoped Severus would approach,
and now it was time to win the man's favor.
"The Dark Lord has noticed you, Black," Severus stated with a hiss,
"Whatever happened in that graveyard intrigued him, and your success in
the Wizengamot as only further his interest."
"So much so that he has asked his spy to attempt to bring me over to his
side?" The potion master's face showed no emotion, but Aries caught the
slight gleam in his eyes. "And as I understand it, Dumbledore has asked
the same of you. It must be interesting, to say the least, to have two
masters ask the same mission of you."
"You know much that you should not know," Snape answered. "And yet
you do not know everything."
"I know that you told the Dark Lord the prophecy you overhead in the
Hog's Head," Aries said with a smirk. "I wonder if Lily Potter knows that.
Does her husband or Sirius? I hear Remus is much more familiar with his
werewolf side than he was in the Shrieking Shack all those years ago."
Now there was emotion, as Snape's face slightly paled. "I wonder what
would happen should I let that little bit of information slip?"
"You know as well I do how that would end." Severus had tensed, and his
left arm moved slightly free of the desk, giving him room to summon his
wand. "The Order and the Ministry would suffer far worse without the
information I provide."
"Good reason to stay alive." Aries offered. "Though if the Dark Lord were
to discover the extent to which you help the Order, I fear he would not
end your suffering so quickly."
"Regardless, I would be dead either way. So, the threat is pointless."
"I think the threat of having the one you love hate you beyond all repair
is greater than any punishment the Dark Lord could unleash upon you.
Not to mention, I'm the one who can have you killed by both sides. I
guess you could call that the ace up my sleeve."
"What is it you want, Black?" There was an edge to Snape's question, and
Aries was happy he had pushed the man past his calm exterior.
"I just want to be kept in the loop," Aries said with a simple shrug. "What
is one more master to serve?"
"And you expect me not to tell the other two?" Severus locked eyes with
him, attempt to glare into Aries' soul. "There is more at stake here than
your silly little game of power." Aries could not help but laugh at the
Death Eater's foolishness.
"Oh, but it is Severus," Aries said as he rose to his feet. "It's all a game
with each side of the triangle using a different strategy. But in the end,
only one of us will remain. The question you have to ask is this: which
side do you have the most to gain from? The Dark Lord who will kill your
beloved should he win? Dumbledore, whose Greater Good and forgiving
nature have cost more lives than necessary? Or perhaps my side? The
unknown player who has yet to enter the game. They believe I am a
pawn. But I can assure you, when the game has played out, they will all
remember my name. I think that's enough of a reason to keep this our
little secret, don't you? Just one of many you have kept all these years,
Prince."
Bellatrix labored quietly through the use of the limited wand she had
been given. She could cast the simplest of spells, and every day her magic
returned to her. Aries had given her a pensieve, helping her to remove
the worst of the memories that plagued her, reminding her of the
atrocities that had been committed in her past. How could she have done
such things? She remembered pledging herself to the Dark Lord, and then
it was as if the very image twisted throughout the years of her memory.
She remembered questioning things, but then accepting them, even as
she now asked whether she had indeed allowed them. As a child, she had
always been slightly cruel and much colder than others. But even then
the actions that she would later commit disgusted her, especially against
purebloods of all magical beings. Her views still lined up with what the
Dark Lord and Aries, no Lord Black, believed, but she was nowhere near
accepting of the methods her former master employed. Terrorism,
genocide, and the destruction of the very fabric of the world she loved
more than anything. Did she want change? Yes, but not the kind that
would tear apart the world, leaving behind such destruction that it had
compared to the atrocities of Grindelwald.
Thinking of the Dark Lord brought fresh anger into her mind. She
remembered everything and all the evil things she had unknowingly
endured for her former master. And the way her husband had allowed it
all, the husband she had been forced to wed. She could feel her emotions
boiling over, and suddenly the wand suddenly cracked in her hand, and a
burst of magic was released throughout 12 Grimmauld Place.
"Bella!" Narcissa said with a fuss. "That's the third one this week! I can't
keep writing Cassi to approve more of these. You need to control your
emotions better."
"We both know I'm poor at that," Bella said with a short laugh. "It's not
like I see much of our aunt to feel her wrath anyway."
"That's uncalled for, Bella." She rolled her eyes as she collected the
remains of the wand under the careful watch of Lady Malfoy. "You know
she's busy handling the Wizengamot, as well as Aries' other projects."
"Truthfully I'm surprised you know about them." There was a cold gleam
in Bellatrix's eyes as she stared at her sister, but a knock at the door
stopped anything from happening. She felt herself stiffen, a sliver of fear
coursing through her body. "I thought no one from the Order would be
here today? Sirius made sure of it."
"Sirius did that for a reason," Narcissa answered softly. She heard the
door open, and then a few minutes later close. The sound of footsteps
floated through the halls, but after years of fighting, Bella knew it to be
more than one person, two if she was correct. At last, the door to the
lounge opened, and she saw her aunt Cassiopeia and someone she
thought she might never see again: Andromeda.
Her sister was much older than Bella remembered, but it had been over a
decade since they had last seen one another. Even through the wars, they
had never faced off against each other. But then a third woman came
forth, with a startled look on her face. Pink hair slowly darkened to
black, and the round face sharpened, almost mirroring the very face that
Bella knew she wore.
"Bella?" Andromeda said hesitantly, unsure of what to do. There was
tension, so much so that she half expected the five women to break into a
fight. There was anger, for what the other had done. And yet there was
an irresistible elation, to see one another in a different light. Bella could
not fight herself as she rose to her feet and slowly walked towards
Andromeda. They stood only a foot apart before they could bear it no
longer and embraced. Tears fell down their faces, ignored by each other
as they clung tightly to one another. Narcissa and Cassi looked away
respectfully, allowing the two sisters their moment of emotion in peace.
"I'm so sorry, Andi," Bella gasped out. "For everything. For ever choosing
anything of you and Cissy." Andi was quiet and pulled away from her
sister, her back turned towards the other.
"I'm not sure I can ever forget what you did," Andi said shakily. "But if
you truly have changed, then perhaps I can forgive."
"And the House of Black is whole once more," Cassiopeia stated with a
small smile. "Andromeda, I believe you have an introduction to make."
The brown-haired sister motioned for her daughter to come forward.
"Bellatrix, this is Nymphadora Tonks, my daughter."
"And a metamorphagus no less," Bella said in awe. "You truly are a
Black."
"And now it is time for us to discuss what is to become of our House."
Cassi gestured for each to sit and an awkward silence descended upon the
women. "Aries is the Head of our House and the Lord of House Black. Yet
he does not stand alone. He has us, Sirius, and Draco. Seven scions and
one lord. Aries has plans for this House that far extend the reach of the
Dark Lord and Dumbledore. He has brought this family together again;
we must repay him with our hardest effort."
"I'm sorry Cassi, but is this wise?" Andromeda glanced sideways at Bella.
"We are united, yes, but, and I'm sorry Bella, are we sure of everyone's
loyalties?"
"Spit it out, Andi," The heat in Bella's voice was undeniable.
"I understand and accept Aries' explanation for who you became." She
answered just as heatedly. "But you joined You-Know-Who long before he
corrupted you. How do we know you won't rejoin him when Aries' plan
doesn't agree with what you want? You deserted us once before, how do
we know you will not again?"
"He took everything from me!" The scream that broke from Bellatrix was
soul-wrenching, and glass shattered throughout the room. "I had three
children. Three beautiful children. They would have been perfect. And he
tore them away from me. He forced me to miscarry three separate times
so that my loyalty would never be divided. And my disgusting monster of
a husband never cared. So long as he still had his plaything every night.
You think I want to go back to that bastard?" A dark, cruel gleam shined
in Bellatrix's eyes. "No, I want to destroy everything he holds dear and
take everything away from him like he did to me. I want to be there when
Aries destroys him for good." Silence met her words, and tears ran anew
from Andromeda and Dora. Cissy and Cassi kept their composure, having
been there when Aries' had unlocked that part of her memory that her
mind had forced deep down thanks to the compulsion charms from the
Dark Lord. It had destroyed her inside, and any thought of the returning
to her former master vanished. She had known that Aries had hoped for a
spy within the Dark Lord's ranks, but now he had a weapon, one that
would stop at nothing to get her vengeance.
Andromeda slowly reached out and took her sister's hand. "I'm so sorry,
Bella. No one should have to bear what you did." She turned to look at
Cissy after Bella had seemed to gain control of herself again. "And what
of you? I know of your dissatisfaction with your husband's loyalties. But
will you be loyal to Aries and this house of Lucius?"
"Lucius has. . ." Cissy began as she looked at her hands. "Lucius has
chosen his side. I had hoped that with the fall of the Dark Lord that he
would change. But he has not, and now with his master's return, he has
become worse. Forcing his son to spy on his own nephew and pledging
him to the Dark Lord before he's even seventeen. I see only one end for
my family in Lucius' plan: death. Perhaps with the fall of the Dark Lord,
Lucius will return to how he was before all this. I may be a Malfoy now,
but I have always been a Black through and through."
"And you Nymphadora?" Cassi asked, turning at last to the youngest of
the women. "Will you join the House of Black as well? Our plan will ask
much of you, and it will require difficult tasks of you, considering your
role in the Ministry and in the Order. Dumbledore is as much our enemy
as the Dark Lord."
"I. . . I don't know." Dora answered honestly. "This is what I've always
wanted. For me, for mum. But to fight the two greatest wizards of our
time? Just our family? And is Dumbledore really that bad?"
"The Dark Lord and Dumbledore stand at two sides of the spectrum,"
Narcissa said, not too cruel. "One would kill any in his path, and the
other would allow others to die for his Greater Good. How many could
have been saved had Dumbledore acted as Aries does now? We move to
create a better world, the culmination of all this struggle between two
arrogant men. Aries will rise above them, and we, the women of our
House, will stand beside him. We will guide him on the right path. We
have seen the mistakes and triumphs of others. It is our duty to aid one
with the power he wields."
"We are not asking you to break your moral guidelines, Dora." Cassi
offered. "Only to do that which you can to help our family. Can you do
that?"
Dora looked towards her mother; uncertainty written honestly upon her
face. Andromeda simply smiled in return.
"It is your decision, my daughter, and one that should not be taken
lightly." Her mother said lovingly. "But, for what it is worth, having
suffered from both sides, I believe this to be the right one. For once, our
family stands united, and together, we cannot fail."
"Then my decision is obvious, isn't it?" Dora smiled with determination.
"For our family."
"For our family," Cassi repeated with a satisfied look on her face and
leaned forward. "Each of us will have our roles to play. Soon the world
will know the House of Black."
AN: Next Chapter: Dealing with Umbridge
22. Dealing with Umbridge
AN: I am so sorry it took so long to finally continue this story. I have
to admit that there have been so many times I stared at an empty
word document with no will to write. I just felt such
discouragement, but every time I started writing something else and
went to post it, I always came back to this one and my
determination to finish this story, if for no other reason than my
word. This story will probably end up being a lot shorter than I
intended, but regardless I will finish it. I hope those that found this
story in the beginning will continue to follow it. As always I hope
you enjoy this new chapter, and if you don't, whatever floats your
boat y'all.
"Malfoy!" Draco turned around, his wand going towards his hand when
he saw that it was Daphne Greengrass calling for him. He waited a
moment for her to catch up before she signaled to the empty classroom
just down the hall. Silently, he followed her there, hoping that whatever
mysterious act the Greengrass heiress was up to wouldn't end with him
having to duel with Aries' temper.
"What do you want, Greengrass?" Draco asked once they had entered the
room.
"Just to talk," Daphne seemed unsure, something that the Ice Queen
rarely was. "What is going on with Aries?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that all last year I thought we were dating, and then the summer
goes by, he and my father consider a marriage contract, and then when
my father said he would consider it, I did not hear from Aries once. Then
he shows up here to Hogwarts, acting as if nothing has changed. After he
went on that date with that French bitch."
Draco rubbed his eyes warily and wondered how he had ever thought
Daphne was different than other girls.
"Do you have any idea who Aries even is?"
"What?"
"I mean, do you know Aries?" Draco asked again. "Really know him?"
"I thought I did."
"If you think you did, then you never did." His answer was short and
harsh. "And if you know you know him, then you only know part of him."
"What are you going on about?"
"Aries isn't like you or me. We're ordinary to someone like him." Draco
said with some exasperation. "He stands above us, looking down upon the
rest like Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. We're all just pieces on a
chessboard. And each piece sees a different side of Aries. He wears masks
for everyone, showing them either what they want to see or what they
need to see. And you're no different. Look at how he acts with Potter or
us, and then how he can seemingly just handle the Wizengamot, but then
nearly kill Warrington, all with ease. He'll switch between whichever
mask he needs to play a situation to his advantage, but the truth is this:
Aries is a viper waiting to strike, and when he does, he will have fooled
everyone. "
"I find that hard to believe," Daphne answer back hotly. "Considering
everything from last year."
"You honestly think Aries would want to marry anyone after just a year of
knowing them?" She flinched back from his raised voice. "You think he
would throw away all the possibilities of opportunity that he has for one
person? Have you even been paying attention? Did you not see what he
did to Arianna?" Draco felt a wave of particular anger in him towards his
friend that he had never acknowledged before. "That girl loved him, and I
mean truly loved him. And I think Aries loved her back, in his way. But
he threw her aside for you because it provided an opportunity for allies
in England. Do you think he didn't know who your father was before he
started 'dating' you? Everyone he calls a friend either has power
themselves or his directly related to someone in power. Arianna's father
is now the President of Spain. Haydn's father is the Chancellor of
Germany. Ivan is the beloved nephew of the Prime Minister of Bulgaria.
And now your father is the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. You think
it's all a coincidence?"
"So, what are you saying?" There was anger in Daphne's eyes as she
replied. "That he lied to me? And used me?"
"Yes, and no," Draco answered awkwardly. He had allowed his
frustrations to create a very poor, but true image of his friend. Aries
could not control what the Dark Lord did to his family, even if it was
indirectly his fault. "There are few people who honestly know the real
Aries. His aunt Cassi is one, Arianna another, and then me. I've known
him for the longest, and I've seen all the masks he puts on. Maybe Aries
did feel something for you, but he never does anything based solely on
feelings. Look, he should be the one you talk to."
"What happened to you?" Daphne asked suddenly, her anger still there
but curiosity taking over. "You've changed."
"You know of the Dark Lord's return?" She nodded. "Well, Aries got his
attention, and the Dark Lord wants him to be a Death Eater. So, being his
friend with a father who has the Mark, makes me the perfect candidate
for information. My father eagerly offered my services." Draco clenched
his fists in anger as he remembered when his father told him all about
the great honor it was to serve the Dark Lord. "We know something like
that would happen, so Aries and I saw little of each other this summer.
He's my brother, Daphne, and I was left alone to deal with my foolish
father and a dark lord. It. . . it took its toll."
"I'm sorry," She offered awkwardly after a few moments of silence.
"Don't be," Draco said, though he did not meet her eyes. "It was the only
way. I had to isolate myself, or I'd be dead for failing my mission. Aries'
avoided me, so I only got the Cruciatus a few times. Mercy the Dark Lord
called it since I can't control what Aries' does." He took a few deep
breaths, as haunting memories of the Cruciatus while his father watched
on attacked his mind. "Look, I'm not saying not to trust or love Aries. But
be careful. He isn't like us, and if you're expecting him to throw away his
goals for love, then just look at Arianna for an example. Nothing will
ever be more important than his destiny. Nothing."
Aries sighed as he watched the Slytherin Quidditch tryouts. Truthfully,
some of the players were downright pitiful, and the angry glances from
Cassius Warrington made him question his decision not to play
Quidditch. Sure, it would've been enjoyable, but he did not want any
distractions from his more important work. Umbridge was already doing
her job: creating division within the halls of Hogwarts. Her rather
conservative teaching style had drawn the ire of teachers and students
alike, though Aries was just amused. It was all just too easy. The Dark
Lord and Dumbledore were drawing too much attention to themselves,
and it left a void that Aries was eager to fill.
The arrival of Potter only fueled that idea, as the boy was ripe for
molding. There was distrust, as Dumbledore had steadily avoided the boy
all summer, and with the growing tension between him and his father,
the boy was starting to question what he knew.
"Potter," Aries greeted. "Bold choice to come here during the tryouts."
"Whether I see who's on their team doesn't matter," Thomas laughed,
though Aries noticed the bandage wrapped around his hand as the
younger boy ran a hand through his hair. "We'll beat them no matter who
they have."
"I doubt you came here to discuss Quidditch." Potter shuffled his feet,
staring at the ground awkwardly before he took a seat next to Aries. He
wrung his hands as if he was struggling to decide on some unknown
decision.
"I have never felt as weak as I did with the Dementors," Thomas finally
stated. "Not even in the graveyard. I had my wand, I had you and. . .
Cedric." He barely whispered the former champion's name. "But when I
was standing there, unable to cast the Patronus, I knew I was going to die.
I have faced Voldemort three times now, and never once was I helpless.
Afraid, yes, but not helpless. I can't be that anymore, not if I'm to help
stop him." Aries raised his eyebrows. This form of motivation had been
absent in Potter's life as far as he had known him. "I know the charm, but
not like you know it. I was hoping you could teach me how to do the
Patronus Charm. Honestly, I was hoping you'd teach me to fight like you
can."
Was it really that easy? Had Potter just seemingly fallen into his hands
after one encounter with Dementors? If properly wielded, Potter could
become the very thing that secured him Magical Britain in one fell
swoop. His eyes fell to Potter's hand, and he felt his blood boil. He had
heard of the practices used by Umbridge, but there had been little
evidence to it.
"I will teach you all that you could learn on one condition," Aries said.
"Show me your hand."
"Oh, that, it's nothing, Aries."
"Do you want to learn or not?"
Potter glanced at his hands before sighing and unwrapping the bandage.
Carved into the back of his hand were the words I Must Not Tell Lies. So
the rumors were true. Umbridge was meant to create division, but doing
this to an Heir of a Noble and Ancient Family was beyond the line. It
would need to be dealt with and soon.
"Eight o clock. Room of Requirement. Saturday morning. Wear normal
clothing and bring only your wand." Aries commanded, before rising to
his feet. "Do not be late." Aries left Potter sitting in the stands and did not
wait for an answer. He had a girl to find, one very talented with her
tongue.
Tracey Davis walked innocently enough through the halls on her way
back to the Slytherin dormitory. She often liked to spend her Saturdays
outside, enjoying the company of the magical creatures that did not
judge her for merely being a half-blood. Slytherin was where she
belonged, and she knew it. Her friends were fantastic, even Draco, to a
point, but the rest of the house was just tiresome, which was how she
found herself walking alone back to her dormitory. Daphne and Nott
were in the library, Blaise was off doing who knows what, and Draco and
Aries were at the Quidditch pitch. There was just her, the only not
pureblood. She sighed loudly, letting the bubbly mask she often wore
drop.
A scream nearly tore from her lips as a rough hand grabbed her arm and
pulled her into the broom closet. She tensed up as hands rested lightly on
her forearms.
"I doubt this is how you imagined being with me in a broom closet."
Tracey's cheeks burned with embarrassment as she realized it was Aries.
How the hell did he know I had imagined that?
"Daphne would not be happy about this."
"I won't tell if you don't." There was a strong temptation there, and as her
eyes grew accustomed to the dark, she could see the faint outline of Aries'
lips. "Unfortunately, that's not why I have you in a broom closet. Though
there's time for that later." She felt her heartbeat a little faster at that
suggestion.
"What do you want?" She asked a little breathless, much to her
annoyance. Could she not keep her desire for her best friend's boyfriend in
check for one second?!
"Umbridge," Aries answered, his breath hot on her neck. "I want you to
spread a nasty little rumor about her, and to the right people."
"Who?" She couldn't stop herself from turning so that her lips were closer
to his.
"Abott and Macmillan." Tracey could feel how close they were and
instinctively pushed herself closer to this. She wanted this. Besides, she
knew of Daphne's frustrations. For all she knew, the two could break up
tomorrow, so why not enjoy this? She hated herself for even thinking it
and disgust seemed to fill her, despite not being able to pull away from
him. "Convince them to write home on the blood-quill."
"And what do I get?" Aries' lips brushed against hers, and she felt an
electric shock go through her skin before he pulled away.
"We'll see how everything goes," He said, opening the broom closet door.
"And then we'll go from there."
Aries had enjoyed the little foreplay with Davis far too much. He had
seen her desires in her mind last year, and they had only grown this year.
It seemed Davis was quite jealous of Daphne, despite the two being close.
Regardless, he was about to enjoy this conversation much more.
He knocked politely on Professor Umbridge's office door and waited
patiently for her to answer. The Defense Professor was, once again,
dressed in all pink as she answered the door. There was a slight
annoyance on her face before politeness replaced it quickly. He wondered
if the Minster had ordered Umbridge to play nicely with him, considering
their rather rude encounter at the Wizengamot.
"Mr. Black," Dolores greeted. "How may I help you?"
"I was wondering if we could have a chat, Professor," Aries said all too
politely. "From one supporter of the Ministry to another. There are some.
. . rather unfortunate things going on in the school I had hoped to
discuss."
"Oh, well, then come in!" Her high voice grated against his ears, but the
polite mask remained as Aries' sat in the chair before her desk "Tea?"
"Yes, please. Two sugars." Once the tea had been mixed, with a carefully
disguised charm ensuring the drink free of potions, Aries happily faced
the professor. "You see, the other day, I noticed something rather unusual
with one of the pureblood families." Dolores perked up as Aries expected.
Despite being a half-blood, the woman was very much a blood purist.
"What happened to them?" Umbridge asked all too eagerly. "And who
was it?"
"You see, they had this nasty little cut on their hands," He began, slowly
removing his wand. "And it said I Must Not Tell Lies." Immobulus!
Incarcerous! Muffliato! The cat paintings all froze as ropes wrapped tightly
around Dolores.
"What do you think you're doing, Black?!"
"That's Lord Black to you, half-blood." Aries stood up; his wand pointed
towards the toad-like woman. "Have you forgotten the trial already? The
Potters may be fools, but Thomas is still my blood and is under my
protection. Did I not make that clear enough?" He twisted his wand
clockwise, and the ropes tightened.
"The Minister will hear about this!" The bitch screamed.
"If the Minister hears about this, he will wonder why his fool of an
Undersecretary pissed off the most powerful lord in Britain. One who is
capable of seeing him removed from office with a single word." He let
those words settle into the trapped professor. "How do you think he'll
think of you when he realizes you're to blame? Oh, I think I have little to
worry about." Aries leaned in, driving his wand into the back of her
hand, causing her to scream in agony. "And if I find out that you have
used that blood-quill on Potter, or any other pureblood in this school, I
will show you the true meaning of torture." He lifted his wand, taking in
his work. Carved into the back of her bloody hand were the words: I
Must Know My Place. "Remember this. If it not for you unknown
usefulness, I would kill you now. Continue doing the Minister's work, and
perhaps you won't be dead by the end of the year."
He entered her mind, forming strong walls around the memory. Her
unconscious mind wouldn't know the difference, but if anyone tried to
see the memory, it would kill her in the process. A flick of his wand
released the bindings, and the woman fell to the floor. Aries left her
there, tears and blood mixing on the carpet.
James Potter distractedly walked down the streets of Muggle London. It
was a nice reprieve from the stresses of Magical Britain, where he
couldn't go anywhere without being recognized. He made his way down
the usual streets, heading to the pub he and Sirius had often visited after
every raid. It had been a tradition of theirs, at least until Aries Black had
arrived. He knew his hatred for the boy was irrational, but his friend's
nephew practically screamed power and dark magic. Sirius had even
admitted knowing Aries knew and used dark magic! His friend had never
once accepted the use of such magic, not even with his family. So how
could he take it in this boy?
Regulus had always been a sore point in their conversations, but James
knew Sirius had always regretted how he had handled the situation with
his brother. James took a seat at the bar, ordering the same drink as ever,
as the troubled thoughts ran through his mind. Then there was Thomas,
his son. He did not like how Thomas had come to befriend Aries, and in
some ways, look up to the boy. James had always wondered how Peter
Pettigrew had gone dark, but in his mind, he had always assumed
someone like Aries, maybe even Regulus himself, had convinced him to
turn. But Thomas was not Peter. There was a pain in James' heart, as he
remembered the times that he and Sirius had treated their friend far
worse than he deserved. Deep down, James knew there was no one to
blame but himself.
He felt distant from his family if he was honest with himself. Lily and
Sirius seemed to be changing, accepting of things he wasn't. They had
experienced a loss of siblings in their way, but James had lost his parents
to the very hands of Lord Voldemort. Aries reminded him of him far too
much. Chills ran down his spine, as each of the three times he had come
face to face with the dark wizard flashed before his eyes. It was an
irrational fear, James knew, as Aries was not a dark lord because if he
were, then Sirius wouldn't love him. Love had not blinded Sirius from the
flaws of his family, and it did not blind him now, but James could not get
himself to accept the boy that was seemingly tearing apart all he knew
without realizing it.
"James?" Sirius' shaky voice caused him to turn around to face his old
friend. He was dressed as usual, in all black with a leather jacket. "I can
go."
"Wait," James called out after a moment, stopping his friend. "I think we
can have a pint without arguing, don't you?" Sirius seemed unsure, before
taking the stool at the bar beside him. They waited in silence before the
bartender brought Sirius his drink.
"It's been a long time since we've been here," Sirius commented. "At least
a few months."
"A year." James felt embarrassed, just saying it. Had he drifted so far
from the friend he once called brother? "How did it come to this?"
"Aries," The name was all that was needed. "I found a way to repay my
brother, to find forgiveness I had thought lost. For years I had hoped that
I would find Regulus alive somewhere and apologize for not being there."
"We were on different sides of the war," James said softly. "We were
enemies."
"And he was still my brother." They did not raise their voices. There was
a defeated tone in both of them, that seemed to draw them together. "My
brother who I loved, and I let that war tear us apart. Maybe, just maybe,
if I had been more understanding. I had been there for him then, maybe
he would be alive. I wish I could be there for him the way Aries has been
there for Thomas."
"What?"
"You think Thomas and I don't talk?" Sirius asked sincerely. "He's my
godson. Thomas and Aries are the closest thing I have to children. When
Thomas was selected for the tournament, he had no idea what to do. But
Aries encouraged him, and because of that, Thomas strived to win. When
Thomas questioned things last year, Aries helped him find his own
answers and didn't push bullshit onto him, regardless of what he chose to
believe in the end. Then Aries came to his defense at the trial. Thomas
sees him as an older brother, a distant one, but still one, nonetheless. If I
had been anything like Aries with Regulus, then maybe he would have
lived."
"You know exactly how I feel about Aries," James whispered hotly.
"Who cares about his views on magic?" There was a tiredness in Sirius'
voice that caught James off guard. "Aren't you tired of that petty fight?
When we have a war to win?"
"What are you talking about?" Sirius sighed before downing his drink.
"Aries has done more for the fight against Voldemort than anyone," Sirius
stated. "The DMLE and the Auror Corps have more members and more
freedom than ever. When Voldemort finally shows his face, we might
have a chance. And if you haven't noticed, the minute he does show up,
Aries already has a replacement for Fudge in place. One that will want to
fight this time. Not sit back and react like Dumbledore wants to do. Not
to mention, have you noticed that since the trial, the Daily Prophet hasn't
said one word against you or your family?"
"Don't say a word against Dumbledore!"
"Or what?" Sirius' eyes had a weird gleam about it. "He is not god. That
man has allowed thousands to die for his refusal to act. Right now,
Voldemort hasn't struck out, besides the few things we have been able to
respond to, thanks to Snivellus. But when he does come out in the open, I
plan on taking the fight to him with Aries. I'm not going to sit back and
watch my friends die and have to watch my godson die again." The
mention of Harry struck a chord, and James nearly dropped his drink. "I
loved Harry. And now he's gone. Dumbledore might not have cast the
charm, but him refusing to face Voldemort, just like he did with
Grindewald, makes him just as responsible."
"Harry was my son." James gritted out. "I will not let you use his death as
an excuse."
"So is Thomas." Sirius countered back. "Are you planning on letting
Dumbledore make a martyr out of him too? For all the supposed training
he was supposed to endure, little has come of it. I will not sit back again.
I will fight, and I hope you plan to join me. Aries is not going to sit back
and let Voldemort kill at will. We are going to kill that son of a bitch if
it's the last thing I do."
"How can you talk like that?"
"Regulus." Sirius choked on the name. "Harry." There were tears in his
eyes. "Charles. Dorea. Alice. Frank. And so many more. I will not let
Voldemort win. Not this time."
"He lost the war! He was destroyed."
"We all lost, James." His friend deflated before him, his shoulder
lowering. "Can't you see that?"
James was about to respond when there was a slight buzz from Sirius'
pockets. He recognized the sound as their communicators. It vibrated,
much like the muggle cell phones, to keep their cover in the muggle
world. Sirius looked at it discreetly, before cautiously glancing towards
James.
"You might want to come with me to the office," His friend said, the
redness of anger rising into his face. "I think you're going to want to see
this."
Sirius had secretly been thankfully when his communicator had gone off,
as the conversation had taken a rather unexpected turn. So much for not
arguing. He had to suppress a laugh, especially now that he stood in the
office of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. James stood next to
him, as officers searched the room. Dolores Umbridge was fuming just
outside, as Dumbledore stood next to her. He had noticed the small,
unsure glances his friend was sending the Headmaster. He sincerely
hoped his words had struck a chord with his friend, and they would
finally be able to release him of the confundus charm from years past.
He visibly shook his head, to an instinctual smirk from James. Sirius'
animagus form too often blended over to his human form, but he needed
to focus on the present rather than his issues with his friend. Scrimgeour
barely had time to hand out orders as Lord Abott and Lord Macmillan
grilled him over the possible use of a blood quill. Apparently, their
children had written home, and the two lords of houses belonging to the
Sacred Twenty-Eight wasted no time in causing an uproar. Sirius did not
doubt that the entire Auror Department, and most of the Ministry, knew
about the rumor.
"Well?!" Scrimgeour demanded as he walked into the room. "Tell me you
have an answer. By the time you two left I had nearly half the
Wizengamont in my office, I only escaped by reminding everyone that
that toad works for the Minister, not me!"
"I'm sorry, sir," James said as one of the junior Aurors shook his head.
"There's no blood quill, and no sign of its use."
"What about the students?" Sirius asked curiously. "Forgive me, sir, but a
child of one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight would not send that letter as a
prank. Umbridge could be sentenced to death by execution by a
Pureblood family for this. Even if she is such a horrid teacher as Aries
tells me, this seems far fetched."
"I tend to agree, Sirius." The Head Auror turned to Dumbledore, who had
a pensive look about him. "I do not like this, Albus. Parents are worried,
and rightfully so, some have even permitted me to question their
children. If you know something, I need to know it now. Because if I find
out you knew and hid it for some bollocks reason, I'll bring you down
with her and the Minister." An unbearable tension filled the room as the
two men stared at one another. Sirius knew that Scrimgeour had Aries'
backing, but had it given the man enough confidence to challenge
Dumbledore? Or did Scrimgeour know something that he did not?
"I can assure you, Head Auror, that I had no knowledge of this, nor has it
been brought to the attention of my staff." Dumbledore sighed, "I'm afraid
the only way to know is to question Madam Umbridge."
"Unfortunately, that isn't possible," Scrimgeour handed the Headmaster a
letter. "She has Fudge's protection, Albus, and without evidence, he'll just
push it aside. I need to interview students."
"Did the letters say who had Umbridge had used the quill on?" James
asked.
"No, only that it was being used." Sirius glanced towards James with a
raised eyebrow. Suddenly he had the feeling that this was not just about
the blood quill. "Well, Albus? Yes or no?"
"I cannot allow you to mass interview students," the Headmaster replied.
"Not without evidence of the quill or its injuries. I will speak to the
students, of course, and tell them that they can receive help if something
has happened."
Scrimgeour simply nodded and left the room, followed by James, Sirius,
and their team. Umbridge had a triumphant look as they left her office,
but Sirius noticed it didn't quite reach her eyes. He had a feeling
something was missing in all of this, and he wasn't sure he would like it if
he found out. Was it all just some poliitical move? Was Aries behind it?
Or was Umbridge really torturing students and they were letting her get
away with it? Worry filled Sirius' stomach and he couldn't help feeling he
had somehow let down the students of Hogwarts.
Aries stared at the locket inside the privacy of his room. It called to him,
and while the young Black lord knew how dangerous such an item could
be, he could not be rid of it. Trancelike, he lifted the locket and place it
around his neck, the weight heavy, yet comforting. His eyelids suddenly
felt heavy, and he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
'Remember who you are,' something whispered.
Memories flashed before his eyes.
He was in an orphange.
He was riding the train for the first time.
The hat sat on his head. "SLYTHERIN!"
Light flashed past a great oaf of man, blasting the chest open, and a large
spider fled away.
Then suddenly the memories stopped and he found himself in a hallway. He
slowly approached the door, light flickering below it, and turned the handle.
The fire crackled in the fireplace as the family laughed and rejoiced. Music
filled the air, so they did not hear the nearing footsteps. Aries' lip curled in
disgust at the muggle's he saw, and he raised his wand.
"Avada Kedavra," he whispered, almost gleefully. The flash of light struck the
woman, and she fell. The two men froze still, their feeble minds not being able
to understand what had happened, and the older man fell to another flash of
green. The last man fell to his knees before the other two, tears falling down
his face as he turned to Aries.
"What have you done to them?!" The man screamed. "Who are you?!"
Aries did not answer. The muggle filth deserved no answer. A flash of green
and the man was dead. Suddenly the world changed, blackness soaking deep
into the confines of the world, and an island formed in the darkness. A great
ash tree rose from the land, and a hooded man stood before it. Aries found
himself drawn to the island as if magic pulled him through the air. The man
turned to him.
"Remember who you are."
Aries shot up, sweat beading his forehead, and his breath shallow, but
then he froze, the foreign memories of the dream forgotten, for there
stood the man from the tree in front of him. White eyes flashed power,
and yet Aries flung his hand forward, a powerful burst of flame erupting
from his palm. The fire simply went through the man, as he faded into
nothing. His heart was beating faster than it ever had, and something
akin to fear started to eat at him before he heard the voice again.
"Remember who you are."
AN: Obviously I'm fully aware there are some issues here. Aries has
Tracey spread a rumor, then threatens Dolores and warns her
against telling Fudge, but then the Aurors come and search her
office anyway? Trust me. All three are important and the next
chapter will show why. Figured I'd give everyone a free piece of
candy there.
Also, as I'm continuing this story I'm also going through and
revising. Fixing some grammar errors that slipped the proof reading
as well as clearing up some plot points. I'll keep y'all updated as far
as what has been revised with each new chapter.
23. The Patronus Charm
AN: As always I own none of this. Really enjoyed writing this
chapter as it has LOTS of dialogue and interaction, which is a
continuous theme. I enjoy watching how characters interact with
one another. While Aries has built up a tremendous amount of
power over the years, I have no intention of him suddenly finding
some ancient magic power to give him the victory. He will continue
to outmatch, out maneuver, and out power his enemies, which is
why how he interacts with these other characters is so important,
and so fun to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if you don't,
whatever floats your boat y'all.
The Minister of Magic was a busy man as of late. Letters were
bombarding his office, and members of the Wizengamot had made many
stops by his office demanding answers to these blood quill questions. It
had started with Lord Abott and Lord Macmillan before members of both
the light and grey parties began pestering him. What had that bloody
woman been thinking? He did not doubt that toad had used the blood
quill, but what he didn't understand was how she hadn't been caught.
Scrimgeour had given him no time to warn her before sending Black and
Potter off to Hogwarts to investigate. Still, he was not about to complain
about the situation, considering it would have been his head as well
should the quill had been found.
"Minister?" Weatherby said, knocking on the door. "Lord Remus of the
Noble House of Lupin wishes to speak to you, sir." Fudge could not hide
his displeasure. Not only had Lord Black made a werewolf a lord and head
of a noble house, but the man now dared to bother him without an
appointment? But he knew he could not refuse the half-breed.
"Send him in, Weatherby." He did not see the red head's flash of irritation
but lifted his head as Lupin walked in and took his seat. "How can I help
you?"
"I'm afraid I am here on behalf of my liege lord, Lord Black, Minister."
Lupin began, stroking the grey beard he had started to grow. "While he
cannot visit himself, he wished me to discuss with you the matter of this
'blood quill.' He is not pleased, Minister, not at all."
"As it was said in the Daily Prophet, the Aurors found no evidence of
anything," the Minister hastily replied. "Lord Black does not need to feel
concerned!"
"Oh, but he does." Remus smiled somewhat cruelly. "I mean, for
Headmaster Dumbeldore to allow blood quills to be used on students,
especially those of our more prominent families, is something that just
cannot stand. Something must be done."
"Dumbledore?" What did the old man have to do with it?
"Well, it must be his fault, right?" Fudge's hands fidgeted as thoughts ran
wild through his head. "I know for a fact there was no communication
between this office and Professor Umbridge, so it's not as if you told her
to hide it. And of course, we must mention the clear animosity of the rest
of the staff towards her. From my point of view, it would seem as though
she was set up. No evidence? Dumbledore refusing to allow students to
be interviewed?"
"Yes, yes. Of course!" It all played out in his mind. The headlines, the
press, and the outrage shifted from himself and the Ministry towards the
senile headmaster. "Lord Black agrees with you?"
"Oh, my liege lord would never say such things against the headmaster,
while he is at Hogwarts," Lupin answered carefully. "Though I have it on
good authority that he mentioned such things to his dear uncle Sirius.
Little can be done here Minister, but perhaps we could give Dolores the
power to. . . correct Hogwarts' issues." Fudge's eyebrows raised eye, and a
cruel smile slid onto his round face.
"Dolores Umbridge named High Inquisitor of Hogwarts following allegations of
blood quill use at Hogwarts." Draco recited, the current edition of the Daily
Prophet in his hands. "Did you have something to do with this Aries?"
Aries smirked but gave no reply as he lazily flipped through the book in
his hands. "Fine then, keep your secrets." There was a slight edge to
Draco's voice, and Aries let the book thump on the table.
"You know exactly why I'm keeping my cards close to my chest, Draco."
He said with a raised eyebrow. "As long as your father remains the Dark
Lord's servant, I cannot put you in a position of risk."
"I'm already at risk!" Draco shouted, grateful for the Muffliato charm they
had cast when they chose their library table. Aries sighed loudly,
aggressively rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Perhaps its time we address the boggart in the room, don't you think?"
The blonde-haired boy turned his head, staring at one of the bookshelves.
"I know what happened this summer, Draco, but it could not have been
prevented."
"How the hell would you know? You never asked! You never cared! You
let me suffer alone at the Dark Lord's hands time and time again."
"And if I hadn't?" Aries replied hotly. "What do you think the Dark Lord
would have done had you refused him? Do you think he would have
stopped with you? What about your mother?" Draco had paled at that,
but Aries wasn't done. "Or what about your sister?" His friend's mouth
dropped, and he struggled to speak for some time as Aries patiently
waited.
"How?"
"You think I wasn't watching? I assure you I made sure to be fully aware
of everything going on at Malfoy Manor."
"Mother?" He simply nodded, and Draco's head fell. "This is tearing my
family apart. No one was supposed to know. My father doesn't even know
yet."
"Narcissa will be taken care of," Aries said softly. "And the Dark Lord will
not get his hands on the newest Malfoy. But we must tread lightly."
"I'm sorry. I should have known you wouldn't leave me alone. Well,
entirely anyway." Draco lifted his head and looked Aries in the eyes. "You
would have saved us, right? If the Dark Lord had decided we were no
longer useful?"
"You know that answer, Draco," Aries said seriously. "We're brothers in
blood. No matter what." Silence rested between the two, and he was glad
to see that the animosity from Draco seemed to be disappearing. "Your
speech in the common room intrigued me. Care to explain?"
"I guess this summer made me see some things differently," Draco said
with a sigh. "I've spent so long trying to do everything to be the person
my father wanted me to be, and then he just readily prostituted my life to
the Dark Lord. He sat there and watched Him torture me. And I just
decided I didn't care anymore. About the traditions, about the purity of
blood. About all the horse shit, my father spewed every day. Nothing
good could come from the Dark Lord. . . I've never seen such a monster."
Draco looked away for a moment, his eyes glazed over as if remembering
something.
"And the rest of them too. Father made me watch as they tortured and
raped some poor muggleborn. I didn't know her name. I don't think she
ever came to Hogwarts. And they laughed, like it was all a good joke.
Suddenly, it wasn't a prank. It wasn't putting someone back in their place.
All I could think of was Granger. Annoying as she is, but the thought was
there. Even I'm not daft enough to think she's not brilliant. That if she
could learn her place, maybe she could benefit our world. Does she
deserve to be bumped down a peg or two? Absolutely. But that? What
they were doing to that poor girl? No, not even her.'
"Then, they just killed her. Left her lying in a puddle of blood and their
handiwork. They were so proud of what they had done as if they had just
won a game of Quidditch. At that moment I realized that you were right,
I guess. You've always been right. I won't say I've given up on the idea
that we're better than some, and we deserve our rightful place in the
world. But no one deserves what happened to that girl simply because
they were born different."
Aries, who seemed to always have a calculated response to give, was left
speechless. Somehow that tidbit of information had failed to reach him,
and he was disgusted at what the Death Eaters had done. It was relieving
to know that Draco had finally seen his father and his friends for what
they were. Aries simply reached over and placed a comforting hand on
Draco's shoulder. It was apparent the incident still affected his friend, but
it had been for the best. Draco could now become his own man, and not
a copy of his father.
To say Thomas was nervous as he headed towards the Room of
Requirement was an understatement. Terrified might have been a better
word. He had not told anyone of training with Aries Black, as it had been
a rather touchy subject with Susan, who did not trust the Slytherin at all.
Not that he could entirely blame her as many of Hogwarts, especially
those in Hufflepuff, had avoided Black since the Second Task of the Tri-
Wizard tournament. While he had not seen their brutal duel, he had
heard more than enough to know it had gotten out of hand. Then there
was Cedric's death at the graveyard. Thomas was no fool, and he knew
that some questioned the circumstances around the champion's death,
mostly from those who did believe about Voldemort's return.
His friendship with Black had caused other issues as well, mostly with
Ron. The fellow fifth-year believed him, of course, but he, like many
others in Gryffindor, distrusted Aries. Whether it be his family, his House,
or his uncaring attitude about light or dark magic, it had driven a wedge
between himself and his red-headed friend, with Hermione in the middle.
She still had been undecided on the young Black lord, but she was
unwilling to choose a side like she had last year so quickly.
Thomas made it to the Room of Requirement with a minute to spare and
hastily entered, finding Aries waiting for him, in the same robes he had
worn throughout the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The older boy gave him a
look over, and Thomas had a feeling he was disappointed.
"When I said normal clothing, I meant wizard clothing," Aries said with a
shake of his head. "It will do, however, as your family as a tendency to
wear muggle clothing. Now, you said you wish to learn the Patronus, but
also how to fight, correct?"
"Yes," Thomas answered, honestly. "Voldemort is back. And I have to be
ready to fight him."
"Good, then listen closely." Aries seemed to wait for Thomas to gather
himself. "I will be giving you a training regimen, one that you will not
shy away from, or you will find yourself short of a teacher. We will not
use honorifics, as you are not my apprentice. But understand that while
here, I am in charge. We are not students. We are not friends. You are a
student, and I the teacher. Understand?" Thomas gave a quick nod, his
eyes wide in surprise. "So first, a duel. Ready yourself."
Aries leaned back into his stance, his Viper form ready, as Thomas stood
still for a moment, before shaking his head and reading himself as well.
"Begin." Thomas quickly sent a stunner, hoping to catch Aries off guard
but was shocked as he simply deflected the spell, crashing into the wall
with a bang. He knew he had been distracted and blacked out as Aries'
stunner hit him. Groggily, his eyes opened, and he stared up at Aries,
who Thomas was sure had a disappointed look on his face.
"I expected more, Thomas." The words stung deeper than he had thought.
"No doubt you have never seen someone deflect a spell, but even I
expected you not to lose concentration that easily. It will not happen
again. Ready yourself." He rose to his feet as Aries walked back into his
spot. He shook his head again and pushed his thoughts out of his mind.
He would show Aries he was capable of more.
"Begin." Another stunner flew from his wand, and just as Aries deflected
it, he sent a blasting hex towards him. Aries spun out of the way, casting
his own stunner back. It bounced off Thomas' shield before a fluid series
of spells crashed into it. Thomas pushed power into the simmering blue
shield, shuffling his feet in an attempt to get a better angle on his
opponent. Suddenly, he dropped his guard and rolled to his right, and
fired off three blasting hexes in a row. Using the smoke caused by the
blast, Thomas sprinted to his right and began to fire stunners towards
where Aries had been. He waited, glancing around him to ensure he had
not been flanked, as the smoke cleared, but Aries was nowhere to be
found.
"Are stunners and blasting hexes all you know?" Aries' voice came from
behind him, and he felt the cold tip of a wand against his neck.
"Are bone breakers all you know?" Thomas replied sarcastically.
"No," Aries responded with a laugh as he lowered his wand, "But they are
quite effective. That was more of what I expected, but we will need to
widen your armory of spells beyond what your father has taught you if
you are to defeat the Dark Lord."
"I am not learning dark magic." He glared for a moment at Aries, but then
wilted under the cold, calculating eyes that met his.
"I thought we had gotten over this after your discussion with Godric."
Guilt filled him at that, and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"You have been back to see Godric, right?"
"Once, after the first time. But I just got mad, I guess," Thomas answered
nervously. "I just couldn't understand how he kept pushing me to use that
side of magic. I mean. . . I don't know, Aries. I just can't."
"You cannot expect to defeat the Dark Lord, or his followers, with simple
stunners," Aries answered hotly. "You might get lucky, but more than
likely, you'll end up dead." Thomas refused to meet his eyes, and he was
thankful that Aries seemed to give up on the conversation with a long
sigh.
"Let us focus on the Patronus Charm." He eagerly perked up at that, as
Aries glanced towards the wall in thought. "Regardless of yours or my
views on magic, the world is inclined to separate magic into light and
dark. Many would say that a light wizard could not use true 'dark' magic
and that a dark wizard could not use pure 'light' magic. For example, the
Killing Curse and the Patronus Charm." Thomas listened intently, as Aries
began to pace. "This is not inherently true at all, as someone in a fit of
rage could cast the Killing Curse, and one does not need to be light or
dark to use the Patronus. It, like all magic, is a manifestation of intent
and emotion. The Dark Arts, as they are named, focus on an intent to
harm, with anger being the primary emotional catalyst. Some schools of
magic, like Transfiguration and Charms, focus less on emotion and more
on intent and the will to shape with their magic. And then some charms,
such as the Patronus, concentrate on the more 'lighter' sides of emotion.
Happiness is the fuel that powers the Patronus Charm. It is this reason
that it is considered a 'light' spell.'
"And with that in mind, a question." Aries continued, turning to Thomas.
"Could the Dark Lord cast a Patronus Charm?"
"No!" Thomas answered quickly. "How could he? He's evil!"
"And so you are saying that there is nothing that makes the Dark Lord
feel happiness? Or joy?"
"Well, no, or. . ." He let his voice die as he considered it. "You're trying to
convince me again, aren't you?"
"To a point," the Slytherin answered with a smirk. "The point here is that
again, emotion is the focus. In reality, while it is unlikely that the Dark
Lord could muster a Patronus, it is not impossible. Food for thought, Heir
of Gryffindor. Now, for the charm itself. Expecto Patronum is the
incantation."
"Expecto Patronum," Thomas repeated as Aries gave a nod.
"Now, as I said before, happiness is the fuel. Most people use a memory.
But the reason I say that the Dark Lord would likely not be able to use it
is that the more powerful the memory is, the more powerful the
Patronus. It is unlikely the Dark Lord possesses such a memory, but
again, not impossible." Thomas began to rack his mind for a memory,
picking out a few he thought would work. "Now, the memory is
important, but also subjective. One would say riding a broom for the first
time would not work, but for someone abused their entire life, it may as
well be their happiest memory. For you, however, it might not be
enough. Think of the memory, and let it consume you until it's all you
can feel. And then say the words." Thomas took a deep breath and
focused, the memory becoming more and more real before him until he
could feel the warmth of the fireplace.
"Expecto Patronum." There was a slight pull on his magic, but when he
opened his eyes, there was nothing. He tried again and again, and despite
the slight pull he felt, he could not preform the charm.
"You are conflicted, Thomas. I would not even need Legillimency to
figure that out; it's in your magic."
"My magic? So my memory was not good enough?"
"I did not say that," Aries closed his eyes, and two chairs formed between
them. He motioned for them to sit and gave him a curious look. "But
regardless, something is happening that is keeping you from casting the
spell. Sometimes, emotional upheaval, or life events, can affect our magic
in unknown ways." Thomas felt tense and looked away again. "I've
noticed you've been somewhat ostracized by your house again.
Something you wish to explain?" There was nothing that Thomas wanted
to do less than discuss it. But then the memories of the Dementors
returned with a shudder.
"I know the Prophet stopped running those horrible articles, but it hasn't
made anyone believe me more." Thomas ran a hand through his hair in
frustration. "Seamus and some others flat out think I'm a nutter. Susan
and her friends think I'm crazy for being friends with you, as most still
haven't decided on what happened at the graveyard. My dad is so intent
on making sure I'm a 'light' wizard that I want to break everything in my
home when I'm around him. I didn't even tell him about the blood-quill! I
feel so angry all the time. Dumbledore has been avoiding me all year, and
that fucking Umbridge woman is tormenting me every day, and the only
one that seems to care is the one who everyone, besides Sirius, thinks is
the next Dark Lord!" He hadn't meant to yell or to tell Aries all of that,
but once he had started, he couldn't stop. Thomas glanced up, wondering
what Aries' reaction would be, only to find a look of understanding.
"Who are you?" Aries asked softly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, who are you, Thomas Potter?" He asked again. "Are you a
muggleborn? Are you just another ordinary wizard? Who. Are. You?"
"I'm Thomas, Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter."
Thomas replied, still unsure of what Aries was getting at, but he didn't
say anything so he continued. "I'm the Heir of Gryffindor. I'm the Boy-
Who-Lived."
"So why the fuck do you care what they think?" Thomas's face shot up at
the venom in Aries' voice. "We had this talk last year. It seems we're
bound to revisit things. One day, you'll be face to face with the Dark
Lord. And you know what will matter? You. Not Seamus and his friends.
Not Susan and her friends. Not your father. You. One day, you'll be old,
and every night you'll have to go to sleep, remembering your life, and
you will have to be the one who lives with himself. Do you want to go to
sleep at night, remembering how you let others rule your life? Or do you
want to remember how you seized every day victoriously? It's like I told
you before, friends are nice, but at the end of the day, all you have is
yourself.'
"And as far as your father goes, he's not you. His life is not yours. His
choices do not matter, but yours do. If you live your life trying to please
everyone around you, you will be miserable. You and I, Thomas, we are a
cut above the rest. We are lions and a lion does not concern itself with
the opinion of the sheep. Do you understand?"
"But I cannot just throw everyone to the side, just for myself!"
"That's your choice, Thomas," Aries answered with more control. "But you
also cannot allow them to control your life. It is not your responsibility to
make others accept you for who you are. It is theirs. And if they cannot,
then let them fade away. Those who are true to you will stick by you, not
leave based on the circumstances." Silence breathed in between them, as
Thomas thought on Aries' words, and no matter what argument came up,
none could dispel the one Aries had. "And as far as Dumbledore goes, he
is not god. He is not infallible. He makes mistakes, same as you and I. I
cannot tell you why he is avoiding you, but if he is not here for you now,
when you are downcast, then why is he here? Why allow him to have
power over you when he does not care for you when you need him?"
Thomas tried to push the doubts of the headmaster aside, but they
continued, as Aries had simply voiced the dark thought that had already
been inside his head. "Clear your mind, Thomas. Do not delay. Make your
choice here and now. Stay and cast the Patronus Charm, take control of
your life, or leave, and continue to allow others to rule you. I will not
teach someone so weak-willed. Make your choice."
Aries sat calmly before Thomas, as a million emotions seemed to play
across his face. He had been surprised that the Gryffindor had opened up
to him so easily. But who else was there to open up to? Who else did not
judge the boy on his decisions? These fools were so concerned about
Thomas not becoming like him that they had pushed him right into Aries'
hands. Aries knew about the boy's doubts, especially regarding
Dumbledore, and had all too eagerly reinforced the distrust he was
forming for the old man.
He wondered if the boy would be successful, remembering his own issues
with the charm last year. But then again, no one had helped him past his
problems, the very reason it took so long for him to master the Patronus
Charm, as he had just now with Thomas. At last Thomas stood staring at
the door for just a moment, before he turned away. He took several
minutes, and Aries felt the discord in Thomas' magic fade away. Thomas
raised his wand again, and Aries leaned forward.
"Expecto Patronum." He could not help but smile, as the white shield of
the Patronus formed before Thomas.
"And that, Thomas, is the Patronus Charm," Aries said, a slight surprise in
his voice.
"Is it normal?" Thomas asked, letting go of the spell. "To get it on the first
try? Well. . . first real try."
"No, not at all," Aries replied honestly. "But for us, it is no surprise. You
are powerful, Thomas, more than you realize. But there is more to the
spell." He lifted his wand and closed his eyes. "Expecto Patronum." A white
fox shot from his wand, and danced around them, its white eyes seeming
to stare at Thomas. "This is a corporeal Patronus. It will take the form of
something that represents your happiness. For me, it represents my
mother. A fox was her animagus."
"What happened to her?" Thomas asked, noting the sadness in his voice.
"A tragedy." The memories flash forward into his mind before he shoved
them down deep within his consciousness. "But that is enough for today.
Every morning you will run to the Quidditch pitch, complete ten laps.
You will complete a hundred push-ups and sit-ups. Then return. Once you
can do this all within thirty minutes, we will progress your physical
training. You understand the importance of this?"
"The fight isn't over just because you've been disarmed," Thomas
answered in a recited way. Aries simply nodded.
"Same time, next week."
The room was stone, as Aries requested, and he sat with his legs crossed
on the floor, deep in meditation. A month had passed since the beginning
of term, and much had happened already. Between his lessons with
Potter, dealing with Umbridge overstepping with the use of the blood
quill, dealing with the changing Draco, and the ever-exciting situation
with Theodore Nott, along with the ever torrent of homework, Aries had
been quite busy.
His thoughts concerned the letter he had recently received from
Cassiopeia, detailing the current status of his many projects. He was
happy to hear, of course, that the Werewolf Conservation continued to
thrive, and a rather large magical community had begun to form,
complete with shops and restaurants. Wizards and witches who had, for
so long, been outcast by Magical Britain had come to find a real home,
and Director Lupin seemed to take every chance to reaffirm that it was all
thanks to Lord Black, something evident in the 'fan mail' he had begun to
receive. The other success was the recent approval from Gringotts,
regarding the school construction that had started on the grounds. Soon,
children afflicted with lycanthropy would be able to receive a quality
education, one that Aries could shape to reflect his views.
Next came the report of the Praetorian Guard. His show of them at the
Wizengamot had created quite the rumor mill. Still, none knew the full
extent of his army, currently located in Bulgaria, under the protection of
Ivan's uncle. Slowly, but surely, the regiment was rising in numbers and
skill. The financial burden would have taken a toll, if not for his timely
investment in the products required for Wolfsbane. Ministry money lined
his vault, as they purchased the ingredients for the Werewolf
Conservation.
It was as Aries was musing the third, and final piece, of information
Cassiopeia had sent him, that he felt Daphne enter the room. He had
requested her presence, as she was the last issue he had yet to remedy.
Despite his earlier idea that she needed to be dealt with sooner rather
than later, her game of cat and mouse had not been as distracting or as
much of an inconvenience as he expected. But the girl had put off their
confrontation for too long, and he had finally decided to deal with it. She
mirrored how he sat, right across from him, and seemed to wait, her
trademark look of ice on her face.
"I believe you have taken an issue with me, Daphne," Aries stated simply.
"Care to explain?"
"And I believe I am owed an explanation, Black," Daphne replied coldly.
"About many things."
"Such as?"
"This summer. Your plans." Her eyes flashed for a moment. "Delacour." He
raised his eyebrow in challenge.
"And you think I owe you anything?"
"Considering our relationship, yes. I'm not asking anything of Lord Black.
I'm asking something of Aries. The boy I spent much time with in this
room, and aboard the ship, and in the library. The one that made me
actually feel something, and the one I thought could help me realize my
dream for this world."
"But aren't they one and the same?" countered Aries. "Let us not be
ignorant. Had I not been the heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble
House of Black, you would have never looked my way. Not in any
snobbish way, but your dreams lie further than being a trophy wife. You
long for greatness, as I do. You would never have married just for love.
You would have married someone that could benefit your plan. But then
we met one another. And we both found someone that could be an equal,
one that could further our goals, and perhaps, love as well."
"Then what changed?"
"Truly? The Dark Lord. I was forced to accelerate my plans. Dumbledore
was removed, and through the help of Lord Malfoy, your father was
made Chief Warlock. With one fell swoop, the Wizengamot had fallen
into my hands. Your father readily accepted an alliance, and suddenly I
did not need marriage to gain political power. My name and my actions
during the Tri-Wizard Tournament had already done that."
"That still does not explain your actions," Daphne said, and there was
unmistakable anger in her voice. "After that dinner with my family, you
dropped me like some summer fling. I am not some Daisy Buchanan to
drop without a second thought. You never even sent a letter, and
pointedly ignored mine."
"Your father made it clear he did not approve," Aries replied. "Given the
circumstances, his allegiance and cooperation within the Wizengamot
were more important than your feelings. For one as political savvy as you
claim to be, I figured that would be obvious."
"Oh, we will play that card, will we?" A cold laugh escaped her throat.
"Like you couldn't have slipped Tracey a letter? Or had a house-elf bring
it? No doubt the reality is that you were too busy with your putain. I'm no
idiot. I know you and Delacour would meet up throughout last year. And
I let you have your fun. A gift you could call it, for helping my dream of
the future come to a reality. But then the summer came, you dropped me,
and went to that ball with her. You think I wouldn't notice?" Aries, it
seemed, had slightly underestimated the girl, but he was not concerned.
"Fleur is a nature of my reality in which you much accept," He raised a
hand to silence Daphne before she could reply, anger alight in her eyes.
"Following the Third Task, she came to me. Magic it would seem, deems
her kind more creature than human, and as such, a life debt formed
between us. But not like the one that formed between Potter and me.
Delacour is tethered and bound to me by the deepest of magics. If I were
to choose, the magic binding us could force her to fulfill my every desire
or to complete any task I were to give her. Through her, I have gained an
invaluable tool. A follower whose loyalty can never be in question.
Because of this, she is something I will not relinquish, even for you,
Daphne." His words seemed to give her thought as she looked at him
curiously.
"So, she is nothing more than a slave?" Daphne asked, her voice softer
than before.
"I prefer to think of her as more of a loyal servant." Aries offered,
watching Daphne closely.
"Then, she would never take the name of Black?" She leaned forward,
placing her hands on the ground as Aries laughed.
"No, never. She may be an equal to me in some ways, and while I do, in
my own way, care for her, I would not marry her." Daphne seemed to
crawl towards him, the top of her shirt opened, giving him a tasteful
view.
"And what about me?" There was no vulnerability in her voice, rather a
sense of challenge. Aries had given it much thought over the past month.
It was how he had concluded that he would never marry Fleur. Why
would he? She was bound to him, and so long as her soul belonged to
him, the soon to be President of Magical France would always be loyal to
him. His last connection to the continent was made.
"Your actions at the Yule Ball made it clear that you understand that
sometimes, violence and cruelty are necessary to achieve our goals. "
Aries said, enjoying the look of desire in Daphne's eyes. "We will deceive.
We will manipulate. And we will kill. We will do what must be done to
make our vision a reality. If you can accept that, then I think you could,
perhaps, make a suitable first wife." He said the last with a laugh. "I will
need someone to rule over Britain one day, after all."
"You will only have one wife, if I have anything to say about it, Black."
She closed the distance, pushing him onto the ground before smashing
her lips into his. Aries would have been a liar had he said he did not miss
the taste of her lips, as her body pressed against his before she pulled
away. "You can keep your pet, Black, but you belong to me. I will make
sure Fleur Delacour knows her place."
If there was a word to describe Professor McGonagall at the moment,
unhappy would be a rather massive understatement. It had been a month
since Thomas' first lesson with Aries and in the time between Dolores
Umbridge had been named 'High Inquisitor' of Hogwarts. The letter he
had received from his father had been worrisome and warned him
consistently against angering the Defense teacher anymore. He had never
told his father about the blood-quill, partly because he wanted nothing to
do with his father but he had also not wanted to let the old toad win by
getting the better of him.
Umbridge was watching the class closely, and with everything Professor
McGonagall did, the other woman would make notes. She was evaluating
the teachers, though why she thought she knew what made a good
teacher or not was lost to Thomas. He breathed a sigh of relief when the
class, and the day for that matter, was over. There was still an hour
before dinner, so he followed Ron and Hermione back to the common
room. Their friendship had never been the same since the Tri-Wizard
Tournament, and the strains of this year, mostly due to Aries, made
specific conversations avoided at all cost.
"Bloody hell," Ron sighed as he plopped down on the couch in front of
the fire. "Umbridge is causing all sorts of hell right now."
"On top of not teaching us a thing," Thomas responded, placing himself in
the armchair. "Honestly, I feel like I know more about defense than she
does."
"Think that goes for the first years too, mate." The two could not contain
the laughter that suddenly burst from them both, drawing an irritated
look from the seventh years who were studying furiously for their
NEWTs. Hermione came down and sat on the couch next to Ron, a
pensive look on her mind.
"What's on your mind, Hermione?" She didn't answer Thomas at first,
giving a quick look around the room, before leaning in closely.
"We need to do something about Umbridge."
"That'll go over real well," Ron said with a scoff. "The Aurors didn't find
anything, and unless Thomas or someone willingly steps up, she won't be
arrested."
"No, I mean the class," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "We
aren't learning anything this year, and we have our OWLs. I say we start
teaching ourselves."
"I mean, don't we already?" Thomas asked. "Or do you mean, like, a
club?" Hermione nodded.
"That's exactly what I mean. And I think you should teach it, Thomas."
"I don't think that's necessarily a good idea. There's no way anyone in this
school would want me to teach them. And Dad told me specifically not to
piss off Umbridge."
"Well, it wouldn't be breaking any school rules, right?" Ron offered.
"Maybe not," Thomas answered. "But we both know she doesn't want us
actually practicing spells. Somehow I think this won't go over very well."
"Just give it a thought, okay? I think you'll be surprised by how many
students would want to learn from you." Hermione gave him a pleading
look, and he nodded after a minute. "I'll ask around discreetly and see if
anyone else is interested." Thomas sighed as she got up and left the
common room. So much for coasting out the year.
He stood on the island again, the great ash tree staring down at him, and felt
the swirl of magic. To an onlooker, it would seem there was no wind at all,
but he could feel the torrent of magic surrounding him, centered on the great
tree like the eye of a hurricane. Whispers floated through the air, and he
turned, facing the man that so often haunted his dreams. Bright, white eyes
flashed, and the swirl of magic stopped. But then the man moved aside, and
the island faded away. Instead, a corridor appeared, as he walked forward,
full of doors on each side. It seemed like an eternity that he walked until at
last, he faced a door. He grasped the handle and turned, opening the door
before him. A vast room awaited him, and then he saw it: the Veil. The
whispers grew louder as he faced the tall arch. Suddenly he turned, and the
man was there again, and with a hard push, he fell through the Veil.
Aries shot up in his bed, sweat covering his body, and his heart
pounding. A pain suddenly crept on his chest, and as he looked down, the
outline of a hand was bruised onto his chest. He looked around
frantically for the man, but he was not there. There was one thing that
had made sense in the dream: the Department of Mysteries. He had been
there on more than one occasion throughout the summer, but why was
he suddenly dreaming of it? What did the whispers mean? Who was the
man who kept haunting his dreams? Why did he keep seeing the great
ash tree? Aries did his best to rid himself of the dream, as the warm
water of the shower rinsed over him. He had another lesson with Thomas
today, and it would not do well to show discomfort in front of his
student.
His fondness for Thomas had only increased as the boy began to shed the
childish tendencies and take on a more serious attitude. Aries seriously
doubted the training that the boy had skipped out on in his youth had
ever been as severe as the training he was doing now, and the results
were showing. Thomas had never been overweight, the training as a
child and Quidditch had seen to that, but he was slowly developing
muscles that would give him the advantage in a fight. Every week,
Thomas would improve, but he was beginning to understand that his
simple repertoire of spells was a disadvantage.
He started their lesson by having himself and Thomas to do a rigorous
exercise routine and was glad that the room provided a shower for them
both to use. Once Thomas was thoroughly exhausted, he had the boy
continue his work on fifth-year spells. Umbridge's teaching, or lack
thereof, was causing more of a headache than he considered, but Potter
was more than capable of catching up. Then, they dueled. It was rather
enjoyable, he had noted, to be the teacher and not the student, and it was
a new challenge all in itself. While Thomas' sole goal was to disarm him,
Aries strived to challenge the younger boy, forcing him out of his comfort
zone and to adapt. He understood now why his former master, Vladimir
von Reich, had enjoyed their lessons so much.
"A month and a half, we've been doing this," Thomas panted after being
disarmed again, "And I still can't beat you."
"I'm afraid it will be sometime before you come close to defeating me,"
Aries said with a laugh as he returned the boys wand. "Though I would
say there are few here at Hogwarts that could. Durmstrang is a different
story, as they are taught Battle Magics and how to duel from their first
year." Thomas rolled in his in amusement, as Aries seemed always to say
how Durmstrang was better. "I hear you're going to start a Defense club."
"Oh, um, yeah," Thomas replied with a nervous laugh. "It was Hermione's
idea, but I kinda caved."
"And how do you feel about helping others, despite their dislike and
distrust of you?"
"It's just the right thing to do," The boy shrugged. "If I have the means to
help them, why shouldn't I?"
"Indeed," Aries felt a rush of pride for the boy, though he still did not
entirely understand why. Perhaps he was beginning to see something of
himself in the boy. They were both heirs of the founders after all. "I
believe that those of us, with the power and ability to do so, have a
certain responsibility to the magical world. I believe we are both such
individuals. Any ideas about how you will teach? You will have more
than just fifth years."
"I actually wanted to ask you about that. You see, well, you're good at
this. Way better than me. I was hoping you would be willing to help. I
mean, the Slytherins probably need help too, right? The good ones that
is."
"You want me to teach?" Aries said with a laugh. "You haven't told your
friends about our lessons, yet you want me to help teach all your
friends?"
"Yes," Thomas answered firmly. "It's their choice, but you're the best
dueler I've ever seen. You know more magic than anyone, and lastly, you
know the Dark Arts. Who better to teach us how to defend against them?
It's their choice. But if they want me to help them, then they'll have to let
you teach them."
Aries made to look as if he thought it over, but his decision had already
been made. He would not pass up the opportunity to build bridges with
the individuals in other houses who might end up holding an essential
spot within the Ministry, or the Wizengamot itself. "I'll help, but it is your
responsibility to convince the others. It is your group, after all." This
could work, he mused, perhaps he could create the very army that Fudge
was so worried about. Yes, he would create Dumbledore's Army.
AN: Next Chapter: Dumbledore's Army. We'll continue to bounce
back and forth between Thomas and Aries POV. Free candy, we
have a duel coming next chapter that's been in my head since the
beginning, and I can't wait.
24. Dumbledore's Army
AN: This chapter and the next were supposed to be one, but as I was
writing I ended up adding more than expected, which was a
welcomed surprise. As always, I hope you like this chapter, and if
you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
"I think I liked it better when you two weren't getting along." Draco
drawled from his seat across Aries and Daphne in the Three Broomsticks.
"Jealous, Malfoy?" Daphne said with a smirk. "I had heard the rumors
that women weren't your fancy, but now I'm starting to believe them."
Aries couldn't contain his laughter as Draco's ears turned an almost
Weasley red. "I'll let father know so he can call off the marriage contract."
"Oh, come now, Draco," Aries interrupted before the two starting throw
spells. "Play nicely. After all, we all know Astoria adores you." Draco
rolled his eyes and set back with an exaggerated huff. They both knew he
could do far worse than Daphne's younger sister, though the contract had
yet to be finalized. That was in part Aries doing, as it ensured that Lucius
Malfoy maintained particular goodwill with the grey party.
"At least you two can have fun with your meeting. I'll be stuck here
listening to Pansy whine about the contract all afternoon."
"Speaking of which, it's time for us to go," Aries said as he rose to his feet
with an offered hand to Daphne. "Still cannot believe they choose the
Hog's Head of all places for this meeting. Umbridge will know about it
before the meetings even done."
"Then why didn't you change it?" Draco asked.
"I've made a good habit of capitalizing on people's mistakes, Draco,"
replied Aries with a smile. "This is no different."
Aries and Daphne took their time as they walked towards the Hog's Head
arm in arm. They had already gotten their shopping out of the way and
had a light lunch at the Three Broomsticks. The blonde girl had never
been an unconfident witch, but her confidence had seemed to rise to new
levels after their conversation a few weeks ago. Their Dark Arts lessons
had continued as well, something she had begun to attack with new vigor
as if she hoped to prove she could outdo Fleur in every way.
At last, they had reached the Hog's Head, and, as requested, Astoria,
Blaise, and Tracey waited patiently outside for them. He gave them each
a nod and entered the pub. A quick count told him that twenty-five had
decided to attend the meetings, most of them being fifth year students.
Every house was represented, at least now that they had arrived. He
glanced around the room, and after seeing the four individuals he had
asked to be here, sat at the last available table with the other Slytherins.
A motion to the bartender, a man he knew to be Aberforth Dumbledore,
brought a round of butterbeer to the table.
"What the bloody hell are they doing here?" Ron exclaimed loudly to the
agreeance of the rest of the group.
"We want to pass our exams too, Weasley." Daphne drawled as she rolled
her eyes. "You lot aren't the only ones not learning anything from
Umbridge."
"This is about more than passing our exams," Susan Bones said from her
spot at the front next to Thomas. "This is about learning how to fight
Death Eaters."
"Oh, are there some here?" Aries, who seldom had an issue controlling his
emotions, found it very difficult not to laugh at Daphne, as she looked
around the room frantically. "Well, thank goodness we have all of you to
protect us."
"They're here because I asked them to be." Thomas interrupted as he
stood. "Susan is right. This is not only so we can pass our exams but so
that when Voldemort and the Death Eaters show themselves, we're
ready."
"And so, you invited Death Eater spawn to train with us?" A Hufflepuff
said, Zacharias Smith if he remembered correctly. "For all we know, they
could be spying on us. And not to mention, you invited him." All eyes
landed on Aries, who returned their glares with a smirk.
"Is my presence a problem, Smith?" Aries asked innocently.
"Enough!" All eyes looked back to the front, where Hermione had
snapped in her quill in frustration. "Why are they here, Thomas?"
"Just because someone is a Slytherin, does not make them a Death Eater,"
Thomas began. "And just because someone isn't in Slytherin doesn't make
them good either. The night my grandparents died, we were under the
Fidelius. Our secret keeper, and the man that betrayed my family to
Voldemort, was a Gryffindor. If a lion can become a Death Eater, then a
snake can be the good guy." He took a deep breath, with a sideways
glance towards Susan. "Throughout this year, Aries has been training me.
You see, while our parents have been out doing what they can, Aries and
I have been training to take the fight to Voldemort. Every day I get
stronger because of him. He's the most powerful wizard I know besides
Dumbledore and Voldemort. He's taught me how to duel, to perform the
Patronus Charm, and how to survive. If you want me to help you, then
you'll have to accept Aries, which means accepting his friends as well. I
trust him, and if you trust me, you'll trust him as well."
"You both can perform the Patronus?" Katie Bell asked as she looked
towards Aries. Her cheeks flushed when they made eye contact, but a
raise of the eyebrows from Daphne caused the Gryffindor to look away.
"Yes," Thomas answered. "But Aries can produce a corporeal Patronus."
"Prove it," Smith demanded. Aries yawned and lazily drew his wand.
"Expecto Patronum." The white fox shot from his wand, running through
the pub before it stopped in front of Thomas and disappeared. "Happy?"
"That's all good and well," Hermione said. "But Aries' proficiency in magic
isn't our-"
"What about Cedric?" Michael Corner interrupted, another fifth-year
student in Ravenclaw, as he looked intently at Aries. "You and
Dumbledore keep saying Voldemort killed him, but no one actually
knows. Besides you." Cho Chang, who had been staring at the floor for
most of the meeting, suddenly looked up, and Aries could not quite place
the look in her eye.
"If you here for me to tell you how Cedric died, then you've come to the
wrong place," Aries replied. "If you don't believe Albus Dumbledore and
Thomas Potter, then what makes anything I say matter? Unless, of
course, you mean to accuse me of something?" He looked around the
room, his eyes stopping on the Hufflepuffs, but they remained silent. "I
thought we were here to learn about magic, not put me on trial,
Granger."
"We are," Hermione replied, though he could tell she was tense. "But
unfortunately, your presence, along with the rest of the Slytherins, was
never agreed upon. I understand why Thomas invited you, and it makes
sense logically, but I have some concerns of my own."
"Because you're a muggleborn," Daphne offered.
"Yes. I, along with many others, have been constantly harassed by the
Slytherins since I came to Hogwarts. What I want to know is why you
would be willing to teach us anything."
"You're referring to the incident this summer?" Aries asked, and when
Hermione gave a nod, he shook his head slightly. "It is not uncommon for
magical families to have a grimoire, but for those of us who can trace our
familial lines to the founders and beyond, there is family magic, traits,
and secrets that are protected. These things are sacred to the family and
are passed down from heir to heir and taught throughout the family. As
even Thomas can attest to with the Potter family, this is common
regardless of whether that family is considered 'light' or 'dark.'
"Now, as to the concern of your blood status. Many of our ancient
families have long held to the belief of blood purity, but the fact is that
inbreeding has done the exact opposite of what was intended. Instead of
ensuring the strength of blood, bloodlines that had existed for centuries
began to die out. It is part of the reason for individuals like Crabbe and
Goyle, who can hardly read yet alone perform any great magics. It is a
practice that must be cast aside. That being said, magic does not appear
out of midair. Somewhere in your family, Granger, there has been a
witch or wizard, which has resulted in you being magical. Therefore, you
belong in our world, but not without sacrifice.'
"This is not the muggle world, and as such as we have traditions that are
sacred to those who have shaped this world for centuries. You, who were
born and raised in the muggle world, cannot come here and expect it to
change just because it is not what you have come to understand as right
and wrong. That does not mean, however, that we cannot progress.
Individuals, like you, can help us make our magical world a better one.
But you must understand that you are giving up one world to live in ours.
Does that answer your question, Granger?" A glance around the room saw
that many had taken his words to thought and were genuinely surprised
at the Slytherin's point of view.
"What about the Dark Arts?" Ron suddenly asked. "Thomas said you
would be helping teach us. You cannot expect us to want to learn from
someone who openly practices them."
"And why not?" Thomas replied heatedly. "Who better to learn from? I've
had run-ins with Voldemort before, but both times he was weakened. And
yet, Aries went toe to toe with him when he was at full strength. If he
hadn't been there, I wouldn't have made it out alive." Aries watched
Thomas eye the room as he dared them to challenge him. "I can teach
you what I can and what I know, but if you want the best chance to
survive a run-in with Death Eaters, then you have to learn from Aries as
well."
"Look, you have the chance to be taught by two Tri-Wizard champions,"
Hermione began slowly after a tense moment had passed. "Thomas is the
best at defense in our year, and I think everyone knows what Black got
on his OWLs. If there was ever a chance to learn how to best defend
ourselves and pass our exams, this is it. So, is everyone agreed?" No one
said a word, but no one left either, much to Aries' surprise, though he
was sure there was still some ill will towards him. "Right, so the question
is how often we are-"
"It can't clash with Quidditch," Angelina Johnson said from the back next
to Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet.
"Don't you think this is a bit more important?" Ernie McMillan replied.
"Even with our OWLs coming up and the denial of You-Know-Who. I
mean, the Ministry gave us a teacher who is actually trying to prevent us
from using defensive spells!"
"Fudge believes that Dumbledore wants to take over the Ministry," Aries
said as he answered the implied question. "And he's afraid that he's using
students to build an army to do just that. But Angelina is right. If we are
suddenly all rescheduling Quidditch practices for this, it will become
suspicious. This is important, but we must remain discreet. As far as
location, Thomas and I have already decided. We'll let everyone know the
time and place at the last possible minute so that Umbridge has no time
to find out where we're meeting."
Hermione began to rummage in her bag and produced parchment and a
quill, then hesitated, rather as though she was steeling herself to say
something.
"I think everybody should write their name down just so we know who
was here. But I also think that we all ought to agree not to shout about
what we're doing. So, if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge or
anybody else what we're up to."
One of the Weasley twins went and wrote his name first, all too happily,
but Aries noticed that some were immediately hesitant to write down
their names. Aries couldn't blame them, but did they really think Granger
would just leave the list lying around? It took some convincing from
Thomas, but eventually, everyone began to sign their names, including
the Slytherins. Aries was the last to go up to sign his name but stopped
the minute he saw the parchment up close. It was dripping with magic,
and he immediately knew the spells Granger had cast. He looked up,
making eye contact with her with a raised eyebrow, and she instantly
paled. His name formed on the parchment with a wave of his hand, but
Granger knew the magic wouldn't affect him.
Daphne had waited for him outside, but he gave her a slight nod towards
the castle, while he waited for his companions to meet him. As she
walked away, Cassiopeia, Sirius, Remus, and Fleur exited the Hogs Head,
their glamours still on. They walked in silence towards the Shrieking
Shack, a Notice-Me-Not charm keeping their movement hidden. When
they had arrived in the small upstairs bedroom, they removed their
glamours and waited for Aries to make himself comfortable in the chair
before they took their own seats.
"I hope we all have good news?" Aries asked. "Cassiopeia?"
"The Legion continues to grow, both in number and skill." Cassiopeia
began. "Commandant Taim again expresses his gratitude at your trust in
him and hopes you can come to see his progress at your earliest
convenience. He has also selected four more wizards to become
Praetorians. He will inform you should they survive the training." Aries
nodded, a slight grimace on his face. Taim was more animal than man,
but he owed his life to Aries, and after being named Commandant of the
Legion, he had taken to only allowing the best to have the honor to
protect their lord. Five had already died in Taim's evaluations, as far as
he knew.
"The DMLE has doubled its recruitment, as has the Auror Department,"
Sirius said, though he threw a weird look towards Cassi. "We've been able
to up patrols in most of the major populated magical regions.
Unfortunately, there is little we can do as far as patrolling Muggle
regions. That has been left to the Order. It took some convincing, but
we've started trying to follow known Death Eaters. Hopefully, we can get
a guess as to where they're hiding, and maybe we can find out where
they'll strike first."
"I think the Dark Lord is content hiding, for now." Aries interrupted.
"He'll move slowly but surely and do little to draw the attention of the
Ministry. Azkaban is our main concern. You need to convince Bones and
Scrimgeour to replace the Dementors. The Dark Lord's most powerful
servants reside in that prison, and we cannot allow them to escape."
Sirius nodded his understanding before continuing.
"Dumbledore still has members guarding the Prophecy." Cassiopeia gave
a loud huff at that. "He refuses to have it removed. I think he wants to
use it as bait, but he truly does not want the Dark Lord to get his hands
on it."
"Can we destroy it somehow?" Remus asked.
"Not without alerting both the Order and the Ministry. For now, it's a
waiting game."
Aries nodded as he turned to the werewolf. "Cassiopeia informed me of
the Conservation, Remus, so no need to waste your time. What of the
other projects?"
"I've convinced forty-four to join your cause, my lord," Remus said as he
pulled out a folder, which he handed to Cassiopeia. "Each has met your
conditions and will be sent to Commandant Taim for training. The Dark
Lord has sent a delegation to the werewolf packs in the north, but as you
requested, we did not respond. A wise move indeed, my lord, as the
packs have selected a representative, and she has requested we send a
delegation as well."
"I trust you have chosen a delegation?"
"Yes, my lord." Remus handed another folder to Cassiopeia. "I will lead
them, of course. I fully expect to gain their allegiance by Winter Solstice."
Aries did not respond, as he waited for Cassiopeia to finish looking over
the dossiers Remus had given her. When she had, at last, nodded her
approval, he turned back to Remus.
"Excellent work, my friend." Fleur smiled coyly as his gaze landed on her
at last.
"I've managed to look over the vaults of our known Death Eaters, though
convincing the goblins has not been easy," Fleur said, idly looking at her
fingertips as she spoke in French. "Luckily enough, Dumbledore and the
Dark Lord have rubbed them wrong enough for them to consider giving you
their support. They allowed me to look over the inventories in an attempt to
bridge a more formal alliance with you. The goblins seem to hope to have
more. . . flexibility within the magical world. Something akin to what the
Lycans have been given. That being said, I found nothing similar to the locket
or the cup. The goblins seemed to have an idea of what the cup was, I think.
They've requested a meeting with you, no doubt to discuss their demands, but
perhaps they could be convinced to part with that information as well?"
"Dealing with goblins is a tricky affair, Aries," Cassiopeia stated suddenly.
"They've given us something for seemingly nothing in return. They will
expect something during the negotiations, I have no doubt."
"And yet, we cannot afford to miss out on this opportunity," Aries replied.
"Did they mention when they wished to meet?"
"No, my lord." He caught the flirtatious tone Fleur had used, but ignored it
for now.
"Then I will meet with them at Christmas Break," Aries decided. "Leaving
beforehand would be more suspicious than I can afford right now."
"Then, is it wise to help with this defense club?" Cassiopeia asked with a
raised eyebrow. "It will surely draw the attention of Dumbledore,
considering his brother was the barkeep."
"I have little concern about the reaction from the Ministry, and I'm aware
that Dumbledore will be in the know. This is an opportunity to gain
followers outside of Durmstrang and Slytherin. It is a calculated risk, but
one I believe will pay off." Aries left them shortly after, though he
thoroughly enjoyed his time with Fleur once the others had left. He
looked forward to seeing how Daphne would 'put her in her place,'
though he supposed he would have to ensure the two did not end up
killing the other. Sirius' unease at the mention of the Legion had not gone
unnoticed by Aries, and he hoped he would be able to resolve the issue at
Christmas when he would go inspect his army himself.
Thomas jumped as Susan suddenly slammed her hand on the desk.
"She knows," Susan whispered angrily. "She's banned all student
organizations, including Quidditch."
"What?!" Thomas fought to keep his voice down in the library and
quickly glanced around to make sure Madam Prince had not heard him.
"How?"
"How do you think?"
"Don't start that, Susan." His tone was dangerously close to anger.
"Hermione charmed it, and he signed it. If it was him, we would know. I
trust Aries. Why can't you?"
Susan was saved from answering as Hermione walked up to them
frantically. They all eyed each other before sitting down, pushing their
chairs close together.
"He knows?" Hermione asked as she looked at Susan, who nodded. "It had
to have been Aries."
"He signed!" Thomas whispered aggressively, but his frustration changed
to confusion when Hermione hesitated.
"Actually, he didn't. He saw my enchantments. I don't know how, but the
minute he looked at the parchment, he stopped and looked at me like he
just knew somehow."
"He can see magic," Thomas face-palmed. "He told me during one of our
training sessions."
"He can see it?" Hermione looked as if she wanted to bombard Thomas
with questions, but Susan quickly cut her off.
"So, Hermione's magic doesn't pertain to him," Susan stated hotly. "He's
the only one who didn't sign."
"There were other people there!" He glanced between the two girls. "Why
are you so hell-bent on blaming him for everything that goes wrong in
this castle? A statue falls, and you immediately assume Aries did it. It
rains, and it's somehow Aries' fault."
"Why are you so determined to defend him?" Thomas could hear the
coldness in Susan's voice, but suddenly he didn't care.
"Because, unlike you lot, Aries has been there for me since the
beginning!" He turned an accusatory look towards Hermione. "When my
name came out of the goblet, he encouraged me to do my best. He made
me see that my worth was more than what you and Ron determined it to
be. He encouraged me to make better friends. When the merpeople tried
to kill me, he saved me. When Cedric was imperioused in the final task,
he saved me again. When Voldemort returned, he faced down the most
infamous wizard of our time to save my life. If not for him, I would have
been expelled this summer! And, while everyone else I care about is too
busy trying to decide whether I'm lying or not, or whether Aries is a good
person or not, and while Dumbledore has too many things to deal with
besides helping me figure out just what the fuck is happening to me,
Aries Black is taking his time to train me. To make me better. So, that the
next time I face Voldemort, I can walk away alive on something other
than luck. And if you two can't see that, then I don't want anything to do
with either of you."
Thomas paced back and forth as he waited for everyone to show up. He
could have talked to Susan, Hermione, or Ron, all who sat around the
small table the room had provided for them, but ever since their
argument in the library, he had steadily avoided all three. Aries was the
first to arrive, followed by his Slytherin friends. He seemed to study the
room before he gave Thomas a nod of approval. Thomas released his
breath that he had not realized he had been holding before. Since when
did Aries' approval mean so much to me? He pushed the question from his
mind, as the rest of the group slowly made their way into the room.
"Thank you all for coming," Thomas greeted far more confidently than he
felt. "I think first we should decide a name, as I think it means something
to all of us."
"The Defense Club doesn't work?" Astoria said with a laugh.
"The Defense Association sounds better." Chang offered from her spot. "Or
D.A. for short."
"Well, we aren't a club." Katie Bell informed the group. "And we aren't
here just to be some association. We're here to learn and train how to
beat You-Know-Who's Death Eaters."
"What about Dumbledore's Army?" Ginny asked.
"It's what the Minister, and Umbridge, fear most," Aries replied to the
group after the murmur had died down. "This group is in open defiance
of our High Inquisitor, and the Minister by default. So why not make their
fears come true?"
"I cannot believe I am saying this, but Black is right," Ron said from
beside Hermione. "Our loyalty lies with Dumbledore, not Fudge." A
murmur of agreement ran through the group, and Thomas nodded to
Hermione.
"Dumbledore's Army it is," Hermione said as she wrote it across the
parchment of their names. She magically stuck it to the wall, and the first
meeting of Dumbledore's Army was in session.
"Aries and I will take turns teaching everyone different things," Thomas
began. "I know many of you are wary of Aries' knowledge of magic,
which is why I will teach you all the spells we've agreed need to be
known. When it comes to tactics and dueling, Aries will be teaching. If
you can't accept that, the door is right there." No one moved, so Thomas
continued. "The first spell we are going to learn is the Disarming Charm."
"Expelliarmus?" Zacharias said indignantly. "That's a first-year charm! Are
we going to be learning how to levitate things too?"
"So, you're a master of the spell, then?" Aries asked.
"Of course, I am!"
"Prove it then." Aries flicked his wrist, and his wand shot into his hand.
"Disarm me." Smith hesitated for a moment, but when no one stepped in
to stop them, he took out his wand as well. Thomas watched as Aries fell
into his Viper stance, something he had come to understand was
intentionally misleading. He wanted his opponent to think he was lazy
and untrained. Smith fired off the disarming charm with a shout, but
Aries only sidestepped the spell. Again, the Hufflepuff attacked, but each
one attempt flew by Aries as he moved with ease. Then suddenly, Aries
went on the offensive. In the blink of an eye, Smith's wand had flown out
of his hand, and he was hanging upside down by his ankle.
"You are disarmed and helpless," Aries said as he strolled towards Smith.
"You are now worse off than those that die at the hands of the Killing
Curse. If I wanted, I could torture you. I could use the Cruciatus. Simple
but effective. But if you were in the hands of some of the crueler Death
Eaters, they would find more elaborate ways to deal with you. Maybe
they'd cut you until you were close to death and then heal you. Break
every bone and then give you Skelegrow. Use the cutting curse and
remove parts of your body until you begged for death." He turned to the
rest of the group, all very pale beside the Slytherins. "That is what you
have waiting for you. You all want to act as if you want to learn to fight,
but you ignore the reality of what you will be facing. This is not a game.
So, you will either accept that everything Thomas and I are here to teach
is as valid as the next, or you can leave, and hope a better wizard than
you is there to save you."
"As everyone knows, the incantation is Expelliarmus," Thomas informed
the group, once Aries had returned to his group of friends. "Each of your
pair off. Take turns using the spell on one another. Once everyone can
successfully disarm the other, we'll move onto the Shield Charm."
Thomas walked around the room as he watched the group that had
become Dumbledore's Army practice. He hadn't been surprised that there
were adjustments to be made, even among the seventh years, as Aries
had had to correct his own casting of the spell. Aries made little effort to
go outside the Slytherins and spent most of his time on Astoria. Thomas
didn't blame him, and he knew it would take time for the group to accept
him, though the Ravenclaws seemed to watch him as if analyzing his
every move. The group worked hard for nearly an hour and a half before
Thomas brought them to a halt.
"Well done, everyone," He waited as the group formed around him. "I
think that's a good start, but everyone now has a grasp on the Disarming
Charm. We'll work on the Shield Charm next week." Thomas and Aries
waited as the group exited but he noted Aries' interested gaze on Neville,
who seemed to have avoided the Slytherin. "You didn't need to scare
them like that."
"Half of them do not believe the Dark Lord has returned," Aries replied
with a raised eyebrow. "But there are still Death Eaters out there. They
need to take you seriously, Potter. You cannot allow Smith to question
your every move and expect the others to not have lingering doubt."
"We are teaching them to defend themselves, not make a political move!"
"Every decision you make matters, Potter," There was anger in Aries' voice
that Thomas seldom heard. "Whether you like it or not, you are a leader
of witches and wizards. They look up to you. If you want your words to
have weight and for them to listen to you, you have to treat every
moment as a game of chess. A single wrong move within a game of
brilliance can cost you.'
"And unlike us, Potter, they don't know what they're facing. They should
be scared. Before today half of them couldn't cast the Disarming charm
correctly. Only a fool, like Smith, believes himself to be above fear. Even
the greatest wizards experience fear. It's how we face it that determines
who we are. They need to face that fear if we want anything we teach
them to actually matter."
"You're annoying sometimes," Thomas said with a sigh. "Every time you
do something, you always have some reason behind it that I can't find
fault in. You could be nicer, though, you know?"
"Come now, Thomas," Aries said with a smirk, "I do have a reputation to
keep."
Aries knew that Thomas' idiotic friends were looking for the missing Boy-
Who-Lived, but he knew exactly where he was. He walked quietly
through the halls, a disillusionment charm over him, as he made his way
towards the Room of Requirement. Thomas was, just as he expected, in
the process of destroying one of the practice dummies the room had
provided, still in his Quidditch robes. The boy did not notice his arrival,
so he chose to wait on a comfy chair the room provided and to sip on a
glass of firewhiskey that he had been inclined to bring. He watched
intently as the spells clashed against the unmoving targets, though
Thomas seemed to be frustrated at the lack of destruction from his spells.
At last, the fifth year dropped his wand, eyes on the floor, as he tried to
catch his breath.
"The Dark Arts would yield the results you're wanting, Potter," Aries said
with a smirk as the boy whipped around, wand at the ready. "If I wanted
you dead, you'd already be done. Sit." He raised an eyebrow when
Thomas made no move, but eventually, the boy wilted.
"Why are you here?" Thomas asked grumpily. Aries poured him a glass,
which he took somewhat hesitantly.
"You are my student. I've put a lot of time and effort into our training
sessions."
"Can't you just say we're friends?" The Gryffindor asked with a laugh as
he slowly sipped the firewhiskey. Aries didn't answer, choosing instead to
sip his own glass.
"You did a poor job controlling your emotions today," Aries observed. "I'll
be having words with Draco, though take pity on him. The Dark Lord's
return has not made life all roses and rainbows for him." Thomas'
eyebrows shot up at that, but Aries did not elaborate. "But you know that
Umbridge is out to get you, and you gave her, as well as the Minister,
more fuel to add to the fire."
"I know, I know," Thomas said with a sigh. "It's just lately, I've not been
able to. . . control my anger. I get mad at things I shouldn't. I can't
explain it."
"You have a lot on your plate, Potter. Even the wisest of wizards do not
always handle all stress well. You are human, after all. Don't be so hard
on yourself, but be better. Now, on your feet. I did not take time out of
my day to have a Potter pity party." He noticed Thomas laugh at that and
forced the room to change. "We're here, so we might as well train.
Though, today will be something different." Along the walls formed racks
of weapons. Swords, shields, and spears of all kinds lined the walls. "No
doubt you've noticed I always wear these combat robes, and there is a
reason to that. Long ago, I created a unique fusion spell that allows you
to change something into another with a simple pulse of magic." Aries
closed his eyes, and with a push of his magic, his robes changed into the
golden black armor he had worn in the Second Task of the Tri-Wizard
Tournament. "It's something I will teach you eventually, but for now, you
will use the armor provided."
Thomas hesitated for a moment, but then quickly went to change at
Aries' irritated look. Aries' irritation, however, was not at Potter. Every
day he felt that their training sessions were becoming more and more of
an apprenticeship. But he did not plan to teach Thomas everything,
right? No, and if Thomas was his apprentice, he would willingly soak in
all his knowledge, the Dark Arts included. But the reality was that Aries
had little reason to continue their lessons. So, why did he? Aries shook
his head as Thomas returned. His conflicting thoughts on the Potter heir
would have to wait for another day.
"Pick a sword," Aries commanded, and once Thomas had returned, he
transformed his wand into a Greek sword. "Now, why do you think I am
going to teach you the Way of the Sword?"
"Because it's good to know other ways of fighting?"
"Yes, but not entirely." Aries took up a simple high guard and slowly
moved through different forms. "The Way of the Sword is much like a
dance. It flows, and in a battle between masters, it would ebb and flow
like a river. But it is never choppy, or rigid. As you move the blade, your
entire body moves with it, and every movement feeds into the next one,
like bends in a river. These forms, when done correctly, maximize every
muscle and movement, allowing the least amount of effort to achieve the
greatest result.'
"That is the result we long for in our magic, especially in dueling. You
see, right now, you act as if you are wielding a muggle gun." Thomas
dropped his jaw at the reference. "Yes, I know of them. But you point
your wand and fire the first spell that comes to mind. Instead, your
casting should be deliberate, with every incantation and wand movement
feeding into the next. As you will come to understand with the sword,
not every form flows into the next. There is a sort of choreography into
the art. It is the same with magic. Do you understand?"
"I think so," Thomas answered honestly. "But it's hard to imagine."
"It will not be, once you have begun to practice the forms," Aries replied.
"Now, widen your stance, and do as I do."
For nearly two hours, Thomas mimicked the movements Aries made.
Aries was not always a patient teacher with Thomas, but he ensured that
the younger boy knew every form by heart before moving to the next,
and often would go back and make him perform a form from earlier
again until he could do every movement perfectly.
"There!" Aries exclaimed. "Did you feel the difference?"
"Yes," Thomas answered, slightly out of breath. He was drenched in
sweat, and Aries was thankful the room provided showers. "Everything
felt smooth like the blade was pulling me along."
"Exactly. That feeling is what you need to focus on with your dueling. It'll
take time, just like these forms, but once you understand the idea and
apply it to how you fight with magic, there will be few who-" Aries
stopped as the door suddenly opened, and Susan Bones walked in. She
paused, the sight of them both wearing Greek armor with swords was no
doubt a shock. Thomas looked up at her, a guilty look starting to cover
his face.
"Hi," the Gryffindor greeted rather awkwardly as he rubbed the back of
his neck. "Fancy seeing you here." Aries rolled his eyes and casually
transformed his armor and sword back into his robes and wand.
"When Hermione said you weren't in the common room and I couldn't
find you in your favorite spots, I figured you'd be here," Susan glanced at
Aries for a moment, before she turned back to Thomas. "I'm sorry about
Quidditch, Thomas. I know it meant a lot to you."
"It's okay," Thomas replied quietly. "Aries was right, I didn't control my
emotions at all. I practically handed Umbridge what she wanted."
"That's not true!" Susan countered with an open glare to Aries. "Malfoy
practically taunted you and-"
"Malfoy was trying to get a rise out of me, and I let him." Aries was
surprised at that admission but remained silent as the two faced off. "He
didn't control how I reacted. I let him and Umbridge win."
"That's rather. . . mature of you." The redhead walked over to him slowly,
as if she forgot that Aries was there. "I'm sorry, Thomas. I haven't been
very good to you this year. You've needed me, and I haven't been there."
"You aren't wrong there," Thomas said with a harsh laugh. "But I haven't
exactly made it easy on you." The two embraced, and Aries suddenly felt
like he was intruding on a somewhat personal moment. He made to leave
quickly, but as he left, he saw the boy mouth the words 'thank you.'
The Chamber of Secrets lit up as Aries strode angrily through the great
hall. A wave of his hand expelled the dust the seemed to infinitely collect
in the small study.
"Welcome back, Aries," Salazar greeted. "And how is your defense going?"
"Good, I suppose," Aries answered idly as he approached the bookshelf.
"They've mastered the Shield Charm, and we're finally getting into
dueling tactics, though they're complete rubbish. Granger and Daphne
are starting to have a bit of a rivalry, so it'll be interesting to see them
duel. You wouldn't happen to have any books on Goblins, would you?"
"Oh, there's something on the bookshelf, I'm sure." He rolled his eyes and
continued his search. "Anything I could be of use for? Some special
projects? A new spell?"
"Perhaps after Christmas break, though, if you can tell me a way to look
into the future and get some answers, that would be nice."
"Ah, meddling with time. A rather interesting pursuit," The portrait of
Slytherin stroked his beard behind Aries, as the boy searched through his
ancestors' study. "Rowena and I once conducted a rather poor
experiment. We tried to travel forward in time, though we were never
successful."
"Not much surprise there," Aries answered, not giving Salazar his full
attention.
"We did, however, achieve something quite peculiar. You see, rather than
sending ourselves forward, we ended up pulling an item back." Aries
suddenly dropped the book he was holding and slowly turned towards his
ancestor's portrait.
"Are you telling me you pulled an object into your time from the future?"
"Well, we weren't entirely sure. It was my locket that showed up, but
interesting enough, it was clearly not my locket. It looked nearly the
exact same, but it very much had a different owner."
"The locket," Aries began, his heart pounding and his mind racing. "Was
there anything different about it?"
"Besides the obvious?" Salazar asked innocently. "Why yes, if I remember
correctly, there was something inherently wrong with it. A darkness that
could not be explained. We tried desperately to remove it, but nothing
worked. It was as if the locket resisted our attempts. Rowena was foolish
enough to wear the locket, and it seemed to affect her. She suddenly
became angry and jealous, nearly attacking me! When she removed it,
she said it was as if a weight had lifted off her shoulders. We quickly
banished the item and abandoned our project."
It was as if a spell broke in Aries' mind, like a compulsion charm had
been placed on him. Countless times he had been in this study since the
beginning of the year, and yet he had never mentioned the locket. A
sickening feeling entered his stomach as he began to understand the
magic imbued in the locket was far sinister than he had ever expected.
But there was hope, as another realization came to him.
"Salazar, you're bloody brilliant," Aries exclaimed and removed his wand.
"You didn't pull your locket back in time, you pulled it across universes."
He flicked his wand from left to right and a line of magic formed in the
study. "Time turners have proved that time is linear. But there is more
than just time." A tap of his wand on the line duplicated it, and suddenly
lines were running parallel to the first. "Not only is time linear, but it is
also parallel. Thousands of universes running along the same line of time,
all connected." He flicked his wand up, and lines formed, running across
each of the parallel lines at specific points, connecting all of them. "There
are events and items that transcend space and time, linking all of these
universes together. Your locket is one of them. I have your locket Salazar,
and the very magic you described is contained within the one in our
timeline. So take an event, such as the fall of the Dark Lord. In our
timeline, the Potter children were with their grandparents, and they
stopped the Dark Lord. But in another timeline, maybe they are with
their parents, and James and Lily die, instead of Charles and Dorea. Or,
maybe Thomas has no brother. Perhaps in some, he's an orphan. The
point is that that moment is reflected across all the universes, blending
and bleeding upon one another. Perhaps in another timeline, Thomas
dies, and Harry lives."
"Genius," Salazar said, his portrait eyes widen. "But what does that have
to do with the locket?"
"I knew it was important to the Dark Lord," Aries answered. "But this! It
means that locket is significant enough for its importance to transcend
space and time. For all we know, the locket may hold the key to
defeating the Dark Lord. Bloody hell, I've wasted so much time! I have to
find the diadem."
"Rowena's diadem?"
"Yes, but it's been lost for centuries. Any ideas?"
"Ask Godric," Slytherin replied, a puzzled look on his face. "He and
Rowena remained friends after our split. He may know." Aries grabbed
the books on goblins he had found and nearly sprinted as he left the
Chamber. He knew he was close to discovering the locket, and he would
not stop until it was found.
AN: The Snake
25. The Snake
AN: A little shorter than normal, since this was the last half of the
previous chapter. As always, I hope you like this chapter, and if you
don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
The darkness of his mind faded as Aries searched through his
subconscious as he often had since his youth, searching for answers that
always seemed out of his reach. Memories that had long plagued him,
ones that clearly were not his own, and now the continued dreams of the
Department of Mysteries. The latter was a fixture that was ever in the
focus of Albus Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. He was well aware the
Dark Lord sought the prophecy within the halls, and thanks to his
training with Thomas, he also knew the younger boy dreamt of the
mysterious hallway. So why was Aries plagued with them as well? Why
did they always seem to follow the chaotic visions surrounding Yggdrasil
and the Old Man?
The concern of shared dreams was the entirety of the issue at hand for
Aries. Did he contain some connection to Thomas? Or did the two heirs
of Slytherin have a connection through the shared bloodline of Salazar?
Neither made sense if he was honest. His chaotic visions had begun after
the Dark Lord had returned yes, but all the shared dreams were preceded
by the images themselves. So, were they connected? Were the very
dreams that Thomas also had a warning from the Old Man? It was a
never-ending line of questioning that had begun to drive him insane.
"Aries?" Daphne's soft voice came from the door, and Aries was ripped
from his own mind. "I interrupted you, it would seem. Care to share?"
She slipped onto the bed, pulling herself against his back and wrapping
her arms around his bare chest.
"Not yet," Aries answered, and he felt the girl tense. "Not until I know the
entirety of it." Daphne nodded against the back of his neck as her hands
moved up to massage his shoulders.
"I cornered the Bloody Baron like you asked," she began to place soft
kisses along his neck and up to his ear as she spoke. "The Grey Lady has
disappeared. None of the ghosts know where she has gone."
"Damnit," Aries cursed with a ferocity that surprised Daphne. "Of all
times, a ghost chooses to piss off it's now when I need to speak to one the
most."
"Perhaps I could help," the movements of her hands smoothed out the
tenseness in his shoulders. "If you would just tell me what you seek." He
sighed and leaned back against her.
"I'm afraid the current issue resides outside the realms of our expertise,
darling."
"Then let me help in other ways?" Daphne placed a kiss on his cheek.
"The dinner has been arranged with my family. Something I could
convince father of? A plot here at Hogwarts that is beneath your time?"
"Do you yearn so much to do my bidding?"
"I think it obvious that I've tied my fate to yours. Why would I not do
anything to make sure we succeed? Have I not earned your trust?"
"Yes, I suppose you have," Aries pulled away from her arms. "The Grey
Lady is incredibly important, as I believe she holds the key to the last
missing piece of information I seek."
"Information regarding?" Her eyes followed him as he paced.
"My father was given something rather incredible by the Dark Lord. The
locket of Salazar Slytherin." Daphne's eyes widen, but Aries paid her no
mind. "He gave Lucius his own diary from his time at Hogwarts, and he
gave Bellatrix Hufflepuff's Cup. Now, the diary is what possessed the
Weasley girl, as it contained an imprint of the Dark Lord's sixteen-year-
old self. These objects are important to him, as he gave them to some of
his most trusted followers to guard. But why? What was their
importance?"
"It seems odd for the Dark Lord to have any sentimental value with an
object."
"I agree. So, their importance is something beyond just being items
belonging to the founders. The diary, the locket, and the cup all possess
some of the most wretched magic I have ever felt. When I wear the
locket. . . I am not myself. The same can be said of the cup. I do not
believe that Gryffindor's sword had been tainted, as Dumbledore would
have recognized it as being similar to the diary. But-"
"You think the Dark Lord did something to Rowena's diadem?"
"Yes," Aries replied with a smile. "And, perhaps, I can resist the magic
long enough to use the diadem to find out just what the Dark Lord has
done." The girl had a very pensive look on her face as she tapped her
chin in thought.
"I can look through my father's library," Daphne offered. "But if the Black
library has not provided any results, I doubt mine will."
"It is of no consequence," Aries dismissed as he came to lay next to her.
"There is one last place I have to look. The diadem will have to wait until
the Ghost of Ravenclaw returns."
"So now, you've given me a bite. What about your plans? The real plans?"
"That can wait until Christmas, darling." He leaned in and kissed her
softly. 'For now, other adventures await." He felt her smile against his lips
as she pulled him on top of her.
Aries only gave a polite nod to those that wished him goodnight, as their
lesson concluded. The members of Dumbledore's Army had made many
leaps forward in the weeks since the group had formed; as such, some of
the students were beginning to open up to him, especially the
Ravenclaws. Their hunger for knowledge had finally overpowered their
suspicion of him. He made his way back to the Slytherin common room
under the Disillusionment Charm, sneaking past prefects until he arrived
the dungeons. A wave of his hand removed the charm, and he entered
the common room, which was empty save Theodore Nott.
The son of one of the most trusted wizards with the Dark Lord's inner
circle was a continued mystery to him. Aries was aware that Theodore
had little intention of being a Death Eater, but he was also informed that
he still passed on information to his father. Nevertheless, Aries sat down
in his chair in front of the fire and waited for Nott to speak.
"The Dark Lord is growing impatient," Theodore said at last, "Lord Malfoy
is failing him within the Wizengamot, and every day that passes without
your allegiance frustrates him."
"Have you been invited to their meetings now?" Aries asked as he looked
towards the other. "The Dark Lord will continue to grow impatient, I'm
afraid. I have no intention of bending the knee."
"Then what is your intention?"
"Spoilers, Nott," Theodore glared at him, but Aries only smiled. "You can't
think I really would just monologue my plan to you? So you can run back
and tell daddy who will tell the Dark Lord?"
"He knows of your relationship with Greengrass. You don't think he'll
target her?"
"He would be a fool to think I would leave my allies so vulnerable," Aries
answered back with a cold stare. "Or that threats would work with me.
I'm not Dumbledore. I will not throw caution to the wind and risk a
bishop over a pawn."
"Do you wish to have us tortured?" Theodore asked hotly, suddenly
showing fear in his eyes. "Every one of us who has failed to provide the
Dark Lord information is going to get the Cruciatus when we return home
for Christmas."
"Then don't." The other Slytherin tensed at words. "Spend Christmas with
my family. Choose a different side."
"What?"
"Come now, Theodore," Aries leaned forward and looked the other boy in
the eye. "We both know you have no intention of becoming a Death
Eater. So why continue to serve your father's master?"
"You cannot protect me from the Dark Lord or my father."
"Then why is he spying on me?" Aries asked, honestly. "If the Dark Lord is
so powerful, then why is he spending more resources dealing with me
than Dumbledore? And why is Dumbledore spying on my just as much as
the Dark Lord? Come on, Theodore! You're smarter than this." He waited,
but Theodore did not respond as he was too caught up in his own
thoughts. "I can help you, Theodore. I'll be waiting when you've made
your decision."
Thomas smiled proudly as the rest of Dumbledore's Army entered the
Room of Requirement. So much had happened since its first meeting, and
not a lot of it good, but this group was something that brought him a lot
of pride.
"Today, we're going to put dueling aside," Thomas stated to the group.
"No doubt many of you are happy about that. And instead, we're going to
do something just as important. Aries and I wanted to make sure we
taught you all before the break. We're going to learn the Patronus
Charm." Excited whispers broke out through the group. "Normally, I
teach the magic, but Aries is the one who taught me, so it's best if he
does it."
"The Patronus Charm, in the shortest explanation, is a manifestation of
happiness in magic," Aries began before the group could protest. "This is
why it is so effective against Dementors, who are the embodiment of
sorrow and despair. The incantation is Expecto Patronum. Unlike other
spells you've been using, this one requires emotion: happiness. The best
way to achieve this is by using a particular memory to fuel that emotion."
"Is there anything particular we should use?" asked Terry Boot.
"It's subjective. What works for me may not work for you. But it needs to
be something more than a mundane memory. Try to think of your
happiest memory and let it fill you. Then, cast the charm." Shouts of the
incantation filled the room, but not a single person managed to even
procure a wisp. "Keep trying. This isn't like a defense spell. It's more
complicated, and very few ever get it on the first try." By the end of their
hour and a half, a few had managed to create a shield. Thomas spent
much of the time encouraging the others, and Aries had to consistently
remind them that failing at the spell was entirely reasonable. "I think
we've all had enough."
"Aries is right," Thomas agreed. "We'll meet up again after the break.
Happy Christmas, everyone!" Thomas personally said goodnight to
everyone, ensuring to give Susan a quick kiss, before he turned and
realized that Neville hadn't left yet. He stood in the back, staring at the
wall where a picture of the original Order of the Phoenix hung. A hand
landed on his shoulder when he moved forward, and he turned to find
Aries stopping him.
"I'll handle this," Aries said softly.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Neville is more conflicted than you know. He needs someone to take his
confusion out on, and right now, I'm the center of it."
"How do you know? Thomas asked before he suddenly looked alarmed.
"You're not reading his mind, are you?!"
"Again, Potter, I do not read minds," Aries said with a frustrated sigh. "I
told you I am gifted in the Mind Arts, Legilimency being part of that.
While I can enter another's mind, I do not do so without permission. That
being said, there is something called passive Legilimency. Can you stop
yourself from hearing others talk around you?"
"Well, no."
"The same can be said regarding thoughts. If one thinks hard or loud
enough, if that makes sense, their thoughts project, and those with the
gift of passive Legilimency, like Dumbledore or me, cannot help but
hear."
"That's a little creepy," Thomas said with an awkward laugh.
"Perhaps, but we can discuss this another time. I'll deal with Neville." He
accepted the dismissive tone of Aries and left the room quickly. He only
hoped that Aries was kinder to Neville than he tended to be with others.
The heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom stood transfixed
at the picture for some time, and Aries wondered if he was in some kind
of trance. He had seen a memory of Neville from his first year, and much
about the boy had changed since then. The only thing that remained the
same was his magic, though many tended to blame that on his wand.
Aries walked forward slowly until he stood next to Neville. A few
moments passed in silence as the two stared at the picture.
"I often wonder if my father would have been among them," Aries
confessed. "If he had managed to escape the Dark Lord after his betrayal."
Neville did not answer him but instead looked down at his feet. "I wonder
what my father would think of me. Would he approve of the path I have
chosen? I suppose it's a relief to you to know that your parents cannot see
the failure their son has become." Neville's head shot up, and Aries
smirked at the fire he saw in the boy's eyes.
"What did you say?" Neville asked through gritted teeth.
"Your parents were powerful," Aries answered as he walked away. "Frank
and Alice Longbottom were exceptional. And yet here you stand, an heir
to an ancient and noble house, barely able to cast a shield charm. You
think of vengeance. Ha! You would die before you ever cast your first
spell. Better that they're insane because at least this way, they can't see
the worthless squib you've become." He could see Neville's anger, but the
boy still did not react. "Bellatrix walks free because of me. She laughs and
cries and has been reunited with her family. Can you imagine? The
woman who tortured your parents to insanity is free." Tears began to fall
from Neville. "I can see in your mind, Longbottom. You want to strike
out. So, what stops you? Is it because you think you can't defeat me? Or
because you know deep inside that you will never be worthy of your
father's wand?"
Neville glared at him; his fists clenched, but he did nothing. Aries drew
he wand and sent mild stinging hexes at the boy. He yelped and jumped
back, pulling his wand to try to throw up a shield.
"Is that all you're good for, Longbottom? A weak shield charm? Who do
you mean to protect? Your family? Your friends?" He started throwing
more powerful charms, shattering the boy's shield. "You think Hannah
will ever want the failure that you are? Maybe you should have died
when your uncle had thrown you out of that window. At least then, you
won't have to watch when the Death Eaters come to finish what they
started with your parents." Now, Aries was beginning to become angry
himself and started throwing the Dark Arts at the boy, intentionally
missing him, but shattering his shield any time Neville managed to
conjure another one.
"Why are you here, Neville? Still trying to prove you are worthy of
something? Your father's wand is in your hands, and it rejects you! Your
family has stood by the Potters for centuries, and they look upon you
with shame! You will never stand by the House of Potter as your father,
and all the Lords of House Longbottom had before. Their legacy is dead
because of you!"
At last, something snapped inside Neville Longbottom. Aries felt Neville's
power skyrocketed, as the wall between the boy and his magic fell apart.
Spell after spell flew Aries way, each increasing with ferocity and power,
but he merely sidestepped each one.
"Is that all you can do?!" Aries laughed loudly and coldly. "Pathetic!"
"Bombarda!" He sidestepped Longbottom's spell, but when it collided with
the wall, it shattered with an enormous explosion. Aries smiled as
Longbottom sent exploding charm after exploding charm at him, but
none connected. The room began to fall apart, as Longbottom's magic,
pent up after years of weakness, rushed forth from his wand, but the boy
was tiring.
"That's it! Feel your magic, Longbottom! Let your anger fuel your magic!"
Aries moved in closer to Longbottom, sidestepping and spinning away
from his spells. When they were just a few feet apart, Aries disarmed him
and threw him to the ground. Longbottom fought him, but Aries held him
down. "Look around, Longbottom! Look!" Suddenly, Neville stopped in
shock, as if finally seeing what he had done to the room. The walls were
shattered, and the practice dummies were destroyed from the sheer
strength of his magic.
"Did I do this?"
"Yes, Longbottom, you did," Aries answered with a smile. "For the first
time in your life, you took control. You forgot about your own
insecurities. You forgot about your self-worth. You forgot about the wand
you were using and willed your magic to do as you commanded."
"I don't understand, the wand. Its-"
"You do not think your wand knows who you are?" Neville frowned at
the question. "Your father's blood runs through your veins. His magic is
within you. You think that wand would deny you, the son of its master?
The wand may choose the wizard, Longbottom, but magic is sentient. The
wand never refused you, but rather you refused it. Years you have spent
thinking yourself unworthy of your father because you are nothing like
him. And yet, do you know why your father would be most disappointed
in you? Not because you are unlike him, but rather because you are
choosing to not be yourself. Greatness comes in many forms, Longbottom,
and there is not just one path." Aries rose to his feet and extended a hand
to the boy. Longbottom took it, and as he stood, the room began to repair
itself.
"You were trying to make me angry, weren't you?" Longbottom asked
curiously. "You wanted me to see this."
"Yes," Aries replied. "It's time for you to stop being a scared boy and
become the man you need to be, Lord Longbottom. My words were harsh,
but they needed to be said." He waited for Neville to nod. "A wand of
your own may suit you better, Longbottom, but I think now you'll realize
just how much you, not the wand, were holding yourself back." His task
was complete, and Aries made his way to leave the room to allow
Longbottom time in his thoughts.
"Wait!" He turned, as Longbottom called to him. The boy had a somewhat
nervous look to him, and Aries could sense his inner conflict. "Is it true?
What you said about the Cruciatus at the Wizengamot? That it can be
healed?" He knew immediately what Longbottom meant.
"Bella's case is far different than that of your parents," Aries said, and he
could not help the sadness in his voice. "I do not know if what you mean
to ask is possible."
"But you won't say it's impossible." There was a hope in Longbottom's
voice that Aries could not deny.
"The Cruciatus does not affect the body, but rather the mind." He ran a
hand through his hair as he collected his thoughts. "It forces the mind to
believe itself to be feeling real torture, affecting the pain receptors of the
body. In Bella's case, it allowed the Dark Lord to twist her nature through
the combined use of Legilimency and the Cruciatus. But for your parents,
they were tortured for so long that their minds retreated deep into their
subconscious, forcing themselves away from the pain, but also from
conscious thought. Some have attempted to bring those who have been
tortured to insanity back, but it has always ended in death. For the
victim, and sometimes even the healer."
"How?"
"It's the mind that is affected, so it is the mind that must be healed. And
for that to be done, one must face the very thing causing the ailment.
They would need to relive that moment. For most, the second time kills
them. And the healer, well, they feel it as well. It has not been attempted
for centuries, Longbottom, and for a good reason."
"But it's possible?" Neville asked, his hope not being deterred. Aries
sighed and considered it. Theoretically, it was possible, but the reality
was that it was incredibly risky. More than likely, it would end in the
death of Frank and Alice. But what if he was successful? Could he earn
the allegiance of the Longbottom family? Then again, what if he failed?
Would all he had accomplished fall apart from the attempt? Would the
Wizengamot accuse him of murder? That was doubtful, he controlled the
Wizengamot. He was the Wizengamot. He looked up into the hope-filled
eyes of Neville Longbottom, and suddenly he was back in that potion's
lab, willing his magic to bring his mother back to life. So much of what
he had done centered around manipulation, death, deceit, and
destruction. Could he do something to actually help another person? He
had to. He had to show that he was different than the Dark Lord. It what
his mother would have done, after all.
"Yes, it's possible, Neville Longbottom," Aries answered at last.
"Could the mind healer that looked at. . . her do it?"
"No, I'm afraid he could not. I have been the one healing Bella's mind,
removing the Dark Lord's influence from her.
"You?" Aries sighed again.
"There are only two others who are as gifted in Legilimency as I am:
Albus Dumbledore and the Dark Lord. I can assure you the latter will not
help, and if Dumbledore had meant to try, he would have done it long
ago." Neville's eye went wide. "That leaves only me. And to do such a
thing would require an ordeal that I am not eager to attempt. It is also
not something I would do without something in return."
"Anything," Longbottom said quickly. "I'll do anything you ask!"
"Do not be so quick to offer up your life," Aries chastised. "I require an
oath of fealty, and, when you ascend to the Head of House Longbottom,
you will name me proxy of your seat on the Wizengamot." The boy
suddenly looked rather timid, and Aries acted quickly. "I will not demand
anything of you beyond your own morals, Longbottom, but is aiding me
in my endeavors not worth the lives of your parents? To see them whole
again? And your path does not lie within the realm of the politics of the
Wizengamot. I could do a lot of good with your seat." Neville was silent
for a long time, before he finally nodded, though there was still doubt in
his eyes. He went to leave, but Aries grabbed him.
"You will need to be there," Aries commanded. "But do not hope too
much, Longbottom. I make no promises. Regardless, I will have my oath.
Understand?" Neville nodded slowly. Aries let him leave and wondered
just how he was going to accomplish something the greatest wizards of
history had not.
Aries stood before the great ash tree of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Its branches
spanned to many realms, and he could see into each of them, as the Old Man
commanded the magic before them with the waves of his arms. As he drew his
arms in a circle, the world changed. They stood on a mountain, a magnificent
marble temple before them. Lightning flashed through the sky before the world
turned again. A stone temple rose from the sand as a great serpent attacked a
warrior made of the sun. Another change, and they stood before Yggdrasil
again. But now, the branches connected the tree to the two great temples, and
war flashed above them. Mighty warriors clashed, as powerful magic spread
through the sky. A bright flash of light and the world faded until Aries stood
alone.
A bright eye shared by three heads stuck out among the darkness. It watched
him, and Aries felt as if the eye could see through him. The Old Man looked
down upon the creatures, mouthing words that Aries could not hear before
they all faded away. Suddenly, he was before the Veil. Whispers called to him,
and the Old Man faced him.
"Remember who you are. Seek me, o' soul of souls. See now, which is seen
elsewhere."
He felt his body changed, something smooth replaced his own. The walls of the
Department of Mystery formed around him as he slithered down the hall. At
the end of the hall was a door, and a red-headed man sat before it. He tried to
stand and pull his wand, but Aries struck first. Giant fangs sunk into the man's
skin, and he screamed.
Aries shot up from his bed and proceeded to retch onto the floor. He felt
drained as if the dream had pulled on his magic. There was no mistaking
it; in the dream, he was the snake. Was it a warning? Or had it happened
just now? He threw off his covers, the vomit banished with a wave of his
hand, and made his way to the desk. Quickly, he found the item he was
looking for, a mirror that his uncle had given him.
"Sirius Black," Aries said into the mirror and waited. A few moments
passed, and then his uncle's face appeared.
"Aries? Are you okay?" Sirius asked though Aries could tell he was
moving frantically, and others were running in the background. "Listen,
I'm sorry I don't have time right now, something has happened."
"Arthur Weasley was attacked, wasn't he?"
"What? How did you know?"
"A story for another time," Aries answered. "But you confirmed something
for me. Let me know if he's alright."
Sleep did not come for Aries the rest of the night, and he was grateful
when the sun shined through his window at last. He dressed quickly and
made his way to the common room to wait for his friends. When they
arrived, at last, he left silently for the Great Hall, the others following
behind him. He felt Daphne slide her arm through his, but he paid her no
mind. The Great Hall was filling as the students came for breakfast and
his eyes scanned the table for Potter, but he was nowhere to be found
and neither were the Weasleys. Granger sat alone, and Aries shook off
Daphne's arm and made his way over to her. Before anyone could say a
word, he sat across from Granger and cast a quick Muffliato.
"Black?" Granger said, confused. "What are-"
"Where is Potter and the Weasleys?" Aries asked in whispered tones.
"They're gone," she answered. "I can't tell you any-"
"I already know about Arthur Weasley," he interrupted with irritation.
"Did something happen to Thomas? Did he dream anything?"
"Yes," Surprise laced Granger's voice. "How did you know?"
"A guess, but it all makes sense now," He threw a glance towards
Dumbledore, who was eyeing them. "Thomas has been different all year,
right? Quick to anger, short temper, the lot?" Granger nodded, and Aries
let out a frustrated sigh. He looked up at Dumbledore and made eye
contact, forcefully pushing a thought in his direction. The Headmaster
started for a moment before he nodded, and Aries allowed the man to
send the password back. The two stood nearly simultaneously and left the
Great Hall, Aries through the great doors, and Dumbledore through the
back.
"Candy Cane," Aries told the stone gargoyle, and it moved aside. Voices
floated down the staircase, and Aries recognized that Umbridge was in
the office with Dumbledore. He knocked politely, stopping the
conversation.
"Enter," Dumbledore said, and he opened the door.
"Mr. Black," Umbridge greeted tersely. "Perhaps now is not the best time."
"I'm here at Professor Dumbledore's request," Aries replied with a raise of
his eyebrow.
"Indeed, Sirius has requested to speak with you regarding family matters,
Mr. Black."
"This is an irregularity, Headmaster," the large woman nearly screeched.
"First Potter and the Weasleys disappear, and now, you allow this!"
"A guardian wishing to speak with his charge is not illegal, Madam
Umbridge. Unless you have some issues to take with the Black family?"
Umbridge glared at him but said nothing.
"Where did they go, Dumbledore?" Umbridge demanded. "Students
cannot just leave Hogwarts early! I am the Undersecretary of the Ministry
of Magic, and you will answer me!"
"What Lord Potter and Lord Weasley do is no business of yours, woman,"
Aries said coldly. "The Ministry has no power here at Hogwarts. Do not
think your pointless title means anything here. Now go, before I decide to
tell the lords and ladies of the Wizengamot that you believe you can tell
them what they can or cannot do with their children." The woman made
no move to leave, but she reeked of fear. "Go." It came out almost like a
hiss, and Umbridge practically fled. Aries turned his attention back to
Dumbledore, who was studying him again.
"One does not need to be so harsh, Mr. Black," Dumbledore said
disapprovingly.
"We are not here to discuss tactics, Headmaster." Aries glared at the old
man. "You've avoided Potter all year, and now you've allowed this.
Explain yourself."
"You think you are owed an explanation?" The old man countered.
"Thomas is owed an explanation. But we both know you will not give it to
him. I am here on his behalf."
"His is not your apprentice, though you may wish it were so." The words
struck a chord within Aries, and to a point, he knew Dumbledore was
right, but he would not let the old man win.
"And he is not your pawn to manipulate." Aries let his anger fill his voice.
"You have yet to tell him the prophecy, allowing the Potters to keep it
from him, and you have avoided him all year when he has needed you
most."
"Yet, he has found a confidant in you. In many ways, you bring out the
best in each other."
"This is not a time for games, Headmaster. Tell me of the connection
between Thomas and the Dark Lord." Dumbledore started at that, his
mask slipped only for a moment, before he leaned forward curiously.
"How do you know of this?"
"My knowledge does not matter," Aries replied. "But rather your inaction.
How long have you known?"
"Why does it matter so much to you?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"Perhaps I do not wish to see another Potter's blood on your hands,
Headmaster." Twinkling eyes suddenly flashed, and power filled the air.
"Oh, do stow your feathers. We are not peacocks. Surely you did not
think that I wouldn't know the real story about Harry Potter? I wonder
what would happen should all the memory charms on the Potters be
removed?"
"You do not want to make an enemy of me."
"The same goes for me, Headmaster," Aries returned hotly, refusing to
back down. "Now, either work with me, or I will see to it that the Potters
become aware of your sins."
"Remus has been telling stories again, it would seem," Albus said in
passing as if he refused to acknowledge his own actions, but the power
left the room. "What of the connection? No doubt Thomas has told you
that Voldemort transferred some of his powers to him the night he was
destroyed."
"Bullocks. I'm not Potter, and that silly excuse will not work on me. If
that was the case, every wizard would be a Parselmouth or a
metamorphmagus. What is the connection between Thomas's scar and the
diary?" The Headmaster suddenly sat straight, and quickly stood, an
alarmed look in his eyes.
"You made the connection as well?
"The diary affected the Weasley girl's emotions, much as Thomas'
connection has with him."
Dumbledore paced for a moment, before reluctantly answering Aries. "I
have an idea, though, I am not willing to share it."
"Why?" Aries asked, his eyes narrow.
"I do not believe it should be known among others."
"And you fear that I would replicate whatever it is that the Dark Lord has
accomplished?" The Headmaster's silence was all he needed for an
answer. "So be it. Let this be the last bridge to be burned, Headmaster."
AN: Next Chapter: A Soul for a Soul
26. A Soul for a Soul
AN: WOW. This is a VERY long chapter. I debated splitting it, but no
point felt like a solid ending for the chapter, save for the one I had.
Truthfully, it could have been ever longer, but I left that for the next
chapter. This is by far one of my favorites, as it has two scenes
which were always the foundation of the idea of my story. As
always, I hope you like this chapter, and if you don't, whatever
floats your boat y'all.
The trail of Daphne's fingers through his hair was a comfort he had come
to enjoy throughout the last few months at Hogwarts. His head lay in her
lap, as pair traveled on the Hogwarts Express back to London, and his
legs stretched out over the seat. Draco seemed intent on ignoring their
public display of affections, something that had only continued to grow
as they neared Christmas. The planned dinner at Greengrass Manor had
somehow morphed into a Christmas Ball, with some rather essential
figures within Magical Britain set to attend. However, their private
dinner would still occur. He was excited, something he was surprised to
feel, to finally bring Daphne, and her family, into the more delicate
workings of his plans. It was a risk, but one did not reap the rewards by
folding every round. Haydn, no doubt, would be proud his gambling
problem seemed to have rubbed off on him in more ways than one.
There was, of course, the problem of his closest friend and blood-brother,
Draco Malfoy. Aries was well aware that Narcissa Malfoy was currently
no longer staying in Malfoy Manor, but rather Cassiopeia's home in
Berlin. The discovery of her being with child again had driven a wedge
between her love for family and her husband's loyalty to the Dark Lord.
She was protected within the sphere of the Black family, but the same
could not be said for Draco. Aries had no intention of allowing his friend
to suffer as he had during the summer break, but spiriting him away
would cause suspicion, and no doubt ends with the Malfoy line being
terminated by the Dark Lord on account of treason. That was if Lucius
didn't try to take care of Draco's betrayal personally, which was the very
reason Aries had suggested harboring Narcissa. So long as Lucius did not
control the child growing within his wife, Aries believed Draco to be safe.
Daphne's light caresses brought his attention back to her, and the book
she was reading. A simple one of the Dark Arts, but necessary no less. She
had intentions to be his dark mistress, as she joked, but it only reminded
him of the dangerous task that was forthcoming. A cold chill went down
his spine at the thought of it, something that Daphne noticed with a
surprised glance. Few things made Aries feel something akin to fear, but
dealing with them was close. Their very magic and essence were different,
even from their distinct cousins that the Ministry tried so hard to
regulate.
He opted to change positions, as his mind continued to roam, putting his
back against the window and pulling Daphne's back to his chest. The
troublesome project of the locket and the cup dominated his mind still,
and his failed conversation with Dumbledore only fueled the belief that
they were incredibly important to the Dark Lord. Nevertheless, their
purpose continued to elude him, as well as the meaning of their
connection to Potter's scar. There were too many similarities for Aries to
ignore. What would cause Slytherin's ability, passed down by generation,
to be transferred from the Dark Lord to Potter? It was more than just
some trick of the Mind Arts, as Aries had initially believed with the diary.
Aries had a guess, and it was somewhat alarming.
The past week after Potter and the Weasleys left had been dedicated to
trying to confirm his theory. It had been an illogical thought at first, but
when one eliminated all other avenues, what was left, no matter the
improbability, was the answer. Transference of mind and blood would
not equate Potter to speaking Parseltongue or having shared dreams. If
that was the case, Draco would have the ability through their blood
bond, and anyone he possessed with the Imperious or controlled through
Legilimency would be able to speak it as well. Then there was the idea of
transference of magic. There had been a ritual, a transference of magical
cores that could save one's life, more than likely at the cost of another.
But it merely replenished magic rather than replacing it. The person's core
would adapt the incoming magic to heal itself. Blood, mind, and magic.
None gave the answer which he sought, which left only one possible
conclusion: soul magic.
He was aware that Grindelwald had delved deep into the abyss that was
soul magic. Sinister things could be done with those possibilities. Still, it
was a branch of magic that few ever attempted to learn, let alone
practice. The other three could be healed, but the soul was its own entity.
One could not heal another soul, as far as he knew. But what did that
mean? He was clueless, but another item of interest led him to believe
that he was correct. Every book that Aries knew contained some sort of
reference to soul magic was missing within Hogwarts. Cassiopeia's own
failed search made him believe that Dumbledore had gone out of his way
to ensure that none but the old man himself would know of what the
Dark Lord had accomplished. There was the possibility that Grindelwald
knew, but Aries would not step within Nurmengard Castle while
Dumbledore watched his movements so closely. His upcoming trip to the
Balkans would have to be planned carefully for that very reason, and it
was there Aries hoped his search would end at last.
The musings of his problem came to an end, as the trip to London did.
Draco grabbed his trunk and left, giving to the two a chance to say
goodbye. Daphne wasted no time and turned quickly to capture his lips
in a deep kiss. To say he was starting to actually develop deep feelings
for the girl was beginning to become an understatement, and he was
starting to formulate a plan to rectify this weakness. Aries was not foolish
enough to see it as something else, because it was a weakness, but that
did not stop him from deepening the kiss, pulling the girl closer to him
for a moment. It was a short, blissful moment, but Aries ended it
knowing they needed to depart.
Daphne gave him a smile and light kiss before she made her way over to
her parents. Aries could see the slight disapproval from Cyrus Greengrass,
but he dismissed it. The Chief Warlock was well aware of Aries'
continued prowess within the Wizengamot, even with Cassi proxying his
seat while he was at Hogwarts. There was nothing the man could do, and
even if Cyrus tried to betroth Daphne to another, he had enough pull,
leverage, power, and gold to ensure that the other was well aware that
accepting it was an ill-advised decision. Another inclination of the
weakness that the girl was becoming. Her departure left him alone with
Draco, as they glanced towards his father, speaking in whispered, but
heated tones with Andromeda and Cassiopeia.
"Well, Aries, this is it," Draco said with a grimace. Aries mirrored his
expression, trying hard to hide his look of displeasure with Lucius.
"You can always stay with me," Aries offered. "It's been a while."
"Over Christmas? Did snogging with Daphne make you dumb all of a
sudden? No way the Dark Lord would buy that." His friend was right, but
there had to be something Aries could do. "My Occlumency has gotten a
lot better, and you know it. I'll do what I can, but we both know I don't
know much right now."
"That'll change, I swear it." Determination laced Aries's voice. "If it gets
out of hand, just go straight to Sirius. We'll deal with the consequences
after that. I'll war with Voldemort if I have to." Draco flinched at the
name, but he knew Aries only dropped formalities, even with the Dark
Lord, if he was exceptionally angry.
"Thanks, Aries." They embraced their usual way, reaching forward and
gripping the forearm of the other in place of shaking hands. "I'll see you
at the Greengrasses." Aries watched his friend walk away, the mask of
confidence hiding his own resignation, and he could not help but feel as
if he had let Draco down.
The weight of the world seemed to fall on his shoulders these days, Sirius
mused. It was late, far too late to be working when his godson and
nephew were currently back at his home for the first time in months.
Unfortunately, his job as Assistant Head Auror required long hours filling
out paperwork, meeting with Scrimgeour and Director Bones, and just
absolute bullshit. He never thought he would be here. Not be the one out
fighting the bad guys, but this was where Aries' needed him, and so that's
where he remained.
"Come on in," Sirius called a someone knocked at the door. Tonks popped
her head in, as she was the on-call Auror tonight, though she looked a
little confused. "What's up, Dora?"
"Front desk says someone's on their way here. Some kid. Apparently
looked in bad shape. Said he was a friend of Aries, though." A friend of
Aries? At the Ministry at this hour?
"Be ready, Dora, this doesn't seem right." Sirius quickly threw a few
wards towards the door and readied his alert beacon.
"You think it's a trap?" She had pulled her wand and was glancing
towards the front of the office.
"Maybe, just be ready. Escort him here. If anything is off, the wards will
let us know." Sirius waited at his desk nervously, his wand across his lap.
A knock at the door, and the visitor entered. A hood covered his face,
and he tensed.
"Thank Merlin," the kid said before he promptly collapsed. Sirius wasted
no time, jumping up as he yelled for Tonks and crouched in front of the
kid.
"Holy shit, its Theodore Nott," Sirius breathed, but that wasn't the only
thing. There was blood. Lots of blood. "Dora, call Andromeda and get her
here now, then call Aries." He did not dare cast any healing spells, in case
there was something more severe than he could handle. Still, the
diagnostic spell was clear: the Cruciatus Curse had been used multiple
times.
"What could you-" Andromeda's voice cut off at the sight of Nott, and she
immediately went to work. Tense minutes passed as Tonks and Sirius
watched on, Andromeda working tirelessly on the boy until the flash of
green signaled Aries' arrival. Even at this hour, Aries had managed to
look smart, though there was a look of pure frustration on his face.
"What happened?" his nephew demanded.
"I don't know," Sirius answered helplessly. "He just showed up and
collapsed. Andi?"
"The Cruciatus. Many times." Andromeda looked between the two for a
moment. "As well as some nasty uses of the Dark Arts. Nothing
intentionally fatal. But he will need time to recover."
"I need him to speak, Andromeda." Aries had a seriousness to his voice
that Sirius was shocked to hear. There was a look of guilt in his eyes that
he could not place.
"Aries, the boy is weak. I need to put him a stasis spell."
"No." Andromeda stopped and looked at Aries, the anger in his voice
clearly a surprise. "You will wake him. I will get my answers. And then
he will sleep. This needs to be dealt with. Now." Sirius flinched back at
his nephew's sudden anger, but the guilt was there again. Why? He
looked to Andromeda, who seemed to give in, albeit reluctantly. A few
spells later, and Nott woke with a gasp, instantly grasping his stomach.
Aries moved fast, kneeling before the boy and holding him upright.
"Who did this, Theo?" Aries asked as the rest watched on intently. Theo
simply should his head, tears falling down his face. "Drop your shields
then." The boy whipped his head around, fear in his eyes before he
slowly nodded. It only took a few moments, before Aries nodded to
Andromeda. Nott was asleep not a second later, the stasis spell in effect.
"What happened, Aries?"
"Lord Nott happened." Aries gritted his teeth. "The Dark Lord never even
got a chance to touch him. Nott Senior took it upon himself to punish
Theo before he could ever arrive."
"His father did this?!" Dora cried out. "We have to do something!"
"No, we can't." All eyes turned to Aries. "At least, not yet. We'll give him
sanctuary, as I offered him earlier in the year." His eyes landed on
Andromeda. "Andi, you'll take him in. He'll need medical care, which will
keep him out of Saint Mungos, and it's the last place Lord Nott will look."
Aries now turned to Sirius. "Investigate, but quietly. Get all the
information we need. Then, when the time is right, and it is in our favor,
we'll strike. Until then, Theo's health is our priority. Understood?" Sirius
nodded, along with others. "Keep me updated, Andi." Aries left through
the floo, something clearly on his mind, and Sirius could not help but
wonder just what he had gotten himself into.
The flash of flames brought Aries into existence under cover of darkness.
Frigid, mountain air did not deter him from his goal, as a pop signaled
the arrival of his companion. Heavy cloaks fell from their shoulders,
though his own covered his armor.
"Vladimir," Aries' voice struggled to carry in the wind.
"Aries," His former master seemed wary, as his eyes drifted towards the
high castle in the distance. "Are you sure about this?"
"I have run out of options." He let a sigh leave his lips. "Their knowledge
is infinite, and the task crucial. I will do what must be done." Vladimir
von Reich nodded and turned to guard their back. "Should I not return by
daybreak, summon the Legion. And kill me, no matter the cost."
Slow steps carried Aries up the mountainside as the path grew steeper.
Signs of warning littered the path when dirt turned to stone steps, but he
paid them no mind. He knew of what awaited him, and he would not
turn aside. Finally, he came to a grand stone archway with stone doors
locked against entry. The knife from Sirius was sliced against his palm,
and Aries placed it on the door. His blood was suddenly pulled, and Aries
struggled to remain upright. A loud crack sounded, and as the door
released his hand, it began to open. He quickly downed a Blood-
Replenishing Potion and continued his journey.
Glowing eyes that struck out against the dark night followed him with
every step. His wand was yearning to be unleashed, to strike out against
the foes, but he denied it. Every step that brought him closer to the castle
brought him closer to the uselessness of his magic and the possibility of
death. The sounding of hooves brought him to a stop as three armored
riders bound down the path towards him. They formed a triangle around
him, long spears pointing at him, and the sound of a hundred bowstrings
pulled taunt fluttered to his ears. Patiently they all waited in silence until
a fourth rider approached.
"Who dares to enter our domain?" The rider shouted over the wind.
"I seek an audience with Lord Marcus," Aries replied, resisting the futile
power of his wand.
"Lord Marcus is not a simpleton to be called upon, wizard. Leave now or
face eternal damnation." Aries did not answer, but slowly raised his hand,
where a silver ring suddenly gleamed brightly in the darkness. The
commander flinched at the sight of it, his gleaming eyes widening in
shock.
"I am Aries, son of Black, and I am a friend of the Coven, this ring
bestowed to our bloodline upon the breaking of the world." Whispers
erupted from the watchers, as they waited for the commander's signal.
"Send a messenger to Lord Marcus, if you wish. I will wait." A moment
passed before the commander signaled one of the archers to return.
Nearly an hour passed as they waited tensely. Aries' eyes never left the
commanders, whose gleaming orbs seemed to yearn for a fight, but
remained cautious. The commander turned, as the archer returned with a
piece of parchment. Aries could see his disappointment, but nevertheless,
spears and bows relaxed at the commander's signal.
"Follow me, Lord of Black."
The commander knocked three times on the door then left with a glance
towards Aries. The air felt tight within the walls of the castle, and it
pressed upon him as if trying to suffocate him.
"Enter," came a soft but commanding voice. Aries entered, and for the
first time in two years, he laid eyes on Marcus. While Aries had changed
much in the time, the other had not. Electric blue eyes gleamed in the
candlelit room as they met his own. "Aries, how unexpected. I gave your
family the ring as a sense of honor, I did not believe you would ever
come here of all places. Have you, at last, considered my offer?"
"I must decline again, my lord." He hated to honorific of the man, but
Aries knew all too well how helpless he was in this place. The power of
the castle was dreadful, and it pressed down on his magic painfully.
"Ah, but immortality?" Marcus stood and walked around his desk towards
him. "Surely you long for such a thing?"
"At a price even I would not endure," Aries answered. "Magic is my life. I
will not lose such a gift."
"And yet, we have our own magic, do we not? What a weapon it would be
in your hands." Long fangs were revealed as Marcus gave a predatory
smile. Aries did his best not to flinch from the man. He hated this beyond
reason. The vulnerability of this place. The cost of what would happen
should the man take his soul. But he needed this man, and the knowledge
he possessed. "Replace mine with your own. Cast aside your petty magics.
Stand by me. And we can conquer this world together, Aries." The
ancient one possessed magic indeed, powerful magic, but a cost Aries
would never bear. Their magic was limited in its scope and capabilities.
To lose the amazing wonders and limitless possibilities of his own magic
was a fate worse than death itself in his eyes.
"I have given you my answer. It will not change." Marcus clicked his
tongue, barring his fangs again.
"Then why have you come, son of Black?"
"I. . . I seek information." Cold laughter erupted throughout the room..
"Oh, the ever-powerful Aries comes crawling to me in search of
information." The ancient one smirked coldly. "What price are you willing
to give me, hm? Surely not your soul. But perhaps another? There is a
price for knowledge, of course, but also for entry. One does not simply
walk into our home and leave as they wish."
"I will not give you my soul, my lord." Aries reaffirmed.
"Another then, perhaps? A girl whom you love?" His magic suddenly
tensed and pressed against the suppression of the darkness around him.
"Oh, I think not. I do not wish to make an enemy of you, son of Black.
After all, you were once our servants. And if you will not join me, then
that is all you will be. Oh, how far your bloodline has come. No, I will
not rid myself of such a powerful tool that you could become." Anger rose
in him at the ancient one's boldness. Their family would never again
serve these creatures, not so long as magic ran in their veins. "Truly, your
kind caused such a fuss in the order of things. And it is only the victors
that write the history, yes? Magic, as you call it. Oh yes, we will right
things soon. What is another millennia to wait for the proper time?"
Silence was what Aries gave him. He would not speak out, not here,
where he was at such a disadvantage. "Ha! Obedient, like your ancestors
were. Oh, my great ravens of war. your blood was. The first to submit
and the last to fall. Yet, here you stand, on the foundation we built for
you. Toujours Pur. You even have our words. How endearing." Aries
tensed as Marcus leaned forward, his fangs so close to his skin. "There is
a girl in the village. Young and pure. You will bring her to me, in place of
you. A soul for a soul. Do you understand?" He nodded, a chill down his
back as the cold breath of the ancient one burnt his skin. "Now, tell me
what you wish to know, and then the price will be determined." Marcus
returned to his desk, and Aries breathed freely for the first time in
minutes.
He reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out the locket before he
placed it on the desk before him. Marcus leaned forward and observed
the locket, running his hands over it, drinking in the darkness of its
magic.
"Slytherin's locket," Marcus said with a glance towards Aries. "I remember
him wearing such a thing during his travels, but he did not do this.
Ancient magic has been placed upon this, one I have not seen for almost
three thousand years. Is this the knowledge you seek?"
"Yes, and how to destroy it."
"It is an incredible thing, what has been done to the locket." Marcus
began, a new gleam in his eyes. "Herpo the Foul was the first to do so. I
am not surprised the writings of this experiment were locked away so
none could repeat it. He studied the soul extensively and how your
actions affected it. What you have, son of Black, is a Horcrux. A partition
of the soul locked within an object. So long as this piece of the maker's
soul remains attached to this object of the physical realm, their soul
cannot pass on. They remain tethered here."
"That's how the Dark Lord survived," Aries suddenly said, his fear
momentarily forgotten.
"The one whom you call Voldemort?" Marcus asked. "He came here
before, no doubt to learn about our immortality. He, like you, gave a soul
for a soul. Though his price for knowledge was much more severe."
"What was it?"
"Rather personal, don't you think? You may ask him, of course. Now, as
to a Horcrux's destruction. The container must be destroyed, though it
cannot be done by normal means. Its measure must be extraordinary, and
beyond any measure of protection."
"Would the maker know?"
"If it was destroyed? I do not know, but there is one other way." Marcus
leaned forward. "How ironic. A soul for a soul, Aries. To replace the soul
in the container with your own, forcing it to be removed from the
physical plane." The predatory grin returned, causing a chill to run down
Aries' spine. "That is to be your price for knowledge. You will return here,
on the Summer Solstice, with a Horcrux of your own. You will give it to
me, and the fate of your bloodline will be in our hands once more."
"And if I refuse?" Aries could not help the comment, his fear and anger
fueling his actions.
"Would you be so foolish, boy?" Marcus raised an eyebrow in question. "If
you refuse, I will find you. I will draw the magic from you and drain your
blood from your body. Then I will turn you, and when the compulsion to
feed overrides all sense of your mind, I will gather all those you love and
cherish and watch as you tear them apart. One way or the other, son of
Black, I will have my servant." Aries made no reply, merely nodding in
resignation, and made his way to the village. Blue eyes and blonde hair
that reminded him far too much of Daphne danced in the fire of the
tavern. Lustful eyes saw him and smiled. His own smile did not reach his
eyes, as the Imperious curse left his lips.
The tension was palpable as Aries exited the green flames of the floo
network into the cozy entry room of Greengrass Manor. He had arrived
after Cassiopeia and Sirius, as he was the guest of honor at this rather
formal dinner. It would be a light meal, so as to enjoy the festivity of the
ball scheduled for later in the night. All looked rather smart, though none
wore their intended robes for the dance. His eyes landed on Daphne, who
gave him a wide smile, but then his attention was drawn to Cyrus. The
man had a civil look, but Aries could sense his displeasure and discomfort
from a mile away.
"Lord Black," Cyrus greeted and surprisingly bowed to him, which caused
his wife and children to quickly curtsy. "As always, it is an honor to
invite you, and those of House Black, into our home."
"It is our honor to accept Lord Greengrass," Aries answered, and gave him
a friendly smile. "I look forward to a rather enlightening time with your
wonderful family." Cyrus raised his eyebrow slightly but led them to the
dining hall. Like the last time he had been here, Aries and Cyrus sat on
the ends. Daphne took her spot next to him, to the displeasure of her
father, Aries noted. Cassiopeia and Sirius sat to his left, while Astoria sat
in between Daphne and her mother.
"How do you like Slytherin, my Lord?" Lady Greengrass asked casually.
"Very well, in fact, though I've had to deal with some minor obstacles
that were no concern."
"Ha!" Astoria exclaimed. "If you call kicking Warrington's ass an
obstacle!"
Her father rubbed the bridge of his nose in agitation. "Must you
embarrass us every time Lord Black is invited, Astoria?"
"Father, he had it coming." Daphne interrupted. "Let's just say, the older
years have found it a poor decision to mess with Tori while Aries has
been in Slytherin. Not that it was a good idea before."
"Indeed," Aries met Cyrus' eye and shrugged. "Prince of Slytherin?"
"King, more like." He finished his glass and waited for the house-elf to
refill it. "A new hierarchy had to be instated. I had to be more persuasive
than I would have liked, but a means to an end, I suppose." Sirius glanced
between the two uncertainly, and Aries noted his discomfort. Hence, he
moved the conversation to lighter topics. At last, dinner was finished,
and, after a rather enjoyable dessert, the group moved to the sitting
room. Glass of wine and firewhiskey were passed around, as Cyrus forced
his youngest daughter to go began getting ready for the ball. Daphne
simply raised an eyebrow at her father and chose to perch herself on the
armchair that Aries occupied.
"I thought I had made myself clear on the concerns of my daughter, Lord
Black," Cyrus' words were cold, though he glared more forcefully at his
disobedient daughter. "And I thought I told you the same, Daphne."
"And I made my own decision, father." The conviction in Daphne's voice
cut off any retort Aries had. "I am not content to be some bargaining chip
you can pass around. Lord Black is now the head of the Grey Party, and
more lords and ladies join his side every day. Nevertheless, I am choosing
him, regardless of your own decisions or desires. And if you think any
Lord and Lady will accept a marriage offer from you while Aries is
around, you're a fool."
"Daphne!" Lady Greengrass shouted. Cassiopeia sat amused, though Sirius
was suddenly far more interested in the bookshelf across from him. "You
will not disrespect your father in front of our guests. He is your father
and the head of this house."
"And I am its future," Daphne replied angrily. "You have been a better
father than most, but even I can see the wheels turning. Astoria and
Draco? Really? And not to mention, the fact that you've been floating my
name around the lords of the Wizengamot. Oh yes, I know of the offers.
And you know how I know?" Aries and Cyrus locked eyes, and he could
see anger there, but also a concern. "I made it clear last summer where
my heart and ambitions lay, and yet you seek to use me in such a way?
What could any of them offer that House Black could not?" Silence
followed that Aries was reluctant to fill.
"I'm sorry, my child," Cyrus said after a long pause. "Others were
beginning to inquire about your. . . availability. If I did not seem to be
interested, it would be suspicious. And in truth, I had some concerns
about Lord Black's own status after the ball at the French Ministry."
"Oh, please," Daphne interrupted. "Fleur is tethered to Aries; she is no
more threat than Tracey is," Aries smirked at that. So, she did know of her
friend's interest, and unwillingness to pursue it.
"She speaks true," Aries offered at last. "After the Third Task of the Tri-
Wizard Tournament, Fleur approached me. Magic, it seems, as bound her
to me. She is of no consequence. You can rest assured that my loyalty lies
with Daphne." He felt her tense softly at that but paid it no mind.
"So, you want a marriage contract then?" Cyrus and his wife exchanged a
glance.
"Perhaps," Aries said noncommittally. "It would be a good show of
tradition, but not yet. This summer, when Black Manor has been
completed." Cyrus nodded, and Aries had little doubt the man would
work up some contract. That gave him six months to determine how to
ensure the agreement benefited him more than just having Daphne.
"Now, onto more important matters."
"Of more import than my daughter?"
"Yes, I believe it is finally time to discuss my plans for the Wizarding
World. Cyrus?" The man nodded, with a glance at this wife, the woman
left rather frustrated. Sirius looked at him intently, as did Daphne.
Cassiopeia observed the group. "But first, I require a vow of secrecy."
"Daphne, you will leave as well."
"No," Aries replied sternly. "If she is to be my betrothed, then she will be
at my side regardless. There will be nothing that I know that she does
not. Starting right this moment." He saw the sudden sharp look from
Cassiopeia but ignored her to continue his stare down with Cyrus. The
man looked between him and his daughter before he resigned with a
sigh. He gave the vow, and they waited for Aries to speak.
"First and foremost, as we are all aware, the Dark Lord is not dead.
Fourteen years ago, his body was destroyed, but he lived on. I have, at
last, come to the conclusion of how: Horcruxes." Cassiopeia suddenly
gasped, slapping her hand to her forehead. "He has split his soul and
placed them into multiple objects. The only way to destroy them is to
destroy the item in which it contained." Aries looked over to Cassiopeia,
who was now staring at him in horror. She had made the connection as
well, and the pain washed over him at what he would have to do. "One
was destroyed, but two are in my possession. It is possible he may have
created more."
"You say only one was destroyed?" Daphne asked, letting her hand rub
the back of his neck. "If we know what they are, why not destroy them?"
"The Dark Lord was not whole when the first was destroyed, so it is
unlikely he felt its destructed. I do not know if his resurrection would
allow him to feel their elimination. We will wait until we are sure we
have collected them all, and then destroy them."
"He is immortal until we have them destroyed," Cyrus said as he
connected the dots. "This has to be a priority."
"Indeed, it is, but unfortunately, we are at a dead end. Now that we know
what we're looking for, we can narrow our search. Cassiopeia will
continue her work, but we must be cautious. If the Dark Lord becomes
aware that we have discovered his secret, we may lose the chance to
defeat him forever."
"Does Dumbledore know?" Sirius asked.
"I believe so," Aries looked at his uncle with slight hesitation. "It is
possible that he has known since Thomas' second year since the diary was
the first Horcrux discovered."
"So, fighting him is pointless, right?" Sirius looked around the group. "If
we manage to take him out again, he'll just come back."
Cassiopeia nodded, proud of her nephew's intuition. "Correct, which is
why our endeavors will be focused on more attainable goals. The
Horcruxes are a priority and will be my concern."
"Our second concern is the Ministry," Aries continued. "Fudge will be
removed by Summer Solstice, and in his place will be Scrimgeour. Potter
will take over as Head Auror, and we will continue to improve funding
towards the DMLE. I do not know when the Dark Lord will show himself,
but when he does, the Ministry needs to be ready."
"How can you be so sure?" Cyrus asked. "I do not doubt that many within
the Wizengamot will be happy to see him removed, but doing so will
paint on a target on your back. We need a valid reason to remove him."
"Umbitch!" Daphne yelled as she jumped to her feet. "Oh, Aries, you're
brilliant!"
"Care to share?" The girl smiled mischievously as she turned to her father.
"Father, can't you see? Aries is the one who suggested to Fudge that she
be placed in Hogwarts. Then that bitch uses the blood quill, and in a
single stroke, Aries gets enough evidence on her to have her removed,
but instead has a rumor passed around that causes her to be
investigated." Again, Aries was impressed at what she had picked up.
"Potter and Sirius come to investigate and find nothing, but then she's
promoted to High Inquisitor." Suddenly she stopped and turned to Aries
with narrowed eyes. "Dumbledore's Army. You are cheeky. . . You're going
to have him removed, aren't you?"
"One way or the other," Aries answered with a smirk. "And when he is,
Umbridge will replace him. At the end of the year, multiple students will
come forward, and when they do, all hell will break loose. Fudge will
have to resign from the backlash, and then we can have Scrimgeour
replace him."
"Hold on a second. You're telling me that she did have a blood quill? Did
she use it on anyone? Thomas?" Sirius saw the hesitation in Aries's eyes
and had his answer. He went to move but found himself stuck to the
chair.
"I can assure you, uncle, that she got what she deserved." There was an
edge in Aries' voice that gave Sirius a chill, but he nodded. "Now, that
pertains to the Ministry. It is now time to discuss my Order. Dumbledore
has his Order of the Phoenix, and the Dark Lord has his own Death
Eaters." Aries glanced towards Sirius for a moment, then continued. "I
have, at my command, nearly four hundred wizards located at my
training grounds in Bulgaria. Some of them have come from the
Conservation, and they make up specialized units to deal with any that
choose to side with the Dark Lord over their kin. Roughly fifty make up
the Praetorian Guard, who are my personal protectors. Soon, they will
begin protecting my Inner Circle as well, which will include your family."
"And their purpose?"
"To usher in a new world," Aries answered simply. "We will root out the
infestation that is the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, but there will those
that oppose what is to come." Now, Aries turned his full attention to
Sirius, as this would be the breaking point of their relationship as uncle
and nephew. "It will take time and lots of planning, but one day soon, I
will unite the magical societies of Europe under one banner: mine. Once
that has been accomplished, and our army has risen, the muggle
governments will fall. Through surrender or conquest, though hopefully
the first. By the end of my days, I hope to see us take our rightful place in
this world. We will no longer hide from those who should look to us for
guidance. We will rule over them and guide them. We will create a world
of peace, not destruction as the Dark Lord intends. We will not enslave
the muggles, but nor will we allow ourselves to continue to remain
hidden." He paused, not taking his eyes off of Sirius, as his uncle
processed what he had said. Cyrus, it seemed, was having a silent
discussion with his daughter. "Currently, there is a triumvirate of power
between myself, Headmaster Dumbledore, and the Dark Lord. It is my
hope that many of those that follow them will join us, but should they
not, they will either surrender to what it is to come, or they will need to
be destroyed, as their masters will be."
"You can't mean that, Aries!" Sirius was suddenly looking up with wild
eyes.
"And what do you think will happen, Sirius?" Cassiopeia looked at him
critically. "Will the Death Eaters and the Order suddenly stop fighting
when Aries takes over? No, they will see him as another Dark Lord. They
will fight and fight, and because of that, they will need to be destroyed."
"They're my friends!" He stood up, looking between Aries and Cassiopeia
in anger. "I will not let you just kill them!"
"Then it is simple," the idleness of Cassi's voice seemed to throw off
Sirius. "Bring them into the fold or convince them to accept Aries' ideals
and to live freely within his rule. Do you not wish for Dumbledore to die
for what he did to you and the Potters?"
"Yes! But that doesn't mean I want the others to die!"
"And if you were the one to strike the killing blow?" Aries asked. "What if
they stood between you and your vengeance? If they sided with him
rather than you? If they wished for James and Lily to remain his
prisoners?" The Greengrasses looked at each other in honest confusion as
the Black family handled their affairs. "Would you allow them to stop
you, or would you do what must be done for your friends and a family?"
"A choice has to be made, Sirius," Cassiopeia reached forward and took
her nephew's hand. "Your inaction cost you the life of your brother. Do
not allow it to be the reason those whom you call family to suffer now."
Sirius visibly flinched and took a step back, Cassi's hand the only reason
he did not fall to the ground.
"I. . . I don't know if I can do this." He looked up at them, the fear still in
his eyes. "I've done everything you asked of me. I spied and lied and
manipulated and threatened so many people since you told me what he
did to us. But to kill them? What makes that any different than what
Voldemort has done? And will do?"
"The Dark Lord kills for pleasure," Daphne provided, taking her spot next
to Aries, who nodded his approval at her words. "Aries, and us as well,
will only do what we must. The Dark Lord would kill your friends just for
being who they are, whether they stood in his way or not. We only ask
that they stand aside. Let them live their lives happily and accept that
which will come to pass. I believe that you can convince them, Sirius." He
did not seem so sure himself, but Sirius slowly took his seat back next to
Cassi.
"We have to free them, Aries," Sirius whispered in anguish. "I can't do this
without them anymore."
"This summer, uncle, I promise," Aries replied soothingly. "Until I have
laid in my plans for his death, they will have to remain. I cannot allow
them to kill the Headmaster, not without using his sins against him to the
fullest. Which is perhaps the most important moment of our campaign.'
"Many have wished to know what happened last year, and now I will tell
you." Cyrus leaned in close, and he could feel Daphne's surprise. "I had a
hunch that Mad-Eye was not really Alastor Moody, but rather an
impostor. That was only confirmed when I reached the cup first, and it
did not send me back to the starting point victoriously. Upon inspecting
the cup, I discovered it had been tampered with. I convinced Cedric and
Thomas to spring the trap, in hopes that we would find the point of all
this. Alas, even I was surprised at what happened. Cedric and I were
knocked unconscious, and as you know, the Dark Lord returned. Cedric
battled the Death Eaters, as Thomas and I faced the Dark Lord. This is
where my story divulges from the 'official one.''
"It was my hope that Cedric would escape with Thomas, but he did not.
And my plan began to unravel. You see, I had long expected the Dark
Lord to return, but not so soon. I knew I could not face off against him at
his full strength and that of Order at once. So, I decided to offer a truce
with the Dark Lord. Neither of us would move directly against the other,
or their assets, until our mutual enemy was destroyed."
"Dumbledore," Daphne whispered to which Aries nodded.
"I agreed to keep his return a secret from the masses as leverage.
However, the Dark Lord wanted something in return. I had surrounded us
in a wall of fire so that the Death Eaters would not see what occurred.
But unfortunately, Cedric was too close. While we spoke in Parseltongue,
I had to bind him to keep from interfering. He was a loose end, and so I
eliminated him." Sirius's shock was evident, but Cassi had stood and
placed a firm hand on his shoulder, which kept him still. "I could not risk
a memory charm, or Legilimency, as the Headmaster would have seen
the signs. So he could not return, and if I had left him, there is no telling
what the Dark Lord and his followers would have done to him. I made
the decision of mercy. The Killing Curse ended his life and sealed the
agreement between the Dark Lord and myself."
"We have immunity, to a degree." Cyrus was thoughtful. Sirius was
shaking, his head in his hands as he struggled to cope with what Aries
had revealed. "The death of Cedric is tragic, but I agree. A mercy it was.
Even you must see this, Sirius? We can now act freely with only the
Order to worry about, who is doing the fighting for us, it would seem.
But we are fragmented. No offense, my lord, but surely there are more
within your sphere of influence than the four of us."
"Discretion is key, my friend." Aries offered with a smile. He noticed the
sudden deference Cyrus suddenly showed him. "Come the Summer
Solstice, all will be revealed, and our order established."
"It will be an honor to serve," Daphne was surprised at her father's
sudden submissiveness. "I cannot lie, I never thought my dreams would
be a reality. But if what I have heard is to be true, you are just as
powerful as the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. Perhaps more so."
"There is one last secret to tell," Aries stood and pushed his hand forward.
On the ring finger of his right hand, the Black family ring shown brightly
in its obsidian, but suddenly a second shimmered into existence. A silver
ring formed, the crest Slytherin embezzled with tiny emeralds. Daphne's
eyes widen at the sight, Cyrus remained speechless, and Sirius had nearly
crumpled against his seat in shock. "I am the Heir of Slytherin. It is my
destiny to fulfill the workings and wishes of my ancestor. Together, my
friends, we will usher in a new world. I, the Lord of Slytherin, will take
my rightful place in this world, with you all at my side."
Daphne smiled from her spot next to her father and sister, enjoying the
festive music the band played, as she sipped her wine. Ever since Aries
had opened up to her about the locket, she had strived to repay that
trust, and this was the result. What had been initially a formal dinner for
the family had turned into a rather fantastic spectacle. Many members of
the Wizengamot laughed loudly throughout the ballroom, all allies or
potential allies of Aries, mingling together. Then there was the added
surprise of a few dear friends. Haydn, Ivan, Victor Krum, and Draco all
sat around a table, smiles plastered across their lips as they, along with
Sirius, dragged their fathers into their gambling game, except Lucius, of
course. He stood awkwardly next to Narcissa, who was too busy speaking
with Andromeda, Cassiopeia, and Nymphadora to give her husband any
mind.
She glanced towards the clock, and a rather cruel smile worked its way
onto her gorgeous face. Times had been assigned to every invitation, to
avoid clogging the flew network, but also to ensure a particular order of
entertainment. Her father took her cue, and they made their way to the
fireplace to greet their guests. Green flames flashed, and the Prime
Minister of Spain arrived, followed quickly by his wife and daughter. It
was the last one that Daphne was more than excited to see. Arianna de
Cordova. The name grated against her mind. If there was anyone that was
a danger to her plan, it was the Spanish girl who was just as gorgeous as
she remembered.
"Welcome, Miss Cordova," Daphne allowed a little bite into her voice, but
she did not want to cause a scene. "I'm so glad you could come. I know
Aries will be happy to see his friends again. He spoke so much of Haydn,
Ivan, and Viktor this year, but I knew he'd want you to be here. He'll be
so excited to share his success here in England." Arianna made no
noticeable reaction to her comment, but her eyes looked throughout the
hall, no doubt for Aries.
"I'm sure I'll find him at some point," Arianna answered back. "No doubt
he's tired of schoolgirls and wants more mature company." Daphne raised
an eyebrow but only smirked. So, the girl had some bite after all.
"Well, he'll be the last to arrive, so watch the floo. I wouldn't want you to
miss his entrance." Her father looked at her skeptically, but she simply
shrugged. It was her time to be put some witches in their place. No
sooner had the thought crossed her mind did the Delacours arrive.
"Miss Delacour, welcome to our home. It's a pleasure to formally meet
you." Fleur took the offered hand, but their eyes locked. The two fathers
immediately noticed the tension and watched the two out of the corner of
their eyes. Nothing more said, because nothing more needed to be said.
They knew their current place in Aries' lives, though Fleur no doubt
wished for me. Daphne would make sure that the other girl knew it was
futile. Cyrus leaned in close to Daphne, as the French family walked
away.
"What the hell are you doing, Daphne?"
"Marking my territory." It was a perfect cue, as the bell signaling the
guest of honor rang. Everyone rose to their feet, as was customary, and
faced the fireplace as green flames erupted for the third time. Aries Black,
the Lord of House Black and Lord Slytherin, as she now knew, exited, his
formal black robes looking entirely regal, and he flashed her a wide
smile. Her father stepped forward and bowed deeply to Aries, far more
profound than he had earlier, something the crowd noted all too well.
"Lord Black, we welcome such an esteemed guest to our home." Lord
Greengrass greeted, still in a deep bow. "May it ever provide you
sanctuary, should you ever need it."
"Your hospitality is welcomed and rejoiced, Lord Greengrass." Aries
smiled and lifted his hand slightly. "Rise, my friend. This is a time of Yule
and joy." Lady Greengrass had appeared next to her husband, and she
provided a deep curtsy before Aries kissed her hand in respect. Daphne
had been rather deliberate in switching spots with Astoria, all part of the
plan, as her younger sister repeated the gesture. Aries simply raised an
eyebrow in question at her antics, before she stepped forward, wrapped
her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips onto his with every eye in
the hall on them.
It was forward of her. Incredibly forward of her, but that was entirely the
point. No girl or woman in the magical world would be so forward at a
formal event, in the presence of lords and ladies, in the home of an
Ancient and Noble family, without specific reassurances. It told everyone
in the hall that she belonged to him already. And the fact that Lord
Greengrass made no move to correct her, made no move to blast Aries
away from her, only confirmed the idea in the heads of all these powerful
guests. Their marriage contract might not have been drawn up yet, but
the point was proven.
Then, as her lips still caressed his, there was the fact that Aries made to
move to correct her either. It had been a gamble for sure. What if Aries
rejected her? Or was angry at the display? Hogwarts was one thing, but
here some rules and traditions had to be followed. Only a few people, like
Aries, for example, had the power and leverage to ignore or bend those
rules. Yet, here he was, most brilliantly snogging her in front of the entire
hall. For the first time in her life, she was more than happy that she had
listened to one of Tracey Davis' romantic suggestions.
"Welcome to Greengrass Manor, Lord Black," Daphne said breathlessly.
Aries smirked down at her, before offering her arm and turning to the
crowd. She allowed a rather ruthless smirk to show, as she made eye
contact with Fleur and Arianna, both who were struggling to conceal
their disgruntled expressions. There was one place of concern, though:
Cassiopeia. She was unsure what the guardian of Aries would think of
their display, and there was only one word: disappointment. She knew
that the Black matron was dangerous, but the old woman was not the
only one with the habit of keeping a little black book.
"My friends, I thank you for coming tonight. And thank you, Lord
Greengrass, for making me the guest of honor tonight in your home."
Aries's commanding voice rang through the hall, and all looked at him
expectantly. "Tonight, we celebrate Yule, and all that comes with it. Let
us celebrate the magic of our world and our lives. Let us remember the
purpose of the Winter Solstice and let us hope for the future." Cheers rang
through the hall, and the band resumed its festive music.
The night was spent in rather dull fashion for her, though she never left
Aries' arm. He spoke to nearly everyone with a veiled threat there and an
implication there. She was thoroughly sure that by the end of the night,
more than a few alliances would be secure, and with every slight squeeze
of her hand, she knew Aries was thankful, at least in his own way.
Daphne was more than aware that he wasn't in love with her, at least in
the way the books she would read as a young girl described. Aries was
far too ambitious for such a trivial emotion, but that did not mean he
didn't appreciate her, nor did he not enjoy her company. Love, Daphne
assured herself, was something that could grow later. It had with her
parents and many magical relationships throughout time. Still, she could
not deny the tug in her own heart that was the very emotion of love.
Every touch, every smile, the real ones anyway, and every word had
begun to make her heart flutter. Suddenly she could not take it anymore,
and the moment Aries had finished his conversation, she pulled him onto
the dance floor.
Her head rested against his shoulder, as the soft music filled the hall. His
arms were wrapped tightly around her with his chin sitting atop her
head. They hard shared a few kisses throughout their time dancing. She
could feel Aries tense from time to time as if he wanted to say something
but never did.
"Something on your mind, love?" Daphne's voice was far softer than
usual, as it had become of late.
"I have something of which to give, and something of which to say," Aries
answered hesitantly. "Though I do not think you will like either one."
"Truly, you don't think I would ever not like a gift?" Her laughter was
quiet, but she relished the small smile she drew from him. He reached
into his pocket and pulled out a magnificent bracelet. It was a mixture of
black, silver, and green, like the colors of Slytherin. But she could see
what looked like obsidian and emerald littering the bracelet. Aries
reached forward to slide it onto her wrist, the magic slowly sizing it to fit
her perfectly. "Why in Merlin's name would you think I would not like
this?"
"It's for your protection," Aries said, and she immediately tensed.
Protection? Did she think she was weak? "No, absolutely not." Daphne
glared up at him and realized she had projected again. Aries ran a hand
through his hair for a moment, showing his rather unusual frustration. "I
think the only person I've ever loved was my mother. And the day she
died, I don't think I've ever felt that emotion since. That is not to say that
I do not care about others, at least in my own way. Draco is the closest
thing I have to a brother. I care about him more than anything, and yet I
can say that I don't love him. Haydn, Ivan, Sirius, all of them. I've prided
myself on ensuring every move I made was a winning move, regardless if
it was a step forward or a step back. Even getting to know you, as you
know, was a calculated move. Everything was falling into place." Aries
paused, and Daphne traced light circles on his chest as she waited for
him to continue.
"Then the Dark Lord returned, and things changed. I claimed my seat
nearly two years earlier than planned. I returned to Hogwarts a year
earlier as well. I was forced to accelerate things, and yet, alliances fell
into my lap. The Wizengamot, void of any real power and leadership, was
bent and broken quicker than I ever imagined. Suddenly, I didn't need
you anymore. I was willing to allow your father his wish. We had our
fun, and I did not think any more would come of it." The words hurt,
something that Daphne could not help, but it was honesty, and that pain
was better than any lie.
"I had my fun in the summer. What guy wouldn't want a veela willingly
in his bed? Yet something was not the same. I often wondered if it was
because of Arianna. Still, truth be told, I never saw myself going
anywhere with her. She was too. . . soft. Her vision of the future a far
different picture than my own. Then I came back to Hogwarts, and I
looked forward to more nightly adventures with you. But it was clear you
wanted more than just a broom cupboard companion. It made me think
about my decision. At one point, I had considered making Fleur my
bride. She was powerful, and my position in the Wizengamot would
make it unwise for them to comment on her. . . species. But then I kept
coming back to you.'
"After our discussion in the Room of Requirement, things changed. I saw
the way you acted, always looking for an angle for me to succeed in.
Hell, because of you, I hardly had to deal with anyone in Slytherin after
Warrington. You made sure they either fell in line or ensured they felt my
wrath. Then all this! All this, so that I could have an opportunity to
further my goals.'
"I can see us, standing side by side, at the end of all this. Once our work
is finished. I know you won't betray me. I know you'll spend every
moment helping me to realize my goal. I cannot thank you enough for
that. For being the thing that has kept me grounded and sane these past
six months." Daphne didn't wait for him to continue, she couldn't help
herself any longer. She reached up and grabbed his head, pulling his lips
towards hers. The taste of him never grew old, but he pulled away far too
quickly for her liking.
"There's more," Aries tried to say, but he was a little more breathless than
he'd probably like to admit. "The bracelet is a portkey. It's keyed to my
home in Germany, and it's powerful. It will break through almost any
wards someone has created. I'm no fool to know that what I feel is
perhaps. . . more than I ever thought I'd let myself feel. But I also know
that means you will be targeted. I will not throw caution to the wind
because of it, but I will ensure that you are well protected." No more
words passed between them as she kissed him again. Her heart was
warm, far warmer than it had ever felt when her eyes landed on Arianna
de Cordova. She was watching them, a pained look in her eye. It was
time to put the nail in the coffin, Daphne mused even though the last
thing she wanted was to leave Aries after his confession. Aries stopped
her, as she made to move away, his eyes following hers to Arianna. "Do
what you must, but do not be too callous." His words surprised her. He
had no intention of stopping her? "She loves me, perhaps as you do. And
if things had been different, it may have been her in your place.
Remember that. It is not always necessary to send a message so
heartlessly."
Aries' words floated through her mind as she made her way over to
Arianna. Fleur had already gotten part of the message, no doubt from the
beginning of the night, but her coffin nail would come later, as Daphne
had a much more intimate plan of dealing with her. Words would suffice
for the Spanish girl. Daphne sat down next to her, a glass of wine in her
hands, as the two watched Aries, who was now dancing with Astoria.
"For a minute there, I thought he actually might say he loved you,"
Arianna said, breaking the silence. "But that would be impossible for him.
I hope you know that."
"I'm more than aware how our beloved Aries works," Daphne replied. "I
can love him enough for us both until he realizes he can return the
feeling." The other girl laughed. A soft but cruel laugh.
"I loved him from the first moment we met. A poor eleven-year-old girl
with a crush, but it blossomed. And I honestly thought I would be the one
for him." The girl looked wistfully towards Aries. Daphne did feel a tang
of sadness for the girl, but she was not so easily deterred by a sob story.
"I supposed I should thank you," Arianna turned to her at the comment,
but Daphne only smiled. "If you weren't so soft, as he called it, you could
have been out there. It could have been you in his arms. But none of that
matters now. He's mine, and here you are watching from the sidelines."
"You think I'm not in this game?" Heat suddenly poured in Arianna's
voice. "If I wanted, Aries would be mine within a second. You. Know.
Nothing. You are a toy in his life. Nothing more. One day he will tire of
you. He will tire of being used by Cassiopeia. He will tire of his destiny.
And then he will find me. You are a placeholder, Daphne Greengrass.
Nothing more." She stood, her eyes locking with Aries for a moment
before she made to leave, but Daphne grabbed her wrist and pulled her
back. The sweetest smile plastered across her face.
"I'm not like you. I'm not soft. If you ever come near Aries, I will kill you
where you stand." Daphne expected the girl to flinch, to cower, or quite
literally anything except what the girl actually did. She smiled, a cruel
smile that Daphne did not think ever could belong on such a soft face.
"I would love to see you try."
Christmas morning had been a rather joyful affair. The Weasleys had left
for Potter Manor the night before, leaving only the true members of the
House of Black. Bella's recovery was continuing at an excellent rate, as
the way she sat and joked with Sirius proved. Andromeda and Cassiopeia
were off in a corner, no doubt discussing the day's affair. At the same
time, Dora seemed content to drink hot chocolate by the fire. The gifts
had been great, though he had no need for such things, but he did
appreciate them. His gift was here, the family his father had so longed to
see whole again. He had only wished that Draco and Narcissa were here.
His mind floated to the events of the previous night, especially his time
with Daphne. They had fooled around quite often at Hogwarts, but
Daphne had always been hesitant to give herself to him entirely until last
night, at least. They love making had gone on well into the night, but
Aries wasn't a fool. Daphne was far more confident now that the contract
was being written up, but her conversation with Arianna had something
to do with the girl's desperation. He had an inkling that Daphne had not
come out on top of their verbal spar as she had expected.
But even the pleasant thought of making love with Daphne could not
keep his mind from wandering back to the castle, the Horcrux, and the
ancient one. It chilled him to his bones, and it had caused him many
restless nights sense. Cassi seemed to sense his unease and made her way
over to him, but Aries shook his head and led her away from the rest of
the family towards the tapestry room. They walked in silence, and when
they had arrived, Aries let his eyes roam over their family tree.
"Sirius struggles with what you revealed to him," Cassi observed to Aries,
bringing him out of his musings. "But if he is to help us in the coming
wars, his fortitude must be sound. He will have to make his choice sooner
rather than later. Still, I do not think he will betray us."
"Agreed," Aries returned softly, though he did not comment further. His
mind still clouded with unease.
"Theodore recovers well," He felt Cassi move closer to him, but for once,
her presence brought him no comfort. "When will you see him?"
"Tomorrow. I have been. . . preoccupied of late. And he needs to come to
terms with what was done to him. Only then can we move forward." His
eyes never left the tapestry, following the line of stars down to the name
of his father. Had he been aware of their debt? Had he been brought
before the ancient one as well?
"What's on your mind, Aries? Surely the discovery of the Horcrux has not
tempered your spirits this much."
"No, it has not." He did not continue, and he could feel Cassi's quizzical
glare.
"I am curious. How did you find out about their nature? I must admit I
had heard of Horcruxes before, but even I had not made the connection."
Aries did not answer for some time, but when he turned to her, he could
not hide his own emotions. A quick ward on the room ensured that none
would hear their conversation.
"I sought knowledge." Cassi gave him a curious look before her face went
stone. "I went to Lord Marcus." She rushed forward, her wand waving
around him as she searched for any signs of their handiwork, but he
pushed her away.
"I'm fine, Cassi," Aries said grudgingly.
"And your magic?"
"Healing." He plopped down in the armchair, letting his hand cover his
face.
"What madness drove you there?"
"I needed to know. And I didn't know where else to look." Cassi looked at
him thoughtfully for a moment before she turned her back to him as if
struggling with something. "He gave me the knowledge I sought, and now
we know what must be done.
"What was the price?"
"A soul for a soul." He sighed loudly. "He spared me, but someone else
took my place."
"And for the knowledge?"
"My soul. A portion of it." Cassi whipped around. "I have until Summer
Solstice to create a Horcrux and deliver it to him."
"You cannot!"
"We can't refuse him," Aries replied seriously.
"You were a fool to go there, Aries." Her voice dripped with
condescension. She paced back and forth. "We will have to destroy him.
The entire Coven if we have to."
"And how are we to destroy them? The magic of the modern world is no
good against them. The true battle magics died out ages ago." Aries
rubbed the bridge of his nose. "They ruled this land for millenniums
before the rebellions, and they lasted centuries. History may have
forgotten the ancient ones, but we have not. We are the only ones left
who remember. They have forgotten how we truly came to power and
why they feared us for centuries. They have forgotten who our masters
were, how we served them. They have forgotten that we fought to the last
to protect our masters in the rebellions. And when we were defeated, and
our masters driven into hiding, how we slaughtered every last one of those
traitorous families one by one with our family magics."
"I know our history, Aries," Cassi said through gritted teeth. "But the
point is that they were defeated."
"Defeated, not destroyed." Aries rose, gesturing wildly towards the map.
"Our family has lived through the annals of history. Breathed our magic
into the world. Our own records claim the descendants of Ares himself!
Yet, here we are, bound to them still."
"We stopped being bound centuries ago, our freedom was paid for in the
blood of our enemies. We cannot return to their slavery, not without our
plans falling to ruin."
"It matters not," Aries sighed again. "Come solstice, Marcus will have
what he has longed for. A puppet to pull its strings, and with the Horcrux
in his possession, I will be his eternal slave for him to rule through." Cassi
strode forward and grabbed him by the shoulders.
"We will find a way to destroy him. All of them."
"If we destroy Marcus, and I am not saying it's impossible, we will have
unleashed hell upon the world. His followers will sweep upon the world
like fire through a dead forest." Aries gritted his own teeth in frustration.
"When we strike, it must be the killing blow. They must all perish, or we
will."
It was easy enough to slip away from the others, as they were far too
busy paying attention to Arthur Weasley than Aries, Andromeda, and
Cassiopeia. Christmas Day meant that Saint Mungos was far more active
than he would have liked, but he had waited until the Weasley family
had gone to cover his own tracks. Neville and Augusta Longbottom
waited for him at the entrance to the Janus Thickney Ward, a look of
nervousness on their faces. He made no move to acknowledge them but
followed as they entered the ward. They passed bed after bed until they
reached their destination, a room designated for the Longbottoms. Aries
entered last and cast multiple wards on the door before he turned to
Augusta.
"Neville explained this to you?" Aries asked seriously. "I make no
promise. None. And if at any moment I feel as though my life is
threatened, I will stop. Regardless of what happens to them."
"We understand," Augusta replied, her chin held high. "We only ask that
you try, as others have not." Aries nodded and turned to Neville.
"Your oath. I will have it now." Neville did not look at his grandmother,
who had a look surprise on her face, but rather at his parents. It was
evident that Augusta was unaware of their deal, but it was of no
consequence. Aries would see Neville claim his seat before they returned
to Hogwarts.
"I, Neville of House Longbottom, do hereby swear fealty to Aries Orion,
Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. By my magic,
let it be so." Magic pulsed through the room, and Aries felt the slight pull
of acceptance, and it was done.
"What have you done, Neville?" Augusta whispered.
"A soul for a soul." Ironic, Aries thought. "His life for the life of his
parents. It is time, Neville. Sit on her other side."
"No, you will heal Frank first." He turned to the matriarch with a rather
flat stare.
"Regardless of the result of my attempt, I will face backlash for this. If I
fail and it is a lord of the Wizengamot that dies, I will be putting out fires
for years. If she dies, months if not less. Then I can try again with Frank
after the storm has passed. We do not even know if this is truly possible.
If you want your son to return, then I must try with Alice first." Once
Augusta nodded, Aries took his place next to Alice Longbottom. "Hold her
hand, Neville, and mine as well. This will make the mind link easier. Do
you have any Occlumency training?" Neville nodded slowly. "Good, this
will be easier then. I will enter her mind and find her consciousness, but
you are what will work. She will need something, a reason to survive the
hell we are about to go through. When she starts to struggle, project your
thoughts towards me. Cassiopeia will help you. And then I'll project them
to her. You cannot give up. No matter what you hear. The wards are
silenced, but I will not silence her. Understand?" Aries turned at last to
Cassiopeia, who still looked at him indignantly. "Under no circumstance
does anyone enter this room."
Aries took a deep breath, focused his mind, and reached out.
Insanity. No mind that he had ever touched was this hectic. Disorganized.
Thoughts, memories, ideas floated around chaotically, pulling at him
with every push of his consciousness. Nothing made sense. Bellatrix's
mind had at least been intact, transformed rather than destroyed like
Alice's was. It felt like hours he searched, and nothing was there. Just
random thoughts. No consciousness. No hopes. No desires. Then, he felt
it.
It was cold. It leached out at him, and suddenly he felt pain. It was not
unbearable, but one taste was all it took for Aries to recognize the
Cruciatus. He saw nothing but felt everything. So, he pushed deeper and
deeper into the darkness of his mind until he ran into a wall. A physical
wall.
"Oh, honey, I left the stove on. Can you get it for me?" A sweet voice called,
and Aries looked up to see Alice Longbottom setting the table. Like a ghost,
Frank seemed to move mechanically through the home, turning off the stove
before he returned to his seat. Aries read the front of the newspaper that Frank
unfolded. The Boy-Who-Lived was written across it in bold letters. Suddenly,
thunder struck outside, rattling the home. Then the doorbell rang. Frank paid
it no mind, but Alice looked up in fear. "Oh, mustn't answer that. Those rowdy
neighbors, always causing trouble." It rang again. And again. And again. Still,
Alice did not answer. Aries walked slowly towards the window and looked
outside. There, on the doorstep, stood four Death Eaters, Bellatrix among
them. A storm brewed violently outside, and Aries knew what it really was: the
Cruciatus.
"Oh, honey, I left the stove on. Can you get it for me?" Aries turned again and
watch as Frank folded his newspaper and went to the turn the stove off again,
before returning back to his seat. Aries walked forward slowly until he stood
right in front of Frank, but the man did not see him. He went to grab Frank's
arm, but his hand floated through it like a ghost. Alice gasped as if noticing
Aries for the first time.
"Who are you?" Alice asked, her eyes flipping back between himself and
Frank, who was still reading the newspaper.
"A friend of Neville's," Aries answered. "I'm here to take you home."
"Home?" Alice laughed. "I am home. Oh, honey, I left the stove on. Can you
get it for me?" Aries moved closer, observing the woman.
"Where's Neville, Alice?"
"Oh, he's with Augusta, of course! Grandma hasn't seen him in a while, but
he'll be back soon." The doorbell rang again.
"Is that Neville there?" Alice looked fearfully for the door before shaking her
head.
"No, that's those rowdy neighbors." She went back to placing the table, not
even noticing that the silverware kept disappearing.
"Why don't you answer the door, Alice?"
"Oh, I can't do that. Mustn't answer that. Those rowdy neighbors, always
causing trouble."
"How did I get here, Alice?" She looked around, puzzled, as she struggled to
answer him. "What was Neville wearing this morning?"
"Well, he was wearing. . . He was wearing. . ." Alice stopped frozen. "I can't
remember."
"How long have you been placing that table? How long has Frank been reading
the newspaper?" Alice looked down and then back at Frank. The doorbell
rang. "Alice, who is at the door?"
"I can't answer that. Mustn't answer that! Those rowdy neighbors, always
causing trouble!"
"Who are the neighbors?" Aries walked up and grabbed Alice by the elbows,
surprised that he could. He stood taller than her, and her fearful eyes looked
up at him, "Who's at the door?"
"It's them." Fear laced her voice so thick, and her mind shook. "It's them.
Frank, it's them!" But Frank didn't move, because Frank wasn't there anymore.
The doorbell was ringing violently. "Who are you?!"
"Alice, listen to me." The house was shaking, and Aries was only too aware of
what was happening. Her mind was collapsing in on itself. Once it did, she
was dead and maybe him with her. "You know what's behind that door. You
do. And you've been scared of it for fourteen years. But Alice, you have open
that door."
"No!"
"Right now, your body lies in St. Mungos. You know why. You've always
known. But you've lived in this loop, this cave, long enough. Neville needs you,
Alice. You have to try."
"I can't. I can't." Alice was panicking, The shaking of the house worsened.
"Frank is gone. He's gone, it's just me."
"Not this time. I'm here." Aries grabbed her face and forced her to look into his
eyes. "Neville is here." And he pushed memories of Neville into her. Her eyes
widen, as the house reacted even more violently. "You're going to die here,
Alice, if you don't answer that door. We're here with you. You won't have to
do this alone." Alice frantically looked back and forth between him and the
door, but she slowly made her way there. The house calmed with every step.
Her hand touched the knob, and everything stilled. She turned her hand, and
it began.
Screams. Terrible screams. Andromeda and Cassiopeia rushed forward to
hold Alice still before she hurt herself. Half a century, she had been alive,
and she never knew someone could sound so horrific. Then Alice's magic
was unleashed, years of being pushed deep inside her resulted the torrent
of magic tearing the room apart.
"Now, Neville! Now!" But the boy sat there stunned, horrified at the
screams that came from his mother. Cassi looked towards Augusta, who
was just as frozen, as the winds whipped around her. "Augusta, if you
don't move your ass and knock some sense into your son, then Alice is
going to die!" She made no move, and Cassi reached out and grabbed
Neville. "Get a grip of yourself and talk to her!" Neville looked at her, and
then back towards his mother, who was writhing in pain.
"Mum?" Neville's voice floated through the abyss as Alice and Aries writhed on
the floor. Four Cruciatuses. It had not been one by one. They had all tortured
the two Longbottoms individually. Aries gripped Alice's hand tightly, trying to
use his Legilimency to push away the attacks.
"Neville!" Alice screamed before another wave of the curse struck.
"Mum? Can you hear me?" Tears were falling down Alice's face, though from
the curse or Neville, he did not know.
"I can hear you! I'm here!" She screamed through the pain.
"I need you, mum. We need you. God, I don't know how we've gotten this far,
Gran and me. I've seen you like this for so long. I've missed you for so long."
"Neville, I'm here!" The pain intensified, and Aries's vision blurred.
"That's your son, Alice." Aries managed to gasp out. "That's your son. You
can't give up. You have to keep fighting."
"CRUCIO!"
"I'm losing her!" Andromeda's voice cried out frantically.
"Do something!" Cassi yelled back. "Keep talking, Neville!
"There's nothing I can do, it's her mind!"
"Mum, you have to come back. We need you. Dad will need you. Voldemort's
back. There's so much wrong, and I need you. We need you back."
"NEVILLE!" Alice's anguished voice cried out. Aries managed to lift his head
through the pain and saw the door was wide open. Not only that, but a path
had cleared in the storm.
"Alice, we have to get out! You have to fight! Stand up! Come on!"
"Fight it, mum. Please be strong. I know you are. I've done all I can to be like
you and dad. But I need you here, not a memory." Alice screamed out again,
pushing herself to her knees.
"Oh no, you don't." Bellatrix's playful voice floated the air. "You aren't going
anywhere. Crucio!" Aries did the only thing he knew to do. He threw himself
in front of it. Where the sudden burst of energy came from, he did not know,
but for the moment, Alice was free of the spell. Convulsions racked his body,
his hoarse voice screaming out in pain that he never knew was possible to feel,
amplified by their combined consciousness.
"Alice, go!" Suddenly all four of the Cruciatuses were on him and only him.
Mind-blowing pain ripped through him. But he watched, Alice slowly rose. She
cried out again as the Cruciatus struck her, but she walked forward. Slowly.
Agonizing step after step.
"Please, mum. I need you. I love you." Aries watched her for a moment, as the
pain subsided and all of it was directed at her, the pain of the Cruciatus so
focused on whomever it thought a threat. Alice screamed as she gripped the
door and threw herself from the house.
"No," Andromeda nearly sobbed. The winds had stopped at last and Aries
had slumped from the chair onto the floor. Cassiopeia threw diagnostic
spell after spell at him, but to no avail. Angry tears began to well up in
her. Alice was still as a statue, without even the rise and fall of her chest.
Moments passed in silence. Cassi slowly stood, prepared to go contact the
staff when a cough stopped her. She turned quicker than she ever
thought she could, as Aries evolved into a coughing fit. Blood spurted
onto his hand as he coughed, and Andi rushed over to see him.
"What happened? Is she alive?" Of course, the fool boy was more worried
about his success than his health.
"Forget it, you're lucky to be alive." Andromeda started pulling potions
and forcing Aries to drink them. "You're going to hurt like hell for at least
a week, you foolish boy." Cassi sighed in relief, as Aries was alright at
last. Her gaze turned to Neville, who was crying softly in Augusta's arms.
She truly felt sorry for the boy, but then her eyes widen in astonishment.
Slowly, an arm reached up, grabbing Neville from behind. The boy
turned slowly before his eyes locked with another. Alice looked back at
him, but the distant look that so often had accompanied her was gone. A
smile worked its way onto her face.
"Mum?" Tears started to fall even heavier from Neville's eyes.
"Oh, my sweet boy." Alice pulled Neville into a hug as the boy began to
fully weep. "I'm back, my sweet boy. I'm back."
AN: Some free candy
1. The Ancient Ones: I think I made it pretty obvious, yeah? But like
all zombie movies that never say 'zombie,' we'll never see them
called what they actually are. But for any that couldn't read behind
the lines, we see my own version of the Black family history which
will continued to be revealed as we continue. BLUF, the Black
family served the ancient ones for centuries and were their most
loyal followers. It's where the magical community gained their deep
fear of the family, though they don't remember it. The ancient ones
were eventually defeated, but not destroyed, but at a cost which is
unknown to us. The Black family exacted their revenge, destroying
those who betrayed their masters and knew of their allegiance,
earning their freedom, and placed themselves among the 28 to
become founders of the Magical Britain that eventually formed.
Suddenly, there is a larger enemy that just Voldemort for our main
character to worry about. Marcus wants to return to his rightful
place, and he looks to use Aries to do it. But that won't stop him
from attempting to complete his own goal, while he looks for awhile
to destroy his families former master.
2. Haphne lovers, there you go. Got some good content in there for
ya, but also to show that Aries isn't entirely heartless. I'm not much
for fluff, but I wanted it to be obvious that there was some genuine
attraction between the two. Initially, I really wanted Daphne to
come out on top versus Arianna in their little verbal match, but it
didn't make much sense as I was writing it. We needed to see that
Arianna is a bit of a badass herself, though she's more restrained
than some of our other characters. As far as all the fluff that
probably happened between the sorting and Christmas, y'all can fill
in that yourself.
Don't have a name for the next chapter just yet, so no free candy
there. Thanks for reading!
27. Lives Reborn
AN: Sorry for the hiatus, things have been hectic as of late as I
believe it has been for everyone. Hopefully you are finding solace in
enjoying stories as I have, whether they're written, filmed, or
played. This chapter was a more recent addition, but I felt we were
quite ready to return to Hogwarts just yet. As always, I hope you
enjoy this chapter, and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
Amelia Bones, the Director of the Department of Magical Law
Enforcement, had a slightly irritated look on her face. And why would
she not? Who in their right minds would want to be called into the office
on Christmas of all days? Yet, here she was, sitting across from the
famous Lord Black, who had a tired smile across his face. She had already
read the report and knew full well that he had been treated for exposure
to the Cruciatus Curse, despite it not actually being cast on him. The
uproar of the staff from Saint Mungos had been deafening; cries of
malpractice heavy among them, but the reality was that there was no real
crime she could pin on the young lord.
"Is there a problem, Director?" There was a forced innocence in the boy's
voice that grated her. Many of her daughter's letters were filled with
complaints of the Slytherin, mostly doing with his supposed influence on
her boyfriend, Thomas Potter.
"You have managed to ruin my Christmas, Lord Black," Amelia answered.
"Many individuals are not happy with your actions."
"Ah, but here I am having a nice chat with you and not currently in a
cell." Lord Black smiled brightly. "We both know I have committed no
crime."
"Why Alice and not Frank?" Black lifted an eyebrow, and his smile turned
to a smirk. "Surely, it would have benefitted you more?"
"Ah, so you question the law of politics? That is the very reason I helped
Alice first. If I had helped Lord Longbottom, I would be standing before
the Wizengamot, regardless of my success. The old lords could care less
about Alice. Even if she had died, it was more likely the Wizengamot
would have cleared me of all charges."
"Rather honest of you, Lord Black." Amelia ran a hand through her hair in
exasperation. How was she to deal with this?
"I find honesty to be a tad refreshing in these times," Black said rather
thoughtfully. "Madmen on the loose. Dark lords supposedly returning.
Fudge being incompetent. I have tried to get you the help you need,
though our esteemed minister has seen fit to listen to Lucius more."
"We are not here to discuss business, Lord Black, we-"
"Have we not already stated that I am without a charge?" Amelia glared
at the boy. "Have it your way, we can discuss shop at a different time. I
am free to go then?" She gave him a curt nod, her irritation overriding
her senses, and watched Lord Black leave, flanked by his armored guard.
A loud sigh escaped her as her thoughts moved back to his last words.
She was more than aware that many of the department's recent upgrades
had been due to Lord Black's work through the Wizengamot, but that did
not make her trust him anymore. He was up to something, and she knew
she had to figure it out.
The sound of a mug crashing to the floor broke Thomas of his stupor,
throwing away the most recent Quidditch magazine to rush down the
stairs. Everyone else, meaning the Weasleys of course, were still asleep in
their beds. Yet, Thomas had promised Aries to keep up his physical
training through the break. It made his sprint through the halls easy, and
by the time he reached the kitchen, he was not even out of breath. His
eyes flashed around quickly, looking for any sign of danger, but only
found his mother staring at the newspaper. He fought to quell his fast-
beating heart and realized how bad he had overreacted. In truth, he had
been jumpy ever since the nightmare of the snake. Thomas did not want
to even think about the days he had spent sulking, wondering if he had
been possessed by Voldemort. It had not been until Ginny rather angrily
reminded him that she was the one who had actually been possessed and
helped him realized it was nothing like it.
"Mum?" Thomas called softly, noticing the tears falling from his mother's
face. It was only the day after Christmas. Had something happened
again? "What is it?" His mother was stopped from answering as his father
suddenly appeared from the floo. James' eyes went from Lily to the
newspaper, and back before he rushed forward to hug her tightly. "Um,
mum? Dad? What's happening?"
"Something incredible," Lily barely chocked out. "Alice Longbottom has
been healed." Thomas' eyes widened, and he could not hide his shock.
Neville's mom was alive? How?
"By Black," James said, and the confusion in his voice was evident. "It
makes no sense. Why would he do that?"
"Does the why really matter, James? Our friend is back. She's alive for the
first time in fourteen years."
"Why don't we just go ask him?" Thomas asked. "He's with Sirius, right?"
No sooner had they said it than they were through the floo and into 12
Grimmauld Place. It had changed so much since Aries' return, Thomas
noticed. It had never been dirty, but now it looked plain regal. There was
also the fact that the portrait of Walburga Black remained uncovered, her
haughty eyes falling them through the entrance hall with nothing more
than an irritated huff.
Raised voices could be heard from the kitchen, and Thomas quickly
followed his parents before he could be told otherwise. The scene could
only be described as chaotic. On one end sat Aries, calm despite the
yelling from various members of the Order, and on the other end sat
Dumbledore, whose eyes held no twinkle as they stared down the other.
On cue, Dumbledore raised his hand, and silence fell. Sirius sat next to
Aries, glaring at the Order members who had clearly spent time
attempting to berate his nephew, but he seemed unbothered.
"Is there a problem, Headmaster?" Thomas watched Aries smirk smugly
and felt his father tense next to him. "And do not start with some
pretentious preamble, as though you do not know that I just left Director
Bone's office. I have committed no crime, and yet you and your Order
have seen fit to invade my family home."
"What you did was reckless, Mr. Black," Dumbledore glared openly at
him. "Alice could easily have died as been healed."
"She was already dead," The group flinched at his words. "Clearly Lady
Augusta and Heir Longbottom saw fit to agree to my attempt, so I'm
rather confused at your disapproval with my actions. I did what you
could, or would, not do. The disapproval of cowards is praise to the brave,
Headmaster." Many had paled at his words, mostly Dumbledore. Thomas
did not understand, but as he glanced at his mother, she gave a quick
shake of her head. Later, she mouthed.
"It is not your place to do such things."
"And it is yours to decide such things?" Aries retaliated. "It is your place
to decide what is best for each and every member of our society? As I
said, the family considered it to be worth the risk, as did I. Now, I have a
dinner to prepare for. If there is nothing more serious to discuss, I believe
you all can see your way out." No one moved, until at last Dumbledore
stood, motioning for them all to leave. One by one, they left, Dumbledore
still locking eyes with Aries until they noticed his presence as well.
Almost at once, Dumbledore broke eye contact and swiftly left the room
without a glance. Thomas sighed and made to leave with his parents. He
wanted to stay, to talk to Aries, but his father's firm grip on his shoulder
led him to the floo.
Lily watched James and Thomas floo away and was about to grab her
own handful when someone grabbed her by the wrist. She whipped
around quickly and found herself face to face with Aries Black. The two
had hardly spoken, mostly on account of her husband's view of the boy,
but also because she was conflicted herself. Thomas was close to the boy,
and she very well knew that many of the changes in his son, good
changes, had been due to Aries.
"Can I help you, Lord Black?" Her voice was even, but only so she could
keep the shake out of her voice.
"The Headmaster is not being entirely honest with you," Aries started and
quickly continued before she could cut him off. "What do you know of
Thomas' abilities? This connection?" Lily was puzzled but gave it a
thought for a moment.
"He told us that when Voldemort was destroyed, he somehow transferred
some of his abilities over to Thomas."
"And that makes sense to you?" His sudden conviction stunned her, and
she took a step back hesitantly. "Sirius has told me you're one of the
brightest witches he's ever met. So, tell me, in what way could the Dark
Lord transfer power to Thomas?"
"There are ways but-"
"Not transferring magic, Potter. Transferring abilities." Aries interrupted.
"Thomas is a Parselmouth. An ability past through bloodlines down from
Salazar Slytherin himself. If one could just pass on the ability, why
wouldn't they? Or anything ability for that matter? Empaths?
Metamorphagus? Yet, we can barely predict how their abilities manifest.
There's no pattern we've been able to discern. They either manifest or
they don't. So again, how in the bloody world did he transfer that ability?'
Lily was suddenly far too puzzled to respond.
"Then this 'connection' of the mind." Aries continued, his eyes burning
with conviction. "Have you ever heard of such a thing? It is possible to
enter another's mind with Legilimency, but to form a constant connection
that feeds off emotions? To see events from the eyes of another as they
happen. Come on, Potter, even you have to see these things do not add
up! So why has Headmaster Dumbledore fed you this cockamamie story?"
"What is the truth, then?" Lily suddenly countered. She was starting to
see what Black was saying, but she couldn't think of her own solution.
"I have my theories," Black answered after a moment. He was usually
good at hiding any emotion, but Lily could see the conflict and,
surprisingly, sadness in his eyes. "But I will not tell you until I am
certain."
"You're lying," She could see it, and the guilt that flashed just for a
moment was the answer she needed. "Tell me."
"I cannot, not yet." Black raised a hand, cutting off the angry retort Lily
was set to unleash. "You're right, I am almost certain that I am right. But
I fear what will happen should the Headmaster discover that someone
else knows."
"Why?"
"I want you to think carefully on a few things, and when you have
reasoned an agreeable answer, I will tell you." Aries paused for a
moment, and Lily managed to spot Sirius speaking with Severus in the
kitchen before her attention was brought back to Aries. "Do you think it
is strange that three first years were able to manage their way through a
trap that was meant to keep the Dark Lord from getting the Sorcerer's
Stone? Do you also think it is rather strange that Headmaster
Dumbledore chose to send his phoenix, a creature that can use a magical
flame to teleport anyone great distances, with a hat and a sword rather
than coming himself to Thomas' rescue? Do you not think it is quite
strange that the Headmaster who, like me, is incredibly gifted in the
Mind Arts somehow did not manage to discover that, within the walls of
his own school, was a former death eater disguised by Polyjuice potion?
Lastly, and I want you to think incredibly long about this one, why did
Headmaster Dumbledore recommend that you send Harry Potter, your
eldest son, to live with your sister? And why did you agree to it? Think
clearly on these things, Lily Potter, and come to me when you have found
the answer."
The sound of Aries' fork tapping against his glass of firewhiskey brought
the room to silence. Daphne, his soon to be betrothed, smiled up at him
from his right, while Sirius started filling glasses on his left. Down the
table, the rest of his house, Andromeda, Dora, Narcissa, Draco, and
Cassiopeia, joined him. At the same time, their guests sat at the end of
the table. Neville and Augusta Longbottom sat across from one another,
while their guest of honor filled the table at the end. Alice, still looking
somewhat weak, had been cleared this morning from Saint Mungos after
test after test all through the night had revealed she was medically
healthy. Her mind would need work, but that was something one of their
licensed mind healers could do, Aries had done the heavy lifting after all.
Their feast had been extensive, and Alice had been able to enjoy her first
real meal in over a decade thanks to the potions that had quickly
returned her body to normal.
"I believe a toast is truly in order," Aries said to the table, holding his
glass high. "The year is coming to a close, but it has seen much good
occur. The House of Black is whole once more, and our estranged family
has come together at last. I sit here knowing that the dreams of my father
have been accomplished. And yet, we have done so much more." He let
his eyes roam from person to person along the table. "We have made
much progress in the world, and every day we move closer to a society
that is not ruled by fear and madness, as the Dark Lord wishes, but
towards true freedom and prosperity. But our family's accomplishments
are not all we have to be joyous of." His eyes, at last, rested on Alice, who
smiled brightly as she took her son's hand. "Like our own family, the
Longbottom family has been reunited after fourteen long years. My lady,
it is my esteemed pleasure to welcome your return. To reunited families!"
The table repeated his toast and downed their drinks. Alice had tears in
her eyes as she gripped Neville's hand tightly.
"I cannot thank you enough for what you've done, Lord Black," Alice said
at last. "I hope our family can stand beside yours for as long as it can."
"Your allegiance is more than welcome, Lady Longbottom," Aries inclined
his head with a smile. "I only hope that I am as successful with your
husband."
"When do you plan to try, my lord?" Augusta had become far more polite
since the return of her daughter in law, and Aries gave her a polite smile
as well.
"This summer," he answered. "I'm afraid it took much more out of me
than I anticipated, and I do not wish to attempt such a thing without
being at my full strength. There is the question of House Longbottom's
lordship, however."
"Aries, I mean, Lord Black should be proxy," Neville said quickly, his eyes
moving rapidly between his mother and grandmother.
"While I, in fact, agree that is not what he means," the elderly woman
said. "Frank is the current lord."
"And Neville is fifteen. As such, by our laws, he is officially the heir, like
Draco with the Malfoy family, and given the state of his father can lay
claim to the lordship."
"But Frank is still alive!" Alice's voice was laced with confusion and
surprise.
"A technicality, my lady," Cassiopeia broke in. "While Draco here cannot
lay claim to his lordship until his father's death, Neville can because
Frank is incapable of performing his duties. Even should Aries be
successful, it is likely the Wizengamot would not allow him to sit due to
his former condition."
"They can do that?" Draco asked suddenly. "The Longbottom is a Most
Ancient and Noble house."
"They are," Narcissa answered, "But the Wizengamot is made of many of
those families. While they could not stop him from remaining the lord, a
vote from the more prominent members could keep him from his seat.
Claims of insanity, influence from Aries' Legilimency. Anything."
"More prominent?" Alice asked with confusion.
"The Council," Aries replied. "Originally made up of the Sacred Twenty-
Eight. As you know, the Wizengamot is made up of the noble houses as
well as some of the positions within the Ministry, such as the directors
and some of the minister's staff. That said, when it comes to the matters
of houses and lordships, unless it is a legal matter, it is handled by the
Council. Only half the Council remains, between families dying out or
marrying into others."
"The Dark Lord controls most of the Council, considering they're Death
Eaters," Cassiopeia informed them, "But this is why we chose to remove
Dumbledore via the Proxy Act. Due to his status as a proxy, he controlled
four votes on the Council, not to mention all the votes those families had
due to bloodlines in the Wizengamot."
"But Gran sits as proxy right now," Neville reasoned with a thoughtful
look. "So why does it matter who is lord?"
"Because, if the lord of House Longbottom were to make Lord Black the
proxy, it would send a message," Alice's voice broke through their
musings. "You want Neville to claim the lordship and make you his
proxy." Aries inclined his head, signaling his agreement. "For what
purpose?"
"To be honest, my lady, I seek to control the Wizengamot." He saw
Cassiopeia's shocked look but paid her no mind. "As of now, there is a
clear struggle for power. The conservatives, led by Lucius, do their best
to ensure the government is weak, attempting to pass laws that favor the
Dark Lord. The liberals, on the other head, are mainly led by Albus
Dumbledore, who controls their votes from within his Order. Though far
less of them are controlled directly than with the conservatives. Despite
this, many on both sides have come to the Greys, my party, though we do
not have a clear majority. As of now, none of the three parties can pass a
vote without some individuals swaying sides. I hope that should it be
made known that House Longbottom sides with us, after everything, that
many on the liberal side will join ours, creating a majority."
"To what end?" Alice locked eyes with him, and Aries returned her stare.
"To the same end everyone wants. Peace everlasting. A world somewhere
in between the eccentrics of the Dark Lord and Headmaster Dumbledore."
Aries answered, but then he looked back towards the door for a moment,
much to Alice's confusion. "But perhaps I am not the best person to
describe it if you can face your past."
"No!" Augusta's voice rang firmly. "You agreed you would not bring her
here!" Neville suddenly had a grim look to his voice, his fists clenched
white on the table.
"I said she would not join unless asked." Alice was staring down at her
plate, her thoughts bouncing off her mind loud enough that Aries could
hear them. "I had hoped that the past could be left there, and we could
move into the new year fresh."
"Aries, this is too much." Narcissa chided, her eyes on Alice.
"It will be too much for her mind," Andromeda added in while Dora next
to her had suddenly changed her pink hair back to her normal color,
managing to look all like the woman in question as she stared at the
door.
"Better to remove the limb than leave it to fester," Aries said softly.
"Alice?" She was silent for a moment before she slowly raised her head
and nodded. He summoned Kreacher, who quickly popped away to get
the woman. They all waited patiently, though there was tension in the
room.
The door opened, and Bellatrix Lestrange walked in. The difference
between when she had left Azkaban and now was night and day. Any
man would have noticed her evident beauty. She had filled out where
before she had been gaunt, her black hair was full and curled, and her
face healthy. Her eyes were the only thing that remained unchanged, as a
haunted look managed to stay despite the emotions that flittered across
her face. She stood there and seemed to look everywhere but at Alice.
Aries could feel her emotions radiating from her, guilt being the most
prominent. He knew she did not regret many of the things she did in
service to the Dark Lord, but rather the manner in which her twisted
mind had gone about them.
"It will be announced soon," Aries said into the silence, "that Bella will
denounce her marriage to Lestrange, and with our authority, the
marriage will be annulled. So, it is Bellatrix Black that stands before you
now. Freed from the torment the Dark Lord had caused her, ready to be
reborn in the fires of this moment." His words floated in the room,
ringing through the silence that lingered. The eyes of the table seemed to
move back and forth between the two, as Alice stared hard at the woman
before her. Aries watched her slowly rise to her feet and walk around the
table until she stood face to face with Bella.
"Look at me," Alice's rough voice seemed to startle the woman, but Bella's
face rose to meet her. They looked into another's eyes for some time, as if
Alice was looking for something in particular. Then, without warning,
Alice reached forward, grabbing Bella by the shoulders, and pulled her
into a hug. From where he stood, Aries could just see the tears falling
from Alice's face, as Bella awkwardly returned the hug, fighting tears
herself. The two women released their embrace, and Alice quickly wiped
her tears away.
"I asked what became of you when all the healers were gone, and it was
Andromeda and me. She was hesitant, but I had to know. I had to know
that you faced justice. When she told me you had been in Azkaban, I
rejoiced, assuming that you had died there. But then she told me how my
own savior had saved you, and I had no idea what to think about that.
Then she told me what had happened to you. How He had raped your
mind, tortured you, took child after child away from you, and suddenly I
could see your descent into madness. I could see how he twisted you."
Suddenly, Alice slapped Bella hard across the face, Narcissa moved to do
something, but Aries stopped her with a raised hand. "That was for what
you did to me. What you made me lose. I do not know if I can ever
forgive you, and I know I will not forget. But if I cannot accept that you
have changed truly, and offer you a deserved second chance, then I am
no better than those who I would call my enemies." Bella rose back to her
full height, nodding in acceptance of Alice's actions. "I have taken my
vengeance, let it be a reminder always that I spared you when others
would not. But hear me now, if you ever join their side again, if you raise
your wand against my family or another ever again, then I will
personally hunt you down and kill you as I could have today." Tears
flowed freely from Bella, but she nodded all the same.
"I am Black again, and a Black I shall remain," Bella answered. "My
loyalty lies with my family."
"Good, now tell me of this world in which Aries' envisions. Tell me why
you believe it now more than you did with Voldemort."
Sirius watched happily from his spot in the room, sipping on his glass of
firewhiskey. Aries, who often seemed far too pressed with his duties to
relax, was doing just that as he sat across from Draco in their game of
chess. Daphne, whom Sirius was starting to approve greatly of due to her
rather sarcastic nature, sat on the arm of Aries' chair, seemingly trying to
distract him. Dora sat in the middle, making her face change into silly
looks causing laughter to erupt from the three teens. It was the first time
in so long that Sirius had actually seen his nephew act like a teenager,
laughing brightly with his friends. Draco had surprised him the most by
being incredibly polite and the exact opposite of how he remembered the
boy being a few years earlier. It had seemed that Aries' presence had
cooled the boy off, though he remembered his nephew saying that Draco
did not entirely agree with everything his father did.
Then there were his cousins Narcissa, Andromeda, and Bellatrix. The
three sat around a table, gossiping and laughing about times long ago
before the war had torn them apart. They seemed to approve of the four's
actions across from them, taking time every now and then to laugh at
their antics before turning back to their own conversations. Sirius, for
once, did not mind at all being out of both groups. Aries' words from
early, about this being Regulus' dream had rung deem within him, and he
was more than content watching it unfold. Would his brother really have
been happy? With all of it? It made him genuinely think about what
would have happened if this had been how his childhood went. An ache
went through his heart before he hastily looked for a distraction.
His eyes lingered on the table for a moment, and the conversation from
earlier replied in his mind. White lies and half-truths had become a staple
of Aries' dealings with people, telling each person enough of the truth to
believe, but also the part they were more than willing to accept. It was
something Sirius had come to accept as necessary, as he was more than
accustomed to doing the same thing now. It was all too prevalent with
every interaction he had with the Potters. He was glad that Aries had
finally made a move with Lily, pushing her towards the truth gently, but
he wondered when his friends would be free at last. If not for Severus
giving him a letter meant for Aries, and his strange warning, he would
have added his own two knuts to Aries' speech. Still, it would not do to
meddle with Aries' plans. Everything else had managed to work itself out,
right?
The empty chair caught Sirius' attention now, as it had earlier. He had
assumed it was for Bella, but after she had joined them, another chair
had been added for her. When he had question Aries, he had only
received a mischievous smile in return. Was it for Remus, perhaps? Sirius
had not seen his friend since their meeting in Hogsmeade. He knew
Remus was the busiest of the group, as he was always working at the
Conservation, making it better and collaborating with other governments
on the possibility of replicating its success elsewhere, though that was
not all. Sirius had known about the Legion for some time, having helped
Cassiopeia with its logistics countless times, but it had been a shock to
know many of its recruits had been gathered from the Conservation. On
top of that, not all of the recruits were magical. Muggles turned
werewolves had been added to the reservation, without the knowledge of
the Wizengamot, and added much to its success. Those that did not have
a ready skill had been added to the Legion, and Sirius had realized the
real purpose of the Wolfsbane. He had wanted to confront Aries about it
numerous times, but what struck him the most was that Remus knew and
did not object either.
A loud knock suddenly drew himself out of his musings. Who could be
knocking at this hour? And all who knew the secret of 12 Grimmauld
Place apparated right in. Sirius made to remove his wand, but Aries
stopped him, a knowing smile on his face.
"It would seem our guest has, at last, arrived," Aries said, the smile
growing. "It would appear that the task took longer than expected, but it
is of no importance. Could you go and greet our guest, Sirius?"
He nodded, confused, but did not return his wand. His footsteps seemed
loud to him as he made his way to the door. Sirius did not know why he
was worried, after all, Aries had invited whoever it was. But still, why?
Before he knew it, the door was before him, and he quickly opened it,
wand at the ready. His eyes widened, and slowly his wand fell to his side
before it slipped from his grasp onto the floor.
Long, brown hair framed the round face that greeted him. Bright,
chocolate-colored eyes shined at him as the woman smiled softly
towards. It was raining outside, and though the portico shielded her from
the rain, she was drenched, as if she had stood in the rain pondering
whether to knock at the door.
"Marlene?" Sirius asked, his voice failing to reach a volume higher than a
whisper. He could feel his heart pounding, and his hands shook.
"Hello, Padfoot," Marlene answered softly, her head cocking to the side.
"Can I come in?" Sirius moved the side, and she smiled softly again as she
walked through. A wave of her wand dried her, and Sirius immediately
saw it wasn't her original one. Her eyes followed his, and a sad look
crossed her face. "It was destroyed in the fire, I had to get a new one."
"How?" His voice broke before he could finish the question.
"How am I alive?" Her voice was sad, and it brought pain into Sirius'
heart that he thought had long been buried. "Travers cast fiendfyre at our
home. My parents didn't make it, but something between the fiendfyre
and my dad's last spell broke the wards. I apparated away, but I was hurt
bad. I heard nothing was left of the house, so I'm not surprised everyone
thought I was dead. After everything, I thought I was strong, but I wasn't.
I'm not sure where I ended up, but eventually, I was found and taken to a
healer. It took time for my wounds to heal. She was a squib and could
only use potions. Her ingredients were limited, and I wasn't strong
enough to apparate. By the time I was, the Dark Lord was defeated, and
everything seemed to be right again. I wanted so desperately to come
back to see you again. But I was haunted. I wasn't ready. So, I left. I
didn't want to give you the hope of something I could not give at the
time."
"Where did you go?"
"Everywhere!" Marlene's voice took a sudden lighter sound. "America.
Africa. Asia. The world, Sirius. And it was brilliant. I meant so many
people and learned so many things. It was. . . liberating. Until a few years
ago." She sighed, and Sirius leaned forward, so desperately wanting to
hear her story. "I was in Germany when I ran into some rather nasty
individuals. They left me no choice, and so I killed them. Unfortunately,
one of those nasty individuals ended up being related to a prominent
member of Germany's government, and I ended up being arrested a short
time later. They had no idea who I really was, but thankfully, someone
came to my aid."
"Cassiopeia," Sirius said with a laugh.
"Yeah, you should have seen how quickly that case got dismissed. She
was furious, not for my actions, but for getting caught. I had little gold
and nowhere to live at the time, thanks to some rather bad decisions, but
she offered me a job. I thought I would be working for her, but guess my
surprise when I started working for a thirteen-year-old kid, your nephew.
I had picked up a trick or two from my travels, as well as made some
friends. So, he put me to work, and that's my story. I came to him this
past summer and asked him to give you my address, but you never came.
I was worried you didn't want to see me, but when he invited me to
dinner, I couldn't refuse. I wanted to see you this summer but being so
close I had to come. I needed to see you."
"I wanted to come," Sirius started, "But to be honest, I was terrified. It
was almost to good to be true. What if everything had changed? I didn't
know what to think." Her hands suddenly cupped his face, hands that
were rougher than he had ever remembered. She brought his head level,
so her eyes could pour into his.
"Everything changes, Sirius, especially us," Marlene whispered to him,
"But it doesn't have to be bad. And some things, some things do stay the
same." She gave him a smile, one that seemed to warm parts of his heart
that had been cold for so long. Laughter floated down the hall, rich
laughter, and it seemed to brighten Marlene's eyes. Sirius could not help
the smile that started to spread across his face. "I think we should join
them, and you owe me the famous Sirius Black's hot chocolate." Marlene
grabbed his hand and nearly dragged him back to the room. Cheers
greeted them, and for the first time in years, Sirius felt that things were
the closest to how they should have been. As his eyes met Aries, who
raised his glass with a smile, Sirius knew it was all thanks to the son of
his brother. Yes, Regulus would have been happy, and so Sirius would be
happy enough for them both.
Aries' feet hit the carpet with a soft thud as he emerged into the small
home of the Tonks family. It had taken time for their meeting to occur,
but Aries had not wanted to rush the boy. It had been obvious what had
happened, but he still felt guilt surprisingly. Punishment from the Dark
Lord would have been expected and tolerated as payment for their poor
choice of master. But to be harmed as he was from his own father? It was
a calculation Aries had not made, but perhaps he should have. He was
well aware of Lord Nott's mean streak, but he had not considered that he
would go so far as to harm his son and heir.
Upon entering the small guest room, Aries noted that Theodore Nott
looked somewhat healthy, at least physically. Andromeda had told him
that the boy willingly took any potions she gave him, but hardly ate more
than necessary. She often had to provide him with Dreamless Sleep
Potion, due to the constant nightmares that seemed to eat away at him.
Weak eyes met his own, and Aries saw a defeated wizard. Had he
cowered here the entire break? Did he not trust Aries' protection? It was
then that Aries saw the boy's arm, there along his forearm was the Dark
Mark.
"I offered you protection," Aries reminded the boy. Despite his own guilt,
he would not sugarcoat the truth. He needed to hear it. "I told you that
you could spend Christmas here, but you did not listen."
"No, I didn't," Theodore answered weakly.
"You chose loyalty to your father and to your family, something in which
I cannot blame you. Draco did the same for the longest time." He
wandlessly moved the chair in the corner in front of Theodore and sat.
"Yet, when the Dark Lord returned, he saw where his father's loyalty lies.
Not with his son, but with the Dark Lord. While he did not suffer at the
hands of his father, as you have, he made no move to stop the Dark Lord
from torturing Draco for not cooperating. Now, with every passing day,
Lucius' hold on his son lessens. The same can be said for you, even
though you bear the mark. The Dark Lord believes his only rival to be the
Headmaster, but I can assure you, he will find that I am more of a rival
than any."
"I know you dueled him," the boy said. "But it seems far fetched to
believe you are his rival."
"Then why have I been unaffected?" Aries countered back. "He moves
against the Ministry, against the Order, and yet here I stand. He has his
reasons yet, but he will learn to fear me as he has with the Headmaster."
"What do you want, Aries?" He could hear the exasperation in his voice.
"I want only freedom. Freedom to be ourselves."
"Grindelwald," Theodore said with a laugh recognizing his words. "You
see yourself to be him?"
"The better version. The victorious one." Aries answered seriously. "But
tell me, what do you want?"
"Just that," Again, the boy laughed, but this time it was cold. "Freedom.
How ironic."
"And if I could promise you that freedom, Theo? Freedom from your
father and the Dark Lord? What would you do for me?"
"Anything." Theodore suddenly looked up, fire in his eyes. "I would do
anything."
"Then join me, Theodore Nott. Pledge yourself to me. And I will ensure
your freedom from the Dark Lord." The Nott heir was silent for a time,
his eyes fixed on Aries as he pondered the offer.
"I'll do all that you ask, on one condition," Theodore said. "I want you to
kill my father."
AN: Next chapter: The Mind Arts.
Hopefully y'all caught the Grindelwald quotes!
28. Plots and Plans
AN: Sorry for the hiatus everyone. I had some time off and with
COVID, I've been working from home so I've been spending lots of
time with my children. That being said, I hadn't put this off or
forgotten about it, rather I was struggling where I wanted to go with
a few of the scenes. Even now, this chapter is a little meh to me, but
I wanted to set up things that come later and when it came down to
it, I struggled with getting them where I thought they were
'acceptable.' I'm looking forward to the next few chapters where
things will pick up a little and I have a bit more of a clearer picture
of what I want. All in all, as always, I hope you enjoy this chapter,
and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
He felt every goblin eye on him as he walked down the long entrance hall
of Gringotts, though he paid them no mind at all. Instead, his own eyes
took in the look of the marble hall. There was a simple elegance to the
design that Aries found he quite liked, and within it, the machine of the
goblin nation worked. It was a machine that kept the wheels of the
Wizarding World running. However, few would ever willingly admit the
economic importance of the goblin race. There was, after all, a rich and
bloody history between wizard and goblin.
"I have an appointment with Director Ragnok," Aries stated as he arrived
at the entrance desk. The Head Goblin barely glanced at him for a
moment before gesturing towards another goblin.
"Griphook," the Goblin called. "Take Lord Black to see the Director." He
was led to a rather simple looking office. For one as important as Ragnok,
it seemed a little too simple in Aries' own opinion.
"Greetings, Director Ragnok," Aries said with a slight inclination of his
head. "May your gold always flow, and your blades be ever sharp."
"And may the rivers run with the blood of your enemies," Ragnok replied
with a feral grin. "Sit, Lord Black, we have been expecting you."
"So, I have been told, of course, by Miss Delacour."
"Yes, indeed," Aries noted that the goblin did not seem pleased nor
displeased entirely. He hoped that was a good sign. "We found it rather
surprising that one of our newest employees had another employer."
"Call it a partnership. We have mutual goals in which we are attempting
to achieve."
"Then what can I help you with Lord Black?" Ragnok asked as he looked
through a somewhat extensive folder, one Aries recognized as the
financial portfolio of the Black Family. "Your account manager has done
excellent with your assets, even with the. . . prior Lord Black's reluctancy.
Lady Cassiopeia has been like a fresh wet stone to your gold, so I have
been told."
"Miss Delacour informed you of the item in which I wish to obtain," Aries
offered. "Though doing so without the Dark Lord's knowledge is
preferable."
"And having Lady Lestrange walk into her vault would bring a certain
amount of suspicion, no? Perhaps we can come to some sort of
arrangement? Truly, the movement of an item is a simple matter for a
fee, of course."
"And perhaps you have something you wish to ask of me?" Ragnok was
silent for some time, his eyes still looking over the portfolio as if
collecting his thoughts.
"My kind is not as blind as other wizards, Lord Black." He began, at last,
his goblin eyes rising to meet his own. "We see the game you three play.
The triumvirate of power, we have begun to call it. We see an
opportunity to, perhaps, better our position by placing our bets
accordingly. The current administration will not allow us to go further,
and should the Dark Lord rise to power, we risk subjugation. With you,
however, we have a chance to attain that which has eluded us: freedom."
It was Aries' turn to sit in silence, weighing the options before him.
"And you must think me a fool." There was an edge to his voice, one that
seemed to catch the goblin off guard. "I know what you desire. To allow
you the knowledge of wandlore would be like inviting a Lycan into my
home without wolfsbane amid a full moon. An invitation to disaster. I am
no fool, Director. We both know the importance and reality of the goblin
nation to the magical societies of this world. Despite this, you throwing
in your lot amid a civil war is folly. The Dark Lord is a wizard problem
and one that will be handled accordingly. We need no assistance to deal
with him."
"Bold words to be spoken, wizard child," Ragnok bared his teeth in anger.
"You think him to be a nuisance? We remember his war from before."
"I believe there are issues far more concerning than one dark wizard," As
the words left his lips, Aries slowly turned his hand, the silver ring of the
Coven fading into existence long enough to be seen, before fading away.
"You dare come before us in their name?!" Blades appeared in Ragnok's
clawed hands, as he shot to his feet. Aries did not rise to his challenge,
instead lifting an eyebrow in annoyance at the goblin's actions.
"Peace, Director, I come here in no one's name but my own," Aries replied
calmly. "Though, I believe there are few who remember how my family
earned that name outside these halls." Slowly, the goblin returned to his
seat, but the blades remained visible on the director's desk.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord Black?"
"I believe that our former masters mean to return to their 'rightful' place
in this world." Ragnok had shown little emotion through their meeting,
other than his blatant outburst, but Aries could feel the fear from the
goblin.
"And have you come with an offer, Lord of Black?" The formality brought
a sudden chill to the room as if ancient magics long forgotten had crept
into the air.
"I am not their servant, Ragnok," Aries stated hotly. "Nor do I have any
intention of my family being enslaved to them ever again. I come with no
offer, save one of my own." He hesitated for a moment. "Consider the
dealings of the cup a sign of friendship. Transfer the cup to my ancestral
vault, and once the Dark Lord is defeated, you may retain all the gold
and possessions within the Lestrange vault. A far more considerable fee
than expected, no doubt.'
"Then, we prepare. We must work in secret, of course, to avoid arousing
suspicion from the Coven. I do not know when He will make his move,
but whether it be in our lifetime or in a century from now, it is my hope
that our alliance will bring us victory."
"This is not a request to be taken lightly, Lord Black," Ragnok said after a
moment, his relief evident on his face and in his voice. "I must take this
before the Council. Preparation for such a war would take years, decades
even."
"But our history tells us of its potential. We have found victory against
them before. Our kind worked together once and defeated them. Perhaps
with more preparation, we can, at last, destroy them."
"And we remember what the last Lord of Black did to those of us who
rose up against the ancient ones." A weary look came over the goblin.
"We have not forgotten your family magics within these halls, even if it
was millenniums ago. It is all that is left of the ancient magics."
"Then they shall have to be relearned, or the world as we know it will
perish beneath the power of the Coven." The silence stretched between
them, as Aries waited for the goblin's decision.
"I will bring your offer before the council, but your offer of friendship is
accepted." Ragnok offered, at last. "I cannot make promises of the nation,
but here within England, you shall have friends. I will not see the ancient
ones returned to power."
Chaos was a rather interesting word in Thomas's opinion. Still, if he could
sum it up in one picture, it would be the Weasley family getting ready to
return to Hogwarts. They seemed to be everywhere at once, fretting
about trying to find all of their valuables. Thomas would not have been
surprised if he had been the same way in the past years, but something
had changed and had not gone unnoticed by his parents. His early
morning routines, to the afternoon workouts, to the constant time in the
library studying spells, and lastly, his time spent practicing. He had never
asked anyone to join him, mostly because he had created a specific
routine he enjoyed, but also because the last person he wanted to duel
was his own father.
James had been busy throughout the break between meetings for the
Order and the constant pressure of being an Auror for the Ministry that
seemed to take up all of his time. Christmas had been the one day where
the whole family had actually relaxed, despite the antics of Fred and
George. Still, whenever they were around one another, there was a
tension that did not go away. His mother had been rather adamant about
discovering the reason for his changed behavior. Eventually, he had
caved, describing the training he had been doing with Aries, along with
explaining more about Dumbledore's Army. Thomas had expected his
mother to be angry, but instead, she had been, well, happy. It had been a
surprise, but he knew his mother had told his father, resulting in the
tension between them. Thomas could not understand the dislike, almost
hatred, that his father had for Aries. Sure, their opinions on magic were
different. Still, after everything, after seemingly bringing Alice
Longbottom back to life, Aries couldn't be evil, right?
The thoughts ran through his mind more than he would like to admit,
even as his father sat across from his right now. Thomas wondered if his
father missed Sirius at all. The two had seldom seen one another since
the beginning of the term, and for the first time in years, Sirius had not
spent Christmas at the Potters. He understood that his godfather had his
own family again, something he was more than happy about, but there
was a clear distance forming between the Potters and Sirius.
"Something on your mind, Thomas?" James' voice cut through his mind,
somewhat startling him, and Thomas gave a shake of his head as if to
clear his thoughts.
"Just thinking about Uncle Sirius," Thomas chose to answer honestly.
However, he knew it might end up in a disagreement between them.
"This was the first Christmas he didn't spend here."
"Clearly Sirius chose his priorities differently this year," There was
bitterness in his father's voice that he was not accustomed to hearing, and
it threw Thomas for a loop.
"Dad. . ." His voice trailed off, not sure what to say, as James' eyes had
never left the newspaper in front of him. "I think Uncle Sirius is, well. . .
torn in two." That got his father's attention, as he put down the
newspaper and slowly raised his head to meet Thomas' eyes. "I mean, he
never had any children. You said how that one girl died back in the first
war, and then he lost his brother. All he had was us, you know? Then
Aries came along, son of his brother, and he had a family again. I mean,
he's brought together the whole family for the first time since before the
first war. And I think that he hoped you would be happy for him."
"You think I'm not?"
"I think you care more about Aries' views that anyone." Again, Thomas
could not help honesty. "And I think you can't stand that Uncle Sirius
doesn't care. It's driving you, it's driving us all apart."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Thomas," James rose to his
feet and started to walk away, but a surge of anger caused Thomas to
follow him all the way to his study, where he slammed to door.
"No, you don't know what you're talking about!" The ferocity in his voice
surprised even himself, but he would not stop. "You know how I found
out I was the Heir of Gryffindor? Aries! Do you know who helped me
realize I was worth my than what my friends think? Aries! Do you have
any idea who has helped me become better and stronger? Aries! All you
have done is sit around and mope that your friend has a family again! I
know Sirius wasn't my original godfather. He was Harry's. Did you ever
think he lost something too?! I don't even remember Harry! But ever
since I found out about him, all I've wanted was an older brother. To
have Harry back, and then comes along Aries, who does everything an
older brother should! He looks out for me, lets me know when I'm an
idiot, and he's there for me every time I need him. Unlike you! You're too
busy being a coward to see that someone can be a good person without
agreeing to your stupid views on magic! I-" His next words were stopped
as his vision blurred as he was slapped across the face. Weeks ago, he
would have fallen to the ground from the force of his father's blow, but
after training with Aries, his feet remained planted. Thomas felt the sting
of the strike, but only anger filled his eyes as he glared at his father.
James did not even look ashamed but instead returned his son's glare.
"I forbid you from doing anything with that boy," James commanded.
"You will not talk to him, train with him, or anything. Do I make myself
clear?"
"Oh, yes," Thomas answered, but he gave a cruel smile. "You've made
yourself perfectly clear, father." He turned on his heels and left the room,
making no move to conceal the red mark beginning to cover his cheek.
James let out a deep breath as he took his place among the top members
of the Order. Albus, Alastor, Arthur, and, to his displeasure, Severus had
eagerly awaited his return from the Wizengamot within the study of
Potter Manor. Adding the responsibility of attending the Wizengamot, as
well as being the proxy for House Weasley, had James feeling far too
stretch when the duties of being a Ministry Auror took up nearly all of his
time. He could feel himself being distanced from Lily, and even more so
Thomas.
"What news, James?" Albus' question brought him out of his rabbit hole
of thoughts, and gratefully took the offered glass of firewhiskey from
Arthur.
"I'm afraid it's worse than we thought," James began, slowly sipping his
drink. "Lord Black as been named Lord Regent of House Longbottom. And
it was the new Lord Longbottom that named him as such."
"Regent?" Arthur gasped out the word. "How is that possible?"
"Neville made his case before the Wizengamot that his place in life
resided far from the walls of the Ministry. Said that once he left
Hogwarts, he had plans to travel and such and did not want to deal with
all the hassles of proxies. That he trusted Lord Black to act in the best
interests of Magical Britain. The Council of the Most Ancient and Most
Noble families voted, approving his request."
"The changing of allegiances was not unexpected," Albus said calmly after
a moment. "Though to this degree. . . It has been done in the past, though
not without an oath of fealty."
"That was my thought as well. Is there something that can be done?"
James rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. "This is clearly a quid
pro quo situation."
"Unfortunately, not, as the dealings of the thirteen families are far
beyond the contestation of the Wizengamot. If Lord Longbottom wished
for Lord Black to be Regent, then we know the vote of the Council was
merely a show of protocol." Albus seemed to pause a moment before
meeting James' eyes. "There is a solution that could present itself."
"No," James replied, almost vehemently. "I cannot claim it. It would be a
bigger risk than necessary, and without the aid of the other Heirs, the
votes would mean nothing." The other three in the room glanced
curiously between the two, the meaning of their words passing by
without understanding.
"Then we must begin to focus on the Most Noble houses," Arthur stated
after a moment. "We need to pull votes back towards our party."
"I'm afraid the Wizengamot may be well out of reach. Aries has it in a
vice grip and has managed to grow his party to the majority. The switch
of allegiance for the Longbottoms will only make his grip stronger. We
need to focus on more achievable goals." Dumbledore turned his head
towards James. "Thanks to Rufus, we know they intend to make you
Head Auror. This provides us with an excellent opportunity to place
individuals within the task force that are loyal to the Order."
"Sirius, nor Rufus, would just overlook this, Albus. We have Kingsley and
Tonks, but if I attempt to bring more into the Order, I might see myself in
a cell."
"Can we even trust Tonks?" Moody interrupted hotly. "I trained the girl
and am damn proud of her, but she may as well be a Black now. Not to
mention she's gettin' rather close to Lupin, who's closer to a follower of
Black than anything."
"Alastor has a point, Albus," Severus drawled softly from his almost
forgotten place. "The Dark Lord's continued pursuit of Black is troubling.
Perhaps it is best to cut them off?"
"As I have said before, the Black family is not our enemy."
"How can you say that?" Alastor said, slamming his hand onto the arm of
his chair. "You've spoken your suspicions, Albus, and I will not see them
ignored any longer!"
"Suspicions?" James asked as the group looked towards the Headmaster,
with even Severus seeming curious. "What does he mean?" It was Albus'
turn to rub the bridge of his nose in frustration before he addressed the
group.
"These are, of course, my suspicions, but that does not mean there is any
truth to the matter," Albus began. "It begins with Aries' return to
Hogwarts from the return of Voldemort. I know for a fact that Fawkes
was not the one who returned him, and given that phoenixes are
incredibly rare, it leads me to believe that Aries has a phoenix as a
familiar as well."
"Shouldn't that be a good thing?" Arthur asked. "The phoenix has long
been a symbol of strength and compassion."
"The nature of his phoenix, and how he managed to bond with one, is
still a mystery," Albus admitted with a sigh. "But to continue, Aries
returned to Hogwarts and arrived at the entrance to the fake Moody's
office, where he was attempting to kill Thomas. This adds to my
suspicion that Aries was also aware of the impostor. I'm aware of his
proficiency in Occlumency. Still, it also leads to my suspicion that Aries
is gifted in Legilimency as well, to the point of having passive
Legilimency."
"His Occlumency is perhaps as good as mine," the compliment coming
from Severus nearly shocked the group, but he gave them no time to
respond. "It is a simple stretch to believe he is gifted in Legilimency as
well, especially considering the Dark Lord believes the boy to be a master
of the Mind Arts. Which means, of course, that he can hide the truth from
nearly everyone, including the Headmaster and the Dark Lord."
"Indeed, and now we move to the real situation: Cedric Diggory." He
paused for a moment, weighing his words. "It is possible that Cedric died
by Aries' hand." The others nearly erupted in protest, save Severus, but
Albus stopped them with a raise of his hand. "I do not know the entire
reasoning, but we can discuss how I came to this possibility. First, Aries'
return. If Aries had his own Phoenix, then why did he not have them
returned immediately? Rather he willingly dueled Voldemort and
allowed Thomas to escape, seemingly at his own expense. Now, it is after
Thomas' escape that the speculation comes.'
"Why not escape then? A phoenix would allow both Aries and Cedric to
escape alive. Instead, we know they did not return right away, during
which Cedric died. Then there are the orders of Voldemort. Thanks to
Severus, we know that no one is supposed to harm Aries, though spying
on him is encouraged while at the same time. I believe it is possible that
Voldemort and Aries came to some sort of agreement. Though its purpose
and duration are unknown. No doubt, Aries meant for Cedric to escape
with Thomas, leaving him alone to discuss matters with Voldemort, but
when he did not, Aries was forced to eliminate him. Or perhaps the Dark
Lord and his followers did kill Cedric. The reality is that no one but Aries
and Voldemort knows what happened. That being said, when I
questioned him regarding the events, he was evasive and even 'noted' my
suspicion. Whether that was meant as a denial, in fact, or simply to stir
the pot, I do not know. As I said, these are suspicions."
"Except your guesses are hardly wrong, Albus," James said as he
scratched at his stubble. "If you suspect these things, then why not bring
it to Bones?"
"Because Black would deny everything," Severus replied before Albus
could. "And if Black is as gifted in the Mind Arts as we believe, then
Veritaserum would have no effect on him. It's a potion of the mind, and
one who has as much power over their own mind as Black does would
never be under its control. Unless we can break into his mind or force
him to confess, otherwise, there is nothing we can do."
"Then why are you still insistent on inviting him to the Order?" Alastor
demanded. "Regardless, Black is dangerous."
"Which is exactly why we must make him our ally," countered Severus, to
the surprise of all.
"Severus is right. Aries is far too valuable of an ally to allow him
elsewhere. Whether you call them followers or not, he has them within
the Ministry, the Dark Lord forces, and our own." Dumbledore paused for
a moment. "He controls the Wizengamot. We know Sirius, if not Tonks as
well, readily reports to him, and given his close friendship with Draco
Malfoy, it is not a stretch to believe that Lucius and others may support
him as well. Lastly, there is simply the fact that he is, perhaps, the most
powerful wizard alive, besides Voldemort and me. We need him to ally
with us."
"But why?" Arthur asked. "Humbleness aside, Albus, could you not defeat
Him? Not to mention this prophecy. Is Thomas not the Chosen One?"
Albus did not answer for a moment, his struggle to choose his words
visible to the group.
"I have made many mistakes in my life, but the one I regret the most was
my failure to face Grindewald," Sorrow covered Albus' face as he
continued to speak. "Despite this, I did not question my abilities. Even
with all that Grindewald possessed, I was assured of my victory. Rather, I
questioned my own convictions. That is not the same as with Tom. The
reality is that while I have come face to face with him on more than one
occasion, even I am not entirely sure of my ability to defeat him. Aries,
on the other hand, is stronger than any of us were at his age. No doubt in
a few years, he will rival anything that I, Grindewald, and even
Voldemort have come to achieve. I believe that Thomas will be the
downfall of Voldemort, but I do not know if my aid alone will be enough.
If we are to tilt the balance of power and victory to our side, we need
Aries."
"Then what can we do?" Arthur asked curiously.
"For now, the Aurors are our focus," Albus informed them. "We need to
have as many of our people already on the inside as we can. Even if it is
just your team, James, something is better than nothing. And we
continue to guard the prophecy. Voldemort cannot be allowed to have it.
Severus and I will continue our attempts to bring Aries into the fold, but
as it stands, I will invite him to join the Order at the end of the year. If
there is nothing else, perhaps it would be best to call it a night,
gentlemen." Alastor, Arthur, and Severus all quietly left, but James made
a small motion for Albus to stay. "Is there something you wish to discuss,
James?"
"Do you now doubt the prophecy?" James asked, honestly.
"I have never doubted that which fate as made known to us," Albus
answered. "I have long believed that love, the very thing Voldemort does
not understand, but Thomas does, would be his downfall. Still, there is
the matter of victory in battle. I do not know how we will achieve it, but
with Aries, we have a better chance of it being sooner rather than later."
"Do you really not believe you can defeat Voldemort? Even with the
Elder Wand?" Albus gave him a look of surprise for a moment before the
twinkle in his eyes returned.
"I suppose as the last of the Peverell's, you would know of its existence,"
the Headmaster surmised with a chuckle. "Truthfully, I do not know.
Voldemort is perhaps one of the most powerful wizards in the history of
magic."
"But how do you know that by allowing Aries to join our side, that by
allowing him to continue his ways that, in doing so, we would simply be
replacing one dark lord with another?" Albus let out another long sigh,
before placing his spectacles on the table before him.
"How much of my past did Charles tell you?" James sat back a moment,
somewhat caught off guard by the question.
"I believe I know enough."
"Then, you know I was not always as I am now. Once I was young and
foolish, I made mistakes. If someone in your place saw a younger version
of myself as you see Aries, then their thoughts would be similar. The
reality is that when you look at Aries, you see another Voldemort. But I
see myself. I see someone struggling with their power and their place in
this world. I saw the same thing in Tom all those years ago, and while I
may have failed with him, I hope not to fail with Aries." James stared at
the fire for a long time before he turned back to Albus.
"And what if you already have?"
The letter was light in his heads, as Aries read over the words again. Its
scrawl was neat, and the bottom was simply signed: The Dark Lord. It
was a simple warning and a reminder of his offer, but he caught the main
message: return Bellatrix or face the consequences. Aries doubted that the
Dark Lord cared for his servant, in fact, he would probably kill her
immediately, but instead, he wished to ascertain the safety of his
Horcrux. It had been moved, of course, to one of the safest places Aries
could think of, and the last place the Dark Lord would look. Still, Aries
had made precautions. Bella remained solely at 12 Grimmauld Place,
under the protection of the Fidelius Charm, and members of the
Praetorian Guard had been stationed there to ensure her security.
He let out a sigh as he stood up to make his way to leave for Platform
Nine and Three Quarters. The slight rustle of cloaks was all that gave
away his disillusioned guards behind him. They usually did not follow
him around so, but as they were heading into London, they refused to
leave his side or to remain visible. Taim did well, Aries thought with a
small laugh.
"Sirius," Aries greeted warmly, choosing to hug his uncle rather than
shake his hand. The action surprised Sirius, but he quickly returned the
gesture. "I'm proud of you, Uncle. I thought we almost lost you for a
while there."
"There are still some things I want to talk about," He could see the
uncertainty in his uncle's eyes but dismissed it.
"You'll understand in time, but we can discuss it this summer," Sirius
returned the smile that Aries gave him after a moment. "Daphne sends
her love and says not to get into too much trouble."
"She's a slow learner apparently," Sirius barked with a laugh, "We Blacks
are always getting into trouble. Be safe, Aries."
"You as well, Uncle." A slight pop twisted him out of 12 Grimmauld Place
and Aries found himself on the platform, standing before the gleaming
red train. The platform had mostly cleared, as the train was meant to
leave shortly. Once he was on the train, Aries moved slowly down the
aisle, looking inside each compartment until he found his friends.
Draco was simply staring out the window, paying the group no mind as
Tracey and Blaise enjoyed a game of Exploding Snap. Daphne was
engrossed in her Transfiguration book but managed to give a quick smile
before returning to her book. Aries sat down next to her before letting his
head fall into her lap. Soft fingers immediately wove themselves into his
hair, massaging the top of his scalp. He was more than content to spend
the rest of the train like this, maybe even get a nap in, but he opened his
eyes as the compartment door opened again. Theo entered and
awkwardly sat near Aries' feet. Draco looked at him suspiciously, but a
quick nod from Aries eased his friend's tension.
"I'm glad to see you finally joined us, Theo," Draco said, extending his
hand. Theo shook it slowly, giving a curt nod much to the confusion of
Tracey and Blaise. Aries noticed Tracey's quick glance, but ignored it,
choosing instead to let sleep take him.
The trip from the Slytherin common room to the Potions classroom was
short, considering both were located in the dungeons of Hogwarts.
Professor Snape had requested the meeting through a simple slipped note
at dinner. However, Aries was sure that the late hour was contributed by
Thomas' new Occlumency lessons. He entered the classroom at Snape's
invitation, and while it was empty, the door to the Potion master's office
was wide open. The smell of tea wafted through the air, as Aries entered
the room.
"Lord Black," Snape greeted as Aries took his seat across from the man.
He noted the use of his title, meaning that this was no simple school
discussion.
"Severus, a pleasure to be invited to tea," His words were smooth,
portraying no emotion to the double agent of the Dark Lord and Albus
Dumbledore.
"I trust Black passed on my message?"
"Indeed, he did," Aries answered with a slight nod of his head. "I have
read over the letter, and your warning was rather interesting."
"The Dark Lord is growing tired of your game, my lord," The use of
honorifics was rather interesting to Aries. Perhaps he had finally
considered his offer? "He wants Bellatrix to return, and to twist her back
into the weapon she was."
"He will not make a move so bold, not yet anyway." He sipped at the tea,
having already wandlessly checked it for potions. "What did you think of
his letter?"
"It would be unwise to ignore such an invitation." Snape's face gave
nothing away and his Occlumency was too good for Aries to pick up any
stray thoughts. "Such a refusal would, perhaps, convince the Dark Lord to
rescind his agreement with you. His frustrations are mounting."
"Ah, yes, I have seen his frustrations, and that of his followers."
"Theodore. . ." For once, emotion played across Snape's face, just for a
moment. "How is he?"
"Doing as well as one can, I suppose. His wounds have healed, but one
does not recover well after being harmed so by his own father. He is in
good hands now; I can assure you."
"Lord Nott was displeased that he could not find his son," Aries caught
the warning in Snape's voice. "I would not be surprised if he comes to
collect him in person at the end of the year."
"Lord Nott is of no concern." He let the statement hang in the year, and
this time it was Snape who could not hide his surprise. "I have plans for
Theodore and his father. You need not worry yourself over your student.
I am curious about how Thomas' lesson went."
"The boy surprisingly knows the basics. Regardless, he was unable to
repel my attempts."
"Perhaps that is due to the method you are using."
"It is not entirely up to me." Aries raised his eyebrows at that, setting
down his finished tea. "The Headmaster has requested a more. . .
aggressive approach. He believes that it will help prepare Potter for the
Dark Lord."
"Bollocks," Snape flinched at the sudden ferocity in his voice. "It will only
weaken his mind, not prepare him. Not without prepared defenses. And
you allow this?"
"I do not approve, even with Potter. But I do not believe that proficient
Occlumency is the Headmaster's intent."
"And what is the Headmaster's intent?" Aries stated, observing Snape.
"No doubt you've realized what the Dark Lord is after, yes?" Snape waited
for Aries' confirmation before continuing. "It is the Headmaster's belief
that the Dark Lord will eventually go after his goal personally. But he
will also attempt to kill two birds with one stone, as the muggles say."
"So, the Headmaster is on the same thought path as I." He ran his hand
through his hair, thinking through what to reveal to the Potions master.
"That the Dark Lord will use this 'connection' to draw Potter in. I take it
that he is now aware of it?"
"To a point, though, I do not think he fully understands its implications."
"And you do?"
"Truthfully?" Snape seemed to be pondering his own truth himself. "I find
the entire situation. . . troubling. This 'connection,' as the Headmaster
calls it, defies the boundaries of the Mind Arts as we know them. I find
myself questioning its existence and the reason as to why it exists." Aries
let silence fall between them again. It was clear that the double agent
was beginning to honestly question the Headmaster. He was a man who
liked to know the cards in other's hands before he made his own move,
but for now, he was unsure. There was a chance that Aries could swing
Snape entirely to his side, but it would take carefully wording, and just
the right leverage.
"Tell me, Severus, what do you know of Horcruxes?" The Potion master
paled at the mention of the soul magic, his eyes portraying his own
shock.
"How do you know of them?"
"I have never shied away from the Dark Arts, like yourself, however, I did
not discover them out of ambition for my own immortality. It was by
happenstance that I came across one, and in turn, led me down a path to
their discovery, and their importance." Aries rose to his feet, turning his
back to the Potion master, giving him a chance to dissect the information
without fear of repercussion for his emotions. "I have come to discover
that the Dark Lord has created at least three Horcruxes. One has been
destroyed, two are in my possession, and I believe that he has created
more."
"Three? More?" The dread was evident in Snape's voice. "I had suspected
he had created one, but to do so many. His soul must be. . ."
"He has pushed the boundaries of soul magic far beyond any, even Herpo
the Foul, could have dreamed. It is my belief based on what I have seen
that he has entrusted members of his Inner Circle with his Horcruxes.
Bellatrix was given one, Lucius as well, and in a way, my father was
tasked with the protection of one." Aries turned back to Snape, now
paying close attention to his reaction, and reaching out with the slightest
probe of Legilimency. "Did the Dark Lord ever entrust something to you?"
"No," He picked up little save that Snape was telling the truth. "He never
trusted me entirely, only enough to ensure that I kept him informed of
the Headmaster's actions. Bellatrix, Lucius, and Regulus were perhaps the
most devout of his followers. Nott was too. . . temperamental. Perhaps
Barty or one of the Lestrange brothers, but he would've chosen Bellatrix
over them."
"Which confirms my suspicions. If he has created more, then they'll be
somewhere else.'
"Why tell me this?" Snape asked suddenly.
"Have you not figured out?" Aries let incredulity enter his voice. "The
Dark Lord's fragile soul, already split into at least three separate pieces,
went to Godric's Hollow in search of the Potters. The Killing Curse, a
spell that targets only the soul, rebounds. And suddenly, a young boy has
a scar, the ability to speak Parseltongue, and a mysterious connection to
a recently resurrected dark lord."
"Merlin. . . Potter is. . ."
"A Horcrux." Snape's pale face rose to meet his.
"Then, for the Dark Lord to be destroyed, Potter must die."
"It would seem likely," Aries answered somberly. "As far as I know, there
are only two ways to destroy a Horcrux. To destroy its container beyond
repair, using unnatural and unique means, like Basilisk venom, for
instance. Or, to create another Horcrux with the item itself, to push a
piece of your own soul into the container, ripping the other's soul piece
connection to the physical realm away."
"Then perhaps a soul bond-"
"No," Aries interrupted. "That would only tether one soul to another. It
would not remove the Horcrux nor destroy it. Not to mention, what if the
soulbond were to attach itself to both Potter's soul and the soul fragment?
Sure, there is the intent of the ritual, but who knows just how the
Horcrux is attached to Potter."
"That means that Dumbledore has been leading him to slaughter."
"Yes, the beloved leader of the light, has been leading a boy, Lily's son, to
slaughter." Snape's first clenched white at the mention of his love, the
only one that Aries believed the man had ever loved. "It brings a new
light to certain events, no? Quirrell, the Chamber of Secrets? Was Potter
ever meant to survive? Or to prepare for his eventual sacrifice? Perhaps
the Headmaster believes that the Dark Lord must be the one to do it, in
order to destroy the Horcrux."
"It is something that Dumbledore would do." There was evident anger in
Snape's voice, and Aries smirked victoriously.
"You asked the reason I was telling you this?" Aries reminded the man,
the plans formulating in his own mind. "The truth is that there are only
two individuals that match my ability in Legilimency. But of us three,
there is only one who is capable of matching that skill with Occlumency:
you. You can keep this information from the Dark Lord and the
Headmaster, even to your death. But you are also one of the few people
who have reason to want them both dead.' That caught Snape's attention,
as the shock had left his face, replaced by pure curiosity.
"You wish to kill Dumbledore?"
"Do you not?" Aries asked with a smile. "The man who has forced you to
play this dangerous game. To commit atrocities in the name of some
'greater good.' The man who forced the one woman you have ever loved
in abandoning her child to his death. Do you not wish to avenge her?
Whether you see it or not, you are in chains by both the Dark Lord and
the Headmaster. I have the power to free you from those chains. Is that
not what you desire? Freedom? I can help you achieve all that you would
seek. Freedom. Power. Recognition. Vengeance."
There was a drawn-out silence for a time, and Aries wondered if he had
miscalculated before Severus responded at last.
"You're playing a very dangerous game, my Lord." Severus stated with a
bow of his head, adding in the honorific. "It will not be easy to outplay
both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord."
"Leave that to me, my friend. You have done well, keeping me informed
of the Dark Lord's and Albus' doings."
"Relaying information has been a normal task for me of late. It is
nothing."
"And yet, knowing now what you know of Horcruxes, and the
information you have given me of the Dark Lord and the Headmaster,
such as the more secret Order meetings, places you in far more danger
than you were before. We will need to be careful, so I do not lose my new
follower. Still, there is a task I require of you. One that will test your
loyalty and cement you to our cause."
"What would you have me do, my Lord?" Aries could not help the almost
predatory grin from forming.
"I am aware that due to the Dark Mark, you cannot make an oath of
featly, something I will address in time. But given your new precarious
position, I trust that you will not tell anyone our little secret?" Aries
finished his cup of tea and simply smiled. "You will help me kill Lord
Nott and, in doing so, will set up Albus Dumbledore's downfall."
Sweat was rolling off Thomas as he swung the heavy sword through the
forms. He could feel Aries' eyes follow him with every move and he knew
if he made the slightest mistake, that the older boy would correct him.
This was how their training sessions had gone ever since their return
from Christmas break. Thomas would spend nearly an hour going
through the forms of the sword. Aries would teach him a new spell or
dueling technique, and then they would duel until Thomas wanted to
faint from exhaustion. He had quickly learned than the work was more
than worth it. His stamina, reaction time, and casting had improved
dramatically over the year since they had started, and it was only getting
better. Today, however, seemed to be the opposite.
"Again! Your sword dropped below the intended line." A low growl
escaped Thomas as he pulled the sword back to its starting position and
began anew. He kept going, but his concentration kept slipping, and it
was apparent that Aries was getting frustrated. "Enough! Put away the
sword. You'll do no good with it today. Perhaps a different means of
learning is required. Freshen up and then return. No spell work today."
Thomas sighed in relief as the water hit him, but there was no time to
relax. When he exited the bathroom, he found Aries seated before a table
with an empty chair for him.
"So, what's the plan now?"
"To talk," Aries said simply. "Your concentration clearly isn't here, so I
won't waste my time with practice." The comment stung, but Thomas
tried his best to push it out of his mind.
"Yeah, sorry," Thomas said, rather lamely. "These lessons with Snape have
been. . . exhausting. But thanks to your help, it's getting better. I never
realized how much of what you taught me was the basics of
Occlumency."
"The ability to control one's mind and emotions is critical to succeeding
at Occlumency. It is also how one tends to bring out the best in
themselves, regardless of their preferred choice. You'll find that those
who are considered the top of their craft tend to be proficient at
Occlumency. But that cannot be the entire reason for your lack of focus."
"I guess, I'm still having issues with dad," Aries could see that it was
difficult for Thomas to admit that. "And then there's everything with
Neville. I mean, he seems so much happier now that his mom his back,
but no one seems to care about that. My dad and everyone only care
about whatever he did at the Wizengamot."
"I'm not entirely surprised. Even I had not expected for the new Lord
Longbottom to make such a declaration of allegiance."
"I don't even get why it's back deal. But I guess I don't really know
anything about the Wizengamot anyway."
"You. . ." Aries could not even finish the sentence as he sat in shock for a
moment. "Are you telling that Lord Potter has told you nothing of how
the Wizengamot works?"
"No," Thomas answered sheepishly. "I mean, he probably tried, but I was
more interested in Quidditch or something, I guess."
"It seems that will be out lesson today." He sat back for a moment,
wondering just where to begin. "When Hogwarts was founded, there was
no Magical Britain. It was after Merlin walked through its Halls as a
young Slytherin that he realized there was a need for the magical people
to govern himself. After the fall of Mordred and Morgana, Merlin brought
together the thirteen great magical families of Britain, those whom you
know as the Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses."
"Wait, the Potters were around when Merlin was?"
"Yes, and no. The Peverells were around when Merlin was, however
when the last of the Peverells were married off to a Potter, it was his
decision that their children take the name Potter. As such, the Peverell
named died out, but the Potters assumed all their rights and titles, such
as being one of the thirteen Most Ancient and Most Noble families. Now
what Merlin did was created the Wizard's Council consisting of the
thirteen families, the four founders of Hogwarts, and himself. They ruled
Magical Britain for centuries until 1707, though with some changes.'
"The first would be the addition of what you now know as the Ancient
and Most Noble families. These fifteen families were added to the
Wizard's Council as a lesser position. It should be no surprise to you that
the council now encompassed what is known as the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
These families ranged from the wealthiest and powerful, like the Malfoys,
to the lowest and poorest, like the Weasleys."
"So, what about the Prewitts?" Thomas interrupted again. "Mrs. Weasley
was a Prewitt. So, shouldn't Bill be able to be a Prewitt?"
"Ah, that's a different issue. You see, should a single heir be born of more
than one line, he would have to have more than one child to continue the
line. Therefore, it is Charlie who could become a Prewitt. No one wizard
may hold lineage over two bloodlines. Now, in 1707, when the Ministry
of Magic was officially created, the Wizard's Council was disbanded and
reformed into the Wizengamot. Sixteen noble families were added, now
known as the Most Noble families. The remaining families of magical
nobility were simply known as the Noble families, whose rights still
exceeded those of the common wizard, but incredibly paled in
comparison to those of the Most Ancient and Most Noble families. Lastly,
the Minister of Magic and his cabinet, meaning the heads of each
Ministry department, were added, equaling what we know as the
Wizengamot today."
"Now that you know how the Wizengamot was formed, it's important to
know how it works." Aries took a moment for Thomas to process it all
before he continued. "In order to maintain their power, and the heirs of
the founders and Merlin, the original thirteen families implemented a
voting system. The Most Ancient and Most Noble families would receive
five votes, the Ancient and Most Noble families three votes, and the Most
Nobles and members of Ministerial cabinet were given one vote, save for
the Minster of Magic himself who would receive three votes. The Chief
Warlock would be the only one without a vote, save in the event of a tie.'
"The Minster of Magic would be chosen by the Wizengamot, and then he
would select his cabinet. Often times, those individuals remained from
the prior administration, whether due to their body of work or approval
from the Wizengamot."
"If the Minster chooses the cabinet, then why would their approval
matter?"
"That is actually rather simple," Aries said with a smile, glad to see that
Thomas was asking the right questions. "There is only one body that can
have the Minster removed, that being the same group that chose him: the
Wizengamot. Take the current situation with Amelia Bones. She is
consistently at odds with Fudge, and he has yet to remove her. This is
because Amelia has the backing of the Wizengamot, and Fudge knows
that if he were to replace her, the party in the majority would have him
removed."
"And the party in the majority is yours."
"Indeed, it is," Aries said. "The current Wizengamot consists of one
hundred and nine votes, due to certain families either being stripped of
their original titles by the Council or being incarcerated in Azkaban. The
Wizengamot is made up of three parties: the Darks, the Lights, and the
Greys. As it stands, the Greys have fifty-six votes, giving us a majority
over the Light and Dark parties, while the Light has fifteen and the Dark
has thirty-eight.'
"These three parties were created during the addition of the Ancient and
Most Nobles Houses to the Wizard's Council. The original thirteen
debated heatedly regarding their addition, with it nearly being split in
half. That divide came from the fact that some wished to ensure that they
maintained true power in the government while the other half wished for
them all to have equal footing. The two sides became known as the Darks
and the Lights, most notably because of the two sides' use of the Dark
Arts. It was what became known as the Greys who formed the
compromise, giving the first thirteen more rights, power, and votes than
all those who would join the Wizard's Council later on."
"What about the heirs? And Merlin himself?"
"As far as?"
"Well, they were originally on the Wizard's Council," Thomas said, slowly
forming his own question. "We still think being an heir to the founder is a
big deal now, so surely they thought so as well."
"Ah, I see." Aries paused a moment before continuing. "Here is where we
come to the exception to the rule of being able to rule over two lineages.
This is because the founders were not magical families of prominence.
Rather, the four were immensely powerful wizards who rose to power.
There is a reason why no one has their surname. You, as the Heir of
Gryffindor, could claim that title. But your official title would be High
Lord Gryffindor, Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of
Potter. The heirs of the founders, and of Merlin should one ever be found,
still have a place in the Wizengamot. They are known as the High Lords
of Magical Britain, and each possesses ten votes for a total of fifty.
Knowing now that the Dark Lord was the Heir of Slytherin, I'm surprised
that he never assumed his position within the Wizengamot when he
reached fifteen." Aries fell into his own pool of thought but was drawn
out by the sudden troubled look on Thomas' face. "Something confuses
you, Potter?"
"You said was."
"I'm sorry?" Aries asked in confusion.
"You said Voldemort was the Heir of Slytherin," Thomas said as he looked
curiously at Aries. "Wouldn't he still be the Heir?"
"Yes, yes, he would," he said rather quickly. "I must have misspoken." He
had hoped that would deter the sudden curiosity of Potter, but it seemed
to only encourage it.
"You never misspeak." Aries was, for the first time, somewhat unsure of
what to do. Thomas's sudden confidence that there was a meaning behind
his words was surprising, but not something he could not slither his way
out of. But perhaps now was the time to tell Thomas the truth. It had
been his intention after all, and he had every meaning to assume his own
place in the Wizengamot has Lord Slytherin.
"Indeed, I do not," Aries answered finally. "In fact, I am the Heir of
Slytherin."
"Um. . . . What?!" It was clear that Thomas had not been expecting that as
he struggled to form a full sentence. "How is that even possible?!"
"Truthfully, I do not know. Years ago, I felt called to the Chamber of
Secrets, where I learned from the Basilisk herself that I was the Heir. The
magic of herself and the Chamber recognized me as such. In fact, I am
the reason there was no Basilisk when you went to the Chamber to save
Ginny Weasley."
"You?"
"Yes, I had heard the stories of the Chamber of Secrets being reopened
and the petrification of students," Aries explained, the weight of the
dagger against his forearm suddenly becoming heavier. "So, I waited until
nightfall and came to Britain where I took the Basilisk somewhere she
could no longer be used."
"Well, thanks for that," Thomas said with a shocked laugh. "The Heir of
Slytherin, friends with the Heir of Gryffindor."
"And Smith is the Heir of Hufflepuff," Aries provided. "Though very few
know that. Long ago, the four heirs agreed to keep their bloodlines
secret, in order to preserve them and so they would no longer be hunted.
This is the reason the four seats of the High Lords remain vacant. No vow
was taken, but until now, there has never been any heir powerful enough
to reclaim their seat and fend off those who would attempt to destroy
them."
"So, you mean to reclaim the seat then?" Thomas asked curiously. "Why?
Don't you already have the majority?"
"It is my hope, Thomas, that one day, we both can claim our places as
High Lords of Magical Britain," Aries stated passionately. "That way, after
the fall of the Dark Lord, we can shape our country into a place where
those like Him can never again rise to power."
"You want me to help you?" There was confusion there as if Thomas can
never possibly understand why someone like Aries would want his help.
"Remember what I told you once? That 'I believe that those of us, with
the power and ability to do so, have a certain responsibility to the
magical world.' We have the power to change this world for the better.
It's my hope that you will help me to do so." He could see the wheels
turning in Potter's head. The need for approval during so much conflict
with his father shown out among the boy. "I think that's enough for
today. Think about what I've said, Thomas, and when you're ready to
help me change the world, I'll be here."
Aries strode slowly through the hall, replaying his conversation with
Potter over and over in his mind. He had never intended to reveal his
lineage so soon, but he hoped his gamble would pay off, and bring his
would-be apprentice fully to his side. Potter would never be able to
stomach the true things that Aries would have to do, but he did not need
the warrior Potter. He was the Boy-Who-Lived, a symbol, the Heir of
Gryffindor, and the heir to a Most Ancient and Most Noble House. All he
needed was the Potter's allegiance. But as long as James Potter survived,
there would always be a wedge between them.
It had been a desire of his to drive a wedge between young Potter and his
father. Still, the reality was that the current separation was entirely out
of Aries' hands. His thoughts came back to the locket and the cup, then to
the very fragment of the Dark Lord's soul that resided in Potter. Could the
Horcrux, which had created a connection between Potter and the Dark
Lord, be affecting those around in the same way the locket did to those
who wore it? It would make sense logically, given the reactions that
those closest to Potter tended to have, such as his own father and his best
friend, Ron Weasley.
"Um, Aries?" He turned around, finding a familiar-looking girl walking
towards him. He slipped into her mind slowly, feeling her anxiousness as
he pulled her name into his own.
"Miss Edgecombe," Aries greeted with a charming, yet reassuring smile.
"How can I help you?" The anxiousness he had felt in her mind was
evident on her face as she wrung her hands.
"I'm not sure if you know my mum, but she really supports what you're
doing in the Ministry, and um. . ." Marietta took a deep breath, trying to
calm herself. "She said if I ever needed anything or was in trouble with
Madam Umbridge to come to you, and you'd help."
"How can I help you?"
"You see, my mum works with the Floo Network. She's told me that she's
been helping Madam Umbridge monitor the Floo, and I joined the D.A. to
help my grades, but I'm terrified, Aries. I'm worried if Madam Umbridge
finds out about me that they'll fire my mum. I don't know what to do, just
please help me. I think we should tell Umbridge." Aries was silent for a
moment as he pondered what to do. It seemed that some of his plans
would have to be moved forward, as there was no way the girl would go
without confessing for much longer.
"You were right to come to me," Aries said slowly. "I can help you and
ensure that your mother will face no backlash at the Ministry. I will need
a few things from you, of course." She nodded slowly, accepting his
terms. "First, you can tell no one of the D.A. Secondly, I will need
Granger's list, the one with all of our names. At the next meeting, I need
you to steal it. And lastly, I need you to trust me. Okay?" She nodded
again, her relief evident. "Don't come to me again until you have the list.
Trust me, this will all be over soon." He sighed in frustration as Marietta
walked away before he pulled out his mirror. "Remus Lupin."
"Yes, my Lord?" Remus asked as his face appeared before him.
"Things have escalated, and we will have to move sooner than expected,"
Aries informed him. "Prepare Sirius for his role. It's time to let Fudge in
on Dumbledore's Army."
29. Wizard's Chess
AN: I actually feel like I stayed on schedule this month! I had been
putting together bits and pieces of this, but finally got it all together
last night. All in all, as always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and if
you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
Bellatrix could not help the smile that formed on her face as she exited
the floo. The feeling of her wand in her own hand seemed to invigorate
her every time she held it. So many years without magic inside the
fortress of Azkaban had left her with a new appreciation for the gift.
Simple charms and spells that before had been said with little thought
were now nearly cherished. Still, she had begun to grow restless, and so
Aries had surprised her further: the Legion. And more importantly
Commandant Taim. He was a harsh man, one who saw the training of the
Legion as his life's ultimate work. A true magical army formed by his own
hand for one who would reshape the world. There was a reverence that
Taim held for Aries Black that somewhat reminded her of the reverence
she once held for the Dark Lord and now held for her cousin as well.
When Aries had introduced them, Taim had seen her as the true
challenge for his forces, and so day by day she spent among the Legion,
testing their abilities to react to the very tactics she had helped the Dark
Lord create.
"One would hope you would not brandish your wand so careless, Bella,"
the stern voice of Cassiopeia chided.
"If our Lord did not wish for me to have it, he would not have given it to
me," Bella replied in a sing-song voice. "And where are my dear sisters?"
"Narcissa continues overseeing her assignment. I have been assured all
will be ready by the summer solstice." Cassi did not even look up from
her little black book as she answered. "And Andromeda was helping at
the Conservation. Director Lupin has requested more Wolfsbane. It seems
another pack has been added to the fray."
"And so, the Legion will grow as well?" A curt nod was her only answer
and Bella smiled. She wondered what would have happened if the Dark
Lord had acted as Aries had. There had been several Lycans that had
joined the Dark Lord in the first war, but it seemed to pale to those who
now joined their cause so readily eager to fight for their right to a normal
life. "How much longer?"
"Until the true fight begins?" Cassiopeia asked thoughtfully. "Not for some
time. I believe Aries has begun to put together a plan to deal with
Dumbledore if his actions recently have anything to say. But even then, I
am not sure. The Dark Lord will be difficult to defeat. Aries has pushed
farther than I hoped he would, but he does not heed my warnings.
Dumbledore will be easier to defeat than the Dark Lord, but he must be
careful, or else the power base he has built will crumble." Bellatrix
allowed her words to sink in. It surprised her that Cassiopeia was so
cautious. She had seen the memories of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, even
of events of the Graveyard. It was clear to her that Aries had the
potential to rival the Dark Lord one day, if not already. But what if he did
not? What if he never rivaled the Dark Lord in time? "That being said, I
am far more interested in you, Bellatrix." Cassiopeia's words brought her
out of her musings as she sent a questioning glance towards her.
"What do you mean?"
"Rudolphus." The name triggered anger within her. Pain. Hatred. The love
that she had once felt was twisted within her. Flashes of him standing
there as the Dark Lord tortured her. His emotionless face as their
kidnapped nurses and doctors told her there was nothing they could do
for her unborn children. "What will you do when you face him?"
"I will kill him." Her words rasped against her throat as tears threatened to
fall. The pain was nearly unbearable. Bella had thought herself over such
fooless emotions, but they rolled over her like a tidal wave.
"And what happens when he professes his love?" Bella wanted to scoff at
the idea. Love? He had never professed anything near love. Infatuation.
Lust. Pleasure. But never love. But what if he did? She wasn't given a
chance to answer, as suddenly Sirius burst from the floo in a flash of
green fire, his wand at the ready and a fire in his eyes. He strode towards
her, the tip of his wand flashing a sickly green color.
"Did you do it?!" The viciousness in his voice sounded so foreign to her
that she failed to respond, her eyes stuck in the flash of green.
"What is the meaning of this?" Cassiopeia demanded as she rose to her
feet. "Sirius?"
"Look at me, Bella!" Her eyes snapped to his, her own fire coming back to
her as she gripped her wand tightly. "Did you help them escape
Azkaban?"
"What are you talking about?" Bella asked, a sudden fear creeping into
her stomach.
"I know you were gone today." Sirius rambled on. "I know you left. Did
you go to Azkaban and help the Death Eaters escape?!"
"I was with Taim," she replied quickly. "All day. Go. Ask." Sirius did not
say anything right away, but after a moment he slowly lowered his wand
before collapsing into the armchair next to the fire.
"They all escaped." He said at last. "Every last of one them. And they
slaughtered every guard and Auror stationed there. I had to make sure. I
had-"
"To make sure I didn't betray you," Bella finished softly. "Never again,
Sirius. I promised you. I promised our Lord."
"I know," Sirius ran a hand over his voice, looking exhausted. "Voldemort
has his Inner Circle back. Well, most of them."
"And soon Aries will have his." Cassiopeia declared. "We will need to
move quickly to ensure our assets are protected." She turned to Bella
expectantly.
"I will inform Commandant Taim," Bella said with a small smile. "It's time
the Legion was able to give a glimpse of its strength."
If anything was certain to Sirius, it was that a lot could change in twenty-
four hours. To a certain extent, nothing had actually changed, but rather
the makings of Aries' plan was now revealed. Black-robed and armored
witches and wizards strode the halls, following prominent members of
the Ministry of Magic as they hustled and bustled through their workday.
No one seemed to question them, nor the obvious Black Coat of Arms
that graced their cloaks. Technically there was a rule against standing
magical armies. It was one of the many reasons that the Dark Lord first
war had been so successful. But what no one had seemed to notice was
the simple addition to a bill following an attack of Diagon Alley the past
summer. And why would they? Aries had so aggressively called for action
to support the DMLE, that few ever read it. Even if they had, Sirius knew
they would not have seen the small section simply stating that should a
situation arise that threatened the wellbeing of the Ministry of Magic,
like a mass breakout from Azkaban, a private security force could be
established by the author of the bill to protect the vital members of their
society. Not that anyone cared or checked. There had been a mass
breakout of Azkaban after all.
Sirius, despite being the Assistant Head Auror, was not excluded from the
protection list that Aries had put together either. Being that he was a
Black, however, meant that rather than normal members of the Legion
following him, he was graced with the presence of the Praetorians, which
did draw some attention. It did bring a smile to his face to think of Andi
telling off the two poor Praetorians whose job it was to follow her around
Saint Mungos. Despite his weavings through the crowded Atrium, his two
guards followed him faithfully, showing no signs of frustration from his
clear attempts to allude them. His mind cleared, however, when he, at
last, saw his goal: Marlene.
She was still as beautiful now as she had been back at Hogwarts and had
been like a ray of sunshine in the moral storm that berated him at times.
Aries had brought both good and bad into his life, but Marlene had made
it all worth it. He felt relieved every time he saw her smile at him,
instead of the anger he had expected from his nightmares all these years.
"Hey Padfoot," a grin growing as she greeted him. "Fancy meeting you
here."
"I'm still surprised they let me in," Sirius answered with a laugh. He
extended his arm to her and the quiet pop apparition twisted them away.
London greeted them, as did the almost silent pops of the Praetorians
apparition, whose armor, much like Sirius' robes, had changed into
muggle suits. To Sirius, they seemed to look like the Secret Service out of
American movies.
"How do they always seem to know?" Marlene whispered with a giggle.
"I have no bloody clue and Aries won't tell me!" His words came out like
a growl, which only caused her to laugh louder. They enjoyed their
leisurely stroll until they came at last to their favorite restaurant. It was a
simple place, overlooking a busy street next to a river.
"I don't have as much time today," Sirius looked up sharply at the slight
frown in Marlene's voice. "I have a job this afternoon."
"You still haven't told me what exactly it is that you do," His own frown
deepened as her eyes avoided his for a moment. "Another thing that Aries
won't tell me." She was quiet for a moment before a long sigh escaped
her.
"Let's just say I deal in information," Marlene said slowly as if trying to
put her thoughts into words carefully. "If Aries, or Cassiopeia, want
something found out, that her little black book doesn't have, then I go get
it."
"Wait a second," Sirius almost choked on his words. "You don't. . . You
don't. . ." Marlene's eyes widened for a second before she venomously
shook her head.
"No! Oh Sirius, of course not." Her words came out quick, trying to soothe
Sirius' sudden worry. "I would never stoop so low as that. No, I just. . .
Make sure I'm not seen I guess."
"So . . . You just hide in a bush and listen to people?" She left out a shaky
laugh.
"Something like that."
"And is that all you do?" Again, her eyes shifted away from his for a
second. But was it shame he had seen for just a moment? Or anger?
"I can't tell you everything, Sirius."
"Why not?"
"The simple answer is that Aries has forbidden it," Marlene answered, a
firmness in her voice that caught him off guard. "Like many of us, I am
tied to him in ways that some will never know. And the complex answer
is that even if I could, I'm not sure I would want to. I don't want you to
think any less of me." Sirius pondered that for a moment. So, it was
shame. If she wasn't prostituting herself, then what could she possibly
have to be ashamed of?
"But-"
"Sirius," she caught him off before he can continue. "I waited so long to
come back. To see you again. To have what we have now. You might not
understand, but I'm not ready to risk telling you everything in the chance
that I will lose all this again. I've been to rock bottom, and Aries and
Cassi got me out of it. They owed me nothing, and in return for my work,
they have given me everything." Another sigh escaped her and for a
moment, Sirius was reminded of how tired he had felt just last night after
the breakout. "For as long as we can, before this war breaks out, I want to
enjoy life. I want to enjoy us." She reached out and took his hand, giving
him a weak smile. "Please?" Sirius gave her hand a reassuring squeeze
and pushed his doubts from his mind.
He focused on enjoying his food, the way the sun seemed to shine on her
beautiful hair, the sound of her laughter. So, he didn't see her pull her
wand from her sleeve. He didn't see her silently whisper the Imperious
curse. He didn't see the way the eyes of the girl two rows over seem to
glaze over. And after he had given Marlene a kiss goodbye before he left,
he didn't see her follow the girl into the ally nearly ten minutes away.
Which means, he did not see the flash of green that left Marlene's wand,
ending the girl's life.
He wasn't sure why there a feeling of unease in his stomach. Was it
because he was the first to arrive at the Room of Requirement? Aries was
always first with obvious signs that he had been there for a while doing
some sort of training. Was it because it was ten minutes past their start
time? Others had started to notice that Aries was missing, and he was
never late. Or was it because none of the Slytherins were there. He could
feel Susan's suspicious glance at him, and the scrunched-up face of
Hermione meant she was going through their day, wondering if at some
point she had seen or heard that their missing members had gotten
detention. But Aries never had detention. Thomas tried to push down his
worry, as he turned to face the group, but it was clear that he wasn't the
only one worried.
Boom.
Thomas turned with his wand already out, falling into his dueling stance.
Boom.
Many of Dumbledore's Army brandished their wands as well, but just as
many seemed eager to disappear through an exit, but none appeared.
Thomas felt the room leave his control, as if someone with more
willpower had arrived. And suddenly, Thomas knew what was
happening.
Boom.
The room changed. Its stone walls hardened into steel, becoming far more
like the walls of a prison than that of a castle. The great doors opened
revealing a sight that caused his heart to fall into his stomach. Dolores
Umbridge stood before them, a sadistic smile painted across her face, as
Aries Black and the rest of Slytherins stood by.
"I would suggest lowering your wands children," the sickly-sweet voice of
Umbridge grated at his eyes, as anger started to rise. "Or it won't just be
Potter and Granger that are getting expelled. Return to your dormitories,
I have all of your names right here." He hadn't thought the night could get
any worse, until he saw what was in Umbridge's hand: a list that clearly
said Dumbledore's Army and all of their names. "Potter, Granger, if you
would."
The two followed her, a sense of defeat and anger filling their minds, as
the Slytherins surrounded them. Umbridge was talking gleefully to Black,
he could no longer stand to say his other name, though the older boy
seemed rather non-committal to their conversation. He never looked back
at Thomas, something he was glad for. He didn't think he could stop
himself from lunging and trying to beat in the older boy's face. Anger,
one that he did not even notice felt foreign, was rising in him again. A
need to lash out was becoming unescapable. But before he could act on
the sudden impulse, they had arrived at their destination: the
Headmaster's office.
"Ah, Dolores, are you aware that you have students out of bed?"
Dumbledore asked innocently. He could see the pink anger rise in
Umbridge's cheeks.
"I'm afraid the game is up, Dumbledore," Clear victory rang in her voice,
but Thomas could suddenly only stare at Aries. The older boy was
looking at him now, studying him with a look no different than if
Thomas was practicing another form or spell. "Minister!" His gaze was
drawn from his former friend when Cornelius Fudge, followed by a few
Aurors that Thomas recognized, most importantly his father and
godfather. James went to immediately begin shouting, but a strong grip
on his arm from Sirius and a stern look from the man that Thomas
recognized as Head Auror Scrimgeour, stopped him.
"Is it true?" Fudge asked, a giddiness covering his words.
"Oh, yes indeed it is, Minister," Dolores answered, handing Fudge the list.
"They're guilty I say! Potter should be expelled this instant!"
"Now, Madam Umbridge, that does seem rather extreme," Black's first
words were smooth, almost slippery to Thomas' ears, and caused a chill
to run up his spine. "While Potter and Granger may have been explicit to
this crime, I do not believe the fault lies with them. If I may, Minister?"
"Of course, Lord Black," Fudge was so focused on Black that he didn't see
the outright glare Umbridge was now sending the boy.
"It is a rather simple tale," Black began as he clasped his hands before
him. "Months ago, I was approached to help some of the students
struggling with the new curriculum in Defense Against the Dark Arts. At
first, I was disinclined to acquiesce to their request, but Miss Greengrass
assured me that it was my duty to help the future of our world perform at
their best while here at Hogwarts." Fudge nodded at that, hanging on
Black's every word. "So, I agreed and attended their meeting in
Hogsmeade to discuss a schedule. Shortly after, Madam Umbridge
disbanded all teams and groups. It was an odd coincidence, I thought, but
pushed it aside, and Potter did not approach me again in regard to the
group.'
"I continued on with my own studies but was recently approached by a
fellow student who had attended the Hogsmeade meeting. You see, she
was rather worried about something she was involved in. I will not say
her name, but her mother does work in the Ministry of Magic, so clearly,
she worried for her mother's career. She told me that this group was
going to start meeting up, but that the Slytherins were no longer invited.
Apparently, it was feared we would tattle tale." Black paused for a
moment, before his eyes fell of Thomas. "I did not believe her when she
said that Potter was forming an anti-Ministry group here at Hogwarts. So,
I did my own sort of investigation."
"Why did you not inform me?" Umbridge interrupted aggressively. "Or
any proper Ministry official?"
"As Lord Black, I am properly entitled to investigate and handle any issue
dealing with a Most Ancient and Most Noble Family. I feared that Heir
Potter was being used. And I was right." Black pointed towards the list
rather fiercely. "That says Dumbledore's Army. Not Potter's."
"Well, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked, turning towards the Headmaster.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
"I think you have figured it out quite well yourself, Minister." There was a
calmness in Dumbledore's voice that seemed out of place to Thomas, and
the twinkle had yet to leave his eyes.
"So, you admit it then?! You recruited students and tried to turn them
against the Ministry of Magic?! This is treason! Aurors! Arrest him!" If not
for all of Thomas' lessons with Black, he would have missed it. The slight
hesitation of the Aurors, whom Thomas now realized were coincidently
nearly all Order members, and the almost unnoticeable nod of
Dumbledore. Fawkes cawed softly in the background.
"I see you believe that I intend to. . . what is the phrase? Go quietly?"
Dumbledore stated, rising out of his chair, causing Fudge and Umbridge
to shrink back. "Oh, I have no intention of going to Azkaban tonight." The
Aurors moved, fast enough to be believable, but a sudden flash of magic
caused Thomas to clamp his eyes shut. A quiet scene greeted him as his
eyes slowly opened. Fudge, Umbridge, and Scrimgeour were stunned on
the ground, while the two Blacks and his father stood unharmed.
"What the bloody hell have you done?!" James yelled, his frustration at
last being unbearable to contain as he pointed a finger angerly at the
younger Black.
"He made his move, James," Dumbledore answered calmly, his eyes only
on Black who returned his gaze unflinchingly. "I trust you will take care
of the students."
"Haven't I always?" Black responded dryly. "I trust you will not go too far.
This round is coming to an end."
"Indeed." The others stared bewildered between the two wizards, their
words passing by without comprehension. "When the time comes, I will
be there." Then Fawkes landed on his shoulder and with a flash of red
flame, Dumbledore was gone. They stood there for a moment, no one
sure what to do, until Sirius began to wake the stunned officials.
"He's gone!" Fudge cried.
"Capturing him was always a long shot, Minister," Scrimgeour said sourly,
though he glanced suspiciously at Lord Black, who answered his look
with a raised eyebrow. "I guess the question remains is what to do now
that Dumbledore is gone."
"Well, Madam Umbridge will take over as Headmistress," Thomas barely
concealed the groan that was rising in him. "Yes, that will do. Now, I
think that's enough excitement for one night."
"What about Potter and Granger?!" Umbridge nearly screamed. "They
committed treason!"
"Ah, yes," The Minster said tiredly. "I had nearly forgotten."
"As I said before, Minister," Black interrupted before Umbridge could
speak. "Expulsion is rather extreme. After all, if some of our more
esteemed members of the Wizengamot could fall prey to the Imperious
Curse of the Dark Lord, then surely a few school children could be
deceived by someone as wise and cunning as Dumbledore?" Brilliant.
Thomas couldn't help himself. It was bloody brilliant and the anger on
Umbridge face told the story.
"Yes, yes, you're right. No expulsion. These poor children." Fudge
muttered incoherently for a moment, before turning to his father. "James,
I am sorry for what Albus did to your children. Terrible. Just, terrible.
Now, let's call this a night, and be rid of it. Just terrible."
"I'm afraid I wasn't finished, Cornelius." The sudden disappearance of the
Minister's honorific, and ice in his voice, caused the Fudge to turn quickly
back to Lord Black, a sheepish look covering his face. "When we spoke of
Headmistress Umbridge's appointment this summer, it was to ensure that
such a thing as this would not happen. While there were many
improvements made, it is clear that these educational decrees of hers
were not. . . effective. Given the fact that this anti-Ministry organization
was still formed I believe these decrees are no longer necessary.
Especially given Dumbledore's removal."
"Yes, I suppose you are right," The thoughtfulness of the Minister's voice
made Thomas believe he had to be hearing things.
"And given the Headmistress duties, it is clear that she will not have time
to continue teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. But that is no matter,
given the curriculum. I believe a simple study hall with their Heads of
House will do nicely. They simply just need to read the textbooks, after
all. Which reminds me, a Headmistress does not run detentions. So, it
only makes sense that the Heads of House resume their normal duties.
Headmistress Umbridge will need all the time she can get to rewrite the
curriculum for the next school year, after all."
Yes, Thomas had to be dreaming. There was no way. Even as the Minster
nodded his agreement and Umbridge's face turned far pinker than her
jumper, Thomas could not believe what he was hearing.
"You are, of course, right, Lord Black," Fudge turned to Umbridge, a look
of authority about him. "Remove the decrees and make it so,
Headmistress. Perhaps those Slytherins we spoke of could help you. Now,
if that is, at last, all there is?" The Minister did not even bother to hide
his sigh of exhaustion before he quickly escaped through the floo. His
father hugged him quickly, whispering a few words of encouragement
that he barely heard, before he followed the Minister. Sirius had done the
same with Black before he too left. The last thing Thomas saw as slowly
left the office with Hermione, still shocked to the core, was a look of
victory of Black's face that made it clear, that despite everything,
Umbridge had lost, and he had won.
It was an odd sight that greeted him the next morning as Professor
McGonagall summoned them all down to the common room before
breakfast. Everyone in Gryffindor had already known all that their Head
of House informed them, thanks their intensive interrogation of him the
night before. Thomas had, of course, left out the incident with
Dumbledore, but had gleefully told them all that had transpired before
and after. It left them all with a rather confused feeling. Aries Black had
sold them out to Umbridge, but in doing so had neatly locked her in a
cage. Dumbledore's words had come back to him: He made his move,
James. The former Headmaster had acted like he expected it all happen
exactly as it did. Aries, no, Black, had made his move. Now it was
Dumbledore's. Or was it Voldemort's?It was all chess like he had been
told months ago.
He and Hermione lagged behind everyone, though everyone seemed to
be lagging on their way to the Great Hall. A small smile formed as he saw
Susan. After the night prior, he had just wanted to be wrapped up in her
arms and rest. But immediately, Thomas tensed and noticed a few things
out of place. First was that Susan was suddenly walking towards him
rather quickly. Second was that her fists were clenched so tight that her
knuckles were white. And third was that, instead of joy or relief on her
face, she had a look of anger that rivaled Umbridge's from the night
before.
Pain seared through his cheek as she slapped, the sound echoing in the
hall.
"I told you!" Susan nearly yelled before seeming to gain some composure.
"I told you and you refused to listen. He sold us out! You wouldn't listen to
Ron. You ignored Hermione. You pretty much said that everyone's
concern was bloody bollocks. And you didn't believe your fucking
girlfriend. Well, I told you so! I've had enough. We are through." Her last
words, sounding more like an angry hiss than words, struck him harder
than her slap. She left him there, standing alone, and he could not help
but notice that when he sat next to Hermione in the Great Hall, that there
was no one else sitting anywhere near them.
There was a saying that 'clothes make the man,' yet it could not be truer
than now. Aries had always seemed welcoming during his time in
Hogwarts, seeming to appear no more than simply another student at
times. Paying attention to others, especially Aries Black, was something
that Theodore Nott had been ordered to do, after all. Yet, as he stood next
to him in the third-floor girl's lavatory, it was clear that Black was not
just a student. Despite the simple black robes, the other boy looked regal
with an air of authority about him that seemed to just scream power.
An odd sounding hiss, one that Theo quickly noted came from Aries
himself, caused the sink before him to simply change. Now a pathway
had formed, and stairs rose to meet them. Aries said nothing, as if words
were a waste of his time and he just expected obedience. So, Theo
followed, all the while questioning what was to become of him. Aries had
given him no instruction in the Slytherin Common Room, save to come
along. They exited the long pathway into a wide chamber, a large face
carved into the far wall that every member of his Hogwarts House would
recognize.
"Salazar Slytherin," Theo said, barely a whisper, coming to a stop.
"Indeed, it is. This is the Chamber of Secrets, the great work of my
ancestor." Shock coursed through him. Could it be? Not only did he stand
in one of the greatest wonders of the Founders, the Heir himself had
brought him here? "This has been my base of operations during my time
here at Hogwarts. Salazar had enough foresight to ensure that the wards
here act independently of those that surround Hogwarts, yet they are just
as powerful. It has allowed me to come and go as I please, as well as
meet those whom I wish. As the Heir of Slytherin, the wards answer to
me, and to me alone." Aries continued forward and he rushed to follow,
the weight of his words crashing down on him.
He was led to a small study and his eyes widen when he saw the portrait
of Salazar Slytherin himself. For a moment he had hoped that it would
move, and the great founder would begin speaking, but much to his
disappointment, the portrait remained still. It was then that he noticed
they were not alone. Long, brown hair framed the round face of the
woman and the bright, chocolate-colored eyes seemed to draw him in,
but Theo tensed warily. There something off about her. She did not stand,
but rather moved quickly to kneel before Aries.
"My Lord," The reverence in the voice of a woman clearly twice Aries' age
shocked him. "I have done as you have asked."
"And?" Her eyes never left the ground as she lifted up a small bracelet.
"It is a portkey, my Lord. Undetectable. It will take you to a small room
unknown to all but him. He will expect to find the girl, but you will be
waiting for him."
"And the girl?"
"I killed her in an ally away from the main areas. No one saw. Her body
is at the bottom of the channel by now." There was no falter. No emotion.
He saw the way Aries suddenly smiled. He shivered. It was too much like
the Dark Lord.
"You have done well." Lord Black's voice was like silk as he reached down
to pull her face upwards. "And you will be rewarded just as well. Enjoy
your night with Sirius. I will finish our work."
"I live to serve, my Lord," The woman bowed deeply, her face nearly
touching Lord Black's feet, before she hurried off. The pop of apparition
was Theodore's only sign that she had left.
"Hades," Lord Black called and suddenly a great flash of black flame
erupted into a grand phoenix. Its coat was black as night and he could
not help but stare in wonder. "I have revealed many secrets to you
tonight, my friend. I hope my faith in you has not been misplaced."
Another shiver. Did he even know how much he sounded like the Dark
Lord? "It is time." Theodore Nott felt the pull of his navel and the
Chamber of Secrets spun away.
He landed quietly next to Lord Black, the black phoenix shimmering into
invisibility. Theo had never seen this room, despite living in the manner
for sixteen years and knowing of his father's weakness for prostitutes,
magical and squib alike. It was he who had told Lord Black of this
weakness and it had seemed that the woman from the chamber had
followed it to one of his father's favorites. Now, they stood, listening to
the cursing of his father. Heavy footsteps grew increasingly louder until
the door ripped open. A flash of red light caught Lord Nott off guard, and
he collapsed to the ground.
Lord Black moved almost meticulously as he secured Lord Nott to a chair
with a simple binding spell. Hades had shimmered back into existence,
but neither powerful entity seemed to pay him any mind as he stared
dumbfounded at the pile of filth that was, he father. He is about to die.
The words whispered to him, filling him with a mixture of excitement
and uncertainty.
"How?" Theodore asked, not sure where the sudden question came from.
"How will you kill him?" Lord Black did not answer but turned away
towards the small table where a glass of firewhiskey sat. He poured
himself a glass before sitting himself in the armchair in the corner.
"Hades, it is time." The Phoenix soared down, landing on Lord Nott's lap,
where its talons ripped into the man's skin. "Rennervate." Lord Nott awoke
and screamed in an instant as the phoenix clenched its talons further.
Then Theodore felt something else. A wave of magic ripped through the
room. The source was the phoenix itself and it seemed to pour into his
father. Lord Black sat calmly, despite the torrent of magic, but his eyes
flickered beneath his close eyelids. Then it was over as quickly as it
began. Lord Nott slumped as Lord Black rose to his feet.
"All phoenixes are gifted in healing and in a version of the Mind Arts,"
Lord Black began as if leading a lecture, "While normal phoenixes have a
way with emotions, the 'black' phoenix is gifted in Legilimency and
Occlumency. It can provide a natural defense for its bonded's mind, as
well perform Legilimency itself, relaying the memories and emotions to
its bonded. That is what you just witnessed. Hades has left your father
little more than a vessel of bones and muscle. His mind is destroyed.'
"Now kill him." Theodore's head snapped to Lord Black who returned his
gaze with a look of calculation. This was a test. It all meanings of the
word, Lord Nott was dead. But he still breathed, and his heart still beat.
There was just two simple words to finish it properly.
"I. . ."
"Do you not long for freedom?" Lord Black's voice was ice that ripped
through him. "I have given you your revenge on a silver platter, yet you
hesitate! Reach out and take it! His titles, his position, his power is yours
for the taking!" No, it is his for the taking, remember? The same voice
whispered again. "He did not care for you as the Dark Lord tortured you.
You were a tool to him, to be used like the prostitutes he fucked in this
very room! Kill. Him. Now."
"Avada Kedavra!" He had no idea when he had taken out his wand. Nor
when he had pointed it at his brain-dead father. But for a moment,
Theodore thought he saw fear in Lord Nott's eyes before his body
slumped to ground.
"Good," Lord Black's voice whispered. "You have done well, Lord Nott."
And he was Lord Nott now, wasn't he? He would take his father's place,
but he knew he would serve a different master. He fell to the ground, his
knees collapsing underneath him, and moved to kneel before Lord Black.
Theo knew what was required of him. He shivered for a third time. It felt
all too much like kneeling before the Dark Lord. He had thought he was
escaping, but he was just enslaving himself to another master.
"The mark prohibits you from swearing fealty, but I have, at last a
remedy for that. Give me your arm, Theodore." Slowly he raised his
marked arm towards Lord Black, but the older boy hissed in anger. "The
other arm." Lord Black gripped his wrist and placed the tip of his wand on
his forearm. His new lord hissed, much like he had before entering the
Chamber of Secrets, and Theo felt an all too familiar burn. A snake began
to form on his arm, but unlike the Dark Lord's mark, it formed a perfect
circle, eating its own tale. Then a raven formed, its wings and tail
overlapping the body of the snake as its white eyes seemed to stare into
his soul. The mental shields that encompassed his mind suddenly felt
stronger, but as his eyes rose to meet Lord Black's, they felt like
transparent glass. "The bindings of the Dark Lord no longer shackle you."
But his do. The voice whispered. He felt little surprise as the oath fealty
rolled off his tongue, the flash of light another signal of his new
allegiance. His new master.
AN: I really enjoyed this chapter, though they never seem to end up
as good as they were originally in my head. That being said, it was
fun to right a chapter where none of it was from Aries' point of
view. He often sees himself as this savior, but we can clearly see
that not all see him that way. Very much looking forward to the
next few chapters. From my original outline from over two years
ago (which blows my mind that it's been that long since I took a
leap of faith and posted the first chapter), there are four chapters
left of Part II. These, however, were my original ideas that ended up
causing this whole story. I have a feeling they will be incredibly
difficult to write, but I can't wait for that challenge.
I had really hoped to be finished with this story long ago, and had
moved on to others that I work on sparingly from time to time. But
life doesn't always work that way. Still, after two years to have over
2700 followers and 2000 favorites is insane. I'm an avid Fanfic
reader myself, so at times I feel abit less about my own writing
compared to others. But to see so many have enjoyed and continue
to enjoy this story is a blessing. Thank y'all for that. It's been very
much appreciated and continues to motivate me to finish this story.
30. Of OWLs and Visions
AN: Another long hiatus. But the story continues. I hope you enjoy
it, and if you don't, whatever floats your boat y'all.
The Dark Lord's study had a simple elegance, something that Severus
noticed nearly every time he entered. There were no horrid things to
send chills up your spine, to grow goosebumps on your arms, or haunt
your nightmares. No, the Dark Lord was enough for that. Gleaming red
eyes shown bright underneath the darkness of his drawn hood and the air
felt heavy from the magic that emanated from the wizard. The Dark Lord
was the exact opposite of Albus Dumbledore in every way, something
that both wizards seemed to be immensely proud of.
He knelt before his master and waited, his Occlumency shields held
tightly over his mind, as the burning sensation of the Dark Mark
thrummed along his thoughts. The Dark Lord made no move to
acknowledge him. His red eyes stayed glued to the newspaper in front of
him. The Daily Prophet had wasted no time in releasing a statement with
a picture of the Dark Mark hovering above the manor of the late Lord
Nott.
"What have you found, Severus?" The Dark Lord's voice was quiet, but
hard as steel. It was unnerving to him, how well his master contained his
emotions.
"Lord Black did not leave the school grounds, nor did any student."
Severus began slowly. "Given the Dark Mark, the Order and their allies
within the Ministry believe this to be your work. But, as with the World
Cup, the Minister is refusing to believe in your return."
"Lord Nott had not displeased me," came the rather even reply. "And
what of my own followers? Lucius. . . Barty. . . Bella?"
"Bellatrix's location is still a mystery to me. Lord Black has not entrusted
it to me, nor have any of the others revealed it. As for your more faithful
servants, none were guilty of this." Silence greeted his words, though he
dared not look up from the ground. It was not an entirely true statement.
It had been he, after all, who had informed Lord Black of their schedule,
and had ensured that Lord Nott would be home alone.
"And what of Theodore?"
"It seems he has thrown his lot in with Lord Black," Severus hesitated at
the sharp hiss from the Dark Lord. "For what reasons, I do not know. His
Occlumency is sound, and he has refused to confide in me."
"Dumbledore's disappearance has done little to improve your position,
Severus."
"He left no clue to his plans, my Lord. Nor does Lord Black fully trust me.
I have fed him information as you ordered, but he has yet to act on it. He
does not act rashly, nor is he prone to risk his pieces for a pawn. To draw
him out, we must capture something important to him."
"And yet, he has made those who are valuable nearly untouchable." The
Dark Lord said, displeasure lacing his voice. "But it is not Aries whom I
wish to draw out. His value is still being determined. Perhaps there is
another way to achieve my goals." Severus waited, hoping that the Dark
Lord would elaborate, but he did not. "Tell me of Hogwarts."
"Our new Headmistress runs the school in little but name. Lord Black has
backed her into a corner, even with this Inquisitorial Squad she has
created. All of its members are loyal to him without her knowledge. The
blood-traitor Weasleys are causing havoc, but the school is hardly in a
position of weakness as you had hoped, my Lord."
"It would seem Aries has out played us again," The Dark Lord nearly
whispered, his eyes moving to a three-sided chess board in the corner.
"For now, at least."
James' eyes ran over the contents of the files for what seemed like the
millionth time.
"It just doesn't make sense!"
"It's Voldemort, James. Nothing makes sense." He shook his head at
Sirius' dismissal.
"Can't you see it? Why would Voldemort kill Nott and leave the Dark
Mark? He wants to hide not give himself away!"
"I don't know, alright?!" Sirius yelled as he slammed his hand on the desk.
"But who besides a Death Eater knows how to make the Mark? We went
up and down that crime scene and not a single trace of anything. No
special spells or curses. The house elf already identified the portkey."
James sighed in frustration. "Look, go get some sleep. Forget about the
case for now. Until we get word from Scrimgeour we can't do anything
anyway."
Sirius left, giving him a small pat on the shoulder. It wasn't enough to
remind James that he and Sirius had been almost amiable the past few
months, as the file still consumed his thoughts. He felt like something
was missing and knowing that both Scrimgeour and Bones agreed with
him drove him crazy. Their questioning of Theodore Nott had revealed
nothing but considering that he had never left the school there had not
been much point.
Potter Manor was nearly silent when James finally returned home. The
sun had already fallen, and night had risen as questions ran through his
mind, the answers eluding him. Their house elf had noticed his arrival
and a warm plate of dinner awaited him when he sat at the table. Lily
was nowhere to be found, which wasn't exactly a surprise. Ever since
Thomas had left for school after Christmas break, his wife had spent
hours upon hours in the Potter library.
She had never shared what exactly she was researching and had refused
to answer his own questions. It was another behavior in a long list of
ones that seemed the scream the distance that had grown between them
in the past year. But it wasn't just Lily he felt like he was losing. Sirius
and his own son seemed to be slipping away from him. Every day his
former best friend, someone he had once claimed to be brother in all but
blood, seemed to place himself further and further within the
mechanisms of Lord Black, and Thomas was just as bad. He knew all too
well that his son had disobeyed him, continuing to train under the older
boy, and it seemed like the son he had raised was starting to disappear. It
all frightened him far more than he would ever admit. He had never felt
this alone.
The worst of it was the shame he felt. He had actually struck his own son.
James couldn't help but shake his head, as tears threatened to fall. He
shuddered to think what his father and mother would think of him now.
And despite everything he had not apologized yet. He just couldn't bring
himself to admit what he had done. It was cowardice, perhaps the most
cowardly thing he had ever done, but it was there, festering at the
forefront of his mind always, taunting him.
"James?" His head shot up to see Lily standing in the door, concern
covering his face.
"Hey," he answered rather lamely. She was staring intently at him, a
contrast to their normal, awkward avoidance of each other.
"Are you alright?" James could not stop the familiar frustrated sigh that
escaped him.
"Yeah, Lils, I'm fine." He paused for a moment. "I think I've really messed
up though."
"With Thomas?" There was a slight edge to her voice, but James could
tell she wanted him to continue.
"Everyone, honestly. Ever since Aries got here, I just haven't felt like. . .
myself."
"Things have changed so quickly, James. We knew this day would come
but I don't think any of thought it would happen so soon. It's been
difficult on all of us. Especially you." Lily came to sit beside him, cupping
his face with her hands. "Our world isn't as black and white as we like to
think it is."
"I know, I know." Silence stretched between them and James noticed Lily
biting her lip, a nervous habit of hers. "What is it, Lils?"
"I want it to be nothing, but. . ."
"But what?" Lily took a deep breath, organizing her thoughts before she
looked James right in the eye.
"Has any of what Thomas has gone through bothered you at all?" He
didn't answer, not even bothering to try to hide his confused look. "His
first year Thomas came face to face with Voldemort who was possessing
a professor for an entire year. Then he and his friends managed to easily
work their way through traps that were meant to stop Voldemort
himself."
"Lily those traps were in place before Thomas even got to Hogwarts. You
know that."
"But then why were they so easy?" Again, James had no answer. "Second
year. There's no way Albus could have known of the diary or anything,
but then he sends Fawkes to help Thomas? With a hat and a sword? You
know as well as I the capabilities of Phoenixes. Albus could have been
there himself! Yet, he left our twelve-year-old son to fight a bloody basilisk
with a sword."
"The wards-"
"Don't give me that sorry excuse, Potter!" Lily was clearly irate, as she
rose to her feet, pointing angerly at James. "There are no wards that can
keep a Phoenix out! "
"I don't know Lily!" James yelled back. "I don't know why Albus does
what he does! He-"
"And then last year! Moody being. . . not Moody! That's twice that Albus
has allowed Voldemort or one of his Death Eaters to be at Hogwarts for
an entire year!"
"He's not infallible. We know that he's made mistakes. But he's always
had our best interests at heart."
"Does he?" Lily grounded out the question, her fists clinched tightly. "Then
why did he want us to send Harry away?"
James visibly flinched and could not meet Lily's eyes, as guilt flooded
him. Ever since Harry's disappearance, they had never mentioned him. A
silent agreement between the two that the pain was too much to admit.
But Lily seemed to catch on to his guilt.
"Do you know something, James?" Her voice was quiet, but it felt like ice
against his ears and heart.
"Lily. . ." He had never seen his wife move so quickly, but suddenly there
was a wand in his face.
"Tell. Me. Now."
"He was dying!" The words came out in a choked sob, as years of tears
seem to escape James at last. "Whatever happened that night was killing
him. It drained his magic and was going to drain him of his life. Albus
placed wards at the home that were supposed to let us know when he
passed, but they never alerted us. That's how we found out he was
missing."
"Dying?" There was no strength left in her voice. "Harry was dying, and
we sent him away. . ." Lily suddenly stood and almost ran towards the
Floo.
"Lily!" But he was too late, and she disappeared in a flash of green flames.
He let out a depressed sigh as he went to get more Firewhiskey. His life
felt broken apart and James could not see how he was supposed to fix it.
The flash of green flame surprised Sirius for as far as he knew he was not
expecting any visitors at 12 Grimmauld Place. Marlene was off on
another mysterious assignment and the three Black sisters were off with
Cassiopeia, probably plotting some other plan for Aries. There were no
Order members here for once, but yet there was Lily Potter, viciously
wiping ash off her jeans as tears fell furiously down her face.
"Lily?" That was all he managed to say before she nearly collapsed in his
arms, holding on tightly, as if for dear life. She began to tell him
everything. Her fears and doubts about Thomas' time at Hogwarts and
Dumbledore's potential involvement. The war and how it was tearing her
family apart. Then about James confession as sobs racked at her body.
"We left him to die?" He did not have to fake the anger in voice. It was
still there, burning like an enduring flame in the pit of his stomach.
"I don't know what to do Sirius," Lily admitted between tearful hiccups. "I
can't go home right now, not yet. And I don't think I can look
Dumbledore in the eye. He and James lied to us. Oh, Harry. . ."
"You can stay here for the night." He began softly. "As for Dumbledore. . .
well. . ."
"Don't be meek," A soft laugh accompanied her words. "Everyone in the
Order knows you don't like Dumbledore. I suppose you only stay for
Aries, right?"
"Something like that."
"Is. . . Is Aries' side alright?" He stiffened at the question but forced
himself to relax. Lily was distressed, she wasn't here to spy, and if he
could convince her to join then maybe Aries could remove the charms
sooner.
"Aries wants what Dumbledore wants: to defeat Voldemort. He wants a
better integration of Muggleborns into our society while preserving our
traditions and values. He wants progress, but not just for the sake of
progress. He's neither a blood supremacist nor a blood traitor, he's just. . .
Aries. He does what he needs too, though sometimes his methods are. . ."
"Questionable?"
"Yeah. He plays the system. Everyone plays dirty, so he sees no reason as
to why he shouldn't."
"The Order isn't perfect either."
"No, no it's not." They sat there for some time, before Sirius finally
showed her to a spare room. He could hear her cries as he walked to his
own room, where he sat for hours staring at the wall, wondering if there
were any way things would ever go back to normal.
Fleur's beauty was something that never ceased to catch Aries' off guard,
despite the affection he felt for Daphne. The Greengrass Heiress had
become a critical part of his plan for Magical Britain, but all of her guile
and political savviness seemed to pale in comparison to the French
Veela's beauty. Internally he smirked, grateful that they were both bound
to him in ways beyond any other's comprehension, though in drastically
different ways.
"The Director's work continues well," Fleur said, continuing her report, her
French rolling off her tongue. "I give it a year or so before we are adequately
prepared to defend London. The rest of Britain will take time. A decade is the
best estimate. Expanding onto the continent will be. . . difficult."
"It is of no consequence," Aries said dismissively. "What of the Council?"
"They. . . deliberate." The Veela hesitated a moment, a distasteful look
covering her face. "From what I gathered they mistrust you."
"As they should." He let the conversation die, his eyes roaming over the
occupants of the Leaky Cauldron. The expectant party for his meeting
had not arrived, but it did not worry him yet. Members of his Praetorian
Guard has blended in quite easily. He doubted only his true enemies
would ever notice.
"I have met someone who could further our goals." Aries raised his eyebrows
in surprise and motioned for Fleur to continue. "Bill Weasley. He's a gifted
Curse Breaker and well liked within Gringotts. He's been petitioning for the
Goblins to support Dumbledore and his Order."
"Unfortunate then, that I have already garnered their support. Weasley, you
say? I have designs for Percival, but Bill is the Heir Apparent."
"He is. . . interested in me." A stronger look of distaste flashed across her
face. "In another life, perhaps. But he is nothing in comparison to you." Aries
smirked at her reaction, but a plan already begun to form in his mind.
"Let his interest grow. Encourage it if you must." It was Fleur's turn to allow
surprise show. "Become his friend, seduce him even. Allow him to bring you
into Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. Sirius' position may become
compromised. But you have little connection to me. And once Bill is the new
Lord Weasley, you can influence him."
"Am I to whore myself out for you?" He was uncertain when the nature of
the cruel task he was giving her set in, but he pushed away the nagging
feeling that he was enjoying it. But you are, aren't you? At last, his party
at arrived, drawing his attention away from irritated Veela in front of
him.
"Do not give yourself to him if you do not desire. But I will have Bill Weasley
on my side."
He left her without another word, the resigned look on her face etching
itself into his mind as he followed the hooded man to the room at the end
of the upstairs hallway. The furniture had been transfigured, leaving
behind too high-backed leather chairs with a small, round table between
them. Two glasses and a bottle of Ogden's finest rested on the table.
The man removed his hood, revealing the face of Barty Crouch Junior.
He had filled out some since their encounter in Moody's office almost a
year before. The slight twitch of his face remained, but there was a
certain gleam in his eye. While no words were spoken, Aries could sense
the Death Eater's almost fanatical desire to duel him here and now. The
magic of his wand pulsed against his forearm demanding that he unleash
a torrent of magic against the would-be foe. But Aries was not here to
duel. He dismissed the man and sat down to wait. Barty sneered, showing
a look of disappointment before he pressed his wand into the familiar
Dark Mark.
There was no grand entrance. No darkening of the rooms or storms
forming on the horizon. One minute it was only Barty Crouch Junior and
Aries Black in the room, then an almost inaudible pop brought the arrival
of Lord Voldemort.
In the graveyard, the Dark Lord had been gaunt and the robes he had
worn seemed too gaunt for him. But now, he looked every bit the dark
lord he claimed to be. Power emanated from the wizard; every step more
graceful than the first as he walked calmly to claim his seat across from
Aries.
"Lord Black," Voldemort greeted evenly as he motioned for Barty to leave.
"Lord Voldemort."
"You dare?" Aries raised an eyebrow in question.
"Forgive me then. I assumed since you called me by my title, I was to do
the same for you. So, what shall I call you? Your highness? Your
darkness? Tom?" Red eyes narrowed at his cheek as the he gripped his
yew wand tightly. "I cannot in good conscious call you my lord, as we are.
. . occupational rivals."
"You believe yourself to be my equal?"
"As close to anyone but Albus Dumbledore can be." They sat in silence,
the bottle of firewhiskey all but forgotten behind their nearly
impenetrable shields of Occlumency. Neither made true eye contact for
risk of their talented Legilimency. Aries knew that Voldemort was more
than aware of his own skill, as he had had Severus inform the Dark Lord.
It made the idea of attempting to enter the other's mind risky, as it would
leave your own mind open for a counterattack.
"I find myself surprised that you have held your part of the bargain,"
Voldemort's voice was like silk, but he could hear the cold edge in his
words.
"But that is who we are, is it not? We dark lords must honor our words."
Aries answered. "It is what separates us from the mindless wizards who
sow chaos without purpose. We are not fools that allow emotion to
dictate our actions. We are calculated. Besides, there is the matter of
relation, of course."
"Oh?"
"We are the Heirs of Slytherin. It would be unwise to waste our assets on
one another while our true enemy lives."
"Dumbledore." Voldemort gritted out the name, his hand tightening on
his wand again. "But there is still the matter of Thomas Potter."
"Potter is a misguided boy," Aries dismissed with a wave of his hand. "He
is an above average wizard when properly motivated, but he lacks all
ability and conviction to destroy you. He is not like us."
"Then you hold no truth to the prophecy?"
"I do not know the prophecy."
"Foolish to deny yourself the power of knowledge that Dumbledore and I
possess."
"And yet, what did that knowledge do for you?" The suddenness of Aries'
counter seemed to make Voldemort hesitate. "The Potters were a
nuisance, but at the end they were no threat. Even the great Lord Charles
Potter fell to your power when not even Grindewald could defeat him
easily. But if you had never come to hear the prophecy, it is far more
likely that I would bear your mark and be in your service with my father
than sitting across from you debating the merits of Divination."
Voldemort was silent for a moment before a small smile grew.
"Perhaps you are right, and I have placed far too much stock in
prophecy," Voldemort mused, as curiosity flashed in his eyes. "You do not
believe Potter to be my downfall then?"
"You fulfilled the prophecy with your own actions," Aries stressed. "I do
not what power you have given it with them, but Potter is no more a
threat to you than one of your Death Eaters is to me. Once the influence
of the Headmaster and his pathetic father have been removed, Potter will
be molded into the wizard he should have always been. He, and his
family, are under my protection, Lord Voldemort. You will not harm
him."
"Your protection," Voldemort began with cruel laugh. "Your protection is
nothing compared to my power, Lord Black. Potter will die by my hand,
prophecy be damned. He has stood in my way before; he will not stand in
it any longer."
"Then understand that I will protect him with the full power of my
capabilities. Bargain or not."
"Perhaps we should settle it now?" Voldemort slowly pointed his wand at
Aries' heart, the tip glowing slightly green. Aries paid it no mind, though
his eyes flashed in anger, the small green specks glowing the same color
as the end of Voldemort's yew wand.
"That would be foolish," Aries stated evenly. "Headmaster Dumbledore
lives, and while he does neither of our goals can be attained. He is our
enemy. Our goals are almost mutually exclusive. We both gain from our
rising powers." The glowing green light slowly faded as Voldemort
lowered his wand.
"It is refreshing to deal with one who does not cower in fear of me with
every move," Voldemort titled his head to the side, as if studying him. "I
offer you again to join me. We are the Heirs of Slytherin, as you say, but
you can be my Heir as well.' The offer nearly caused Aries' mask to falter.
"Join me, Aries Black. Not as my servant, but as my Heir. Help me to
shape this world at my side. Together as we work in the shadows, we can
accomplish wonders. Together there are none that can stand in our way."
For a moment, an awfully long moment, Aries almost considered it. The
knowledge and power of the Dark Lord Voldemort at his disposal. To
learn from the most powerful dark wizard in the history of magic would
create limitless possibilities. Perhaps together they could defeat the
Ancient Ones. But then a single word brought him to reality: horcruxes.
Heir or not, he would be dooming himself to a lifetime of servitude to
another immortal, and one who had killed his father.
"I'm afraid that I do not share power, Lord Voldemort." The two sat in
silence once again as red eyes narrowed in anger. Their time of
discussion was over.
"Bella is mine," The anger of the Dark Lord was barely contained within
his words. "Return her to me."
"Bellatrix Black is a scion of my house. She serves no one but her House
and Lord." Aries countered.
"You have begun to vex me. You deny my gracious offer. You deny me
my most faithful servant. You make demands of me. And you kill my
interrogator." It was a cheap trick, in his own opinion, but perhaps Lord
Voldemort was used to dealing with far more incompetent wizards.
"I am not guilty of Lord Nott's death." Aries answered easily, his mask
without falter and his mind blank. "I assumed based on the Dark Mark
above his home, that he displeased you. Or, has the Headmaster at last
resorted to other tactics? He is pushing rather hard to make your return
known. The Dark Mark above the home of a suspected Death Eater is
rather. . . suspicious."
"Dumbledore's morals prevent him from acting as we do," Voldemort
replied.
"And what of his followers? Have your Death Eaters never disobeyed your
orders?" The Dark Lord seemed to consider his words but did not bother
to follow Aries' theory.
"I rarely leave a meeting with so little, but I'm afraid our time is up. I
have a feeling we will be seeing each other very soon, Aries." Voldemort
gave no warning, but disapparated with nothing more than the quietest
pop. Aries gave only the slightest nod in acknowledgement.
"Very soon, Tom."
The past few weeks had been some of the longest Thomas had ever
experience while in Hogwarts. He had thought nothing could have made
him feel as low as the time everyone thought he was the Heir of
Slytherin. Then came last year with the Tri-Wizard Tournament but even
that paled in comparison to how he felt now. Truthfully, he couldn't
really blame any of them, but the fact that he had come to consider every
member of Dumbledore's Army as his friend made it hurt even more.
Despite this, his group of friends that were closest to him had only
shrunk by one. Hermione and Ron had been quick to defend him, despite
their own reservations, and Neville, Ginny, and Luna still maintained a
good friendship with him. It was the absence of Susan Bones that seemed
to cause him the most pain.
In a way, he felt he had taken her for granted. They had never been an
overly romantic or excessively affectionate couple, though they had had
their share of late-night broom cupboard visits, but her continuous and
supportive presence had gotten him through all the troubles of this year.
They had dated for almost a year and a half, before she had
ceremoniously dumped in right outside the Great Hall for all of Hogwarts
to see, something the Slytherins were keen on reminding him. Still, after
the initial few days, Susan had only seemed sad rather than angry and
Thomas did everything he could to not look her way. He felt abandoned
and it made him feel very conflicted on whether or not he wanted the
red-head back.
Thomas had not thought things could get any worse, until the time for
their O.W.L.'s arrived. Hermione spent every second fretting, while Ron
and Thomas hoped for the best of the situation, but the night of their
Astronomy O.W.L. had left most of the school shaken. Tales of Hagrid
fighting off at least four Aurors had ran rampant through the school,
while the clear disappearance of Professor McGonagall, whom Thomas
had seen take four stunners to the chest, seemed to worry the students
even more. It was clear that they were left in the mercy of Headmistress
Dolores Umbridge now that both Dumbledore and McGonagall were
gone.
The fact that these were the things that Thomas thought of during his
History of Magic examination wasn't lost to him. But honestly, he
couldn't really care about Goblins or Liechtenstein or Pierre Bonaccord.
He sighed rather loudly, putting his head in his hands, closing his eyes in
a vain attempt to remember something.
He was walking along the cool, dark corridors to the Department of
Mysteries again, with a firm and purposeful stride, sometimes breaking
into a run. He had to reach his destination at last. He went through one
door and then another and another until he was once again in the
cathedral-sized room. His heart pounding beneath his chest as he walked
down the rows. Finally he reached the ninety-seventh row and began to
hurry down the aisle. But there was a shape at the end, a black shape
moving along the floor like a wounded animal.
"Take it for me. . . Lift it down, now. . ."A voice nearly whispered. A voice
that Thomas knew all too well, one seemingly devoid of emotion. "I
cannot touch it. . . but you can. . . Crucio!"
The shape withered and screamed, its voice hoarse and painful, before it
slumped to the ground.
"Lord Voldemort is waiting. . ."
"You'll have to kill me." The shape raised its face and Thomas found
himself staring at his own father.
"Undoubtedly I shall in the end. But you will fetch it for me first, Potter.
You think I have shown you pain? I have shown you nothing. We have so
much time, Potter. And no one to come save you." Somebody screamed as
Voldemort lowered his wand. He fell sideways off a hot desk onto the
cold floor as Thomas hit the ground and awoke, still yelling, his scar on
fire, as the Great Hall erupted around him.
"For the last time, I don't need the hospital wing!" Thomas shouted at Ron
and Hermione within the confines of an abandoned classroom. "We need.
. . We need. . . The Ministry." He made to move past them, but they
grabbed his arms and pulled him back.
"Thomas!" Hermione yelled, clutching his arm tightly. "Tell us what
happened!"
"It's Voldemort. He's got my dad at the Department of Ministry."
"What?"
"How'd you-"
"I saw it! Just now! When I fell asleep in the exam. I was there and then I
saw him. He was torturing dad!" He felt himself going weak and forced
himself to sit down as he went through clearing his mind. "How are we
going to get there?"
"Get where?" Ron asked after a moment's silence.
"The Ministry!" Thomas said with exasperation. "So, we can rescue my
dad!"
"Thomas, think this through," Hermione commanded slowly, "How did
Voldemort get to the Ministry? In the middle of the day without being
seen? How do you know it's not just. . . well. . . a dream?"
"It's Voldemort, Hermione. Bloody hell, Aries and Dumbledore do
incredible things and they're not bloody dark lords! Who knows what
Voldemort can do!"
"But what about your dreams, Thomas?"
"You think I've been studying Occlumency for no reason?" Thomas asked
hotly. "These aren't dreams, they're real! And every moment we wasted
arguing about this is another moment closer to my dad dying!"
The classroom door opened, causing the trio to whip around as Ginny,
Neville, and Luna came in looking rather curious.
"Hello there," Ginny said uncertainly. "Thought we heard Thomas' voice.
What's going on?"
"Never you mind," Thomas said roughly.
"I don't know how you expect us to help with that tone." Ginny replied
coolly.
"Well, you can't."
"Hang on, Thomas," Hermione interrupted, "I think they can."
"How?"
"Well, we need to figure out if Voldemort actually has your dad," she
began. "There's enough of us to cause a distraction for just long enough
for you to find out."
"How's he gonna do that?" Ron asked.
"With Umbridge's fire. It's the only one still connected to the Floo
network. You all cause a distraction, and Thomas and I will sneak in
there with his cloak and fire call Potter Manor."
Thomas begrudgingly admitted it was a good plan, as Hermione divvied
up responsibilities. He made his way quickly back to his dorm, grabbing
his cloak and the knife Sirius had given him, ignoring the calls of his
classmates. He found Hermione waiting by a muttering stone head and
slipped under the cloak with her as they passed Ginny and Luna trying to
keep students away from the hall saying something about Garroting Gas.
Finally, they made it to Umbridge's office and, with Sirius' knife making
swift work of the lock, were quickly inside. The office was empty, save
for the garish kittens that were basking in the late afternoon sun that was
warming their plates.
"I thought she would have added more security following the second
niffler. . ." The comment, and its joyous memories of the two magical
creatures' adventures in Umbridge's office, would have brought him to a
contagious laughter if not for the situation at hand. Thomas grabbed a
pinch of Floo powder and tossed into the grate.
"Potter Manor!" He cried as he thrusted his head into the green flames.
He found himself looking into entry room of Potter Manor. "Topsy!" The
family house elf popped into existence in front of the fire.
"Master Thomas!"
"Topsy, where's mum and dad?"
"I'm afraid I don't know where Mistress Lily is, and Master James went to
the Ministry."
"The Ministry?!"
"Yes, Master James said he-"
Before the elf could finish his sentence, Thomas felt himself being pulled
back hard. Suddenly, he found himself staring up into angry face of
Dolores Umbridge. He felt his wand being ripped from his as Umbridge
leaned down into face.
"Who were you calling Potter?!" The toad-like woman yelled, spit flying
from her mouth. "Was it Dumbledore?" Her head whipped around quick
enough to crack as she eyed Hermione. "Take her wand as well." He felt
himself being secured to a chair but was able to get a quick glance at the
one who was guarding Hermione and realized it was Daphne Greengrass,
a regular of the Inquisitorial Squad. "What were you doing in my office,
Potter?"
"I was trying to get my Firebolt." The lie came out smooth as Thomas
frantically tried to keep his mind blank and his adequate Occlumency
shields in place.
"Liar." Umbridge spat. "I have had just about enough of your lies." A
scuffle brought his attention to the door, where Ron, Ginny, Neville, and
Luna were escorted in by Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Tracey Davis,
and Blaise Zabini, the main four of the Inquisitorial Squad.
"We got all of them, Professor," Davis said happily.
"Good, good," Umbridge said as she watched their struggles. "Well, looks
like Hogwarts will soon be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?" Malfoy
laughed, though to Thomas it seemed unusually forced, as Umbridge
gave her wide grin and settled into chair across from him. "Whom were
you attempting to communicate with?"
"Who I talk to is none of your business," answered Thomas hotly.
"You sent me for, Headmistress?" came the annoyed voice of Severus,
interrupting whatever retort Umbridge had had planned, with a look of
indifference at the captured students. Yet, his presence brought about an
idea and Thomas struggled to nonchalantly make eye contact with the
Potion's Master.
"Ah, Professor Snape." She gave a victorious look as she spoke. "I would
like another bottle of Veritaserum please."
"I'm afraid, you took my last bottle to interrogate Potter. Surely you did
not use all of it?"
"Can you not make more?" A hint of exasperation dripped into her voice
nearly covered by her girlish-sweet voice.
"Certainly," Snape replied evenly. "It will take a full moon's cycle, of
course."
"A month?! I cannot wait that long, Severus! I have just caught Potter
red-handed attempting to communicate with persons unknown through
my own Floo! I wish to interrogate him, and you will provide me the
means to do it."
"As I have already told you, Veritaserum will take a month unless you
wish to poison him. It is rather difficult to confess anything when one is. .
. dying." At last, Snape turned his head towards Thomas and their eyes
met.
Voldemort has my father in the Department of Mysteries! He thought
ferociously. Voldemort has my father!
"-out of my office!" For a moment, Snape hesitated, and Thomas wasn't
sure if the Potion's Master had heard his thoughts. But before he could
shout out his warning, Snape left the room quickly with a swish of his
cloak.
"Very well," Umbridge said lowly, her knuckles turning white from the
force with which she was gripping her wand. "I have no other choice
without Veritaserum. . . the Minister will understand. The Cruciatus
Curse should loosen your tongue."
"No!" Hermione and Ginny shouted in unison, but the older girl
continued. "That's illegal under any circumstance! The Minister would
not allow it!"
"What Cornelius doesn't know will never hurt him," The toad-like woman
said with a sadistic grin. "He never knew I sent dementors after Potter
this summer, but he was all too happy to have a reason to expel him."
"It was you?" Thomas asked incredulously.
"Someone had to act. They all talked and talked, but I did something. But
Dumbledore managed to save you again, didn't he? But he's not here
today." Umbridge raised her wand, an insane glint in her eye, until it
pointed right at his scar.
"Cru-"
"No!" Hermione shouted. "Thomas, we have to tell her."
"No way!"
"She'll force it out of us, Thomas. . . we have to tell her."
"Tell me what? Tell me what?!" Umbridge
"What is the meaning of this?" Thomas sagged against his restraints in
relief. Aries, no Lord Black, walked into the small office with every
amount of regality one could muster, his wand pointed at Umbridge.
Fierce eyes roamed the room at last landing on him. He felt the familiar
presence of Aries grazing against his mind and he eagerly pushed forward
as much of the day's events as he could.
"You dare interrupt me? I am the Headmistress of this School and the
Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic in the midst of discovering a plot
against this school!"
"All I see, is an attempted illegal use of an Unforgiveable against the Heir
Presumptive of House Potter."
"Potter is a threat to our society and has ties to the terrorist organization
led by Albus Dumbledore!"
"Your proof?" Somehow, Aries' voice remained easy, though his wand had
never moved from being pointed at Umbridge. The Headmistress had
noticed this, her eyes frantically moving between his wand and his face.
"I caught him using my Floo to contact someone."
"Perhaps he was trying to contact his father? Pertaining to the actions
that have seen our Care of Magical Creatures professor arrested and our
Transfiguration professor sent to Saint Mungo's?"
"He was trying to contact Dumbledore! And this was just about to
confess!"
"Truly?" Aries said as his eyes landed on Hermione while lowering his
wand. Hours upon hours of practice gave Thomas just the smallest cue,
but his mind was blank, so he saw the slight habit of Aries raising a
single eyebrow that he always did before using Legillimency. "I see. It
seems as if the game is finally up, Miss Umbridge."
"What?" answered Umbridge quietly. "What do you mean?"
"Miss Granger was going to tell you about the weapon. A design of Albus
Dumbledore that is meant to overthrow the Minister of Magic."
"It's true, Professor," Hermione rushed to add on, barely containing her
own surprise, "We've been finishing it ever since Dumbledore escaped."
"Where is it?!" Umbridge screamed.
"The Forbidden Forest."
"Yes, of course, of course," she muttered wildly. "Your wand, Black."
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Miss Umbridge." Aries replied coolly. "My
wand would burn your hand, but I will happily leave it with Miss
Greengrass who is unaffected by its peculiar magic. She has been
unaware and is a victim of my own plotting. I can then take you to see
this. . . weapon."
Aries walked smoothly along the path that led past the former home of
Rubeus Hagrid, with Dolores Umbridge right in tow. His annoyance with
the situation was much deeper than his cool facial expressions showed.
Many plans had been laid to deal with the fat toad, ones that would
benefit him but Thomas and his friends had ruined those in a simple
decision to invade Umbridge's office. Why the foolish boy had not just
come to in was a question he was sure to ask him later, still Aries had
managed to improvise. The wards of Hogwarts did not extend deep into
the forest after all and some of his newly marked followers would prove
useful indeed.
"Well? Where is it?" Umbridge asked, a slight nervousness in her voice, as
they continued deep into the Forbidden Forest, but Aries ignored her. He
had had enough of talking with her and she did not seem inclined to ask
again.
Potter believed that the Dark Lord had captured his father and had let
glimpses of his actions slip through the confused bond they shared. Aries
let the slightest of frustrations show in his face at the idiocy of his would-
be apprenctice. This saving-people-thing would have to be dealt with soon.
"Enough!" He turned to find Umbridge's face red in anger as her wand
shook in her outstretched hand. "Where is this weapon?!"
"Poor Dolores," Aries said with a smirk. "You really thought there was a
weapon? There's nothing here, but us and some of my friends." Shadows
formed a circle around them, and it was far too late for Umbridge to
escape as the anti-apparition ward rose.
"Who are they?!"
"I remember vividly your hatred for werewolves. Half-breeds is what you
called them. As if they were lesser. Oh, but my dear Dolores. They have
been my greatest servants." The circle been to close, slowly, around them.
A bright green spell flew frantically from Umbridge's wand, but it sailed
harmlessly over its intended target. A simple flick of his wrist sent the
wand flying far from her reach. "You think you were clever, Dolores, as if
you were the great mastermind from the beginning, but it was I who
sowed the seeds of doubt in Dumbledore to ensure your position here at
Hogwarts." Umbridge froze at that, her eyes slowly coming up to meet
his. "It was I who planned and organized the bombing of Diagon Alley,
forcing the Ministry to revamp the Department of Magical Law
Enforcement. I allowed those dementors to go after Thomas Potter,
therefore giving me the chance to wrestle the last bit of control of the
Wizengamot from the Minister. I ensured that Dumbledore's Army would
thrive, creating members of our magical society ready to join my army.
And then I had Lord Nott killed. I even placed the Dark Mark above his
home."
"You. . . It's all been you. . . Cornelius was right. . . He-Who-Must-Not-Be-
Named isn't back. . ."
"Oh, he's back, Dolores. You've lived in denial long enough. Lord
Voldemort lives. But none of that matters. You fucked with the wrong
dark lord, Dolores. And now, I believe my friends are hungry."
"Why?" Umbridge barely croaked out the words as the ravenous
werewolves approached her, unnaturally sharp human teeth glittering in
the moonlight.
"I told you that Thomas Potter is under my protection and that if you
tried to harm him, I would show you the meaning of torture. I can think
of nothing better than being food for lesser creatures. I just wanted you to
die knowing the truth. After all, we must not tell lies, Dolores."
Aries let himself basks in her screams for a moment, enjoying the sweet
irony of the situation, before he turned to swiftly return to the castle. As
he re-entered the office that formally belonged to Dolores Umbridge, he
found another irritating sight: The Inquisitorial Squad were all stunned
and bound against the wall of the office. He summoned his wand from
Daphne's robe and quickly revived Draco.
"What in the bloody hell happened?"
"Potter fuckin' attacked us, that's what!" Draco yelled angerly. "We freed
them and then the Weasley girl broke Davis' nose and all hell broke
loose. What is going on, Aries?"
"Thomas believes the Dark Lord has captured his father and taken him to
the Department of Mysteries."
"That's impossible," Theodore said groggily as he rose to his feet.
"It's a ruse," Aries said in agreement. "He's drawing Thomas to the
prophecy to retrieve it for him. No doubt a few of our Azkaban escapees
are awaiting him."
"As well as my father," Draco said begrudgingly.
"Which is exactly why none of you will be going." Shouts of disagreement
rose up quickly, mostly from Draco and Daphne, but Aries quickly
silenced them. "You, Draco, are not ready to face your father. Regardless
of your progress, I can feel your conflict, and Lucius is no meek wizard to
be trifled with unprepared. You, Theodore, are important to my plans.
You cannot be seen at my side in combat with the Death Eaters. Davis
and Zabini, you two might be good in a schoolhouse duel, but you are
nowhere near good enough to face trained Death Eaters."
"And what about me?" challenged Daphne.
"You, my love, are far too important to me to be wasted on the
battlefield. More importantly, the Dark Lord will stop at nothing to bring
me to his side, and to him, you would be the key. I will not risk it." Deep
down, Aries enjoyed the slight blush that crept into the mask of the Ice
Queen, but he ignored it all the same.
"The Dark Lord will have sent his inner circle for a job like this," Draco
said quickly, "Even Dumbledore would struggle against all of them. You
can't just go alone!"
"Who said anything about going alone?" Aries gave a quick smirk, and
then vanished in black flame.
"Ninety-seven!" Hermione cried as she struggled to catch her breath.
Thomas' head whipped back and forth down the aisles as he searched for
his father.
"Look around! He's somewhere here!"
"Thomas. . ."
"He should be near here," whispered Thomas.
"Thomas," a small hand gripped his and he turned to find Ginny looking
at him worriedly. "I. . . I don't think your dad is here." He went to move,
to continue searching for his father who he knew was here, but Ginny
kept a firm grip on his hand and didn't let him. He turned back again, an
angry retort on his lips when Ron's voice stopped him.
"Thomas? Have you seen this?" His hand slipped out of Ginny's as he
walked slowly over to where Ron stood before a shelf of glowing orbs. "It.
. . It has your name on it."
"My name?" When Thomas reached him, he found Ron pointing at a
specific orb with a yellowish label affixed to the shelf it sat on. In spidery
writing was a date some sixteen years before, and below that:
S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.
Dark Lord and (?) Thomas Potter.
"What is it?" Ron asked. "Why has it got your name on it?" Thomas let his
eyes scan down the length of the shelf.
"None of the rest of us are here. Only. . . me." He slowly reached for the
small orb.
"I don't think you should touch it, Thomas." Hermione's warning stopped
him for a moment.
"Why not? My name is on it."
"Don't, Thomas." Ginny said worriedly. For some reason, her voice almost
stopped him, but in a moment of sheer recklessness, Thomas reached
forward and grabbed the orb. He had expected it be cold, like metal, but
instead it was warm to the touch. Other than that, there seemed to be
nothing special. He felt no odd magic from it, and despite their tenseness
of the group, nothing actually happened. He felt his friends move closer
to peer at the small orb that mysteriously had his name when, from right
behind them, came an all too familiar drawling voice.
"Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to
me." In that moment realization dawned on Thomas. It had all been a
trap, and he had walked right into it.
31. The Triumvirate of Power
AN: The penultimate chapter of Part II. I'm not particularly good at
fight scenes, but I think these will suffice. I hope you enjoy it, and if
you don't whatever floats your boat y'all.
A flash of flame brought the Lord of Black to the Department of Mysteries
within the Ministry of Magic. His customary robes were replaced by the
familiar family armor he had worn long ago in the Tri-Wizard
Tournament and the wand which had been at his side since he was seven
was outstretched in his hand and yearned for its power to be unleashed.
Still unnoticed as he carefully moved forward, he could see the fool-
headed Hogwarts students he was here to rescue seemingly having an
ambivalent conversation with Death Eaters.
"It's time you learned the difference between real and dreams, Potter,"
came the voice of Lucius Malfoy, whom Aries had recognized long before
he had heard his words. "Now give me the prophecy or we start using
wands."
"Go ahead, Lucius," Aries called out. "Can you not see? These children are
ready to defy you even now." His eyes met Thomas and he reached out to
connect their minds.
I have a plan! came Thomas' thought and Aries saw in his mind's eye the
plan.
"Black," hissed one of the Death Eaters as he raised his wand, a green
glow beginning to form.
Distract them, and I will get your friends to safety.
"This does not concern you, Aries," Lucius said with irritation.
How?
"As I told the Dark Lord," he replied. "Potter is under my protection."
Just watch.
"Your protection means nothing, Black," another Death Eater said. "The
Dark Lord will take what he wants."
"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt," Lucius resumed
calmly, his focus on Thomas.
"If I hand this over, you'll just kill us anyway!" Aries felt the
disappearance of Hades and along with it, one of the students, Lovegood
if he remembered correctly.
"Accio prophecy!" Two shield charms, from Aries and Thomas, leapt
forward to block the summoning charm.
"This is pointless, Lucius! Let's just kill the brats and take it!"
"I TOLD YOU NO!" roared Lucius. "Potter and Black are for the Dark
Lord."
"Then perhaps we persuade them?" This time a ruthless voice came
forward, one Aries recognized as Antonin Dolohov. "What about that
little red head, eh? We could have some fun, love, and maybe after we're
done torturing her, Potter will give up the Prophecy?"
"They're trying to escape!" A Death Eater shouted just as Hades flash
flamed back into the hall too close to the front, his talons about to grab
Ginny Weasley to transport her away sensing Aries' spike of worry.
Shouts of the Killing Curse came quickly, and the streaks of green light
came rushing toward the group. Time seemed to slow for Aries as he
magically pushed the group into the aisles away from the curses, but the
effort left him no time to move himself. He could distantly hear the angry
shouts of Lucius as his armor basked in the green light, but before it
could hit him, the Killing Curse collided with black flame. Hades
exploded and ash fell into a large pile onto the ground. For a second, the
Death Eaters seemed stunned, and Aries took the moment, reaching
frantically into the pile until he found the small phoenix, and threw
himself to the side to land next to Thomas.
"What the hell was that?!"
"Hades, my phoenix," Aries replied as he began to throw spells down at
the Death Eaters while tucking Hades into his pocket, "And also my
escape plan. He's not dead, just reborn. But he won't be able to flash
flame anyone out of here."
"So, what do we do now?!" Hermione yelled. Aries leaned out and
pointed his wand towards their enemy.
"Crepitus Solis!" A great flash of light exploded, blinding all in its path.
"Follow me!" He paused only for a second, as the orb in front of him
glowed interestingly, before he took off, the students of Hogwarts
following quickly at his heels. They got to the end of row ninety-seven
and took a quick right toward a door that was slightly ajar. He pushed
into the room, wand at the ready as he scanned for more Death Eaters.
"Colloportus!" gasped Hermione and the door sealed shut.
"Why aren't we fighting them?!" Thomas asked angrily. "Why are we
running?"
"Because our only way through the wards of the Ministry just took a
killing curse for me, and despite all my skill, I cannot keep five bone-
headed children alive by myself against twelve of the Dark Lord's most
powerful servants!"
"Who are you-"
"You, Potter!" Aries yelled. "Why-"
"Quiet!" Hermione whispered aggressively. "Where are the others?!" It
clicked in Aries' head that three of his bone-headed wards were now
gone. "Wait, listen!" Footsteps stopped just outside the door and the
voices carried to their ears.
"Leave him, leave him I say, the Dark Lord cares more for the prophecy
than his injuries." Lucius commanded from behind the door. "We'll split
into pairs and search, and don't forget be gentle with Potter until we have
the prophecy. Kill the others if necessary."
"What about Black?"
"The Dark Lord wishes to deal with him, but kill him if he gets in your
way. Rodolphus and Crouch, you take the left, Crabbe, Rabastan, go
right, Jugson, Dolohov, the door straight ahead, Rookwood, over there,
and Mulciber with me."
"What do we do?" whispered Thomas.
"We keep moving," Aries replied and quietly began to run down the hall
away from the Death Eaters. His mind racing as he wondered where the
other students went. Alone, he could potentially hold off the Death Eaters
with some reckless spell craft, but not without risking injury to those he
was here to protect.
"Stand aside," commanded a rough voice. "Alohomora!"
The door flew open just as Aries, Thomas, and Hermione reached the end
of the room. The two younger students jumped underneath the desk,
giving Aries the clearance he needed. He thrusted his wand forward and
a torrent of flame erupted into the room. As it wasn't Fiend Fyre, it would
be easy to dispel, but Aries only needed to create an opportunity.
"Run, Thomas!" Aries shouted as a sickly purple spell collided with the
smaller of the two men, collapsing him instantly. The other stood tall and
returned with a volley of his own spells. They collided with Aries' shield
and a quick whip of his wand sent a wave of power ripping through the
floor, throwing Dolohov hard against the wall with a sickening crunch.
Aries turned and followed through where Thomas and Hermione had
gone, throwing a locking spell at the door as he passed through.
He entered another room as the door on the far end blew open with a
shout of Impedimenta, knocking Thomas and Hermione back onto the
floor.
"WE'VE GOT HIM!" shouted the Death Eater victoriously, but he next
words were cut short as Aries slashed his wand aggressively across his
body, causing blood to splash against the far wall. The Death Eater
collapsed, but Aries felt a sudden wave of incoming magic, he twisted to
the side, not having enough time to throw up his own shield, as a streak
of purple flame flew past him straight into Hermione.
Aries didn't wait to see if she was okay but instead turned back, throwing
the same spell of purple flame back towards its original caster: Dolohov.
His arm hung limply at his side and his mask was gone, but a sadistic
grin covered his face as he side stepped the spell.
"Oh, the Dark Lord was right," Dolohov said with a laugh, "You are fun to
play with it." The two wizards threw the same spell at the same time, the
Killing Curse, and they collided with a bright flash of green light and
then the room exploded with spell fire. Neither used shields, as they
twisted and turned, dogging each other's deadly spell craft. A sudden
crash at the door distracted them both for an instant, as another Death
Eater came through with his head shrunken down to a baby, but as Aries
turned back to Dolohov, the flash of a stunner struck his opponent.
Thomas' wand pointed right at the Death Eater before he turned back to
the motionless Hermione.
"What did he do to her?" Thomas asked frantically as Aries rushed to him,
waving his wand for a diagnostic spell.
"She'll live," Aries reassured him, "But we have to get her out of here. I
know the spell; she'll need potions from Severus." The sound of more
footsteps came and Aries looked around for a solution. "We're almost to
the exit. Take her and go. Get to the atrium, there are Floos there. Get
her to back to Hogwarts."
"What? No!"
"Thomas, she will die if you don't. I'll get you there and then you get her
to safety." Aries commanded, leaving no room for argument. He waited,
as Thomas hefted Hermione's small frame over his shoulder, leaving his
wand arm available. "Focus on defensive spells. If we get into a fight, I'll
lead the offensive." Thomas gave a quick nod of agreement before they
headed for the door. It shut behind them as the entered the circular room
and the walls began to rotate. Aries focused hard, keeping his attention
on the right door as the room slowed to a stop. But before they could
head that way, three figures fell out of a door as it sprung open to their
right.
"Ron!" Thomas gasped three surprised faces looked up at him. "Ginny,
Neville, are you all-"
"Hey, Harry!" Ron said giggling weakly. "Or, I mean, Tom! Or. . . I mean.
. ." Ron was rather pale, and blood dripped from the side of his mouth as
he collapsed against Thomas.
"Ginny?" Thomas asked worriedly. "What happened?" It was Neville who
responded, as Ginny slid down the wall to sit, shaking her head.
"I think her ankle is broke. They chased us through so many rooms. One
of 'em grabbed Ginny and I hit him with a Reducto but. . ."
"What about Ron?" Aries listened carefully for the sound of more
footsteps as he walked over to kneel in front of the younger Weasley. Her
eyes were close and her breath ragged. He gently lifted her foot onto his
knee, pulling her pant leg beg to expose her ankle. It was bruised a deep
purple and swollen. He casted quick cooling charm to ice the area before
conjuring a wrap to secure her ankle in place. He ignored the blush that
had risen in Weasley's cheeks, despite the deadly situation.
"I don't know what they hit him with," Neville answered exasperatedly.
"But he's been acting all. . . funny since."
"We have to get out of here," Aries interrupted. "Thomas carry Granger.
Neville, get the passed out Weasley. Can you walk yourself, Weasley?"
"It's only my ankle!" Weasley tried to stand up, but immediately collapsed
onto Aries' waiting arm.
"At least the useful Weasley isn't passed out," he grumbled. "Protect my
side. Let's go." Aries supported Weasley as they walked as quickly as
possible to the other side of the room, with Thomas and Neville moving
slowly behind him. They had almost reached the other door when their
bad luck continued.
"There they are!" shouted the voice of Barty Crouch Jr. Aries kept a firm
grip on Weasley's arm as he spun them around, keeping her upright, and
instinctively spells flew from their wands. Weasley's Reductor Curse
crashed into the door frame just as Aries' blasting curse exploded the
floor around the Death Eaters. It gave Thomas and Neville just enough
time to escape before Aries unceremoniously threw the younger Weasley
through the door and slammed it behind him.
"Seal the doors!" Aries shouted as he moved to follow his own
instructions. It didn't take long for the Death Eaters to adapt as a door
blasted open, throwing Neville back into a desk with a loud thud before
he rolled to the ground unconscious. Aries grabbed Weasley by the arm,
while throwing a stunning spell of his own at her brother who seemed to
want to summon brains of all things, pulling her up to her feet so she
could throw spells of her own. A blasting curse threw them apart and
Aries watched as a stunning spell took her in the chest.
"Thomas, run!" Aries unleashed a wave of pure magical force towards the
Death Eaters, knocking them all off their feet, before he followed
Thomas, hoping the Death Eaters would ignore the unconscious students
and follow them, not sure how he would feel about being right. As he ran
through the door, he leapt at the last second, seeing that the floor gave
out. He landed hard on his feet next to Thomas, who had obviously not
noticed the drop. Whispers rang through the large circular room that
seemed to originate from the stone archway that sat on a dais in the
center.
"Aries, can you hear that?" whispered Thomas as he rose to his feet, but
Aries did not answer.
"Oh, my son," came the voice of his mother that stilled him.
"Aries?" It was laughter, not Thomas' worried voice, that broke him out of
the trance that had him transfixed upon the stone arch way. Death Eaters
seemed to pour into the room from every door, surrounding them as the
stood on the dais.
"Your race is run, Potter," drawled Lucius as he pulled off his mask. "Now
hand me the prophecy!"
"I'll give you one last chance to leave Lucius," Aries offered as he raised
his wand, ignoring the other's words. "This is the point of no return for
you. Either go back to your family or throw your lot in with them."
"You're in no place to bargain, Black," Lucius counted, "You think we fear
you, after you've spent all this time running?" Aries only flashed a smile,
despite knowing the desperate situation of being outnumbered as they
were.
"Before I had those whom I needed to protect. Those who could have
been harmed. Now there's only us. Protego Diabolica!" He whipped his
wand in a circle around his head as black flame erupted around the dais.
Shouts of fear came from the Death Eaters struggling to push themselves
away.
"What is that?!" Thomas shouted.
"A spell of Gellert Grindewald," answered Aries wearily, the power of the
spell pulling on him, "And a last resort."
"How long can you hold that?"
"As long as I have to!" But Aries knew that the spell was not without
limits. Unleashed without control, the spell could consume all as well as
Fiend Fyre, but to keep Protego Diabolica within one's control required
immense strength and concentration. It could not be held forever without
consequence.
"You can't hide forever, Aries!" shouted Lucius as he cast as powerful
shield charm around his fellow Death Eaters. "Sooner or later, you will
have to give up!" A flick of his wand caused a great tendril of flame to
strike at Lucius' shield. The older wizard looked about frantically before
catching Crouch's and Dolohov's eyes. "Use Finite!"
"Finite Incantatem!" shouted ten voices at once as they pointed their
wands at the dark flames. Years ago, five extraordinary witches and
wizards used the General Counter-Spell to contain Grindewald's
unleashed Protego Diabolica. Now, however, was a wizard more powerful
than that dark lord, who still controlled the spell. Aries felt the wave of
magic against his own and pushed back, unleashing his own power into
the dark flames as they spread out toward the Death Eaters.
"Now!" Lucius commanded. "Avada Kedavra!" Three green spells erupted
from the wands of Lucius, Crouch, and Dolohov. Aries frantically
summoned the dark flames back to him, creating a wall of flame that
exploded apart it absorbed the killing curses. The three Death Eaters
rushed forward again, throwing spell after spell that crashed against
Aries' newly erected shield that barely covered himself and Thomas. The
latter was throwing spells of his own, but they weakened as they passed
through Aries' dense shield, allowing the Death Eaters to easily deflect
them.
Black and Potter, standing side by side, kept the high ground as they
defended themselves from the approaching Death Eaters. The other seven
seemed to have an understanding to stay back, that the three more
powerful wizards of their group were to spear head this attack. Aries
could feel himself being pushed back as the drain of using Protego
Diabolica and continuously battling the Dark Lord's three most powerful
servants with little to no help was beginning to fatigue him.
"It's over, Black!" Dolohov shouted triumphantly he shattered Aries' shield
with an incredible blast of dark magic. "No one is coming to save you!"
"Says who?" The battle seemed to freeze as James Potter and Sirius Black
jumped down from the door above to land on either side of him. He felt a
slight flow of magic and his eyes found Andromeda as renewed energy
filled his core. Members of the Order, led by Alastor Moody and Kingsley
Shacklebolt came from one door, while Cassiopeia, Nymphadora, Remus,
Alice Longbottom, and Bellatrix Black came from another. For a moment,
there was silence as Lucius Malfoy, Barty Crouch Junior and Antonin
Dolohov and their Death Eaters stared down James Potter, Sirius Black,
and Aries Black and their Orders before chaos and spell fire broke out.
Aries threw up a wide shield charm covering himself, James, and Sirius,
as three powerful curses struck it. The two Aurors wasted no time
throwing their own spells back while Aries covered their advanced.
Thomas watched their backs as they pushed forward, the three Death
Eaters no longer having the advantage as the six of them battled around
the dais. Aries could feel Dolohov's aggressiveness as his spells continued
to aim where he was shielding the two Aurors while occasionally
throwing in his own spell. His eyes caught movement, as Bellatrix and
Alive moved in to fight the Lestrange brothers.
The slight distraction was enough for Dolohov, who threw another
incredibly strong blasting hex, just as he lowered his shield for his own
volley of spells. It collided at his feet, throwing him back and splitting up
their trio. James grabbed Thomas as he was thrown back, falling into a
roll that soften their contact with the ground. Sirius was not so lucky as
he was collided with the ground below the dias. He climbed to his feet
quickly though and engaged Lucius and Crouch as James seemed to have
a short shouting match with Thomas, pointing angrily at the doorway the
Order had come from.
Aries had little time to observe anything else as Dolohov continued his
advance, casting another wave of purple flame. He flicked it casually
aside and sent a black colored spell which shattered the hasty shield that
his opponent had erected. Dolohov pressured forcing them further away
from James, Sirius, Lucius, and Crouch. His aggressiveness was not a
surprise to Aries, but he could feel the desperation rolling off of the
Death Eater now. He ducked under another killing curse before sending a
cutting curse that ripped through Dolohov's shoulder. A blasting curse of
his own followed, throwing Dolohov across the room.
"Avada Kedavra!" The shout was loud, carrying across the battle to Aries'
ears and he turned just in time to see the bright flash of green light from
Barty Crouch Junior's wand. Again, time seemed to slow for him, as he
saw the intended target was no other than his uncle Sirius. His magic
flowed long before his arm stretched out towards his uncle, and he pulled
Sirius out of the path of the Killing Curse. The curse continued to fly and
just as it passed through where Sirius had been, it barreled towards
James.
There was a moment, a single moment no longer than the blink of an eye,
in which Aries knew he could save the father of his would-be apprenctice.
But in that moment, all of his plans and his hopes for molding Thomas to
his will without the guidance of his narrow-viewed father came to the
front of his mind, and he hesitated.
"DAD!" Thomas screamed as the flash of green streaking light collided
into his father. It seemed to take an age for James to fall as the lifeless
body curved in a graceful arc and fell through the ragged veil hanging
from the arch.
Aries could see the mingled look of fear and surprise on James Potter's
face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the
veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind and then fell
back into place. Thomas' screams echoed across the room, but Aries could
pay them no mind as he reengaged Lucius so Sirius could rush to stop
Thomas from nearly throwing himself into the archway after his fallen
father.
"Another life lost because of your pride, Black!"
"And yours will follow, Malfoy," Aries returned venomously. "You've
made your choice. Family or not, you will not stand in my way any
longer!"
"Bombarda!" Lucius shouted with rage, slashing his wand with the
incantation. Aries side stepped the spell, playing into his uncle's rage and
throwing a bone-breaker that shattered his leg. He followed it up with a
powerful stunner that blasted Lucius across the room. His eyes roamed
around the room, before seeing the ajar door and noticing Potter's and
Crouch's absence. The Death Eaters were quickly beginning to lose
ground now Crouch had fled and Dolohov and Lucius were incapacitated.
Noticing this, Aries left the battle to the others, choosing to chase after
his would-be apprenctice.
"Crucio!" The tip of Thomas' wand flashed red and Crouch flew backward
with a scream, but did not writhe in terror as the caster had no doubt
intended. Instead, Crouch only seemed to laugh as he rose back to his
knees.
"Never cast an Unforgivable, have ya, Potter?"
"Crucio." Aries calm voice cut through Thomas' focus as Crouch suddenly
began to scream and writhe in pain. He let it last for only a few seconds,
before releasing the spell. Crouch lay there, panting in pain as Aries came
to stand beside Thomas. "You have to mean it, Thomas, with every fiber
of your being. Let your anger feed your magic." Thomas slowly raised his
wand, the end already beginning to glow red.
Screams erupted again from Barty Crouch and then pained laughter came
once Thomas released the spell.
"Your Cruciatus is nothing, Potter," Crouch croaked out, "When compared
to our Dark Lords, our masters."
"Remotio!" Intent drove Aries' spell and blood splattered as Crouch's
tongue was ripped from his mouth. Anger flashed through Aries as he
turned back to Thomas. "He killed your father. He laughed as James died.
He deserves it!" He cleared his mind and let himself calm for a moment
and then spoke quietly: "You know the spell. Two words and you can
avenge your father here and now."
Thomas held his wand tightly, keeping it pointed at the now frantic and
weeping Crouch. Deep, ragged breaths seemed to shake his entire body as
he focused on nothing but his hatred for the man before him. Aries
waited, knowing this was a moment in which everything could turn. His
would-be apprentice could become his fully, and Thomas would be
molded into a wizard that that could help Aries reshape the world to
their will, as equals.
"I. . . I can't. . ." Thomas said, his wand slowly falling to his side. "I hate
him. But I can't. . . It's not our way."
"Avada Kedavra!" Green light flashed from Aries' wand and Barty Crouch
Junior died in a pile of his blood in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic.
Thomas seemed to stare at the body before shocked eyes met the
disappointed one of Aries'.
"You. . . You killed him."
"If you show mercy to your enemy, they will just take another life," Aries
said sternly. "Today your father died, but now he cannot kill another
father. Another mother, or son or daughter. Do not give your enemy a
chance to strike again."
"He's right, Thomas," slithered a voice from the shadows. They turned,
wands at the ready, and found themselves face to face with Lord
Voldemort. "Mercy is a weakness." Lord Voldemort walked carefully,
almost gliding towards them. "You have killed one of my most loyal
servants, Lord Black. And here I thought we had an agreement?" Thomas
head whipped so hard to look at Aries that his neck cracked, but Aries
paid him no mind.
"He killed James Potter," Aries explained with no remorse. "I told you the
Potters were under my protection. An eye for an eye seemed only right."
He brandished his wand, settling into his Viper stance. "Stay back,
Thomas, this is no longer your fight."
"Not his fight?" laughed Lord Voldemort, "But we are here in his honor.
After all, it is he who brought us all here together in his folly. James
Potter may have died, but Thomas here as managed to ruin my plans
nonetheless. The prophecy is gone, but no matter. I will rid the world of
the Potter line and then you and I, Aries, will have a discussion in
regards to your place in this world."
"I told you before, Lord Voldemort, I do not share power." The two locked
eyes, before Voldemort sneered.
"Avada Kedavra!" Aries flung Thomas towards cover wandlessly while
rolling out of the way of the killing curse. He shot off a spell chain of a
bone breaker, blood-boiler, and a killing curse of his own. The Dark Lord
easily deflected the first two and simply side stepped the last, but Aries
was ready. He flicked his wand at the water, summoning it, and bending
it into a great serpent that rose to the ceiling. Lord Voldemort only
laughed as he summoned a great serpent of his own made of Fiend Fyre.
The two dark lords focused their power into their elemental serpents
before attacking as one. Fire and water clashed in the atrium as the
serpents fought to strike but Aries would not trust in that alone. He kept
control of his serpent wandlessly, moving to the side to allow him to
begin casting spells towards Voldemort with his wand, but the Dark Lord
would not be defeated so easily. They seemed to move uncannily similar,
their spells colliding in the air as their serpents could find no opening for
victory. Those spells that did not meet flew past their targets smashing
into the atrium. The air seemed electric from the powerful magic that
emanated from the wizards.
"Enough!" The Dark Lord shouted as he pushed a sudden surge of power
through his Fiend Fyre serpent. It struck out, blasting itself through Aries'
water serpent and moved to strike at him. Aries slashed upward, causing
a wave of razor-sharp air to slash through and decapitate the fire serpent.
He followed it up with three blasting hexes towards the Dark Lord, who
was forced to throw up a shield charm. Without Lord Voldemort's
control, the Fiend Fyre began to grow wild, but Aries wrestled it into his
control and quickly dispelled the flames.
Voldemort lowered his shield and eyed Aries, as if reevaluating him. The
Dark Lord cocked his head to the side before he began his attack again.
This time, there was not a back and forth of spells, as Voldemort pushed
for an advantage. Aries once again felt the drain of the night's battle.
Dueling with Dolohov, the Protego Diabolica, the elemental magic, and
now his duel with Lord Voldemort. He was fatigued, while the Dark Lord
was fresh. Still, Aries knew he matched the Dark Lord in power and
magic, so he continued to fight back, but every time he tried to go on the
offensive, he was thrown back. An onslaught of spell fire came at Aries,
forcing him to shield, deflect, or simply dodge the spells as he was
pushed back from the atrium towards the now empty fountain. A cruel
smiling was creeping its way onto Lord Voldemort's face and with every
spell that crashed against Aries' weakening shield, it grew larger. A
cutting curse slipped past his defenses, grazing his cheek and leaving a
long but thin cut. Aries felt his magic pull, quickly closing the shallow
wound.
Suddenly, Lord Voldemort stopped sending spells, but continued his
advance purposefully. Aries took the opening and began to unleash spell
fire of his own. Despite the lack of onslaught from his opponent, his
spells were slower and weaker than normal, allowing the Dark Lord to
easily deflect each spell until a cutting curse of his own came. Voldemort,
from what Aries saw, seemed to step into the spell, allowing it to graze
his bare forearm. Within seconds, however, it magically healed in an
almost similar manner to how Aries' cut had just minutes before. A
disarming spell sent Aries' wand flying away from him while another
spell caught him right in the chest, sending him back against the fountain
wall. As he lay there, panting from exhaustion and as pain wracked his
body, Aries came to one sickening conclusion: the Dark Lord had never
been taking the duel seriously.
"We are not so different after all, Aries Black," the Dark Lord said softly.
"We seek power. We have performed rituals to increase our power and
pushed our magic beyond the likes of any ordinary wizard. We gather
like-minded members of our society to help us achieve our goals. Just
think of what we could accomplish together.'
"Long have I pondered your purpose, your existence, in this pattern of
time. The Heir of Slytherin, yet not a child of mine. But magic is sentient
and with purpose, constantly trying to correct the imbalances that we
cause in the world. And so magic has brought you to me. A boy without a
father, and a lord without a son. An imbalance corrected. You are my
heir, Aries. Join me and let us rule this world together."
"NO!" Thomas shouted, rising from his cover, and throwing spells toward
the Dark Lord. Each was deflected with ease and Voldemort sent the
younger boy flying back into the walls of the atrium with a painful
crunch. Aries paid it no mind, lost as he was in his own disbelief.
For years now, he had prepared for this moment, the time to prove his
worth. And yet, in that moment, coming face to face with Lord
Voldemort himself, his power and training had amounted to nothing. He
was meant to be a dark lord himself, meant to destroy all that stood in
his path and create a new world order in the ashes of Albus Dumbledore
and Lord Voldemort. But here and now, he had two choices: death or
servitude.
He had never taken Lord Voldemort's offers of service seriously for more
than a moment or two, a slight consideration of all the Dark Lord had
could offer. But that decision had been weighed against his own
understanding that he was an equal to Voldemort, or at least capable of
defeating him. Now, he had a truer understanding of the Dark Lord's skill
and power. A year ago, in the graveyard, Aries had held his own due to
his own skill and power, but it was now obvious that the Dark Lord had
been a shadow of his former self, still recovering from a old and dark
ritual that restored his body. And it was even more obvious in the year
past that Voldemort had not been idle in his own pursuit of power. Lord
Voldemort stood atop the mountain while Aries was at its base staring up
at him.
"You will have your chance in the spotlight soon, Potter," Lord Voldemort
drawled as his eyes lazily came back to land on Aries, who looked up at
the Dark Lord with disbelief. "But I will have my heir stand beside me as I
destroy you."
"You will have neither." For the first time in his life, the words of Albus
Dumbledore brought relief to Aries Black. Lord Voldemort sneered again
as his red eyes lifted to focus on the Headmaster, his wand still
dangerously pointed at Aries' heart. "It was foolish of you to come here
tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way."
"By which time I will be gone, and you will be dead," Voldemort raised
his wand from Aries and sent a killing curse towards Dumbledore, who
side stepped the spell with a graceful movement. "Why do you not
retaliate? Do you not seek to kill me? Are you above such brutality?"
"We both know there are many ways of destroying a man Tom," Albus
said calmly before he waved his wand intricately towards Aries and for
the second time that night, he felt his energy restored. Except this time, it
seemed as if an infinite amount of foreign, no, elder magic fueled his
core. Wandlessly he summoned his wand back as he rose to his feet.
"There is nothing worse than death!"
The three of them stood apart, points of a triangle of magic each trying to
stand taller than the others. They were the stages of power, each
representing the quest of all wizards: Albus Dumbledore, the greatest of
all; Lord Voldemort, a wizard in his prime seeking to overthrow the one
above him; and Aries Black, the successor to both awaiting his moment of
triumph. And yet, in that moment they were equals awaiting the deciding
variable for how the battle would end.
"You find yourself in a poor position, Dumbledore," Voldemort sneered as
his eyes fell on Aries, standing uncertainly as his eyes flickered between
the two wizards. "Tonight, my heir joins me at last, and together we shall
see you fall."
"You overestimate your appeal, Tom" Albus replied. "The future of the
House of Black is still to be decided."
"Soon you will see, you and Potter will die at my hand."
"No," Aries said softly, his eyes going to the Elder Wand in Dumbledore's
hand before coming to rest on the Dark Lord, the elder power coursing
through his veins. He sidestepped until he came to stand next to Albus
Dumbledore. "This is not your hour."
Voldemort let out an angry growl as he raised his wand to attack.
"So, my heir needs one last lesson?" the Dark Lord said with a sadistic
laugh. "I will bend you to my will."
Aries struck first, hoping to push the advantage that he was sure to have
now that Dumbledore, and more importantly the Elder Wand, had joined
him. Dumbledore followed suit, casting a wave of thick magic that forced
Voldemort to conjure a shield. It left no physical damage but caused a
loud gong-like sound to reverberate throughout the atrium. Powerful,
dark magic flew from Aries wand that crashed into the Dark Lord's
shields, as Dumbledore began to summon the water that covered the
floor and manipulate it around him. Voldemort let out a yell, lowering
his shield and sending out a wave of magic that threatened to knock
Aries off his feet. The eldest wizard wasted no time, forcing the water to
surround Voldemort like a cocoon of molten glass. For a moment, all that
could be seen was a shadowed figure that was sure to suffocate from the
pressure of the water sphere.
Aries felt it before he saw it, a split-second reaction that allowed him to
step in front of Dumbledore and deflect the sudden curse that Voldemort
had thrown, though it was enough of a distraction for the Dark Lord to
counter the water sphere and fall to the ground. He landed on his feet
and threw forth a torrent of dark, magical power. Aries ducked just as
Dumbledore threw up a shield of his own. Voldemort's spell crashed into
Dumbledore's shield, shooting off to the left and right, ripping apart of
the walls of the atrium it came into contact with. Aries slashed across his
body, sending another wave of razor-like air that the Dark Lord simply
absorbed into a ball of energy that, for a moment, he struggled to
contain. Then, with a high-pitched scream mixed with laughter, released
as a wave of energy. Glass all around them shattered as Aries and
Dumbledore were thrown back. The yew wand slashed upward, causing
the glass to rise in the air, sharp edges pointing right at them. Another
flick sent them flying through the air, thousands of deadly points ready to
pierce them. The two wizards moved as one, conjuring a thick line of
greyish magic that caused the glass to transform to sand as it passed
through.
Voldemort eyed them both with an angry glare, studying them for a
moment before his eyes landed on Thomas. An evil grin formed on his
face and then at once disappeared. Thomas made to move, no doubt
believing that Voldemort had chosen to flee.
"Stay where you are, Thomas!" Aries yelled frantically. Thomas looked at
him in confusion, no doubt wondering why now of all times, he seemed
to sound. . . frightened. Then, Thomas screamed. He writhed on the floor
in pain, his eyes clinched shut, but when he did open them, a red tint had
fallen over them.
"Kill me now, Dumbledore," Thomas spoke, but it was the Dark Lord's voice
that came. "If death means nothing, then kill the boy. . ." For a moment,
Dumbledore seemed to hesitate, and anger flowed through Aries. He
reached out with his mind and touched Thomas'. Pain, unbelievable pain
threatened to overwhelm him for a moment. But then, he heard Thomas'
voice.
Let the pain stop, thought Thomas. End it, Dumbledore. . . Death is nothing
compared to this. . . I could see my father again. . .
"Thomas listen to me," pleaded Aries, "You are the last of the Potter line.
A line that has endured the darkness for generations. Your father knew
who you were and spent his entire life preparing you. Think of your
father, Thomas, and fight back."
Aries took a deep breath and plunged into the depths of Thomas' mind.
He was no longer in the Ministry of Magi, but within a prison where
Thomas was locked tight in the coils of a red-eyed creature. He wasted no
time and thrust his mindscape in a spear headed attack on the creature. A
collision, an explosion, or some sort of dynamic event had been what
Aries expected, but instead the Dark Lord's mind and his seemed to fuse.
Memories flashed before his eyes that he had seen before, long ago, in
nightmares past, until a wave of emotion from Thomas ripped them
apart, throwing Aries from his mind.
A moment passed and nothing changed, then slowly Thomas began to
still. Aries looked up to find Voldemort standing before him, his wand
pointed right at Aries' heart, eyes wide and frantic.
"What are you?" whispered the Dark Lord, confusion shown brightly in his
blood red eyes. "Who are you?"
A wave of gasps grabbed Lord Voldemort's attention, and together their
heads turned to find the Minister of Magic, along with the heads of the
Auror Department, the DMLE, and their subordinates staring in disbelief.
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?!"
Lord Voldemort glared at the group, before looking down at Aries once
more.
"You will know where to find me." An almost silent pop and the Dark
Lord was gone.
AN: Hold in your angry reviews, because I'm about to give out a few
notes here which should stow the torches and pitchforks. If these
still have you ready to burn me at the stake for some perceived
slight and/or not understanding of the story I'm trying to write then
hopefully the next chapter will have the answers you seek.
1. Many of you have commented that Aries is OP. Well he is, and
believe it or not as the writer I'm very well aware how he is
portrayed, just as I'm aware he's a bit of hypocrite (plot twist, it's
part of the plot). Almost the entirety of this story has been from
Aries' perspective. Have you ever had something that you thought
you were just the absolute best in, then went to the big leagues and
realized you weren't all that great? Exactly. Aries has wiped the
floor with most of his competition, but now has his first good run in
with the top DEs and with a fully restored Lord Voldemort. It's not
students in the tournament anymore. He may have defeated
Dolohov, but they don't call Voldemort the most powerful Dark Lord
for nothing. Aries has led every moment in the belief that he is
greater than or at least equal to the Dark Lord, to know find out he's
not exactly as strong as he thought. How will that affect his plans
and his overall mindset? That's the question we hope to find out in
the next chapter.
2. One thing I have always had in my head is a bit of a power
rankings, but literally for this scene alone I didn't want to ever
actually mention it(I may post it eventually), but it's how I've based
most of our characters actions. Lord Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore,
and Aries Black make up the Big Three (obviously) when it comes to
present day magic, all having surpassed the power level of Gellert
Grindewald with even their followers eclipsing the followers of
Grindewald. With the exception of the argument that in breeding
has weakened magic, I go by the idea that magic continues to grow
stronger with every passing generation. So it stands to reason that
the one or two generational talents that spring up would surpass
their predecessors. Therefore Gellert is less powerful than
Dumbledore (ignoring the Elder Wand) who is less powerful
Voldemort who is less powerful than Aries, *potentially once he
peaks in power*. I would use the same argument for our Death
Eaters. Lots of fics pass them off as jokes or weak. I disagree. Maybe
the mindless mass of DEs, but Voldemort's Inner Circle are made up
of some the most powerful witches and wizards alive. Malfoy,
Crouch, and Dolohov, even Bellatrix if she were still a DE, would
and could be Dark Lords/Ladies in their own right, if not for the
likes of Lord Voldemort and Aries. Hence, why Dolohov vs Black
isn't just swept to the side. Aries does win, but its not effortless.
3. I know I've seen it commented a few times, so a few things about
the Ancient Ones. First, no, they were not just made up because
Aries is OP. They've always been a part of the plan meant to come in
at the exact time I brought them in. Second, they are NOT zombies.
The reference was that in nearly every zombie movie, the never say
the word 'zombie,' but it's pretty obvious to everyone watching the
movie that it contains zombies. The point is that there are enough
hints throughout the series to know what the Ancient Ones are, but
we are never going to say the word that describes exactly what they
are.
4. One last chapter of Part II, Consequences of Secrets Kept, and
then we're on to Part III!
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