IngloriousMe
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The Black Family [Chapter 18]
🕑 Added 2022-03-10 20:41:08 +0000 UTCCassiopeia took a deep and tossed some Floo powder into her Floo. As soon as the flames turned green, Cassiopeia stepped into the heatless green flames. "Black Abode" Cassiopeia spoke out loudly and clearly. Only after a moment, she was watching various fireplaces passing by, before she could contemplate any more about it, she found herself walking out of the fireplace of Black Abode, her familial residence.
Cassiopeia waved her Wand over her to remove all the soot from her hair and her robes. There was a little girl sitting in the living room, her head buried in a book. She easily noticed when the Floo flared with green flames, which meant they had a guest. So, she looked up from the book, and moments later, her face morphed into pure joy.
"Cassi!!" The little girl exclaimed loudly, looking excited and cheerful. She placed the book on the table beside her and jumped down from the couch. The little girl rushed into Cassiopeia's arms, who was now kneeling so that the little girl could hug her.
Cassiopeia was almost knocked over when the little girl slammed into her chest. She smiled brightly and hugged back the little girl. Dorea Black was only 7 years old and she was also Cassiopeia's youngest sibling. Cassiopeia caressed the little girl with a bright smile on her face.
"How have you been, sister? I hope father and mother are not being too hard on you?" Cassiopeia asked with a grin when Dorea finally separated from her arms. The little beamed at Cassiopeia, but moments later she puffed out her cheeks and started to pout cutely.
"I have missed you and father has started to teach me Occlumency, and mother has been teaching me a few Charms. I have learned the color-changing Charm. Do you want to see it?" Dora babbled on with an excited smile on her face.
"Sure" Cassiopeia chirped with a smile.
Dorea ran back to the table, that is where her Wand was. She picked up the Wand and tapped the table with her Wand. "Colovaria" Dorea muttered and the table became yellow. She immediately looked towards Cassiopeia, obviously, expecting to be praised.
"That was brilliant Dorea. You are the smartest 7 year old I know" Cassiopeia complimented the girl, who beamed proudly.
Internally Cassiopeia wondered what Destiny was learning when she was 7 years old. Moments later, Cassiopeia cleared her mind, she didn't want to think about it. She was afraid that she would find everyone pathetic if she discovered what Destiny was learning when she was a 7 year old girl.
Cassiopeia was brought out of her musings when she heard someone clear their throat. Cassiopeia turned towards the door, only to find her mother, Violetta Black née Bulstrode, standing at the door with a soft smile on her face. Cassiopeia stood up as she was still kneeling on the floor and she slowly made her way towards her mother.
Violetta's smile widened when her eldest daughter hugged her and she happily hugged back her daughter. "How have you been, daughter? It has been some time since your last visit" Violetta said as she checked out her daughter to see if anything had changed or not.
"I have been here for Christmas, mother and it is only January" Cassiopeia pointed out dryly.
Violetta simply waved off in a dismissive manner. "Ignore the minor details. I would have preferred if you lived with us" Violetta complained, but moments later, she caressed her daughter's cheek. "But as you know, I am completely supportive of your ambition" Violetta added with a smile.
"And, I am really grateful for that" Cassiopeia said softly. "By the way, where is Marius?" Cassiopeia asked and Violetta released a tired sigh.
"You know how he is… he has been flying with Arcturus since the morning" Violetta said as she led Cassiopeia towards the backyard.
Cassiopeia's eyes grew slightly wide when her mother mentioned that Arcturus was here. Arcturus Black III is the eldest son of Sirius Black II, the current Lord Black, and Arcturus is going to be the next Lord Black… or he is supposed to be the next Lord Black if nothing changes. Most of the Pureblood Families had very flexible laws and traditions for the ascension. After all, nobody wants blood to be spilled among their Family.
Right now, Arcturus Black III is the eldest among the young generation of the Black Family, and at the same time, he was also the strongest among the young generation. So, there was nobody to contest him. Phineas Black II, her father’s older brother, never married, so he didn’t have a son who could take the mantle of Lord Black.
Then there is Arcturus Black II, who was also her father’s older brother. Arcturus Black II has married Lysandra Black née Yaxley. Lysandra Black has given birth to three daughters, Callidora Black, Cedrella Black, and Charis Black. Since all three of them were daughters, they couldn’t take the mantle of Lord Black.
That finally leaves her father, Cygnus Black II. She was his oldest, but since she was a daughter, she couldn’t take the mantle of Lord Black. He did have two sons, Pollux Black, and Marius Black, but they were simply too young to challenge Arcturus. So, the mantle of Lord Black will be going to Arcturus Black III.
Violetta and Cassiopeia finally arrived at the backyard where Arcturus could be seen flying with Marius. Cassiopeia couldn’t help but smile, after graduating from Hogwarts, Arcturus has been learning politics from his father. Lord Black needed to be cunning and vicious to hold the reins of the Family. He was also being trained by his father and aunt Elladora. Aunt Elladora was old, but she still took some time to teach young Arcturus.
Both Violetta and Cassiopeia continued to watch the two of them playing around in the sky and both had to look away whenever Arcturus showed something downright dangerous to Marius who had stars in his eyes. After another half an hour, the two of them finally came down. If Arcturus was slightly surprised to see Cassiopeia here then he didn’t show it on his face.
“Greetings, Cousin. How have you been?” Arcturus greeted Cassiopeia with a smile on his face.
“I have been well, tell me about yourself, Cousin” Cassiopeia returned the question and Arcturus continued to smile.
“You know how it is… Politics this and political intrigue that. Father says that I am almost ready… he is going to allow me to represent him on Wizengamot in the next session” Arcturus said in a proud tone. Cassiopeia’s eyes grew wide and she gave him an impressed nod.
“That is great, Arcturus. So, when will you be taking the mantle of Lord Black?” Cassiopeia asked and Arcturus’s smile became wider, but he released a disappointed sigh.
“Not yet, at least, not until I get married. I also want to travel the continent” Arcturus said and Cassiopeia gave him a questioning look.
“You were never interested in traveling the continent. What changed?” Cassiopeia asked curiously and once again, Arcturus released a sigh.
“Not much, but I simply want to look around and learn a couple of things. Not that it matters. Father would never allow me and after becoming Lord Black, I will have other duties” Arcturus said in a strained tone. “Father doesn’t want me to leave. Especially now that Grindelwald is caught, he says the Magical Governments are going to use no-nonsense policies against all the Purebloods for a couple of years” Arcturus said while shaking his head.
Gellert Grindelwald has rattled the Statute of Secrecy, all the Magical Governments are going to enforce the Statute of Secrecy even more rigidly. So, a lot of Purebloods were going to be prosecuted just to show that the Ministries have started to apply the no-tolerance policy. Then after a few years, once again the System was going to become lax since the Ministries can’t keep prosecuting the Purebloods for too long.
Magical Ministries are established by the Purebloods all around the world. Without the support of Purebloods, Magical Governments can’t keep working. Even a Minister can’t keep his seat without the support of Purebloods, but for whatever reason, a Minister would always fight for protecting the Muggles, no matter how much of a Pureblood bigot he is. Yet, nobody has been able to discover why though.
"If something happens here then it will be manageable, at least that is what father thinks. Since Britain wasn't affected by the terror of Grindelwald, he expects nothing drastic happening in this country" Arcturus shrugged and Cassiopeia understood where her Uncle was coming from.
Then she finally turned towards her brother, who was venomously glaring at her. "Ah… hello, little brother, how are you?" Cassiopeia asked with a grin on her face as she ruffled the boy's hair. Marius snorted and swatted away her hand.
"I am not talking with you. Only now did you remember me" the boy continued to glare at Cassiopeia and he puffed out his cheeks. Cassiopeia chuckled fondly at the boy and pulled out a few chocolate frogs from her pocket. Marius's face immediately became joyous and snatched the boxes from her sister's hand.
"I forgive you!!" Marius gushed out excitedly and he was about to run away but Violetta grabbed the boy's shoulder to stop him from running.
"What have I told you about not being rude and how Purebloods act?" Violetta asked in a stern tone. Marius immediately looked down and then he turned back towards his older sister.
"Thank you" Marius said and Violetta finally let him go.
"That is much more like it" Violetta added with a stern look on her face and then she also smiled and ruffled Marius' hair, who simply nodded his head. Violetta finally shooed him off and he immediately dashed towards the house.
"Don't forget to share some with her sister" Cassiopeia called out loudly, staring at his retreating back.
"Sure" she heard Marius' voice as he disappeared into the house.
"You know, you shouldn't spoil him so much" Violetta said while giving Cassiopeia an annoyed look. After a few moments, her features softened. "I suppose it is fine though. It is an older sister's job to spoil her siblings" Violetta smiled and caressed her oldest daughter's cheek.
"So, Arcturus, are you going to stay for dinner?" Cassiopeia asked and the slightly older boy simply nodded his head.
"Come on, let's go inside. This is no place to talk" Violetta complained and ushered the two of them inside the house. Violetta quickly led the two of them to her parlor.
"By the way, how are your studies going on?" Arcturus asked after all three of them were finally seated. Violetta had asked a house-elf to bring them some snacks.
"Nice… I have finally finished my papers on Charms and I will be posting it after another review. Let's see what happens" Cassiopeia said and Arcturus nodded his head. Violetta seemed to have a pleased look on her face. Violetta has nothing to do with studies after she graduated from Hogwarts, not that she wanted to, but she was glad that her daughter was pursuing such a respectable career.
"I see… if you want, I could arrange a tutor for you" Arcturus offered and Cassiopeia simply shook her head.
"I can handle it myself. Thank you for the offer though… you know how most tutors are, they wouldn't like the fact that they are teaching a Witch" Cassiopeia pointed out and Arcturus growled in anger.
"If they know what's good for them then they wouldn't. We are Blacks, they should be proud that we are hiring them" Arcturus sniffed. Three plates filled with various types of snacks appeared on the table.
"I suppose, but I am confident that I will be able to do it on my own. By the way, when is Father going to return?" Cassiopeia asked her mother.
"He is supposed to return before lunch. Do you want to discuss something with him?" Violetta asked curiously and Cassiopeia nodded her head. Violetta decided not to pursue the topic.
The three of them continued to chat regarding various types of topics. It was almost noon when Cassiopeia's father returned. He was surprised to see that her daughter was visiting, but he was very happy to see his daughter here. Only if he could set her up with a man, but she would probably end up killing him too, so he gave up.
Obviously, he knew that his daughter was the one who arranged their untimely accidents. It was clear that his daughter didn't want to get married, so he had decided to give up, for now. If her daughter finds a man on her own, then she is free to pursue a relationship with him, but he must be from an appropriate Family.
"So, how have you been, daughter, and how are your studies?" Cygnus Black II asked as he slowly sat down.
"I have been fine and I have finally finished my papers on Charms.
"I see… that's very good" Cygnus said while nodding his head.
"Father, there is something I wanted to talk about" Cassiopeia said with a serious look on her face. Cygnus was slightly alarmed inside his mind, but he didn't say anything out loud and glanced towards Arcturus.
"I will excuse myself" Arcturus said while getting up, but Cassiopeia simply waved her hand and asked him to take a seat.
"You are future Lord Black, I think you should hear this too. This is very important, so I must ask for secrecy oaths from all three of you" Cassiopeia said in a serious tone and this time everyone was alarmed after hearing her words.
"Secrecy oaths? Is it really that serious?" Arcturus asked, looking slightly worried and Cassiopeia simply nodded her head.
Arcturus knew that it must be something serious or Cassiopeia wouldn't have asked for it. Meanwhile, Cygnus seemed to contemplate his options. This wasn't the first time they were going to use secrecy oaths in Family conversations, but Cassiopeia was definitely the youngest who had asked for it.
"As long as there is a release clause I am willing to swear a Secrecy oath" Arcturus was the first one to agree. After some more contemplation, Cygnus also agreed to swear a secrecy oath as long as there is a release clause. Violetta didn't say anything because her husband was present here, if her husband decided to swear an oath then she would dutifully follow his example.
After that, Arcturus, Cygnus, and Cassiopeia quickly prepared the wordings for the oath. The oath basically said that whatever Cassiopeia said to them today won't be revealed by them in any manner and with Cassiopeia's permission, they could be released from the oath. Arcturus, Cygnus, and Violetta quickly swore the oath.
As soon as the oath was in place, Cassiopeia pulled out her Wand. "Serpensortia" Cassiopeia flicked her Wand and Conjured a snake. She thought that this was the best way to start the conversation. Arcturus, Cygnus, and Violetta gave Cassiopeia confused looks.
§Climb of my arm§ Cassiopeia hissed at the snake and everyone beside Cassiopeia gaped at the display. The snake obviously followed her command and climbed up on her arm. Arcturus didn't know what to think and Cygnus simply opened and closed his mouth, but no words came out. Meanwhile, Violetta simply covered her mouth with a look of awe on her face.
"H-how?" Cygnus finally stuttered out. To be honest, he had no idea what to think… Cassiopeia was a Parselmouth, they had a Parselmouth in the Family. It was amazing!! His brother would be over the moon, but why did Cassiopeia ask them to swear a secrecy oath?
"Now, you might be wondering how could I not discover this Skill before?" Cassiopeia asked and the other Blacks present in the room simply nodded their heads. "It is because I didn't possess the Skill before. It is simple as that" Cassiopeia said and the other Blacks present inside the room simply gave her confused looks.
"What do you mean that you didn't have this Skill. Is Parseltongue some sort of manifestation Skill?" Arcturus asked with an incredulous look on his face.
"No, you are born with it" Cygnus corrected and Cassiopeia nodded her head in agreement.
"I wasn't born with this Skill, you could say that someone gifted me the Skill of Parseltongue" Cassiopeia revealed, and once again the other gaped at her.
"Gifted, how?" Arcturus asked and Cassiopeia shifted in her seat. This was the moment of truth. Since all three of them were looking for an explanation, Cassiopeia decided to give them a full explanation.
She told them how she met an extremely strong Witch in Leaky Cauldron. Obviously, her audience wanted to know how strong, so she revealed the fact that the woman was capable of casting most Spells Wandlessly. Once again, her audience was completely surprised. After that, she revealed how the Witch said that she could perform a ritual to give her the ability, and finally it was Cygnus who caught up.
"So, this benefactor is responsible for the disappearance of that filth, Marvolo? Good riddance. Good, but how did she give you the ability?" Cygnus questioned and Cassiopeia simply continued her story.
She told them how the Witch sacrificed Marvolo to cleanse the blood, her audience blanched st the mention of Sacrificial Magic, and finally, she revealed how they performed the ritual to become a Parselmouth. Cassiopeia revealed a lot of things, but she was very careful not to mention Destiny's name. Destiny wanted to reveal that to her Family herself.
"I see… I don't know how to react. You have no idea how happy I am. Slytherin's gift is finally in possession of our Family. You have acted like a perfect Slytherin and I am proud of you. I am sure that brother would be extremely happy to learn about your new ability" Cygnus beamed at his daughter with a proud look on his face.
“Cousin, I suppose that you were accompanying this Witch throughout the whole thing?” Arcturus asked with a grim look on his face. Cassiopeia simply nodded her head. “So, you were an accomplice…” Arcturus stated and released a sigh.
“Cousin, can anything be traced back to you? After all, the things that Witch has done are extremely illegal. Sacrificial Magic, Blood Magic Ritual, Line Theft… should I go on? I am not scolding you or anything, but I simply want to know, so that we can prepare a defense if anything comes back to you” Arcturus said with a careful look on his face.
Now, even Cygnus seemed to be worried about his daughter, who looked like the proudest father just a moment ago and Violetta was white as a sheet. She looked extremely worried for the sake of her daughter. Cassiopeia also understood where Arcturus was coming from.
“No, you don’t have to worry about her. She removed all the Magical traces using Fiendfyre. Nobody would ever be able to trace anything back to her or me… Even if they find out about her, they couldn’t connect anything as they don’t have any proof” Cassiopeia explained and both Arcturus and Cygnus released a relieved sigh while Violetta still seemed to be worried.
“That is good…” Arcturus grinned. He was also extremely happy for his cousin. He knew that Cassiopeia would be revered by the whole Family and even the other Families from the Sacred Twenty-Eight for having such a renowned ability.
“Cassiopeia, if what you told us about that Witch is true, then she is probably the strongest Witch in this country right now” Cygnus mused and Arcturus gave him a look.
“How old is this Witch and I also noticed that you deliberately refrained from mentioning her name…” Cygnus stated with a questioning look on his face. Arcturus and Violetta immediately turned towards Cassiopeia with expecting looks on their faces.
“Yes, I have refrained myself from mentioning anything about her because she wants to reveal all that to you herself and I am sure that allying our Family with her would be very advantageous” Cassiopeia said in a reassuring tone, but her Family didn’t seem to be so assured. They looked at each other and Arcturus was the first one to speak up.
“Are you sure about that? If you talking about an alliance then we would need to bring my Father” Arcturus said with a thoughtful look on his face. Arcturus might be very much younger than Cygnus, but he was the future Lord Black, so he has a lot of power in the Family.
“Yes, it would be better if you summon Lord Black” Cassiopeia agreed and Arcturus promptly left the parlor to use the Floo.
“Are you alright, daughter? You aren’t having any problems, right?” Violetta asked in a worried tone. This is the first time, she had said anything after swearing the oath.
“I have been fine mother, my Magic is also fine. At least, I haven’t faced any problems as of yet” Cassiopeia answered, trying to alleviate her mother’s worries.
“Tell me, daughter, can you read their Family Grimoire?” Cygnus asked in a hopeful tone and Cassiopeia nodded her head with a grin. Cygnus harrumphed in joy. “Tell me, are the Gaunts truly the descendants of the Slytherin Family?” Cygnus asked and Cassiopeia nodded her head.
“Yes, but they have almost lost the ability to wield Magic. Do you know, that they haven’t updated their Family Grimoire in almost two hundred years?” Cassiopeia asked and Cygnus could only shake his head in disappointment.
It seemed that Cygnus wanted to say something more, but he stopped. “Arcturus is back with his Father” Cygnus said as the Wards notified him of their arrival. Only after a few moments, Sirius Black II strode into the room followed by Arcturus. Cygnus, Violetta, and Cassiopeia tried to stand up, but Sirius simply waved them off.
“Now, none of that. We are among Family” Sirius declared in a firm tone and sat down. Then his gaze focused on Cassiopeia. “I have been told that you have come across something very special” Sirius stated and leaned on the table in front of him.
“Yes, Uncle” Since Sirius has told them that they were among Family, which meant he didn’t want to be treated formally. “Here is the secrecy oath we have prepared” Cassiopeia added and handed over a parchment to her Uncle. Her Uncle quickly read the oath.
“Nothing outrageous!” Sirius admitted and quickly swore the oath. As soon as the oath was in place, Cassiopeia gave another demonstration followed by another explanation. By the end of the whole explanation, Sirius looked completely ecstatic. He cast a Tempus Charm, and then he looked back at Cassiopeia.
“It is almost time for lunch, why don’t you invite your benefactor for lunch? If she is available, of course” Sirius suggested looking almost giddy. If he could ally such a Witch with their Family then it would be great. Sirius had noticed that Cassiopeia has refrained from mentioning the Witch’s name, so the Witch might be a half-blood. Not that he cared anymore.
Pureblood supremacy only mattered so much. Albus Dumbledore is a half-blood, but right now, he is probably the strongest Wizard in the country. He would happily allow this Witch to marry Arcturus, but he would obviously see if the Witch is worth it or not. From what he has heard, the Witch is supposed to be somewhere around Dumbledore’s caliber and that was saying something.
“I don’t think that would be a problem” Cassiopeia said with a smile and she slowly stood up. After giving a polite nod to her Uncle, she walked out of the room. She arrived in the living room and promptly left via the Floo. Meanwhile, Violetta called her little ones and told them to behave since they were going to have an important guest.
After a couple of minutes, Cygnus Black II perked up. “My daughter is back with our guest” Cygnus said and Sirius gave him a small nod. Even if Sirius was happy and wanted to get the Witch into their Family, he wasn’t going to make it easy for her. They were Blacks, if they seemed too eager then they would look weak.
Moments later, Cassiopeia entered the room, followed by a tall Witch. The Witch was dressed in a black leather bodysuit with gold and black metal platings along with a crimson cape matching her crimson hair and crimson eyes billowing behind her back. There were several gold spikes protruding from her shoulder and finally, the Witch had a Sword in her hand.
If nothing, the Witch seemed to be very eccentric, but they couldn’t deny that the Witch looked quite regal and superior dressed like that. “Greeting Lord Black, I feel honored to be invited for lunch” Destiny said with a small smile and Sirius gave her a small nod.
“Please have a seat, I am also delighted to meet you. I have heard a lot of impressive things about you from my niece” Sirius returned the pleasantries in a polite manner.
“Thank you” Destiny smiled politely and took a seat. Cassiopeia returned to her previous seat. “Ah… forgive me, where are my manners. I haven’t even introduced myself. I am Destiny Grindelwald and I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Black” Destiny introduced herself with a smirk. She had raised her hand to reveal her Signet Ring and she was satisfied with their reactions.
Sirius, Cygnus, Arcturus, and Violetta stiffened as soon as Destiny revealed her name. Arcturus placed his hand over his Wand, but he didn’t dare pull it out. Sirius and Cygnus have also done the same, and Destiny didn’t miss the fact that all three of them reached for their Wands. That was the most appropriate reaction, Destiny supposed.
“You two are quite fast, but I am most impressed with you. Your reaction seemed to be the fastest” Destiny said with a smirk as she pointed out their reaction speeds. Arcturus seemed to be the fastest, Sirius was a little bit slower and Cygnus was the slowest. All three of them decided not to humor Destiny with a reply, but they still decided to keep their hands over their Wands.
“...What do you want from us?” Sirius was the first one to speak up.
“Nothing much, but tell me, Lord Black, what do you think about our ambition?” Destiny asked. She would ask Cassiopeia’s hand in marriage, but that could wait. Sirius looked contemplative, but it was Arcturus who decided to speak up.
“Father, if I may?” Arcturus asked his father’s permission. Sirius simply gestured to continue… Arcturus then turned towards Destiny.
“You want to subjugate Muggles, right?” Arcturus asked and Destiny nodded her head. “And you are also firm believers of Magic is Might, right? You also want to remove the discrimination between Purebloods and Mudbloods, right?” Arcturus asked and Destiny frowned but nodded her head.
“And that is something we don’t agree upon” Arcturus said with a thin smile on his face. Destiny leaned back in her seat.
“Albus Dumbledore is a son of a so-called Mudblood, but can you defeat him?” Destiny asked and the Blacks didn’t have any answers for that. “Fine… Let’s think about the problem logically… Let’s say that there are 200 Purebloods. Obviously, they are going to marry each other, right?” Destiny asked Arcturus, who nodded his head.
“Now, there are a lot of Families who have only one child, after all, they don’t want to divide their Family Fortunes, right?” Destiny asked and once again Arcturus nodded his head. Sirius and Cygnus had no idea where Destiny was going with this line of questioning.
“We also know that there are some Pureblood Families who use various means to conceive only a son, right?” Destiny asked and once again Arcturus nodded his head.
“So, let us consider that those 200 hundred Purebloods ended up producing 150 Pureblood children. They won’t be giving up their traditions, so they will continue to follow the same system and we end up with even fewer Children. If we go by this logic then there will be no Purebloods after 10 Generations” Destiny revealed and all the Blacks including Cassiopeia looked very alarmed.
“And your Family is big, but we all know what is going to happen if you marry someone too close to your blood” Destiny shrugged and the Blacks gulped loudly. Now that someone has rubbed the cruel facts on their face, they could see that Destiny was right. Purebloods would stop existing if this continued like this. It won’t be happening tomorrow, but it will happen eventually if they don’t do anything right now.
Nobody has ever pointed out these facts, and Sirius shuddered to think what would happen if they ended up becoming inbreds like Gaunts. That would be complete horror, but at the same time he couldn’t outright accept Mudbloods into his Family, but now that he thought about it, he didn’t have any other options if he didn’t want to end up like the Gaunts.
“Then there is another problem… The majority of the Wizarding population consists of Muggleborns. With the Muggleborn discrimination laws in place, the Muggleborns find themselves jobless and ridiculed, so they do the only thing they could do. They leave Magical Britain" Destiny shrugged.
"Muggleborns don't have many options since they are discriminated against throughout Europe, so they usually end up returning to the Muggle World. Now, here is the kicker. Suppose the war breaks out between Muggles and Magical Population, who do you think they will fight for?" Destiny asked and once again the Blacks didn't have any answers for that.
"I know blindly allowing Muggleborns into the Ministry can be problematic too, since we don't know if they are loyal to us or the Muggles" Destiny said with a wave of her hand and the Blacks nodded their heads in understanding.
"I see your point… I will be honest with you, I won't be able to change my worldview in a day, but you have given me a lot to think about. Especially, when I know that you are right" Sirius said with a contemplative look on his face, while Arcturus and Cygnus nodded their heads in agreement.
“But even after all this, I still don’t understand, why do you fight? From what I know, Grindelwald Family is a Pureblood Family, so why fight for the rights of Muggleborns?” After a couple of minutes of silence, Cygnus asked curiously. Gellert Grindelwald started his career as a duelist, he had everything, so why did he suddenly decide to become a Dark Lord?
Destiny smiled and leaned on the table using her elbows. “Tell me, Mr. Black, do you have any idea how many Magical Children are killed each year by the Muggles?” Destiny asked and after a bit of thinking Cygnus simply shook his head. He honestly didn’t have any idea and neither Sirius nor Arcturus has any idea, but there was something telling them that they weren’t going to like the idea.
“Thousands only in the country” Destiny answered with a dark look on his face. Immediately all the Blacks choked.
“Merlin…” Violetta gasped in shock as she covered her mouth and both Cassiopeia and Arcturus were completely horrified while Sirius and Cygnus looked completely heartbroken.
“That is what we are fighting for. Muggleborns are born to Muggles, but most of them don’t even make it to Hogwarts. You see, Muggles like normalcy, but the Accidental Magic of children is a threat to their normalcy. They would do anything to maintain their normalcy… It makes them go to unimaginable lengths like stamping out the Magic out of their children” Destiny said grimly.
“Sweet Morgana!!” Violetta gasped in horror while the other Blacks looked horrified. “They abuse their own children, how could they? They are monsters!!” Violetta continued with a furious look on her face and Destiny simply nodded her head.
“Yes, they are monsters, savages, barbarians. We are fighting to save those children and we are also fighting for our freedom” Destiny revealed once again confusing all the Blacks.
“Freedom?” Cassiopeia asked in a surprised tone. Yes, she could understand the children, but freedom? Freedom from what and who?
“Yes, freedom. Freedom to live freely. Magic blooms only in rare souls. Magic is granted to those who live for higher things, but we still live in hiding… scuttling away like rats in sewers. We say no more… The Statute of Secrecy was created to protect us from Muggles, but it has turned into something else… Now, the Statute of Secrecy is only in place to protect the Muggles”
“If a Muggle attacks you then the Ministry won’t do anything… they will tell you to contact Muggle authorities and if a Wizard or Witch defends themselves with Magic from a Muggle, then they find themselves in a prison for defending themselves. Tell me, how is that fair?” Destiny questioned and the Blacks completely agreed with what Destiny was saying, after all, they had seen it happening with their own eyes.
“It is time for us to take the world for ourselves and create a better place for everyone. It is finally time for us to make a stand and reclaim what is ours for the Greater Good” Destiny finally finished her speech as she clenched her fist. She had subconsciously started to release her Magical Power and the Blacks were completely captivated by her power.
Destiny didn't need to use Legilimency to know that the Blacks were already on board. She was extremely glad about this development. Having the Blacks as allies would be really great for her venture in Magical Britain…
“We would like to be a part of your cause” Sirius declared and Destiny simply smiled and nodded her head. Destiny rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a scroll. She enlarged the scroll and Wandlessly floated the scroll to Sirius. Lord Black caught the scroll and opened it to see the contents, it was a basic non-disclosure Magical Contract.
“I am extremely careful about my secrecy, so I would be relieved if you signed that Contract. You are free to read the contents before deciding anything else. This is something I have prepared recently…” Destiny said with a smile. She didn’t want to reveal anything about the modified Fidelius Charm to them. Cassiopeia was a different thing, she had a different sort of bond with her.
Destiny was also glad the Cassiopeia didn't blurt out anything, otherwise she would have been extremely displeased. Sirius Black II quickly read the stipulations of the Magical Contract, Destiny had given. He showed the Contract to both Cygnus and Arcturus, but none of them said anything.
Sirius finally placed the Contract on the table. "Nothing outrageous, but before signing the Contract, there is something else we need to discuss" Sirius said and Destiny simply gestured him to continue. "I want to know if you work for Gellert Grindelwald or if you are completely separate from his forces" Sirius almost demanded, but his tone was still polite.
"I need to know if you have any actual power or not before I decide to invest my Family resources to your cause" Sirius added with a hard look on his face. Both Arcturus and Cygnus seemed to have similar intentions. Meanwhile Cassiopeia looked really worried while Violetta simply kept glancing at everyone with a glint of worry in her eyes.
Destiny wasn't offended in the least. If she was in their shoes, then she would have also done the same. They simply wanted to know if Destiny was a leader or a glorified follower. At the end of the day, it wouldn't make a difference since they have already decided to join their cause. The way Destiny had pitched the whole deal, there was no way that they would back out after giving their word.
True, actions spoke louder than words, but the Blacks didn't have any reason to back out, but Destiny needed to establish her position. If she was just a glorified follower then they would not follow her orders or respect her in that matter. Since Destiny knew that she needed to make an impression, she decided to do something heavy-handed.
There is only one thing Purebloods respected more than heritage or ancestry. They unanimously respected Power. Destiny also needed to ask for Cassiopeia's hand. Destiny needed to convince them that allowing their daughter to openly marry a Witch is very advantageous for their Family. Getting the Blacks on her side would also help. They could arrange meetings between like minded people.
"Do you have any suggestions, Lord Black?" Destiny asked curiously, she already had some idea.
"Yes, how about a small duel?" Sirius suggested and Destiny intentionally seemed to contemplate her options.
"No" Destiny refused with a straight face. Sirius, Cygnus, and Arcturus looked at each other. Destiny's impression in their minds went down in an instant, but before they could say anything. Even Cassiopeia looked shocked and surprised at the statement.
Sirius was about to say something… probably something snide, but Destiny cut her off. "A duel would be really unfair. How about the three of you try to fight me at the same time?" Destiny suggested with a grin and all the Blacks beside Cassiopeia bristled at that. Sirius had heard a lot about the woman's Magical Prowess, but he wouldn't believe anything until he had seen it with his own eyes.
"If that is what you want" Sirius said as he slowly stood up. He wanted to embarrass the girl, he thought that the girl might be powerful, but surely she can't fight all three of them together. If someone is Magically strong then it doesn't mean that they are strong fighters. Destiny was extremely young, somewhere around Cassiopeia's age, so none of them expected her to be experienced in a fight involving multiple opponents.
"Please lead the way then" Destiny said with a smile and she stood up too. The Blacks led Destiny to the backyard. Cassiopeia quickly grabbed Destiny to leave some parting words.
"Please go easy on them" Cassiopeia whispered into Destiny's ear and Destiny gave her a small nod. Violetta was standing beside her daughter and she clearly heard her daughter's words.
"You think she can win?" Violetta asked her daughter in a low tone.
"I don't think she will win, I know for sure that she will win. You have no idea what she is capable of. When I said that she is Dumbledore's equal or greater than him, I meant it" Cassiopeia said with a confident smile on her face. Violetta thought that her daughter's trust was misplaced, but she shook her head. Cassiopeia was a Black, she wouldn't trust someone so blindly, unless her daughter had seen some proof.
Sirius, Cygnus, and Arcturus stood in a line, but they were quite a few feet away from each other. Destiny was standing on the opposite side, but there was a significant distance between Destiny and the three men from the Black Family.
"Restrictions?" Arcturus was the one who asked.
"No Unforgivables" he received an answer from Destiny. The men from Black Family nodded at each other. They quickly got into their dueling stances, but Destiny didn't bother to change her posture. For this battle, Destiny decided to use her Wand. Her opponents sneered at her callous display, but they didn't say anything out loud.
The first Spell came from Cygnus. Destiny batted away the Spell dismissively. Moments later, all three men from Black Family started to attack Destiny with various types of Spells. Destiny easily recognized most of the Spells, so she simply kept batting them away dismissively. Destiny's opponents were becoming frustrated by her casual defense.
"Is that all?" Destiny asked in a disappointed tone and her three opponents growled in outrage. Destiny finally decided to counter-attack. She decided to use Stinging Hex.
As soon as Destiny started to attack, the men from Blck Family were already on defense. Destiny took a step forward and they had to take a step back due to the onslaught of attack. They didn't even know if Destiny's Wand was moving at all or not as even if her Wand was moving, it was too fast for a human eye to see.
Sirius, Cygnus, and Arcturus felt insulted, humiliated, and humbled. They have recognized the Spell Destiny was using to attack them and they simply couldn't believe that they were being overwhelmed by Stinging Hexes. If the news got out then they would become a laughing stock among the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
"Enough!" Sirius screamed and started to use Black Family Spells to attack. Cygnus and Arcturus followed his example and they also started to use Black Family Spells. Destiny immediately stopped moving forward as most of the Spells they were using were completely unknown to her, so she deduced that they were using their Family Magiks.
So, Destiny obviously decided to to return the favour in kind. Her opponents were obviously using lethal Spells, but she decided to continue using non-lethal Spells. Destiny finally got bored and started to push them back again, with various types of non-lethal Spells.
Sirius was engulfed up to his neck by the ground, while Cygnus found himself wrapped by chains and Arcturus was the one who was able to hold back the longest, but he was also defeated when his Wand sailed out of his hand and moments later, he was Magically bound.
"So, gentlemen, are you finally satisfied with my Power?" Destiny asked with a smirk as she released everyone. Sirius admitted his defeated, it was fair and square, but that didn't mean that he would have to like it.
"The Black Family is at your service, Lady Grindelwald" Sirius said with a bow of his head. He was a Lord of one of the Most Ancient and Noble Houses, but the young woman standing in front of him was extremely strong and he respected Power like any other Pureblood Families. Arcturus, Cygnus, Cassiopeia, and Violetta also followed Sirius's example and bowed their heads respectfully.
"Raise your heads. The name of your Family will be written in glory when Witches and Wizards finally rule the world" Destiny said with a grin on her face. "Let's claim our rightful place in the world... For the Greater Good" Destiny added softly.
"For the Greater Good" The members of the Black Family chorused and Destiny couldn't stop smiling. Now, with the Black Family on her side, her job became a lot more easier…
