Heading into the dining hall, a number of people were already seated at the table ready to eat the bountiful dinner set out before them. Each person was a member of the Blightheart family, all incredibly powerful witches and wizards with their own talents and goals.
"Apologies for the wait all, Me and Sidious had some things to discuss…"
The dining hall that was previously filled with small talk simmered as Graham walked in, all the members of the family who were sat down turned their heads and greeted Graham and Sidious with smiles all round. Both Graham and Sidious took their seats at the head of the table.
As Sidious sat down, a young girl opposite him started to speak.
"Took you long enough Siddy! I've been dying of boredom and hunger waiting for you and father to come here!"
This girl was seated opposite Sidious, and upon seeing her, Sidious lightly smiled.
"Sorry, Cecilia. Father and I got caught up talking about some things..."
Cecilia Blightheart was the pearl of the Blightheart family. While she wasn't talented enough to be the 'Vein' of the Blighthearts, she was still a powerful witch in her own right. Her blonde hair reached down to her waist and her eyes held a bewitching gaze, it was clear to anyone that when she grew up she would be a beauty.
"So father, can we start to eat now? Im soooo hungry"
Graham looked at Cecilia with a warm gaze and spoke to the entire table.
"Well everyone lets dig in finally!"
As the entire table started to feast, small talk filled the entire dining hall as various family members spoke of different matters to each other. Chatter of spells, current world events, all sorts of talk permeated through the dining hall creating a lively atmosphere.
The long table was filled with various family members and the way in which the table was set-up was in order of 'bloodline purity' At the head of the table was of course Graham and his children, Cecilia and Sidious. Those at the very end of the table were seen as 'barely' pure and hardly spoke during these feasts. It was a symbolic way of showing that in the family they were barely members, especially being so far away from the head of the family that they would never be able to talk to him as he wouldn't hear them.
Just a few chairs down from Graham was an old woman, being so close to the immediate family meant she had a very 'pure' bloodline. She was one of the first people on the table to speak to Graham as the feast began.
"So Graham, where is that brother of yours now? Off somewhere doing some research I presume?"
"Your guess is right as always, Gloria. He stumbled across something interesting in the forest and immediately retreated to his study."
The table quietened as they heard Graham speak. Another person on the table responded.
"Hmm, I wonder what the old Jason has found this time..."
Sidious who was listening in on the small talk looked up at Gloria and spoke without thinking.
"An obscurus"
"An obscurus?! Has that damn Jason finally gone mad!?"
The table erupted into discussions and questions. Some people expressed curiosity, while others showed concern. Unlike the crazy Jason, most witches and wizards knew the dangers of an obscurus. Seeing the feast becoming rowdier by the second, Graham eyes grew cold. He raised his wand and casted a spell onto all those present.
"Silencio!"
The entire table instantly fell silent, and all eyes turned to Graham, showing fear and guilt in their gazes.
"Let's not turn this feast into a mandrake unpotting session with all this unbearable noise! All you need to know is there is an obscurus in the forest that Jason is interested in. Merlin knows if the thing is still even alive considering its living alone in this forest and is essentially a ticking timebomb. Now shut up and eat, no more of this should be mentioned at this table…"
Lowering his wand, everyone felt their voices return to them, able to speak again. Graham resumed eating, and so did the rest of the family at the table, all sharing pensive looks with each other after Graham's outburst. Graham looked up from his food to his son with a cold stare.
"Don't speak without thinking next time, Sidious."
"Father, I didn't mean to-"
Graham ignored his son as he continued eating. Seeing this side of his father, Sidious knew that any excuses would just make the situation worse. Cecilia, on the other hand, stared at her brother for a moment with a cunning expression and started to whisper under her breath.
"Inferi… destroyed…"
Sidious grasped his cutlery tightly and smacked both his knife and fork down on the table. He shot a glance at his sister and spoke coarsely.
"Cecilia, for the last damn time, don't randomly delve into my damn mind!"
Cecilia's face changed from a sly expression to one of feigning ignorance, putting on an innocent expression within moments, showcasing an incredible display of crocodile tears.
"S-Siddy, you know I can't control it... I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Cecilia looked at her father as if motioning for him to pacify Sidious. Graham sighed and spoke.
"Sidious, this is your own fault. Your sister is 6 years younger than you, yet you managed to let her invade your mind so easily…"
Sidious snorted as he continued to eat his meal. He knew damn well that his sister was able to control her Legilimency, but she often made excuses for not being able to control it so she could dip into people's minds here and there. Being the pearl of the Blighthearts made her impervious to any blame. Of course, if she happened to delve into Graham or Jason's mind, there would be consequences, even if she tried to act as if it was an accident.
As dinner was finishing up after what felt like an eventful feasting time, Sidious looked at his father, who was shoving his plate to a house-elf, demanding that it be cleaned, with questioning eyes.
"Father, where do you want to send me, then?"
Graham's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought for a moment.
"Considering your age, talents, and our current connections to the wizarding world... I'm thinking a school may be the best bet. You'd be able to take in the lessons to some degree, even if you are more proficient than others."
Cecilia, who was handing her plate to a house-elf, immediately dropped it onto the house-elf instead of handing it over after hearing her fathers words. The rest of the table, who were still present, started to speak up upon hearing Graham and Sidious' conversation.
"Ah, the 'Vein of the Blighthearts' is finally heading out into the world. It's about damn time."
"You have been here much longer than most other young Blightheart members. Most integrate into wizarding society in some way by the age of 14…"
"Brother, you're leaving!?"
The most distressed by this news was Cecilia, who became emotional. She herself was only 10 years old and still had a minimum of 4 years before she could leave the manor. Even though she played with him and teased him from time to time, she still respected her brother deep down as he was the closest family she had. After all, her father was the head of the family and rarely had time to talk to her properly, and as for her mother... she wasn't around anymore.
"Yes, Cecilia. I'm sending Sidious away for a while to gain experience."
Upon hearing her father speak, she wanted to say something but couldn't. In this manor and family, her father's words were absolute. Graham stroked his beard for a moment as he thought.
"Now... where to send you? Instantly, Hogwarts is a pass. That old wizard Dumbledore is a sly and powerful man."
As Graham spoke, others at the table also chimed in.
"Albus Dumbledore? Isn't he the man who brought down Gellert Grindelwald?"
"He's the headmaster of Hogwarts and a Supreme Mugwump at that... A man with frightening power from what I've heard…"
A somewhat cocky-looking member of the table spoke out, garnering instant attention from those around him.
"He's probably withering in his old age. What's there to worry about?"
Graham instantly glared at the person who spoke, his eyes drilling into the man with anger.
"Every Blightheart here should know not to underestimate that man. He may not be on the level of our ancient ancestor or the other wizards and witches from that time that we have records of, but he's an incredibly powerful wizard and cunning man overall. His intelligence is unrivalled due to his many years roaming the world. Gellert Grindelwald was a man that us Blighthearts even kept on our radar during his time in power and Dumbledore managed to fell such a wizard. That should instantly show he's not a man to be taken lightly fool!"
The table fell into silence as Graham harshly spoke out. The cocky man who had spoken out shrunk back in his chair, ashamed of his comment, perhaps too prideful of his own family to realize that some witches and wizards still possessed incredible talent outside the forest they had lived in. Sidious, who felt antsy, spoke again.
"Then if not Hogwarts... Where?"
"Hmm... Certainly not Beauxbatons. I can barely stand their school and headmistress even from afar... Plus, you wouldn't fit in there at all, considering your demeanor. It'll have to be between either Koldovstoretz or Durmstrang. Between the two, I'm leaning more towards Durmstrang as we have a few connections there... I wonder if karkaroff is still there…"
Sidious nodded as he heard his father's words. He had heard about Durmstrang before, and it instantly felt like the perfect place for him. They submerged themselves more into the dark arts than any other school. It would be a fine place to hone his skills while also delving into the rich dark arts the school had to offer in its halls.
Seeing his son's acceptance, Graham smiled.
"With that said and done, this meal is finished. Everyone, head back to your regular activities. As for you, Sidious, I'll be preparing for your departure by the end of the week."
Graham headed out of the room without another word, followed by a stream of other witches and wizards. Sidious also followed but took a momentary glance at his sister, who still seemed saddened by the news of her brother's departure soon.
"Don't worry, Cecilia. I'll be back before you know it. Who knows, maybe you'll be sent out into the world soon, and in that case, we can meet up sooner somewhere."
Cecilia quelled her tears and nodded at her brother. She rushed off out of the room, leaving Sidious behind. Alone with his thoughts.