"So, does the boy have potential, Narcissa?" Arcturus asked, discreetly glancing at the nine-year-old boy.
Asterion heard the patriarch's words and raised an eyebrow in protest. In the man's description, he seemed insufferable, someone beyond redemption!
To express his dissatisfaction, he merely snorted loudly enough and remained silent, staring at Arcturus. In his mind, he was working tirelessly, devising a revenge plan that would give the old Black patriarch a heart attack!
Narcissa looked at the boy in front of her, from head to toe, pondered for a moment, and replied, "Yes, the boy sits upright and has very good posture; he just needs to learn how to behave like a noble. He drinks tea like a toothless horse."
Asterion, who was sipping his tea without caring about what they were saying about him, furrowed his brows in irritation. What was wrong with holding the cup without the support of the saucer?
"No rush, Narcissa. He'll learn eventually; you'll teach him well. I have confidence in that," Arcturus replied, sipping his tea in silence, enjoying the company of his great-grandson and niece.
Narcissa nodded and sipped her tea while her gaze remained fixed on the boy. She seemed to analyze every part of him, trying to uncover what was behind the cold and indifferent expression he reflected on his face—an expression familiar to a member of the Black family and quite renowned in the wizarding world.
Asterion attempted to mimic the way they held the cup and saucer. After confirming that his action was correct, he looked at Arcturus coldly, as if to say, "Look, I'm a genius!"
Arcturus generously ignored him with a bored look and continued with what he was doing—sipping his tea.
After Asterion's brief display of childishness, the three of them remained in silence.
As Asterion observed his relatives—Arcturus, Narcissa, and himself—he noticed something interesting. It seemed that the facial paralysis appeared to be hereditary. The three members of the Black family at this table shared the same expression—cold and indifferent, as if nothing could shake them.
Perhaps it was due to practicing the Simplified Inborn Technique?
Well, swallowing the dirtiest thing humanity has to offer daily does incredible things to someone's mind.
"What will be your first step, Narcissa?" Arcturus asked, placing the saucer and cup on the table.
After a brief moment of silence, she replied as she finished her tea, "Firstly, I'll take care of his clothes."
"What's wrong with the clothes I bought for him?" Arcturus frowned, looking at Narcissa.
"That's the point. You bought 18th-century clothes for Asterion," Narcissa spoke sarcastically, glancing at the relics that Arcturus called clothes on Asterion's body.
"They're elegant attire," Arcturus responded briefly, unconcerned about the sarcastic smile on his great-niece's lips.
Asterion wholeheartedly agreed with Narcissa; those clothes were not only too large but also challenging to put on. He needed help every time he attempted to wear those ancient pieces of clothing.
Arcturus ignored the uncultured individuals at the table who couldn't appreciate beautiful fabric even if they saw it in person.
"Come with me, Asterion," Narcissa stood up and called Asterion to leave the dining hall together.
Asterion waved goodbye to Arcturus and followed Narcissa, a look of happiness reflecting in his beautiful red eyes. Finally, he would be free from those cursed medieval clothes.
He couldn't understand why he had to wear such attire while his great-grandfather sported an elegant suit blended with modern and Victorian styles.
'I bet one of my kidneys he wanted to embarrass me!'
"Where are we going?" Asterion asked, keeping pace with the relatively quick stride of the elegant woman.
"Your room, I have to transfigure your clothes into something decent," replied Narcissa, walking directly to the Black heir's room. The Heir's Room had always been the same, so she knew exactly where it was located.
Asterion just nodded and looked at Narcissa carefully. She was undeniably the most stunning woman he had ever seen in two lifetimes.
Narcissa was quite tall, standing at 185 cm, and with the elegant high heels she wore, she easily reached 190 cm. Her pale blonde hair was impeccably arranged in a bun, highlighting her refined and angular face, making her look beautiful but equally majestic. Narcissa's eyes were blue, a very light shade, akin to a frozen lake, as cold as the gaze she emanated. She wore a stylish, very modern black dress with an obvious Victorian flair; the black lace collar of the dress was high, covering a good portion of her slender neck.
The woman embodied elegance and power, far from the trophy wife portrayal often seen in movies.
Photo >
Upon entering his room, Narcissa looked around and displayed a satisfied expression. The room was impeccably clean and tidy, without a single speck of dust or clothes scattered on the floor. Even the items on the desk were perfectly arranged.
"Very nice, your entire room is neat and clean," Narcissa commented, praising the entire room.
"I'm not a pig to live in a pigsty," Asterion found it quite normal to have a clean and fresh environment; anything else would disrupt his sleep and activities.
"Believe me when I say most boys aren't like this, especially at Hogwarts. Imagine six thirteen-year-olds in one room," Narcissa said, walking towards the closet.
Asterion felt a shiver running down his spine at her words. The mere thought of six hormone-filled teenagers together in one room was the vision of an environment akin to hell for someone who loved cleanliness as he did.
"Don't worry, dear. Only Gryffindor and Hufflepuff have dormitories that crowded. Slytherin has individual rooms, and Ravenclaw has shared rooms with pairs," perhaps sensing Asterion's tension, Narcissa explained as she opened the closet doors.
Asterion sighed in relief at the explanation. He had promised himself that if that old, dirty hat dared to sort him into any house other than Slytherin, he would burn it without hesitation.
While Asterion was preoccupied with his future at Hogwarts, Narcissa examined all the clothes in the closet. She couldn't help but display a radiant look upon realizing that all the garments were enchanted through complex processes of alchemy and ancient runes.
Enchanted clothes were exceptionally expensive, not only due to the magical fabric but also the time-consuming and costly process of enchantments involving alchemy and ancient runes. While still residing in the Black Manor, all her clothes were enchanted.
However, when she married Lucius Malfoy, that luxury disappeared. Despite the wealth of the Malfoy family, it wasn't as vast as one might imagine, particularly in the years after the war.
When the Malfoy family had to donate significant sums every year to maintain their status as leaders of the Pure-Blood Faction.
In ten years, she never wore another enchanted garment, only common magical fabric without protective effects, warmth and cold resistance, and self-cleaning. This made her realize how challenging life was for the less fortunate.
Asterion, noticing Narcissa's slightly envious gaze, nodded with great satisfaction. One of the reasons for choosing the Black family was its wealth. It was a family with a history spanning over a thousand years. Even though there were incompetent patriarchs, many intelligent individuals had accumulated vast wealth over these millennia.
Traduzir por IA.
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Author's Thoughts: I hope your weekend has been pleasant!
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