"Asterion!"
Hearing his name called, Asterion looked towards the door and saw Narcissa entering the living room. Her pale hair was loose, cascading over her shoulders and back, and she wore a simple black dress.
Narcissa seemed much freer than before, not as serious as when she got divorced; the divorce really helped her readjust her life.
"You've arrived at a great time, Cissy." Setting aside the box containing Hufflepuff's Cup, Asterion spoke calmly.
"What do you need me to do?" Sitting beside him on the sofa, Narcissa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked with a serious look.
"An informal gathering, drinks and cigars, for our guests." Asterion replied, his red eyes glowing momentarily.
He couldn't believe all the Noble Houses had surrendered to a crazy psychopath who kills on a whim. Even the stupidest person knew that aligning with someone like that was a huge risk, especially with this civil war about to break out.
"Has something very serious happened?" Noticing the seriousness hanging in the air, Narcissa's gaze moved between Asterion and Arcturus.
"Voldemort has returned." Placing the cigar between his lips, Arcturus replied, releasing a trail of smoke into the air. His cold and indifferent eyes hid a faint murderous intent that lingered in the air.
The image of Regulus's body returning in a coffin couldn't help but appear in the old patriarch's mind.
A shiver ran through Narcissa's body upon hearing the cursed name, her face paled as she relived some memories of encounters she had with the Dark Lord.
After a prolonged silence, she asked, "Another war?"
"Just a civil war within the faction, but I do not rule out Dumbledore entering the war." Asterion replied, his gaze thoughtful.
Taking a deep breath, Narcissa tied her hair into a ponytail and responded as she stood up from the sofa. "I will make the preparations; the entire living room will be ready to receive our guests tonight."
"Thank you, Cissy, your help at this moment is crucial." Asterion thanked her with a smile on his lips. Without Narcissa, planning a last-minute party would be a challenge for him and Arcturus, as neither of them knew anything about organizing parties or gatherings among nobles.
In the future, as his wife, Daphne would be responsible for these types of formalities, such as parties and informal gatherings. It wasn't just Daphne; one could say that in British society, women were essential for these types of tasks.
Giving Asterion a kiss on the cheek, Narcissa hurried out of the living room; she had much to do and plan. At times like these, she missed her sisters, even the crazy Bellatrix.
"I hope many come." Flicking the ashes into the ashtray, Arcturus sighed with a touch of weariness in his tone.
"Those who don't come are enemies of House Black." Rubbing his forehead, Asterion replied exasperatedly, feeling a prolonged headache, apparently another side effect of the surgery.
"Not many in the first place, Voldemort left a deep mark on his own allies, especially after the revelation of his mixed-blood origin." Arcturus spoke, with obvious sarcasm at the mention of Voldemort's mixed-blood heritage.
"Hiding will give an impression of fear to his allies, so he has to choose a good location for his base and start preparing for war." Arcturus continued. "That filthy rat is probably at Lestrange Manor or Malfoy Manor."
Asterion nodded. War wasn't as simple as one might imagine, no matter how many men you have, without logistics behind it, everything will collapse like a house of cards.
Arcturus looked at his thoughtful great-grandson and couldn't help but let out another heavy sigh laden with guilt and helplessness.
"Sorry to make you bear this burden when you're so young, Asterion." He said, his voice tired. Arcturus knew he didn't have much time left, but he really didn't expect that at the end of his life, he would still be part of another war.
"If you want to be king, you must bear the weight of the crown." Asterion responded to Arcturus's words with another phrase, one that made the old patriarch smile.
"Yes." With a nostalgic smile, Arcturus closed his eyes and replied peacefully. "Old age is affecting me, sometimes I forget my own principles."
Both remained silent after this conversation, enjoying the warm and comfortable silence before the fires of war engulfed England once again.
-
Later that night, more and more guests arrived at Black Manor, men and women, all of noble origin and powerful wizards, mainly those with an aged appearance, all of whom emanated powerful and sharp auras like swords ready to be drawn at any moment.
These elders were of the same generation as Arcturus, invited by the patriarch himself, perhaps the last request before his death. All experienced individuals who had spent decades fighting between life and death.
In the Living Room, everyone was seated in elaborate armchairs and chairs, a large amount of accumulated smoke hovered in the air.
The patriarchs of Noble Houses sat on the right, with their wives on the left.
"I will be direct and to the point." Sitting in the main chair, Asterion looked at everyone present, his demeanor calm and composed, even under numerous gazes. "Voldemort has returned."
The murmurs that had filled the room almost immediately ceased completely.
"From this moment on, those who have come to this meeting will be my allies. I will protect you as your future leader." Although his voice was calm and cold, it somehow soothed the entire room.
"Voldemort is not the problem." Everyone listened intently, the mere mention of his name made some present shudder, showing the monster Voldemort was. "The only problem in this civil war is that in the end, we will be even more weakened. We won't have as many seats in the Wizengamot as before. Dumbledore will take control of the Wizengamot."
The tense atmosphere was revived once again with Asterion's words. The Wizengamot was created by them to remain in power after the dissolution of the old Wizard's Council.
The smartest among them had already guessed what was about to happen.
"Counting everyone present at this moment, we have seventeen of the seventy-two old noble houses that founded our society." Asterion continued. "Now, like our ancestors, we have two options in front of us."
"Continue with the Ministry of Magic or dissolve the current regime and found another."
When Asterion's voice fell, everyone became lost in thought, all deeply considering his words. What they were discussing was not irrelevant; it would change the entire internal and international landscape.
"What do you propose, Lord Black?" An elderly lady asked, taking the lead.
"We won't be able to stay in power within the Ministry of Magic, even with the Neutral Faction on our side." Asterion's gaze fell upon his future in-laws, Aurelius and Helena Greengrass, next to them, the youngest daughter of House Greengrass, Astoria Greengrass.
As for Daphne, she was sitting right next to Asterion, holding his hand the entire time.
"I propose we create another governing body." Asterion spoke with determination.
Honestly, there was another option, to use the Lesser Noble Houses to occupy the seats of the Great Houses that had disappeared over time, but that was impossible. The power of the Extinct Noble Houses had already been distributed among the Great Noble Houses over millennia. Decentralizing at this moment was a risk of rebellion that Asterion didn't want to take.
Thus, creating another governing body was essential, especially so that Asterion and the Noble Faction could still have power in the future. Otherwise, with the few seats they had left in the Wizengamot, Dumbledore would create more and more laws gradually stripping them of their powers, and they would no longer be as powerful as before.
The Noble Houses that founded the British wizarding society and influenced the entire world in ancient times will gradually be sidelined for a filthy democratic future where Muggle-borns and half-bloods gain more and more power.
"What new governing body would that be, Lord Black?" Arthur Nott, father of Theodore Nott, asked.
Looking at everyone present, Asterion spoke.
"The Clock Tower."
"Clock Tower." Everyone murmured, rolling the word around in their mouths as if tasting its meaning.
"The Clock Tower," Asterion replied solemnly, meeting Arthur's gaze. "It would be a governing body comprised of a parliamentary table of Twelve Lords, elected with five-year terms subject to reelection. The Clock Tower will be a place of politics and innovation. It will be the center of our society, a place where our magical civilization begins to advance, surpassing all others."
"And how would we do that?" Aurelius Greengrass asked, his question striking directly at the heart of the matter.
"All Noble Houses, regardless of who they are, must open their libraries and place their legacies in the Clock Tower." Asterion said, but only silence responded.
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Next Chapter: 87 - Civil War (3), 88 - Civil War (4), 89 - Civil War (5), Chapter 90 - Civil War (6), Chapter 91 - Battlefield (1), Chapter 92 - Battlefield (2), Chapter 93 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (1), Chapter 94 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (2), Chapter 95 - The War Intensifies (1), Chapter 96 - The War Intensifies (2), Chapter 97 - The Death of Voldemort (1), Chapter 98 - The Death of Voldemort (2) And end of the first volume.
Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 99 – Decision (1), Chapter 100 – Decision (2), Chapter 101 – Decision (3), Chapter 102 - The Black Sisters (1), Chapter 103 - The Black Sisters (2), Chapter 104 - Rose's Past (1), Chapter 105 - Arrival of Country Representatives (1), Chapter 106 - Arrival of Country Representatives (2), Chapter 107 - Arrival of Country Representatives (3).