"Thank you for inviting me to breakfast and indulging my curiosity."
Lucius patted his mouth with a napkin and looked over at Severus Snape coolly. "Your curiosity or Dumbledore's?"
There was a hint of amusement on Severus's dark eyes. "In truth, his, of course. What possible reason would I have to care whether there's a new Lord Black?" He sneered before his sallow face grew contemplative. "It did give me…a needed excuse to see you."
Lucius tossed his napkin down and picked up the finer cup filled to the brim with the best coffee money could buy. "The Mark is getting stronger."
"Yes." Severus said simply.
"Shall we dispense with the usual song and dance?" Lucius asked bluntly.
Severus blinked, as much surprise as the Slytherin Head ever allowed himself to show. "Dispense by all means, Lucius."
"He's not dead." Lucius stated.
"No," Severus agreed, "Dumbledore has been aware for some time that he is not. He lives as a wraith, out of body, but alive."
"Quirrell?" asked Lucius careful to make this tone careless.
"I believe the Dark Lord possessed him although I did not know it at the time." Severus admitted.
"Potter drove him away again." Lucius commented dryly. He took a sip of his coffee, enjoying the bitter aromatic flavour that danced over his tongue and the sour expression on Severus's face.
"I assume the diary was a way for him to return?" Severus countered. "Dumbledore refused to share anything about it with me."
Lucius nodded. He didn't share that it wasn't the only trinket; Severus didn't need to know that and certainly it was something Lucius didn't want getting back to the Dark Lord that could be traced to him. "Potter stopped that attempt too." He said in reply.
Severus's left eye twitched and Lucius hid his amusement by focusing on his coffee. Potter was Severus's weakness, as much a thorn under Severus's skin as the boy's father had been. Really, it was too easy.
"And now the Mark is darkening." Lucius returned to the original trigger for the discussion. "Obviously, the Dark Lord gains strength."
"Pettigrew escaped at Hogwarts." Severus informed him. "Dumbledore believes he will have sought out the Dark Lord to protect him from the wrath of the rest of the Marauders. It is the rat who will assist the Dark Lord in returning to power."
Lucius allowed himself a small grimace. Pettigrew had been the Dark Lord's ace in the hole, one kept completely secret; that the cowardly boy had been a Death Eater…the mind boggled.
"You have a meeting organised with the others?" asked Severus slyly.
"A meeting of my allies is not unusual ahead of a Wizengamot session." Lucius demurred.
"What strategy will be discussed?" Severus requested.
Lucius drained his cup and set it down. "Tell me, Severus, if the Dark Lord shows up tomorrow, what will he expect of those that followed him before?"
Severus made a careful motion with his hand. "That we will serve him."
"Yes," Lucius agreed mildly, "he will expect that we will throw ourselves upon his mercy; to be forgiven for not seeking him out and helping him return to power earlier; for believing a mere baby had destroyed him utterly when he bragged that he was immortal."
"If he shows up returned to strength then it will be the height of foolishness not to beg for his mercy." Severus pointed out. "He never suffered failure or disobedience lightly."
"He is a powerful wizard." Lucius looked at Severus keenly. "So tell me, Severus, what should our strategy be?"
"Mitigation of our apparent betrayal. A very public show of support of some kind," Severus surmised, "a spot of muggle-baiting, perhaps? The Quidditch World Cup would lend itself quite well as a stage."
"Wouldn't it?" Lucius mused. "And indeed until yesterday that was my thought."
Severus's dark eyes narrowed on him. "The Black family meeting."
"The House of Black has invoked its primacy." Lucius stated. "It will not serve anyone. It will especially not serve a halfblood bastard of a muggle."
Severus blinked again. "You don't intend to serve the Dark Lord?"
Lucius raised an eyebrow in silent reproach while quietly taking note of the fact that Severus was already aware of the Dark Lord's less than impressive origins. "All I will say is this: after seeing the magic invoked in the rituals yesterday, I serve the House of Black willingly and will watch it crush its enemies." He smiled evilly.
Severus took a sip of his juice and Lucius knew he was trying to process the new world order. "I see." He smoothed his robes. "One can assume it will not ally with him then as in the past."
"You can reassure your Headmaster of that much." Lucius allowed. He glanced at the clock and rose from his chair with elegant grace. "You will see yourself out, Severus?"
"I will." Severus said. "Thank you for an enlightening conversation."
"Severus," Lucius paused for a moment, contemplating the advice he was about to give the other man whether it served Lucius to give Severus such a warning, "the truth of Lord Black will be revealed at the Wizengamot but he was raised Slytherin and you should keep that in mind."
Severus blinked and Lucius departed in the knowledge that Severus had received the message. He liked Severus, not that he would ever admit it to the man himself. Severus was deeply intelligent; a Slytherin capable of cunning and stratagems that left nobody any the wiser to his true position. Lucius knew he had been seduced by his friends Avery and MacNair into supporting the Dark Lord and the Dark Lord himself had wanted Severus for his potions knowledge; it had elevated him in the ranks despite his blood status. Severus was also a man who spied for both sides and convinced both his masters that they had his true allegiance. Lucius rather suspected Severus's true allegiance lay elsewhere but Potter was his weakness and Potter would be his downfall if Severus did not choose another path.
He made his way to his study and waited patiently for the influx of his allies. In no time at all, Lucius found himself sat at the large conference table in the room just off the study.
It was a simple room in comparison to the grandeur of the rest of the Manor. Dark green walls were complemented by cream accents; the furniture was polished cherry wood; the chairs upholstered in the same green colour as the walls. He cleared his throat and looked around the table as everyone fell silent.
There were very familiar faces seated around the table: Wilkes, Gibbon, Nott, and Selwyn were all Lords from Ancient and Noble Houses. Crabbe, Goyle, Avery, Jugson and Parkinson held Wizengamot formal seats but were minor Houses. Yaxley, Rowle, MacNair and Travers worked for the Ministry. Of the Dark Lord's favourites who were not residing in Azkaban, only Dolohov and the Carrows were missing as they were abroad – and Snape, of course, who was ostensibly a spy.
"Thank you for attending this gathering on short notice." Lucius said. For the second time in a day he decided that he would dispense with the usual verbal thrust and parry that came with dealing with a group of mostly Slytherin graduates. "I will not waste time; we have two items on our agenda. The new Lord Black and the changes to the Mark of the Dark Lord we wear."
Avery seemed to wilt visibly with the mention of the Dark Lord and Lucius wasn't the only one sending him a contemptuous glance.
"I believe it would be beneficial to speak of the former first before we come to a decision on the latter." Lucius said firmly.
Selwyn's plucked eyebrows rose. "What could possibly be more important than anything to do with the Dark Lord?"
"Indulge me." Lucius said in a tone of cold steel that told everyone in the room it was an order not a request. He had long ago taken the reins of leadership from the so-called Lords in the group and he would not allow them to take it back.
He leaned back in his chair. It was going to be a nightmare to work within the parameters of the Vow and convey the message required. "Yesterday, my wife and I attended the Black family meeting."
"Is it the squib's son as we had thought?" Wilkes sneered, his gruff features turning stony.
"Lord Black is the rightful heir by blood, magic and law." Lucius stated.
A few frowned as they worked through the meaning of his announcement.
"But that would mean Sirius Black is the…" Gibbon stumbled to a halt, his eyes wide.
A rippled of shock ran around the gathering.
"You remember of course how many of us Sirius Black killed when he was a Hit Wizard, I trust?" Lucius posed the question idly. "Yesterday, he called Judgement on the LeStranges and the body count went up by two. Bellatrix will no doubt be dead before the week is out, as it is she is stripped of her magic, her name and the LeStrange fortune has been seized to pay reparations to the House of Longbottom."
"Dear Merlin!" Avery breathed out in horror.
"I only escaped a similar fate by the skin of my teeth," Lucius conceded, "as Lord Black believes to be Marked is to have betrayed the purity of the House of Black."
"The House of Black supported the Dark Lord!" snapped Selwyn.
"Arcturus was never Marked." Lucius pointed out calmly. "He never indicated support or censure. The fact is that he evidently kept Sirius as Heir – one presumes because he was the only Black in the line not Marked. So I would suggest your argument is void, Stewart."
"It is disappointing for a House with the pedigree of Black to fall into the snare of the old fool Dumbledore…" Wilkes began.
"Oh, Lord Black has no intention of the House being subjugated to the will of Dumbledore any more than he intends it being subjugated to the will of the Dark Lord." Lucius let his lips curve in a humourless arc as there was another wave of mutterings and shock.
"He will take a neutral stance?" Gibbon had too much apparent hope for the Slytherin he was supposed to be.
"Politically, I believe Lord Black means to own the centre," Lucius said, gesturing for them to halt their questions, "his agenda is one of egalitarianism." He allowed himself to sneer genuinely at that. "But he insisted in all other respects on following tradition and protocol."
"You forget though that he may not have a choice but to ally with Dumbledore should the Dark Lord return," Nott spoke up, "Black was awarded custody of the Boy Who Lived."
"He may have been awarded it but Dumbledore will never allow him to take custody." Jugson stated with a hard laugh.
"Lord Black already has taken custody." Lucius said simply. "Potter has claimed his Head of House ring. Black is confirmed as the Potter Regent. Potter was announced as the Heir of Black."
Another round of shock rushed through the gathering.
"He outmanoeuvred Dumbledore and took control of the boy?!" Selwyn laughed in delight, banging a fist on the arm of his chair. "Now that is outstanding! Arcturus will be laughing himself silly in the afterlife!"
"So Black now controls both the holdings of the House of Black and the House of Potter." Nott said quietly. It silenced the rest of the room as they started to contemplate Nott's statement.
"The Potter alliance will reform on the Light side," Parkinson said with certainty, "and most of the neutrals will go over if they're given another option besides allying with Dumbledore."
"Merlin's teeth!" Gibbon stuttered out. "Never mind owning the centre, Black will own the Wizengamot!"
"We may need to make concessions certainly but I believe there is a great deal of room in which to manoeuvre with Black's respect for tradition." Lucius allowed, tapping his fingers gently against the table top.
"Well, bugger it!" Travers finally made his presence known. He stabbed a meaty finger toward Lucius. "I say we wait until the Dark Lord comes back and let him sort out Black and Potter. Once he's back in power, we can do what we want."
Lucius looked over at Travers coolly. "Do you believe the Dark Lord will simply let us do what we want? If the Dark Lord returns and wins, we will all do what he wants."
"You say that like it's a bad thing, Lucius." Wilkes noted, his dark eyes gleaming malevolently.
"Why did we follow the Dark Lord, Norman?" Lucius asked politely. "Because he espoused a pureblood agenda and promised us a place of power at his side? Because he was the Heir of Slytherin? Because he was to be feared as a Dark wizard with knowledge of the Arts beyond most of us and had the power to kill us if we did not?"
Everyone stirred uncomfortably.
"Let me take each argument singularly. Yes, he espoused a pureblood agenda but how many purebloods in our ranks did the Dark Lord kill simply because he was angry at them for some misdemeanour?" Lucius saw the question hit home. "How many purebloods were held under the Cruciatus curse for the same reason? How many died in skirmishes and raids due to the war he waged?"
"On both sides," Nott added with his usual quiet assurance, "blood traitors they may have been but we lost a number of families because we were ordered to eliminate them."
"It is interesting, is it not," Lucius added, "how we managed to secure most of the agenda we wanted in the days after the war without bloodshed?"
"You make a good point but to what end?" Selwyn said bluntly.
"I'm older and perhaps wiser," Lucius said, "I question the decisions made back then in a way that I didn't in my youth."
Travers looked at him with a glower. "You are heading down a traitorous path."
"I admit," Lucius said calmly, "that I would never have questioned the past in such a way except I have recently learned that the Dark Lord is not a pureblood."
The outcry was immediate.
"Lies!" It was Travers again that spoke out. "Traitorous lies!" He yelled at him. "The Dark Lord is the Heir to Slytherin!"
Lucius simply raised an eyebrow. "I did not claim he wasn't. He is indeed the Heir. Tom Marvolo Riddle was born of Merope Gaunt, descendent of Slytherin. His father, however, was a mere muggle who disowned both Merope and his son. The Dark Lord is no pureblood."
"What makes you think this Riddle fellow is our Lord?" Avery's voice quavered.
"I was given a possession of the Dark Lord's which bore his name and Black filled me in on the rest." Lucius said candidly.
"Well, Black lied to you! He has filled your head with a story!" Travers insisted.
Selwyn was the one who shook his head sadly. "No, Lucius tells the truth. The Dark Lord hid his secret well. I only discovered it when my niece investigated the Heir of Slytherin nonsense at Hogwarts a year or so ago and found Riddle's name and history in an old genealogy book in my family library."
"You also forget, Travers, that some of us are old enough to have known Tom Riddle." Nott said with authority. "Lucius is quite correct."
"Why didn't you say something?" Wilkes demanded.
Nott raised one dark eyebrow. "Those of us aware of the Dark Lord's true name swore never to reveal it. I'm rather surprised that Selwyn's niece and Black found anything; I thought the records had been destroyed."
Most of the gathering looked appalled to realise they had followed a halfblood in a war of his making that had decimated so many purebloods. Travers looked belligerent.
"And so we come to the final reason why we would follow him; his magical power and knowledge." Lucius stated. "His knowledge of the Dark Arts is certainly extensive and vast." He motioned with his hand. "But it is not equal to the House of Black. He courted all of us associated with the House so fiercely because he wanted that knowledge."
"But he is unequalled in power!" Travers pointed out. "You cannot deny that!"
Lucius smiled cruelly. "As much as we all don't want to admit it, he was bested by a baby; a baby that has grown into a powerful young wizard."
"Pah!" Wilkes said. "The Boy Who Lived is a myth of Dumbledore's making!"
Lucius inclined his head. "I believed the same but yesterday I saw his power. Croaker was present and declared the event need-to-know."
Another wave of muttering swept around the table.
"The Potter boy is truly that powerful?" Selwyn looked at him sceptically. "The reports coming out of Hogwarts suggest an average child."
"Academically, perhaps," Parkinson countered, "but there are rumours that abound of his adventures. A troll? The whole mystery over what actually happened Quirrell? A basilisk? Dementors? How many of these tales have we heard from our children and dismissed assuming childish exaggeration or more myth-building by Dumbledore?"
"I can confirm that those incidents occurred." Lucius murmured.
"Well, something doesn't add up." Nott observed. "On one hand we have a child who is average and yet who apparently can take on Dark creatures and come out the victor."
"He could be hiding his power – that would explain the average performance." Gibbon suggested brightly.
"That's a Slytherin trait and the boy's a Gryffindor!" Wilkes countered.
"There may be a reason for his hiding his abilities within his upbringing." Yaxley interjected. He lifted a hand from the table. "Bones kept the Black investigation close to her chest but checking it out since – she visited Potter at his muggle residence and the next day had Potter's guardianship changed to Black."
"Abuse?" Gibbon looked horrified.
Yaxley nodded slowly. "I believe so. There is a detailed report filed with the WOO but it is under seal."
"Muggles!" Wilkes said darkly. "Why the old fool thought placing a wizarding child with muggles was a good idea is beyond me!"
Lucius refrained from pointing out the many meetings in the days just after the Dark Lord's defeat where they had discussed tracking down and killing the boy only to be stumped on how to navigate the muggle world.
Nott motioned at Lucius. "You say you saw his power yesterday? Can you give any details?"
"I cannot due to a Vow," Lucius said with frankness knowing they would assume he meant one authorised by the Head of the DOM, "but it was…incredible."
"So the boy's powerful, I fail to see what this has to do with anything!" Jugson stated impatiently.
"You cannot see why we would wish to know these things before we begin discussing the possible return of the Dark Lord?" Selwyn replied before Lucius could. "Are you an idiot, Jugson?"
Lucius was amused to see MacNair, Crabbe and Goyle flush alongside Jugson; evidently they had all been thinking the same thing.
"From what Lucius has said, we now have an independent and powerful House of Black to contend with along with the resurrection of the House of Potter." Nott summarised. "Both of which are under the control – directly or indirectly – of Sirius Black who, despite being a blood traitor is in every way as mean a son-of-a-snake as every Lord Black before him. He's already shown ruthlessness in disposing of the LeStranges and cunning in his obtaining the guardianship of the Potter boy."
"In other words, make him an enemy at your peril." Selwyn nodded in agreement.
"The bad news is that if the Dark Lord returns, the House of Black will consider him and by extension his followers as an enemy." Parkinson chipped in. "However, the good news for us is that Lord Black doesn't seem inclined to bow down to Dumbledore as he did as a youth."
"No, the bad news for us is that if the House of Black stands against the Dark Lord and leads the fight instead of Dumbledore this time, the current Lord Black has no compunction about killing everyone who may threaten his charge." Nott contradicted. "A charge who evidently has the power to defeat the Dark Lord himself."
Selwyn coughed. "So last time there was the Dark Lord or Dumbledore; this time there will be the Dark Lord, Dumbledore or the House of Black – a third option that wasn't available in the last war."
Wilkes snorted.
"You're talking of betraying the Dark Lord!" Travers insisted.
"We are talking of how best to preserve and further our agenda." Lucius replied easily.
"By abandoning our Dark Lord!"
Nott smiled blandly. "The only one to suggest such a thing has been you, Travers." He motioned towards Lucius. "I believe we were merely drawing a picture of how the landscape is now and how different it is from when we all took the Dark Lord's Mark."
Which meant Nott was on board and understood: they had another choice than following the Dark Lord.
Lucius gave him a cautious nod.
"I agree." Parkinson said.
"As do I." Selwyn confirmed.
Wilkes nodded and rapped his knuckles on the table. "Agreed."
Gibbon hurriedly nodded. While Crabbe and Goyle exchanged a look before mumbling their own agreements.
Avery simply looked bewildered, sensing that there was a way forward that had been agreed but not understanding what it was. Not for the first time Lucius wondered how he had ever been sorted into Slytherin. The others were frowning but Yaxley caught Lucius's eye and gave a small inclination of his head in acknowledgement.
"Speaking of the Dark Lord's Mark…" Lucius redirected the conversation.
"You've spoken with Snape?" Wilkes asked bluntly.
"Yes," Lucius nodded, "he has confirmed that Dumbledore believes the Dark Lord to be a wraith; that Peter Pettigrew has likely sought out the Dark Lord for protection against Black and is working to restore him to a body."
"Is Pettigrew capable?" wondered Avery. "I don't recall him being anything special for all he was part of Potter's little entourage."
Lucius thought that was the kettle calling the pot but he refrained from saying anything.
"Perhaps we should search him out and offer to help?" Travers suggested.
"An excellent idea," Lucius commented, "if you wish to incur the wrath of the Dark Lord." He raised an eyebrow as Travers grew purple in the face with anger. "Surely, you cannot have forgotten that every mission by the Dark Lord was a test for the individual assigned to lead it?" He flicked non-existent lint from his robes. "The punishment for someone interfering in someone else's mission especially one which was planned by the Dark Lord himself was quite brutal."
There were more than a few nods.
"So we wait?" demanded Travers. "What if Pettigrew falters?"
"Then we will discuss the matter again," Selwyn said firmly, "but Lucius is quite correct; unless Pettigrew approaches us on behalf of the Dark Lord, we must assume his lack of contact has been ordered by the Dark Lord."
"But Pettigrew will be garnering favour while we appear to have abandoned him," complained Jugson.
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "And how long will that favour last? Just how useful is Pettigrew to the Dark Lord? He's a wanted man; a fugitive with a price on his head. And Merlin help him if Black gets to him first."
Jugson seemed mollified.
"But…but our Lord will be angry with us!" cried Avery almost wringing his hands in despair.
"For not realising that he was still alive? For not seeking him out as Pettigrew has done?" Lucius nodded slowly and carefully. "Perhaps. However, he cannot kill or maim us all when he returns if he wishes to regain the advantage that was lost when he…disappeared."
"We should do more. If we cannot help Pettigrew directly then why don't we show the Dark Lord that we are still loyal?" Travers pressed.
"Yes!" Avery declared. "Splendid idea!"
Lucius didn't allow the smile to cross his lips. "What do you suggest?"
Travers looked at him steadily. "The World Cup is set near muggles. It wouldn't be hard to do a spot of muggle-baiting in our old uniforms."
"Count me in." MacNair drawled. "I haven't killed a muggle in ages."
Lucius had always believed MacNair was an amoral sociopath. He didn't even believe MacNair cared anything about the agenda just so long as he got to kill and torture.
"I'm happy to volunteer too." Rowle said.
"Any other volunteers?" Lucius asked.
"You won't volunteer yourself, Lucius?" Travers sneered.
Lucius held his hard gaze with one of his own. "I have no doubt that Black will attend the cup final with Potter and that I will be called upon to attend as family. I believe it is in our best interests for me to ingratiate myself and my son with the House of Black." He waited a beat. "There is no point losing a valuable source of intelligence and wealth, after all."
The others accepted his position.
"Besides, Travers, I'm sure you will do well in leading this effort," Lucius flattered him while deriding him at the same time, "and will not require me."
"What about the rest of you?" Travers asked bluntly. "Who else will take part and show their loyalty to the Dark Lord?"
Selwyn glared at him. "Watch your tone, Travers! He is not back yet and you are reliant on our sponsorship and support within the Ministry or have you forgotten?"
Travers started to go purple again.
"Too many of us will provoke too much notice." Nott contributed. "A small strike team is best. It will be written off by Fudge as bad form but not serious. However, we can all honestly say to the Dark Lord if asked that we supported you all in your efforts."
"Although no doubt he will favour those who did take part." Lucius slid in slyly.
"I shall go!" Avery immediately volunteered.
Jugson also rose to the bait beautifully. "I will go too. Five should be enough, eh, Travers?"
Travers nodded unhappily.
"Then if we are in agreement, let us adjourn." Lucius said. "Some of us need to prepare for the Wizengamot session." He smiled. "I believe when Dumbledore finds out who Lord Black is there will be quite a floor show."
That provoked a few titters of laughter and they filed out obediently, Lucius catching Parkinson and asking him to remain a moment.
"Dinner on Friday, Lucius?" Nott offered before he stepped out.
Lucius inclined his head. "I'll owl the arrangements." Yes, Nott – older than most of them, very intelligent and cunning – was a superb ally. He had always regretted Draco not cultivating more of a friendship with young Nott.
Parkinson looked at him expectantly. "I assume this is about the arrangement?"
"Black has ordered it dropped. He's stated that all the children will have the right to choose their own spouses." Lucius confirmed. "My deepest apologies, Charles."
"It's a shame but not unexpected after what I heard today." Parkinson's dark eyes met his. "I'll tell Pansy or rather I'll tell her mother to tell her. Girls, you know!"
Lucius smiled tightly, thanked Parkinson for being so understanding (and wondered what that would cost him in future) and saw him to the floo. He returned to the breakfast room and sat down next to his wife who was eating a late breakfast of Eggs Benedict.
"Results?" asked Narcissa, sipping her tea.
"Most are with us; they don't wish to lose power to a halfblood who would just as soon as kill them as have them as a follower." Lucius said candidly. He paused. "Travers will be a problem."
"Your plan?"
"I'm certain Lord Black will be grateful for intelligence of any suspected Death Eater activity." Lucius said. "He, no doubt, will pass such information to the relevant authorities." He sighed. "Someone will have to get Avery out of it though; his vote is too easily obtained for it to be wasted by him being thrown into Azkaban."
Narcissa hummed.
"How is Draco this morning?" Lucius had expected to see his son at the table.
"How do you think he is?" Narcissa parried back. "He is currently throwing his toys out of the pram. I expect him to move onto stamping his feet by lunch time. By dinner, he will be convinced you can fix everything."
If Lucius were any other man he would fear the sharp edge to her tone.
"I will speak to him when I return from the Wizengamot." Lucius said stiffly.
Narcissa glanced up from her tea and sighed. "It is as much my fault as yours, Lucius. Sirius was right in that I should have insisted on taking the lead with his education. We have spoiled him and now our owls have come home to roost."
"Your plan?" Lucius asked.
"I will re-educate him over the rest of the Summer in politics and etiquette for a member of the House of Black." Narcissa said. "I may coordinate with Andy as she performs the etiquette lessons for Potter. It would do our son good to be exposed to dealing with the boy neutrally before he is tested at Hogwarts although it may well be August before we can attempt such a test."
Lucius narrowed his eyes. "I believed we had agreed you would not resume a relationship with your sister."
"No; you told me that I wasn't to speak to her some years ago, Lucius," Narcissa said coldly, "and while I understood your reasoning, it is now moot. Sirius will expect a level of reconciliation." She arched an eyebrow at him. "Sirius will also trust her more than us and Andy will be a useful source of information."
"Very well." Lucius conceded the point, too aware that if he ordered her not to proceed she could now seek the protection of her House.
"Remus Lupin has owled. We have a meeting scheduled at Gringotts with Kipbold tomorrow." Narcissa said. "If you give me a letter of authorisation, I will handle it. Remus and I had a civil relationship at Hogwarts."
"It surprises me given how close you were to Severus," Lucius said a little irked by her presumption.
Her gaze was cool and told him he had disappointed her. "I was attempting to save you the humiliation of the punishment Sirius laid out for you. Lupin is a gentleman and will not humiliate me. However, if you wish to go through our household expenditure line item by line item with a werewolf, I will withdraw my offer."
Lucius felt his cheeks heat although his gaze remained level. "My apologies. I will write you the letter of authorisation." He cleared his throat. "I did give Severus a warning about the House of Black this morning."
"It will be disregarded as soon as he learns that Sirius is Lord Black." Narcissa said bluntly. "Severus is wonderfully intelligent until the name Potter, Black or Lupin is mentioned. He is clearly blinded by his hatred of the father since he cannot see the boy correctly."
"Maybe but some of today's discussion revolved around the possibility that Potter has been purposefully average at Hogwarts." Lucius raised a hand. "The muggles might have abused him."
Narcissa's eyes flashed. "There will be a reckoning if I know Sirius." She shook her head. "The power the boy has at his disposal…I could feel it running through him when I touched him during the ritual…that such a child should have been left with muggles…" She shook her head.
"Nott has invited himself to dinner on Friday so we can strategize." Lucius said. "I'd like you to attend."
"Of course." Narcissa said evenly.
Lucius noted the time and grasped his cane as he got to his feet. "Are you ready to leave? We should make our way to the Wizengamot. I have no wish to miss any of today."
Narcissa rose from the table. "I will meet you at the floo."
He watched her go with a frown before making his way to the floo. When his father had petitioned for a marriage to the House of Black, it had been Andromeda they had both had in mind. Unfortunately, Andromeda had run off with the mudblood and Narcissa had been offered as a substitute. She was beautiful, intelligent and a true Black; he appreciated her cunning and political acumen. He felt some affection for her as the mother of his heir but he didn't love her. When the House of Black had ceased to be the power it had been, Lucius had taken advantage and asserted his authority. Now though…
He knew Narcissa could crush him. A word from her to Sirius and he would be stripped of his magic and cast out. He didn't like the new power dynamic but Lucius was pragmatic. Narcissa had spoken up in his defence during the family meeting; she was helping him navigate terms with her cousin. It seemed she was content if not happy to remain married to him.
Perhaps though, Lucius considered, he should acquiesce to her want for more children. He had not been to her bed for many years but Narcissa had always wanted a daughter and pregnancy would curtail her activities and make her more cautious. The sound of her footsteps approaching had him smoothing his expression. He would discuss it with her in a few days to avert any suspicion, Lucius determined as he indicated for her to precede him.
Yes, a pregnancy would ensure Narcissa remained in her place. He might have to follow the House of Black thanks to the Vow and the primacy agreement, but in his own home, he was the Lord and Master.
o-O-o
Sirius watched Harry scoop up the last of his cereal and took the bowl from him, setting it aside on the bedside table as Harry slumped back on his pillows. He still looked exhausted. He had woken up that morning but he'd been shaky when Sirius had helped him to the bathroom and back. The food seemed to have sated him and he looked sleepy again.
"You just need to rest." Sirius said, as much to reassure himself as Harry.
"Hmmm-hmmm." Harry said. "Don't worry; I'm just going to sleep for the rest of the day."
Sirius ruffled his hair. "OK, back under the covers."
Harry rolled his eyes but obediently snuggled down. "You should go get ready. You'll be late."
"So I'm late." Sirius shrugged it off. "It's considered fashionable."
"Not at the Wizengamot and you have an appointment with Brian and Arthur first." Remus said from the doorway.
Sirius nodded. He had owled Brian the night before to confirm the outcome of the discussion with Lucius Malfoy and to set up the various sanctions. He wasn't looking forward to telling Arthur about Lucius's involvement with the diary but he had agreed to do it.
"Go and get changed. I'll keep watch on Harry." Remus urged.
Harry frowned. "I wish I could go."
"You can watch the memory later." Sirius promised him. "Just rest, OK? No more summoning ancient spirits."
"I wish…" Harry's voice trailed away and Sirius supplied the rest: that Harry wished he could summon the spirit of Lily again.
"I know, Pronglet," Sirius said gently, "I like to think it was her way of saying she approved."
Harry's face brightened. "Yeah. Me too, Padfoot."
Sirius leaned down and dropped a kiss on Harry's forehead. "I'll be back before you know it." He walked away and Remus entered to take his place.
Thirty minutes later, Sirius was washed, dressed and ready for action. He wore his formal robes with the crests of Black and Potter on his breast; he went with the leather trousers underneath for ease of movement and to make a statement: he was a maverick, someone they couldn't put in a box. His own wand, newly returned to him, was holstered and he had secreted his great-grandfather's in a second holster on his other arm.
He peeked into Harry's room before he left. Harry was out; fast asleep. Remus looked up from the book he was reading and walked over to the doorway.
"Ready?" He asked quietly.
"As I'll ever be." Sirius responded in the same low tone. "I have my mirror so if anything happens…"
"I will contact you." Remus assured him. He patted Sirius on the shoulder. "Now, go be a Marauder, Padfoot, and get up to no good."
Sirius smirked a little and left before he could convince himself it was necessary for him to stay beside Harry.
He flooed to Black Manor first and then onto Brian's office.
Brian greeted him with a brisk handshake. "I should thank you for inviting me to one of the most wonderful events of my life. It's rare that you get to see that kind of magic."
"Me too." Arthur said in agreement as he offered his hand. "It was very special."
"It was all Harry." Sirius said roughly. He pointed at Arthur's finger. "You're wearing your ring?"
"Yes, well, with all the vows and oaths and alliance discussions, I thought it best to start wearing it again." Arthur's expression sobered. "How is Harry?"
"Recovering. He woke up this morning but went straight back to sleep after some breakfast. I, uh, didn't really want to leave him." Sirius admitted ruefully.
"Molly will be pleased to hear he's OK. She's been worried all night." Arthur said. "She's very fond of him – we both are."
Brian ushered them into seats and signalled for Sirius to begin. He set out what had happened at the Black family meeting and Malfoy's confession in straight language. When he was finished Arthur went as red as his hair. Gone was the affable, easy-going man and his place was an irate protective father. It took Brian pointing out the futility of trying to bring Lucius to justice – he would after all simply claim he was compelled – before Arthur would listen to the idea of restitution. He refused the educational fund on the basis that he didn't want Malfoy having anything to do with Ginny and instead accepted a political donation to his department. He left to walk and clear his head before the Wizengamot with the advice that telling Molly might not be the way to go as much as a Howler to Malfoy might have been amusing.
Sirius and Brian went over everything else quickly; confirming that all the correct procedures had been followed and documents filed before they flooed directly to the Minister's office.
"Brian! Sirius!" Cornelius smiled hugely at him. He was decked out in his Wizengamot robes and Sirius wondered idly who had thought lilac would be a good colour to represent the Ministry.
"Cornelius." Sirius nodded at him. "All set?"
"Absolutely," Cornelius said brightly, "and I have to say this place is abuzz this morning!"
"The news leaked out then." Sirius said, his lips twitching in amusement.
"Everyone is expecting the new Lord Black." Cornelius confirmed. "Albus is in the building and made a comment indicating that he knew that it was expected that Lord Black would take his seat. The old Potter alliance came together. I think Madame Longbottom has briefed that side. On the other side, I believe Lucius briefed the most important in his alliance this morning. They didn't arrive together because that would be too obvious but Selwyn, Wilkes and Gibbon have all hinted they know of something that will happen."
He grinned happily and Sirius was once again reminded that Cornelius was in his element.
"Good to know," commented Sirius neutrally.
Cornelius clapped his hands almost giddy with glee. "Shall we make our way to the Chamber?"
"Lead the way." Sirius said, noting to himself that Cornelius had yet to ask about Harry. He tried to remember as Cornelius chattered on beside him the format of what would happen, the protocol to be followed, but he soon lost track of his thought as he realised Cornelius had unusually understated the level of excitement within the Ministry corridors.
Everyone seemed to be huddled in groups and gossiping. His presence beside Cornelius raised some eyebrows but nobody seemed to cotton onto the fact that he was Lord Black. It amused him no end as they finally got to their destination.
The Wizengamot chamber was a beautiful piece of architecture. A domed circular room deep under the Ministry of Magic meant to provide a hint of King Arthur's infamous round table. The rows formed five tiers; the upper tier was the public gallery, open to all, and was a first come first served arrangement; there were no chairs simply standing room. The fourth tier was reserved for press, Ministry officials, family and retainers of the Wizengamot members with a bench provided for sitting. The third tier, with its chairs of silver upholstery, was for the newest members of the Wizengamot, the minor houses and Order of Merlin recipients; the second tier was reserved for the Ancient and Noble Houses who had gold upholstery; the final small lowest tier was on the floor and held the Chief Warlock's gold seat on the right alongside the scribe and the Wizengamot clerk who both had no voting rights; five similarly plain Ministry seats sat on the left.
Sirius nodded to Cornelius and broke away heading for the family tier where he and Brian would sit until called. He did, however, stop to say hello to Augusta who asked after Harry and gave him an invitation to a dinner for the weekend for the both of them; a dinner that Sirius knew would involve all of the old Potter alliance.
He and Lucius exchanged a nod as Sirius found Narcissa and Andromeda sat together at the end of the row, each saving a space beside them in the otherwise packed fourth tier; all the Ministry heads were in attendance including Arthur who gave him a wave. Sirius kissed both his cousins lightly on their knuckles and was aware of the stir that swept out from them at the gesture. He was sure the reconciliation of the House of Black had not been missed. He glanced up and found the public tier heaving with people.
Brian took the seat next to Narcissa and Sirius sat at the end of the row as Dumbledore entered the room.
Their eyes caught.
Dumbledore's widened slightly and he gave a nod to Sirius in acknowledgement. Sirius nodded back. He knew that as soon as the session ended, he and Dumbledore would have to talk. Dumbledore's gaze travelled down the row and his eyes widened again at the sight of the Black cousins sat together. As the clerk caught his attention, Dumbledore belatedly realised everyone was waiting on him to take his seat and start the proceedings.
"Seal the doors!" He ordered as he took his place.
"Seal the doors!" The Auror in charge of security repeated and the gathering quietened as the loud thud of the doors closing resounded in the chamber.
"The July Session of the Wizengamot is called to order!" Dumbledore intoned.
The clerk, Albert Dullard, rose and cleared his throat. "First order of business is any alterations to the membership of the Wizengamot! Our magic has registered that the Ancient and Noble House of Black has a new Head of House. Lord Black will approach and take the oath."
It felt like for a second everyone held their breath as they looked around the room for the much anticipated Lord Black.
Sirius stood and strode down the stairs to the floor of the chamber. He ignored the open mouths, the astounded and horrified expressions, the supportive looks from Amelia, Cornelius and Bertie, and stood opposite Dumbledore. Their eyes met again for the second time.
Dumbledore looked gobsmacked.
Sirius held up his wand for the oath, his Head of House ring visible.
Dumbledore continued to stare at him.
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
Dumbledore continued to stare at him.
Someone coughed in the tense silence.
Dullard cleared his throat and finally arrested Dumbledore's attention. "Chief Warlock, are you well? Is there a problem?"
"My apologies," Dumbledore said, turning back to Sirius, "this is just such a surprise, my boy. Where were we?"
"My oath, Chief Warlock." Sirius said calmly. His heart was racing though as he wondered if Dumbledore would try and prevent his taking the seat.
Dumbledore nodded though. He gathered his composure. "I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock witness the calling of Sirius Orion Black to take the Seat of the House of Black by blood, by law and by oath."
"I, Sirius Orion Black, Head of the House of Black, swear to act with honour and fairness in the name of justice, law and magic, and accept the Seat of the House of Black by blood, by law and by oath. So have I sworn; so mote it be."
"I confirm your oath is valid, Lord Black." Dumbledore smiled warmly at Sirius. "Welcome to the Wizengamot." He lowered his voice to reach Sirius alone. "Perhaps we can talk later?"
"Later." Sirius agreed. He didn't move from the centre of the circle.
Dullard peered at him through thick round glasses. "Please take your seat, Lord Black."
"If you call the next change in membership, you'll see why I should stay here." Sirius said politely.
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose but he nodded at Dullard's questioning look to whether he should continue or not.
"Our magic has registered that the Ancient and Noble House of Potter has a new Head of House. Harry James Potter is not yet of age and a Regent has been assigned in accordance with the will of James Charlus Potter, formerly Lord Potter." Dullard announced.
Sirius watched Dumbledore try unsuccessfully to hide his dismay at the realisation that Harry was no longer with the Dursleys; that he must be in Sirius's custody for him to have claimed the ring.
"Elmer Samson is released from his duty with thanks; Lord Black will stand and take the oath as the Potter Regent."
Sirius was barely aware of another loud outbreak of noise. He stood up as Dumbledore regrouped again to call for order.
Dumbledore looked up at Sirius and he could see the disappointment in the old wizard's eyes as he started to realise Sirius had never been in Thailand. "As Chief Warlock, I do have a point of order. It is usual for wills appointing regents to be validated by the Chief Warlock."
Cornelius stood up in reply. "A copy of the will is here for your perusal, Chief Warlock. You have been abroad these last few days which is why you have not yet seen it."
Dumbledore took the proffered document and glanced at it. Sirius got the impression that he had seen it before and he clamped down on his ire.
Dumbledore handed the will back. "Has it been confirmed that Frank and Alice Longbottom have refused guardianship?"
Sirius realised that Dumbledore was trying to prevent the proxy appointment and perhaps the guardianship on a technicality. He opened his mouth to say something but Augusta was on her feet so fast that Sirius thought if he'd blinked he would have missed her moving.
"Do not be absurd, Chief Warlock! Their claim to the guardianship was ceded by me as their representative under the condition that they were unable to perform their duty." She practically snarled the words at Dumbledore. "As per the will, the guardianship claim passed to Lord Black."
Amelia rose to her feet. "As executor of record, I can confirm the guardianship was awarded and executed in accordance with law as Madame Longbottom claims." She said dryly.
"Harry's guardianship is complicated due to his muggle relations having legal guardianship in their world." Dumbledore argued, rallying again.
"Lord Potter's muggle relations signed over their guardianship to Lord Black believing it was better for him to be raised by wizards." Amelia corrected. "All the relevant paperwork has been filed with the WOO, Chief Warlock."
"Very well. I find the will and assumption of proxy valid." Dumbledore conceded and handed back the copy of the will. "We shall proceed with the oath." He turned to look at Sirius once again and Sirius noted that defeat was already giving way to calculation in the old wizard's eyes. "I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock witness the calling of Sirius Orion Black to assume the role of Regent for the House of Potter by law and by oath."
"I, Sirius Orion Black, Head of the House of Black, son of the House of Potter,"
A rush of whispers stirred in the background as people recalled he had been given sanctuary by the House of Potter.
"…swear to act with honour and fairness in the name of justice and magic, and accept the role of Regent for the House of Potter by law and by oath. So have I sworn; so mote it be."
Above them the empty Potter seat glowed gold.
"I confirm your oath is valid, Lord Black." Dumbledore stated quietly. "Please take your seat."
Sirius bowed his head to the Chief Warlock. He knew he cut an imposing figure as he took the stairs two at a time and walked to the empty Black seat. All of the Ancient and Noble Houses had risen to their feet as a mark of respect. He looked at each in turn acknowledging their gesture and when he sat, the Ancient and Noble Houses sat together as one.
It was a surprisingly comfortable seat and there was a part of Sirius that was awed by the tradition and the spectacle of what had just happened. He took advantage of the outbreak of chatter to catch his breath.
"There is a change to the Ministry appointees!" Dullard said loudly, silencing everyone. "The Minister of Magic is called forth."
Cornelius rose from his seat and took the central floor. "It was with great delight I promoted Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge yesterday morning to be our new Ambassador to Guyana. As can be seen by the empty chair beside me her promotion and new position unfortunately leave an opening in the Ministry appointees to the Wizengamot." He smiled and looked around the chamber. "I call forth Arthur Septimus Weasley to take the open Ministry Seat."
There was a shocked silence for a moment before the Chamber erupted into chaos much to Sirius's amusement. It was, he thought, almost as good as a prank.
"Order!" Dumbledore yelled. "Order!" Everyone stopped talking under his quelling look.
Sirius watched as Arthur made his way down from the fourth tier. Arthur wore a slightly stunned expression but there was no doubting his sincerity as he took his oath. Immediately, his Ministry robes transformed into formal Wizengamot versions as he took his seat in between Bertie Croaker and Rufus Scrimgeour.
"Next order of business!" Dullard announced briskly. "House notices pertaining to the Wizengamot!" He sighed as though anticipating what would happen next. "The floor is ceded to Lord Black!"
Sirius hid his grin as he got to his feet again; he did love alphabetical ordering. "I have several notices as you can imagine but I'll try to keep them brief." He paused mostly for effect. "It is my utmost pleasure that the House of Black announces the adoption of Lord Harry James Potter by Lord Sirius Orion Black."
Chaos reigned.
Dumbledore was once again open-mouthed with astonishment and it took him a long moment before he could restore order. The old wizard pinned Sirius with a hard glare. "Who stands as witness to the adoption for the Wizengamot?"
"I do." Augusta rose to her feet again, scowling down at the Chief Warlock.
"I do." Lucius said, getting to his feet.
The chamber broke into more muttering; the House of Longbottom and the House of Malfoy represented the two poles of the political spectrum.
"And for the Ministry?" questioned Dumbledore.
Four of the five Ministry representatives rose across the floor from the old wizard. Sirius hid another smile as Dumbledore registered just how completely he had been kept out of the loop.
Dumbledore frowned. "I must as an interested party to Harry's health and well-being enquire whether the adoption was precipitous? He has only known Sirius for a brief period of time."
Amelia bristled and held up a hand before anyone else could speak. "The day after being awarded custody, Lord Black immediately took Lord Potterto The Village Clinic in the States. As you are aware, Chief Warlock, the clinic is encased in a time bubble and therefore while only a week passes outside the bubble, those receiving treatment within the clinic may spend many days and weeks there. I believe Lord Black and Lord Potter spent almost two months together." She took a breath. "Additionally, from what I have observed, there is no one who places a greater priority on Lord Potter's well-being than Lord Black. Their interaction at the adoption was a delight to behold."
"Very well." Dumbledore glanced up at Sirius and inclined his head. "Congratulations, my boy. The adoption notice is so recognised. I only wish I could have been a witness myself."
The witnesses retook their seats.
"My second notice," Sirius continued, "is to announce that Lord Harry James Potter has been accepted by blood, by law and by magic as the Heir of the House of Black."
This time the chamber reaction was more muted, the news probably expected with the announcement of the adoption.
"One moment, Sirius, my boy," Dumbledore declared, "surely there is a concern that this will ultimately lead to the line extinction of the House of Potter?"
"On my death, Lord Potter will become Harry James Potter, Lord Potter-Black. He has agreed at that time the lines will have different Heirs on the assumption they are accepted by blood and magic." Sirius said firmly. "Hence both the House of Black and the House of Potter are assured continuance."
"But…"
Tiberius Ogden, an old Potter ally, banged his cane and got to his feet. "Chief Warlock! The Head of an Ancient and Noble House, heck any House, can designate who he wants as his Heir! Unless you wish to challenge that notion, which I would say would be the height of tomfoolery, I suggest we move on!"
"Well said, Lord Ogden." Nott stated loudly.
Most mouths dropped open in shock as for the second time representatives of opposing politics stood in agreement with each other.
Dumbledore sighed and conceded. "The Heir notice is so recognised."
Sirius nodded briskly. "My third notice is to register that Simeon Marius Black will be appointed as Regent to the House of Black in the event of my untimely demise."
There was a scattering of whispers and Dumbledore frowned again.
"And what of the House of Potter, Sirius?" He asked.
"Protocol would have me cover the House of Potter when called as proxy for that House." Sirius noted. "These are only notices pertaining to the House of Black."
"He's quite correct, Chief Warlock." Dullard spoke up. "I have a slot for the House of Potter noted on the order of business."
Dumbledore mumbled the recognition of the regent registration and Sirius launched into his fourth notice – Andromeda's reinstatement along with her family. Sirius finished that one to find Dumbledore beaming at him like a loon as he recognised the notice formally. Clearly reinstating Andy had met with the Chief Warlock's approval.
"My fifth notice," Sirius paused, "is to announce that the House of Black declared the House of LeStrange oath-breakers for accepting the Mark of Voldemort…"
Everyone flinched except Dumbledore who grew pensive as Sirius declared they had been subjected to Judgement and the restitution offered to the House of Longbottom. When he concluded there was total silence in contrast with the noise that had followed his previous notices.
Augusta stood proudly. "The House of Longbottom has accepted the restitution offered and the apology of the House of Black."
Dumbledore looked shocked. "Sirius, I feel I must protest to the use of Judgement…"
"Why?" Augusta was on her feet again instantly. "Do you suggest that my son and daughter-in-law are not worthy of such justice?"
"My dear Augusta," Dumbledore tried to calm her, "my point is that justice has already been served by the tribunal of the Wizengamot…"
"Which did not include those who had lost someone to the LeStranges!" Griselda Marchbanks stood up. "While a conflict of interest was to be avoided, those that were left to render justice did a piss poor job of considering the feelings of the victims and the survivors of their brutality!"
"The Lady Marchbanks is reminded that such language is…" Dullard began pompously.
"Yes, yes, censure me for language and forget to tell the Chief Warlock that he should be referring to people by their titles as a show of respect unless there has been a change of protocol which means I can start calling him Albus!" Marchbanks snapped.
Dullard flushed bright red and Dumbledore looked abashed.
"And once again," Wilkes spoke up, "I'd like to know if the Chief Warlock is challenging the right of the Ancient and Noble Houses to practice their family magic? Judgement is harsh but it is an acceptable way to deal with oath-breaking!"
"Exactly," Ogden agreed, "and Chief Warlock, if the LeStranges truly didn't deserve to be stripped of their magic, the family magic wouldn't have done it! Clearly magic thought justice hadn't been served simply by throwing those miserable wretches into Azkaban!" He glowered at Dumbledore. "Frankly, Albus, you question Lord Black's notices one more time in the manner you have done so to date in this session and I will take insult on his behalf!"
For a second, Dumbledore's expression was a mix of anger and embarrassment but it smoothed into a diplomatic mask.
"I apologise if I have caused offence," he said, "the notice of oath-breaking, marriage annulment and out-casting is so recognised."
Everybody but Sirius resumed their seats. Sirius moved onto the life debt arrangement with the Grangers announcing to all that Hermione Jean Granger was sponsored and considered a daughter of the House of Black.
Dumbledore ignored the outbreak of noise and whisperings about that to confirm the notice.
"I'm also pleased to announce a new alliance between the House of Black and the House of Potter. We now stand together." Sirius's lips twisted wryly. "As Potter Regent, I confirm the alliance between the Houses and echo that we now stand together."
A rush of whispers swarmed the Chamber again as Dumbledore recognised the alliance.
"My final notice as Lord Black for today," Sirius said easily, "is to reaffirm the agreement between the House of Black and the House of Malfoy."
Lucius stood briefly. "The House of Malfoy also reaffirms our agreement." He inclined his head in Sirius's direction.
"You'll be happy to know, I'm done." Sirius said. He sat down and let the chamber murmur about what the Black notices revealed.
Dullard gathered himself, looked at the order of business and blanched. "The floor is ceded to Mister Malfoy as proxy for the House of LeStrange."
Lucius held his cane lightly as he got to his feet. "The House of LeStrange announces the death of Rodolphus and Rabastan LeStrange as confirmed by the Warden of Azkaban yesterday."
Silence once again met the announcement. It didn't take a genius to put together the stripping of their magic and the harshness of Azkaban and come up with cause and effect to their deaths. Sirius was not unaware that he was being regarded with no small amount of horror by some in the chamber.
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "The death notice is so registered."
Lucius lifted his cane. "As the marriage between the House of Black and the House of LeStrange was dissolved and the union bore no Heir, I declare line extinction. The LeStrange seat returns to the floor."
"So noted." Dumbledore said. "Nominations for the seat should be submitted to the clerk in advance of the August session of the Wizengamot when nominees will be presented and the seat voted upon."
Again a flurry of excited voices had to be shouted into order. It had been a long time since a seat had become vacant.
Dullard rose again. "The floor is ceded to Madame Longbottom."
Augusta stood up and smoothed her robes. "The first notice is to announce that Neville Frances Longbottom has been accepted by blood, by law and by magic as the Heir of the House of Longbottom."
Dumbledore regained his twinkle as he recognised the notice.
"My second notice is to announce the renewal of the ancient alliance between the House of Longbottom and the House of Potter. We once again stand together." Augusta proclaimed proudly.
Sirius got to his feet. "As Potter Regent, I confirm the renewal of the ancient alliance between the Houses and echo that we once again stand together."
"The alliance is so recognised," murmured Dumbledore.
Sirius's eyes narrowed as he sat down; was that a hint of alarm or worry in the old wizard's features?
Augusta sat and Dullard sprang up. "The floor is ceded to Lord Black as proxy for the House of Potter."
Sirius pushed himself out of his very comfortable seat once more. "My first notice is to register that Minerva Elaine McGonagall will be appointed as Regent to the House of Potter in the event of my untimely demise while Lord Potter remains a minor, as requested by the will of James and Lily Potter."
Dumbledore nodded and didn't argue; he recognised the notice as per protocol.
"The second notice is to announce the formation of an alliance of friendship between the House of Potter and the House of Weasley." Sirius nodded his head to a pleased Arthur who stood up and confirmed the alliance.
Sirius sat down again, pleased with the way the notices had gone. Once he and Bill Weasley came to an arrangement with Gringotts the life debt could be announced and settled too.
A brief recess was called and Sirius was pleased when Lord Bones – another old Potter ally – turned in his chair to talk with him about renewing the alliance. It prevented any further approaches especially that of Dumbledore's.
Legislative business then took precedence for a while; a new law governing transport regulations for portkeys was voted down as it attempted to restrict the rights of Heads of Houses to create and maintain portkeys to their own properties; a law that should have been presented regarding the rights of werewolves was withdrawn by the Minister for revision with apologies to the Wizengamot; revisions constituting some minor amendments to the European treaty on the Statute of Secrecy passed easily enough.
A lunch recess was called. Sirius ducked out for a bathroom break and to talk with Remus – Harry had woken briefly, eaten some soup and gone back to sleep. He caught up with Augusta who pulled him into the separate dining room available to Wizengamot members and watched amused as both Bertie and Amelia ambushed Dumbledore on the other side of the room to prevent him from approaching Sirius.
The afternoon session of the Wizengamot shifted to the Ministerial budget review. Additional funding was approved for security at the Quidditch World Cup but only just. Sirius took note of who had voted against it with interest. He was sure Amelia had made the same observations.
Cornelius wound up for his final item. "Recently, I found to my dismayed surprise that the muggles world has advanced sharply in inventions, something they call technology, and in producing medicine and weapons thanks to something called science."
He looked around the chamber as whispers broke out.
"There are machines in the sky that can take pictures of our world; machines that can communicate these pictures instantaneously to all muggles with a push of the button on something called computers." He said gravely. "There are reports of weapons based on biological information. Imagine a disease that could target wizards alone! I fear for the safety of the Statute of Secrecy and our population unless something is done!"
Wilkes raised his wand and was recognised. "Surely you exaggerate? I remain confident that we retain the advantage."
"The muggles are muggles; nothing special." Jugson declared as he was recognised.
A wand went up and was recognised; it was a witch called Alison Bunting; a muggleborn witch who had been awarded the Order of Merlin for saving a group of children in the last war. "As someone who actually spends time in the muggle world, I don't share your confidence, Lord Wilkes, or your view, Mister Jugson. The wizarding world may hold some advantages but what use is obliviation when the incident is recorded on a machine and played back like a wizarding picture in full technicolour glory?"
Sirius could see some people frowning in confusion at her words.
"I share Minister Fudge's concern and support his raising this issue." Bunting concluded.
Nott was next. "I am concerned that our Secrecy could be affected or that they are developing weapons for which we would have no knowledge to counter. If there is a threat, we would be idiots to stick our heads in the sand and ignore it until it was too late."
Another muggleborn Order of Merlin recipient stood up. "I'm not so concerned with the threat as the possibility that while the muggles advance we remain stagnant. There is much to be said for tradition but we would do well to take some of the muggle ideas and invigorate the wizarding world!"
That caused a small outcry of protest.
Griselda got to her feet. "The sad truth is that I agree with the Minister in that our knowledge is out of date. The Hogwarts curriculum hasn't been updated in some time."
Sirius ducked his head to hide his reaction to Dumbledore's sour look at the criticism.
"Whether or not there are things we could incorporate from the muggles into our lives or whether or not they constitute a threat, we cannot make any assessments in a vacuum."
"Well said, Lady Marchbanks," Cornelius said smoothly, "and indeed a muggleborn witch who I met recently informed me that the Muggle Studies elective at Hogwarts is decades out of date. Arthur, perhaps you have something to add as the Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts?"
Arthur got his feet. "It is certainly true that my office sees an increasing number of things we don't recognise and don't have a reference for. We struggle because we don't understand the technology and science upon which the muggle devices are based and therefore we don't always understand the way magic interacts with them. I, for one, would appreciate a move to increase our knowledge."
Bertie Croaker raised his wand and the chamber grew silent; it was rare the Head of the DOM spoke up during the Wizengamot sessions. "The DOM has observed the advancements of the muggles and is glad to see the Ministry tackling the issue. At the moment our world only has an annual meet-and-greet between the Minister and the muggle Prime Minister which doesn't cover a sharing of knowledge. If we are to truly protect ourselves we need a better relationship with those tasked with assisting us to keep the Statute of Secrecy."
His words had an effect. Sirius could see that some of the dismissive expressions from before grow serious and contemplative.
Ogden got to his feet and motioned at Fudge. "What exactly are you proposing, Minister?"
"A Committee to Determine The Need for A Permanent Muggle Affairs Department that would oversee the relationship with the muggle authorities, compile knowledge on muggle technology and science, and work with the DOM and DMLE to prepare countermeasures and legislation as required." Cornelius said promptly. "I would suggest five members of the Wizengamot, Arthur as the Ministry legislative representative to Chair, and either Director Bones and Director Croaker or their named representatives."
Greengrass was recognised. "Even if we agree in theory, from a financial perspective, I don't see that we have the budget without levying a tax either on the populace as a whole or on wizarding businesses."
That certainly caused some grumbling.
"I am not prepared to support such a levy!" Avery complained. "Not to find out more about muggles!"
Lucius was recognised and Sirius knew it would be strange if he didn't contribute to the debate. "While I agree that the whole idea that muggles could be a threat is somewhat fanciful, I also respect Director Croaker's viewpoint and that of the Minister's and therefore support the concept of the proposal. However, I am not in support of awarding additional budget. Perhaps the current budget of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts office should be used?"
Sirius held up his wand and Dumbledore hesitated for a moment but recognised him. He got to his feet. "I support Minister Fudge's proposal. Our traditions are important but the need for us to re-examine our relationship and knowledge of the muggle world is urgent." He looked around the chamber. "The late Lady Potter made me very aware of the advancements that had been made prior to her death. My son, Lord Potter, has many tales of living in the muggle world which have amazed and horrified me in equal measure as they have revealed many things that from a wizarding perspective I would constitute a threat as well as many things where I wonder why we haven't explored a wizarding alternative."
The audience was attentive; their interest immediately caught by the mention of Harry.
"However, I would agree with Lord Greengrass's assessment of the Ministry budget. It is clear to me after my own perusal that the level of funding for the Ministry is at a critical and unsustainable level going forward. Do we wish to levy harsh taxes on the populace and our businesses? No, but there is a realistic cost of government that is being ignored. How do we expect to have advancements in magic when we cut the DOM's budget to the marrow?" Sirius gestured towards Amelia. "How do we expect to enforce our laws and keep our populace safe from the potential rise of another Dark Lord when we don't provide budget for recruitment and training to replace our retiring and injured Aurors? When we can only agree the bare minimum of funding for security for an international event that will bring thousands to our country?"
The chamber was hanging on his every word.
"The budget issues go beyond this proposal but to deal with that first; as the Head of the House of Black, I am authorising a personal donation of one and a half million galleons into the Ministry vault ring-fenced for the Committee proposed by Minister Fudge. Once the Committee reports on the Need for a Department, any funds remaining will go to set-up and implementation."
A rush of noise filled the chamber.
Dumbledore held up his hand. "Lord Black, I…that is a generous offer; are you certain?"
"Absolutely." Sirius didn't look at Malfoy for fear he'd burst out laughing since it was his money. "Additionally, Chief Warlock, the House of Black is donating a half million galleons for the DMLE and the DOM to be shared equally between them."
Ogden stood up. "I will match that donation for the DOM and the DMLE, Lord Black."
Greengrass stood up. "As will I."
Nott stood up. "I will donate the same again to round the numbers up to one million for each."
Dumbledore blinked. "Well, this is a surprising day. It is remarkable to see such support from such disparate parts of our political spectrum. Thank you gentlemen." He looked over to Cornelius. "I trust this is acceptable?"
"More than," Cornelius said, smiling in delight, "I'm sure Director Bones and Director Croaker will be able to put the additional funds to good use. I will bring a revised budget to the August session." He cleared his throat. "May we move to the vote for the proposed Committee now the funding for it has been sorted?"
The vote went swimmingly, passed with only a few votes to the negative, and it was the last order of business for the day.
Sirius let himself be ushered out and into a waiting press melee by Cornelius. He knew it was needed but he hated it.
"Daily Prophet! Rita Skeeter!" Rita grinned at him. "How is Harry enjoying his new guardianship situation?"
"I believe Harry's view can be determined from his agreement to the adoption we announced." Sirius said bluntly.
"He couldn't come with you today?" Rita pressed.
Sirius smiled tightly. "Harry's safety is paramount. As much as we would have both liked him to attend, we knew today would draw a great deal of attention and thought it best he remain at home."
"Lord Black!" Another reporter grabbed his attention. "Any comment on the miscarriage of justice that saw you incarcerated in Azkaban?"
"I am disappointed that the Ministry I worked for failed to provide me with my basic legal and human rights," Sirius said, recalling the prepared statements Brian and Remus had made him learn, "but I am grateful to the current administration for correcting the injustice, particularly the efforts of the Minister and Director Bones."
Cornelius puffed up beside him.
"Your political agenda seems to contradict the reputation of the House of Black, what do you say to that?" Another reporter yelled.
"That I am my own man as my family discovered when I was the first Black sorted to Gryffindor." Sirius answered.
"Do you deny your actions led to the death of the LeStranges?" Someone else shouted.
Sirius pinned the seedy looking journalist with a hard stare that silenced the crowd. "The LeStranges tortured two very wonderful people, who were also my friends, into insanity. They as good as murdered them and certainly deprived a child of his parents as though they had. The LeStranges brought dishonour to the House of Black and were stripped of their magic. I have no regrets." He held up a hand. "One more question?"
"How do you feel about taking over Harry's guardianship?" Rita got in before her rivals could.
Sirius smiled genuinely. "I'm honoured to finally be allowed to do the job that his parents tasked me to do as Harry's godfather. Nothing is more important to me than Harry. I will do everything in my power to protect him and ensure he has a happy life." He held up a hand. "If you'll excuse me, I must leave you in the very capable hands of the Minister. Thank you."
He headed for an open floo and wasn't surprised when he saw Dumbledore waiting.
It was past time for them to talk.