Chapter 1-Prologue
ARCTURUS BLACK-(1991)
The Most Ancient and the Most Noble House of Black was nearing its end. The most prominent family of Britain's Magical World was dying. He was the last that remained of this fabled and storied family, and he was but a dying man barely clinging to life.
His heirs, all taken from him, caught in the middle of a nonsensical war started by a madman.
He had feared this very fate decades ago, his heirs dead, the family name turned to mud, with vultures eyeing down what little remained of his House, trying to swallow it all.
He could not let that happen. As the Head of the House Black it was his duty to make sure that the family survived, that the family name passed on one way or another. And he would do just that.
Thankfully, not all hope was lost. His sons and grandsons may be gone, but years ago, he received a letter—one that spoke to him about this very day, about the demise of his once great family.
He had not paid it much heed at the time, and yet in his final hours, he clung to it, the last ember of hope, as he picked up his quill and wrote back. Now, the sender of that letter sat opposite him, and he found himself both hopeful and surprised.
For it was but a child who sat beside him, watching his death with cold, emotionless eyes. Grey eyes, similar to his own, and black hair like he had once had.
Much different from his mother, Narcissa. His granddaughter had been an anomaly amongst his grandchildren, born with light blonde hair rather than the Black, which was the signature look of their blood.
Yet he was her son, the second son, supposedly, and he had a hard time believing that. Neither the Blacks nor the Mafoys had any genes for twins, and this boy he saw little of Lucius in him, and far too much of himself—the Blacks.
Born a minute after the first son, Draco. She had taken her husband's name after her marriage as was custom. It was a political match made by that idiot Cygnus that had entangled them in that damned war.
The war fought for the supremacy of pure-blooded wizards and witches, and yet it was waged by a damned Half breed and had spilled more noble blood than in a hundred years.
"I must say I am surprised that the promised savior for my House is but a child," he scoffed as he looked the boy in the eye, and despite his age, he knew of how grown men would cower under his eyes.
And yet, it mattered little to the boy who simply raised a brow.
"Tell me, boy, did your mother help you write that letter?" he asked again, and the boy shook his head.
"Neither mother nor my father know that I wrote to you or that I have come to meet you. I wrote that on my volition just as I sat here," the boy's words and tone were so unlike his age.
So were his eyes.
Had it not been for them, he would have ended this meeting the second it had started, but in those eyes, he saw hope—a semblance of hope that not all was lost for House Black.
"And what would happen if I write to them both about your actions, about your intentions," he challenged, and the boy sighed.
"And end any chance that the House of Black has of survival. I know you won't do that because we both know that unless you make me the heir, House Black ends with your death, and while it would pain me to see such a thing happen. Ultimately, it would matter little, for I would still remain Cassius Malfoy, a son of one of Britain's richest and most influential magical families," the boy added, and it was true.
"Then why do you wish to be my heir," he asked.
"Because I wish to be free to do as I wish, to act against the Dark Lord, my own father has vowed allegiance to," and that surprised him.
And then Arcturus began to laugh.
"You wish to go against your family's teachings. To rebel against the Dark Lord," and he laughed at the boy's imagination and yet the boy did not shift, simply looking into his gaze.
"After all, why should I bow down before a damned Half-blood?" and his laughed immediately halted as Arcturus's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know that?" he asked, and the boy raised.
"I know that and much more, but regardless if you do not wish to make me your heir, I care not. I came to you with a humble proposition, one that would benefit us both. But if you are reluctant," and the boy had the audacity to stand up.
"Then this was all rather useless. The lack of this position will do me no harm; it may just complicate a few matters, but nothing that time won't fix," and with that, the boy walked out; as Arcturus watched his retreating back, he stilled, knowing that this was the last opportunity to save his family's name.
Should he really let it go?
Should he really let that half-blood ruin his family?
"Wait!" he called out and the boy glanced back, as Arcturus began to cough once more.
"I will make you my heir. But I have a few conditions of my own....."
.
.
And so hours later, with the terms decided, the boy walked out of Number Ten Grimmauld Place, now as the future heir and Head of House Black.
And as soon as he closed the doors behind him, his shoulders sagged as the boy plopped down to his knees.
"Damn! that took some acting," he complained as he wiped away the sweat from his forehead as he eased up and glanced at the time on the watch he wore on his wrist.
"Shit! Of all the days the old coot could have chosen," and he cursed as he broke into a stride, as he ran towards a little pub hidden in the corner of the street, one named Leaky Cauldron as he rushed through the crowd.
"Tom! Tom!" he called out the man serving food to a table.
"I need to go," and the man raised a brow as he put forward his hand, making the boy roll his eyes as he slid a small little gold coin into it.
"And if anyone asks," the boy added as the older man smiled.
"You were here with your pretty little friend," the older man said, leading him to a small room in the back, one facing a wall. Then he took out a wand and stuck it on the bricks in a pattern, and soon enough, the wall caved in as Cassius jumped onto the street that had just opened up.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you, young man," the boy did not deign that with a reply, for it was hardly business and more like a daylight robbery.
But what could he do? An eleven year really had limitations on them, and as he pushed through the throng, he saw just who he was looking for as he saw a well-dressed woman eyeing a young boy, watching the newest broom, the Nimbus 2000, through the window at Quality Quidditch supplies.
"Draco, Mother," and as he stopped near the blonde duo, the older woman turned around and smiled fondly at the boy.
"Cassius, where did you go?" she asked rather worriedly, as the two boys looked into each other's eyes, while their hands exchanged a bit of currency.
"Didn't I tell you, Mother? Cassius saw his friends and went to meet them," the young Draco cut in as the dark-haired twin quickly added.
"Is that so?" their mother questioned sharply, not entirely convinced.
"Yes, it was the Greengrasses," and her eyes lit up at that.
"Is that so? Then why don't we go and greet them as well? It would be improper otherwise," she added as she began to scan the crowd.
"Well, that wouldn't be possible now, given they have returned," Cassius continued as their mother shrugged.
"A shame, I had hoped to her," before she turned towards her black-haired twin again.
"Let's go and get your wand," and it was what he had been waiting for all these years, as he smiled warmly and began following her as the blonde one joined him on the side.
"Where did you go really?" Draco Malfoy asked as Cassius shrugged.
"That my brother is a secret," and the elder blonde twin rolled his eyes.
"You and your damned secrets," and indeed, he did have a lot of secrets.
"Speaking of that, did you do as I asked you to?" Cassius asked, and the blonde frowned in apparent oblivion.
"What?" and Cassius.
"I asked you to nicely to any stranger boy you might meet today," Cassius asked, and Draco shrugged.
"And why would I do that? Plus, it's not like I met anybody important," the young blonde scoffed as Cassius looked at him with sheer bafflement.
"Is that so?" the boy asked, and Draco nodded.
"Yeah, though I did see that half-breed Ground keeper that Dumbledore keeps around," and Cassius stopped in his steps and rolled his eyes.
"And was there a boy who came to Madam Malkin's shop to get fitted alongside you," Cassius asked, and the blonde nodded with a frown.
"Yeah, he was skinny and seemed rather lost by it all," and all hope drained away from him as his shoulders sagged.
"Why do you always have to make my life so difficult, brother," Cassius lamented as the blonde turned around and asked in an uproar.
"What did I do?" the dark-haired twin sighed as he joined his brother and wrapped his arm around his shoulder.
"You have no idea...."
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PS: Hi, Drkest here with a new foray into HP verse. This is gonna seem like a traditional fic (And in some ways it might be) but I have a rather interesting idea for this, one that is very unique.
Hopefully, I can execute it well.
As for my other HP fic (The Other Potter)—that is on hiatus for sometime. I messed up a bit in it, and will need to do a major rewrite for it, which I plan to do later.
ENJOY!