Reading Time: 90 Minutes

Title: An Accounting Problem
Author: Meri
Fandom: Harry Potter
Genre: Angst, Drama, Family
Relationship(s): Gen
Content Rating: PG-13
Warnings: *No Mandatory Warnings Apply. Discussions Of Child Abuse, Implied (Briefly) Spouse Abuse
Beta: SerpentsGarden. Many thanks for all their hard work on my story. Also useful were Grammarly and Text Aloud
Word Count: 76,169
Summary: In the complex tapestry of Wizarding Britain, a single loose thread can unravel the most intricately woven of plans.

In October 1983, a seemingly minor discrepancy in a goblin accounting ledger is discovered in an audit, and the investigation it sparks begins to unravel the plans of some highly placed people in the Wizarding World. It changes the trajectory of everything and sets Harry Potter, Sirius Black, Narcissa Malfoy, Minerva McGonagall, Ragnok Winterkill, and Amelia Bones on new courses in their lives.
Artist: ani
Artist Appreciation: Many, many thanks to ani for her wonderful artwork!

---

---

Chapter Twelve

The Last Day Of The Year

It was early afternoon on what should have been a holiday for the ministry. In fact, most people had already gone to their celebrations of the new year. Amelia had a meeting she wanted as few people as possible to know about before she started as minister.

“Thank you all for coming today,” Amelia said to those gathered around her conference table. “As you know, the Wizengamot elected me Minister of Magic as of tomorrow morning.”

“I am curious to know why we are all here,” Director Ragnok asked, nodding to those around the table. “And in such august company.”

“An excellent question,” Sirius Black said, also looking around. “I am surprised to find myself in such company as well.”

“I would agree with that,” Minerva McGonagall added. “So, Madam Minister, do you have an answer for us?”

“I do.” Amelia glanced at each of them. “I will be instituting an advisory council to actually do some good for the country rather than what would be good for one person or set of people.” She took a breath. “We need to strengthen our school, add a primary school, and generally bring our educational system up to the IWC standards.”

“I can only agree with that,” Minerva said. “And I will be working towards that goal beginning with next year’s class.

“I would also like to open negotiations for full and fair citizenship for all people who are in the magical world. I would abolish many, if not all, of the barbaric creature laws.” She glanced at Ragnok, and he nodded.

“We do not necessarily need to be part of magical Britain society as we have our own, but we would like to own lands other than the land that our banks sit on presently. We would like to open branches in other Wizarding cities around the country.”

“Fair enough,” Amelia said. “And that should not be that hard to accomplish.”

“That is not why you’ve brought us all here today, is it?” Sirius asked.

“Not entirely. Although this council will be a working one. And I am going to add Ted Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Lady Augusta Longbottom. Kingsley will be taking over day-to-day operations for me and will be the touchpoint at the ministry for the Tom Riddle problem.”

Sirius nodded. “As far as I know, there is no new news on that.”

“We have been looking into the Gaunt heritage from the information that Kingsley Shacklebolt provided,” Ragnok said. “We believe we have found the shack they lived in, and it is very heavily warded.”

“Dumbledore told me there is a curse on the object in the shack. I would not approach it without a team of curse breakers,” Amelia suggested.

“We hope to have it in hand in the next week or two,” Ragnok said. “We currently are waiting for one of our best curse breakers to finish his project abroad and return here to work on it.”

“And the last one,” Sirius asked.

“We are still uncertain where that is or even if it has been made yet,” Ragnok said. “Once we have them all, we will need a ritual to dispose of them and the wraith that houses the last of Tom Riddle’s soul.”

“I believe Narcissa is looking into finding the ritual,” Sirius said.

“I will also look into it,” Minerva offered.

“Thank you all,” Amelia said. “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?”

“I have a question for Director Ragnok,” Minerva said. “I need someone to teach history for the second half of the school year. Professor Binns will be moving on. With Hogwarts in flux, I am not ready to hire a new teacher yet. However, I’m going to have different historians come in and give lectures to the students on various subjects. I was wondering if you know of a goblin historian who would be willing to teach your version of the Goblin-Magical interactions through history.”

Amelia felt her jaw drop open. That was an amazingly daring thing to do. The push-back would likely be epic.

Ragnok looked as shocked as Amelia felt. And that was saying something because she’d never seen him look more than mildly amused or slightly annoyed.

“I am sure I can find someone. Can you guarantee they won’t be murdered for their opinion?” Ragnok asked.

“Oh, I doubt anyone would try that,” Minerva said. “If we have a problem, the minister can send a team of Aurors.”

“If there’s a problem, I’m sure we can take care of it,” Amelia promised.

“That is an excellent idea, Professor,” Sirius said. “I would love to hear those lectures, myself.”

“When I have everything arranged, I’ll send you an invitation,” Minerva said and looked at Ragnok. “Thank you.”

“I believe I would like an invitation as well,” Ragnok said.

Minerva smiled. “I’m sure that can be arranged.”

*****

Gringotts
An Hour Later

After the meeting with Amelia, Sirius had another one at the bank. And to say that he was not looking forward to that was, well, an understatement of enormous proportions. He had been directed to a secure conference room. Severus Snape was standing by the wall, clearly waiting for him.

“I am sorry I could not get here sooner, however –”

“You had a meeting with the new minister for magic?” Snape said, without his usual rancor.

“You are very well informed,” Sirius said, also without any anger or resentment. “We should sit down. Do you want some tea or something else?”

“No, thank you,” Snape said and remained standing. “Why am I here?”

Sirius shrugged. And remained on his feet as well. “I have been thinking about how to tell you this without it sounding like a lie or something made up. I had some memories retrieved –”

“And Dumbledore did something to you to make you and Potter do what you did to me at the end of fifth year,” Snape suggested.

“You know about it?” Sirius asked, trying not to sound as shocked as he was.

“Not what he did to you, but I do know what he did to me. Over and over,” Snape said, and there was the anger Sirius had been expecting, except it was not directed against him. It was where it should be. Snape cleared his throat. “He systematically tried to destroy my life from the time I was a teenager until the time he was arrested. I have no idea why.”

“Does it matter?” Sirius asked. “He did the same thing to me. He forced me to do things that were awful to you. And I do not understand why either?”

Snape looked at him. “I believe he cast me in the role of a villain, and when I might have done something else, he stopped me. But the ultimate goal, I think, was to keep me from claiming my heritage.”

Sirius had no idea that Snape was related to a prestigious pureblood family. His father was a muggle. “Your mother was a pureblood from a good family?”

“My mother was a pureblood from the Prince family.”

“One of the sacred twenty-eight. And quite well off,” Sirius said. He still did not remember that, and he should have. “I guess that was one of the memories I haven’t gotten to yet.”

“I have many more as well,” Snape agreed.

“Have you gotten in touch with your family? The Princes, I mean?” Sirius asked. He could help with that if it was an issue.

“I have. They tried to get in contact with me for years, and Dumbledore told them I was not interested. And he cursed me to hate them because they disowned my mother for marrying a muggle.”

“I am sorry,” Sirius said honestly. “Is there something I can do to help?”

“No,” Snape said. “But thank you. They have invited me to dinner next week before school starts again –”

“You are still in school?” Sirius could not imagine doing that.

Snape looked at him like he was crazy. “I teach potions at Hogwarts.”

“I didn’t know that either,” Sirius said. Although, how would he know that when he’d been in Azkaban?

Snape sighed. “Dumbledore signed me to a contract at about half the salary that a Potions Master should get and required that I stock the infirmary as well.”

“What did Minerva say to that.” Because Sirius knew that she would never let that stand.

“About what you would think, a Gryffindor such as she, would say,” Snape said with a snort. “But she paid me back wages, and Hogwarts Infirmary will be my first client when I open my apothecary next year.”

He sounded like he was getting his life together, and Sirius wondered if he should mention Lily, but Snape had a right to know the full depth of Dumbledore’s treachery.

“Is there something else?” Snape asked.

“Yes. I wanted to tell you that Dumbledore also charmed Lily to never forgive you,” Sirius said.

For a second, Snape’s eyes widened, and he sucked in a breath. “I should have known that. She and I were too close for that one thing to break us apart like it did.”

Sirius tilted his head, trying to remember. “You finally told James that you and Lily were more like brother and sister than anything else.”

Snape blinked. “Yes. Dumbledore tried to charm me to think I was in love with her, but he couldn’t. Then he charmed me to forget that he’d tried that.”

“Why didn’t it work?” Because those kinds of things usually worked, even if it was just for a while.

“It went against my true nature. I prefer Wizards,” Snape said like he should know that.

But clearly, Sirius had forgotten or been made to forget, which was more likely. “Right. A charm would not make you something you are not. I’m not even sure the worst possible curse could do that.”

“Magic does not change your true nature.” Snape looked at him. “If you find out anything else, or if I do, you can write to me at Hogwarts until next summer.”

“Thank you for meeting me,” Sirius said, holding out his hand.

Snape took it. “I appreciate that you would go to this much trouble.”

“I felt I owed you an explanation about what happened fifth year and then again sixth year.”

Snape nodded. And stepped out the door.

Sirius let out a sigh and went out behind him.

*****

The Following Evening

Narcissa met Minerva at the front of Hogwarts, and they walked in silence to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

“The sacred ritual circle is hidden in the forest. Only members of the Ross-Blackthorn Circle can find it,” Minerva said. “And trust me, people have tried. But the space is completely invisible and silenced. Even if someone were standing right beside it, they would neither see nor hear it.”

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Narcissa said. It was dark, but the circle was illuminated with lights that she had not seen until she was right upon them.

“There is a door here,” Minerva said, holding out her hand to show her a door within a frame that appeared to be standing on its own without a surrounding building. To her, it seemed as if there was nothing there except the lit forest beyond it.

“Go through the door and use the room to prepare yourself for the ritual. When you are done, put on the robe that is in the room and come back out, and the rest of the coven will be here. We shall be ready then to do your ritual.”

Narcissa bowed and opened the door. She found herself in a well-appointed room with a deep bathtub. She did as she had been told, carefully preparing herself for the cleansing. She washed her hair three times, cutting her nails, stripping off perfumes, cosmetic charms, and removing anything that might be on her skin or in her hair. After that, she wrapped herself in a white silk ritual gown with runes on the edges, and she wore nothing beneath it. She tried to keep her mind clear of all thoughts other than the coming ritual.

“Are you ready,” Minerva asked as Narcissa emerged from the room to walk to the steps of the circle. Three steps led up to the round tile floor. The lighting was offset so that there were no shadows.

“I am ready, high priestess,” Narcissa confirmed. More than ready.

She glanced around at the women gathered. Despite what Minerva had said when they met about the ritual, the faces she knew were a diverse group of witches. There were some surprises. Molly Weasley and Emily Nott, who was Theros’ daughter and heir, for two. Rayla Zambini was also someone she had not expected to see in a ritual of any kind. But clearly, these were Minerva’s inner circle.

“Your attendants will be your sister Andromeda and Molly Weasley, who is part of my inner circle,” Minerva said. “Does that meet with your approval?”

Narcissa nodded. She was surprised by both choices, but she knew she was being honored to have one of the high priestess’ inner circle as an attendant. Those were the most trusted of the coven. “Thank you,” she said, bowing her head.

A large deep cistern had been created in the middle of the circle with light blue tile in a small circle around the whole area. Runes of renewal and cleansing were drawn around the circle and glowed faintly in blue.

Seven witches, all of whom Narcissa recognized, gathered in a circle around the cistern. They all spoke as one to open the circle and to welcome Narcissa into it. She moved quietly and stood before the water. Molly and Andromeda removed her robe, and she stepped into the waters, going down the steps. The water was six feet deep and would cover her completely when she reached the final step.

As she stepped down, she recited: “Blessed be our lady magic, who cleanses and renews us with the new moon and sacred waters. I immerse myself now and ask for your blessing and to be cleansed of the taint of my life and our world.”

She immersed herself three times in the water, making sure she was completely submerged below the surface, and said the blessing each time. The water of the cistern turned dark the first time, and then white the second time, and clear the final time she immersed herself. Each time, she felt the taint leave her, and the blessing of magic renew her spirit and soul. It was freeing. This is what she’d needed after the years with Lucius and his unrelenting darkness and taint. This feeling of rejuvenation and acceptance.

As she came back up the steps, her chest was tight, and her eyes filled with tears she would not let fall. Her robe was put back on her. As soon as it touched her skin, she was dry, and so was the robe.

“Thank you,” Narcissa said and looked around at her attendants, including them in her thanks.

*****

After the circle was closed, Minerva turned to those gathered. “I would like to invite you, Narcissa, to join us for the ritual cleansing and renewal for Hogwarts.”

“I would truly be honored to be a part of that,” Narcissa said.

“Now we will reopen the circle and start the ritual for Hogwarts,” Minerva said as she went through the preparations for the altar and for the ritual offering. It would be a little different tonight. She laid Dumbledore’s wand on the altar. Although she had not acknowledged it to anyone, she knew what it was. And that it would be a folly to keep it.

She raised her arms. “We open the circle. We welcome Hogwarts into our midst.”

Hogwarts appeared and stepped back into the circle, wearing what looked like an ancient ritual gown. Her long gray hair was loose and hung down her back instead of the intricate style she usually wore it in. “Thank you, headmistress,” she said and turned towards the witches gathered. “Thank you for your efforts on my behalf.”

She joined them in the circle, and Minerva led them through the cleansing rite. It was draining, but they could feel the taint of all the years leaving the school.

When they were done, Helena Ravenclaw, the Gray Lady; Professor Cuthbert Binns; and Caspian Marston, The Bloody Baron, appeared just outside the circle.

Before any of them could say anything, a beautiful woman appeared, her face radiant with light. She was dressed in a robe similar to those the rest of the witches were wearing, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. The witches in the circle opened to allow her to enter the circle.

“I will accept your offering, Minerva Ross McGonagall,” she said.

Minerva drew in a breath. She knelt, and the rest of the circle did as well. Minerva waved her hand toward the wand on the altar. “It is yours, my Lady Magic.”

“It is not mine, and I will see it returned to its owner,” Magic promised. “I would grant you a boon for this.”

“None needed,” Minerva said. “I am content to see it returned to its owner and to serve you.”

The woman smiled at her, and Minerva’s breath caught. “I am most pleased with you, my dear. You have done so well.” She walked to the altar and picked up the wand. I will see this gets to whom it should go.”

“Thank you for your presence,” Minerva said again.

“Hogwarts is cleansed,” Magic said. “It is yours now. So, do not let it fall into darkness again. It is time to bring back the traditions and rituals of our ways. But it must be for all, not just those raised with it.”

“I will dedicate myself to your service,” Minerva said. “And my circle.”

Magic smiled at her. “Tell that man of yours to bring his conclave out of the shadows and into the light. It is high time he shared it with people who need it.”

“I have mentioned that to him,” Minerva said.

“I am sure that you have, my dear,” Magic said and turned towards the witches in the circle. “I thank you for your service to me. Blessings upon all of you.” And she walked around the circle to smile at each one of the witches there.

When she got to the ghosts, she held out her hands. “Culbreath Binns, you have served well, and you are released to leave when you wish.”

“Thank you, my lady,” Binns said and turned back towards McGonagall. “I would speak now that I can.”

“Speak then,” Minerva said.

“I was cursed by Albus Dumbledore to speak the lies about the Goblin Nation over and over. I do not know why, and I am sorry for the harm I caused.”

“You are absolved,” Lady Magic said. “It was not your failing, but his.” She glanced back at Minerva. “We shall fix this problem.”

“We will do so,” Minerva agreed.

He bowed again and walked away. A few feet past the circle, he faded from sight.

Magic turned to Helena and Caspian. “Tell your story, and then you will be free of it.”

Helena nodded. “I took my mother’s diadem and ran away with it. I was jealous of her intelligence and power. I was in Albania for a long time. The baron was sent by my mother to retrieve me and the diadem.” She paused and looked at the baron.

“I pleaded with her to return to her mother, and she refused to go,” the baron said. “In a rage, I killed her, and then after I realized what I had done, I used the same knife to kill myself.”

“Have you completed what you stayed to do?” Magic asked.

“I have, my Lady,” Helena said. “Once the abomination was gone from the school, I could move on.”

“Once Helena has moved on,” the baron said. “I can as well.”

“I release you both,” Magic said.

Helena breathed out and curtsied. “Thank you, my Lady.” She said and walked away from the circle.

“Thank you,” Caspian said. He walked away as well but in the opposite direction from where Helena had gone.

“Can we serve you in any other way, my Lady?” Minerva asked. “I will see to the school and speak to Jonathan about the conclave.”

“You serve me every day, Minerva, and I thank you for it,” Magic said, leaving the circle and disappearing.

Minerva rose and blew out a deep breath. “We shall close the circle.”

*****

After the circle was closed, Minerva realized everyone was lingering. “It’s late, I know, but we should all go back up to the school and have tea. I am not ready to let this go yet.

“I agree,” Amelia said. “That was unexpected. I should have known that you would know what his wand was.”

Minerva snorted. “There are few enough wands that are that powerful.”

Narcissa looked at her. “If I might ask, Professor –”

“Minerva,” she corrected. “Please.”

“Whose wand and what was it?” Molly said before Narcissa could ask.

“It was Dumbledore’s wand. And I believe it was the elder wand.”

“Bloody Hell,” Rayla Zambini burst out with. “You just gave that wand away?”

“What was I going to do with it?” Minerva asked. “I did not like the feel of it. It was needy and tried to get me to use it all the time. I much prefer my own wand.” She pulled out her wand and was relieved to find that it once more felt like its old self before she had foolishly taken away Dumbledore’s silly wand. “Well, it is gone now, and good riddance to it.”

Rayla shook her head. “I sometimes cannot believe you are gray and not bright white.”

“You have known me a long time,” Minerva said. “You know me much better than that.”

“Still, you had the elder wand in your hands, and you gave it away,” Emily Nott said, shaking her head.

“We were promised some tea,” Narcissa said. “I, for one, could use some.”

“Here, here,” Molly said and turned to smile at her.

*****

Within the hour after the tea and scones had been served, everyone except Narcissa, Andromeda, and Minerva had left. Narcissa hugged Andromeda. “Thank you, sister, for being here and attending me.”

“I was pleased to be asked,” Andromeda said. “I will see you this week.”

Narcissa nodded and turned to Minerva as Andromeda exited the great hall. “A moment of your time?” she asked.

“Of course,” Minerva said. “What do you need?”

“Information. Lady Magic mentioned a conclave –”

Minerva nodded. “I do not expect it to stay a secret much longer now that Dumbledore has been removed from power.”

“I have need of a conclave,” Narcissa said. “Or rather, my family has need of one.”

“Arcturus?” Minerva said, looking a little puzzled.

“He has mentioned nothing about wanting a ritual, but he may not know it would be available,” Narcissa said. “I was thinking of my uncle, Orion, and Sirius, both of whom have said they would like to have a cleansing and healing ritual done. I suggested that Sirius create a conclave, but if one exists already, that would be easier in the short term.”

“It does. As you know, Dumbledore has done his best to prevent the use of rituals and most light-leaning and some gray-leaning wizards followed his lead. Interest has waned so much that no new conclaves have been created in the last ten to fifteen years. And those that existed had enough members killed that they disbanded.”

“And Lord MacLachlan’s conclave?” Narcissa asked.

“Merged with two other conclaves about ten years ago, so that they would have enough people to perform the traditional rituals. He still takes on new members when he can find them.”

“Do you think they would do a healing ritual for Sirius and Orion?”

“What of Arcturus?” Minerva suggested.

“I would ask him about it. I am sure it would help him as well.” After tonight and how much better Narcissa felt, she would suggest it to all of them.

“I’ll need to speak to him about it, but I’m sure he won’t have a problem with it,” Minerva said. “Though He can be quite stubborn about many things, that is not one of them.”

“He would have to be to have stayed with you for all these years.”

“I suppose that is true,” Minerva said with a laugh.

*****

Chapter Thirteen

A Few Days Later

Sirius knocked on the door of his grandfather’s office and heard him call, “Enter.”

“Grandfather,” Sirius said. “You wanted to see me?”

“I did. Have a seat,” he waved Sirius to a chair in front of his desk. “There’s an issue to discuss.”

“Bellatrix?” Sirius asked. He had spoken with Narcissa, and she had told him that Bellatrix had passed away in Azkaban a few days ago. It was not a surprise at all. Without the Black Family magic to sustain her, she would have succumbed to the cold and the dementors quickly.

It had always been clear that Bellatrix had mental health issues and could have benefited from a mind healer from the time she was a child, but her parents would never have allowed it. Sirius hoped that at least she was at peace now.

Arcturus nodded. “We need to have her vault taken care of. I spoke with Ragnok last week, and he said they were waiting for a curse breaker for the vault since it was so heavily inundated with both dark objects and traps against anyone getting into the vault itself. I can only assume we will be fined heavily for the inconvenience.

“Well, it is not the goblin’s fault that Bellatrix broke their rules. Repeatedly,” Sirius muttered. “What would you need me to do?”

“Just oversee the curse breaker and his crew,” Arcturus said and sighed. “I am not up to doing it.”

“Of course,” Sirius said and glanced at Arcturus. He looked tired. “Are you still suffering from the effects of the poison? I had thought you were done with the cure.”

“I am, but,” Arcturus said. “I feel the lingering effects of the poison, even though it is gone.”

“Have you spoken with Healer Glint? I am sure she would want to know that you are still not feeling well.”

“I have,” Arcturus said. “She said I need to give it time and to rest. Which I am trying to do, but –”

“A lot is happening right now,” Sirius finished for him. “I am here and will take on whatever projects or other things that need to be done. You can trust me with this.”

“I know, son. And I do trust you,” Arcturus said. “But I know you are not healed yet, either.”

Sirius laughed a little bitterly. “We’re a fine lot, are we not, Grandfather?”

“We can add your father as well,” Arcturus said, but he had a wry smile on his face. “I believe we will see this all through, and things will be well again. For all three of us.”

“If I were to arrange a healing and renewal ritual with a conclave, would you be interested in attending?”

Arcturus looked startled. “I would. I’m surprised to hear you say that.”

“Have you not noticed how much better Narcissa seems even in a few days since she underwent the cleansing ritual with the Ross-Blackthorn Coven.”

“I have, but I also know there are no conclaves left in Britain. Merlin damn Dumbledore into all seven circles of Hell for that,” Arcturus ground out with a surprising amount of rancor. “We let him take away something very important to us, and few, if any of us, said anything.”

“There has always been so much drama with him that people stopped seeing the small things until they became large, and then,” Sirius shrugged. “Then it was too late.”

“I am very much afraid that you are correct with that,” Arcturus said. “Is there a conclave I have not heard about that survived?”

“I have heard there is one,” Sirius said. “I do not know its name, but I do know they have met in secret in the bank for the last ten years since Dumbledore chased the last ones out of Britain.”

“I would be interested to hear about that,” Arcturus said. “There are few enough books left on ritual magic in even family libraries.”

“The Black library is vast.” Sirius smiled at him. “I have contacted the high priest of the conclave and have a meeting with him tomorrow morning. When do you need me to be ready to oversee the curse breaker for Bellatrix’s vault?”

“The curse breaker hoped to begin tomorrow afternoon, so the timing is good for you.”

“It is,” Sirius agreed. He did not expect the meeting to take more than an hour. And he was thinking about bringing a copy of one of the more gray-leaning Black ritual books as a gift. Good manners never hurt. It was too bad that he had not bothered to learn that sooner.

*****

The Following Morning

Sirius was shown to a conference room by the goblin guard, who met him at the floo site just off the lobby. He pushed open the door and went in.

The room was large, with smooth stone walls and a large conference table. Several men were seated, and they stood as he came in.

“Good morning,” Sirius said, glancing around the table. He recognized several of the thirteen men who were there. “I am Sirius Black.” And he bowed slightly.

The man who had been sitting at the head of the table stepped forward with his hand out. “I’m Jonathan MacLachlan, Earl of Warwick. I lead the Ordo Silentium Conclave.”

Sirius shook his hand and smiled. “The Silenced Conclave?”

“What else would you call what Dumbledore did to this country and our traditions?” MacLachlan sounded angry. As well he should be.

“A crime against magic, actually,” Sirius said. “For which he will never pay enough.”

MacLachlan just nodded. “You asked to see us. What can we help you with?”

“First, I would like to ask for a cleansing and healing ritual to be done for my father and if there is time, my grandfather as well. I believe it would help them both greatly, and I would pay whatever you asked for that.” Sirius could guess that they probably would not take money for a healing ritual. Probably not any kind of ritual they did.

“We do not charge anyone for our rituals,” MacLachlan confirmed what he’d thought. “We do it as a service to our Lord and Lady Magic.”

“I had thought that to be true, but I would never presume,” Sirius said as he took the book out of his cloak. “Then I offer you this as a gift.”

MacLachlan raised his eyebrow. “I said nothing was necessary.”

“It’s a gift. I have another favor to ask. I would like to begin to create my own conclave. I have some ideas about people I would like to ask, and I have basic knowledge of traditional family rituals. Still, I would also like to participate with others before I begin.”

“You could create your conclave and participate with Ordo Silentium Conclave until you were ready to lead your own,” MacLachlan suggested.

“Thank you,” Sirius said. “I would be honored to participate in any way.”

“When do you wish to have your grandfathers’ and father’s ritual done?” MacLachlan asked.

“As soon as we can. My father would like to go to Rome as soon as possible to study there,” Sirius said. “I am hoping the ritual will give him some peace. My grandfather is healing from an issue, and I think that would facilitate his healing.”

“What was the issue?” MacLachlan asked. “We can tailor our ritual to heal something specific.”

It had not even occurred to Sirius that such a thing might be possible. “He was poisoned by my mother through my father for at least a year, possibly as long as two.”

“How was he healed?” One of the men standing behind the table asked. Sirius did not recognize him at all. That meant he was not a titled pureblood or someone he went to school with, though he was a few years older than Sirius.

“The Goblin Healer Glint Thistlewild cured him,” Sirius said. “Forgive me, I do not know you.”

The man nodded. “I am Daniel Evans. I am a healer, myself. Healer Glint is renowned for her brilliance. Just getting in to see her is nearly impossible. Do you know what he was poisoned with?”

“Evans? Any relation to Lily Evans Potter?”

“She was my cousin,” Daniel said with a smile. “I knew her, of course, but I didn’t go to school at Hogwarts. I went to school in Massachusetts, in the States, at Ilvermorny. My parents are Muggles and were horrified by the blood purity problems here. We can discuss this at another time, if you’d like.”

“I would. I am Harry Potter-Black’s father,” Sirius said, wondering what Daniel might make of that. “I am sure he would like to meet you.”

“I am Marius Black’s grandson. I am just as sure your family would not like to meet me,” Daniel said, with an awkward expression on his face.

“Oh, I would not count on that being true anymore,” Sirius told him. “Things in the Black family are changing. And I am thrilled to meet you. I am not joking. Aunt Cassiopeia has been lobbying to have Marius brought back into the family for years.”

“I like her,” Daniel said. “But we should discuss this later. And get back to the reason you came here today.”

Sirius wanted to ask him more questions. He was just thrilled to have found a connection to Marius. And he wondered why Cassiopeia had never mentioned that Marius had a magical descendant. “So, to go back to your question about what my grandfather was poisoned with, I do not know, but I can find out the information from him or his healer.”

Evans glanced at MacLachlan and then shrugged. “If your grandfather has already finished the cure, then it probably will not be necessary.”

“We can do it in two nights,” MacLachlan said. “We will meet here in a specially created ritual space. The goblins were very helpful in hiding us from Dumbledore’s view.”

“Did he threaten you?” Sirius asked. He would not be surprised if Dumbledore had, or more likely, had someone else do it.

MacLachlan shook his head. “No, it was worse than that. He poisoned the people against the ideas of ritual healing and ritual magic.”

“Not all the people,” Theros Nott said. “We have had enough people coming to us over the years for rituals.”

“That’s true,” MacLachlan agreed. “Enough to keep us together over time, but not as many as there should have been.”

“Maybe now that he’s gone, we can change that. I plan to practice in the light of day, so to speak. I have my own land, and I plan to build a permanent ritual circle on it.” Sirius looked at MacLachlan. “You would be welcome to build your own space there as well. There are vast forests and greenways that would host you well.”

“Thank you,” MacLachlan said. “For now, we are comfortable where we are.”

“Shall I just bring my father and grandfather to the bank for the ritual?”

“There is a door at the back of the bank that will be opened at three hours before midnight in two days’ time, and we will meet you after you come through the door.”

Sirius nodded.

“Is there anything else?” MacLachlan asked.

Something in the way he said that brought Sirius’ head up. “No. I do not believe so? Is there something else I should know?”

“No. I did wonder if your father and grandfather’s healing rituals were all that were needed?” MacLachlan looked straight into his eyes.

Sirius looked away. “I will wait for that a little longer. I want to see my father settled in Rome and my grandfather out of pain before I start to work on myself.”

There was nothing MacLachlan had to say to that, so he just nodded.

*****

As Sirius was leaving, Daniel caught up with him. “I sensed you wanted to say something more to me?” But he seemed braced for something, and Sirius could not imagine what it was.

“I would love to meet your family. I believe the rest of the Black family would as well. Harry especially. He’s almost four now, and between him and his cousin Draco, they are quite the handful.” Sirius laughed. He was still uneasy about Daniel. There was something more there and he wasn’t even sure how to address it.

“I have a four-year-old son, myself. Blood adopted, and he can be a handful, too,” Daniel said, looking away and then back at Sirius. “There is more than just Marius between us. Or, more to the point, between me and your son.”

“I realized that if you were Lily’s cousin, you would also be Petunia’s cousin,” Sirius asked. And it was clear that Daniel knew at least something about Petunia. “I’m going to assume you never told her you were magical?”

“No. My parents knew about her dislike of magic and how nasty she was to Lily after she was not selected to go to Hogwarts, and Lily went.” Daniel sighed. “First, I grew up knowing about magic since Marius recognized my childhood bouts of accidental magic, and he warned my parents not to send me to Hogwarts. That anywhere else had less blood prejudice. I would not have been able to be a healer at all had I stayed in England.”

“I had not realized it was that bad. But I would not have. I did not see it as a child at all,” Sirius admitted. “How long have you been with Ordo Silentium Conclave?”

“Five years,” Daniel said. “When I came back to Britain to establish myself after I finished my training, I had been used to doing all the rituals. Once Marius knew I was magical, he taught me the basic rituals he’d learned as a child. And Ilvermorny participates in all the traditional holidays and personal rituals. I asked around quietly about it and found out about the Ordo Silentium Conclave.”

“Do you enjoy it with them? I noticed there were several dark-leaning wizards,” Sirius didn’t say pureblood traditionalists, but he could see that Daniel knew what he meant.

“There is no one there who has ever said anything to me about my blood status. You do know that Jonathan MacLachlan is a half-blood? I believe one of his parents was Muggleborn.”

“I did not know that. Not that it would ever matter to me, given my son is a half-blood,” Sirius said. “I have plans to work on that issue as soon as some of the other ones are taken care of. The first is the healing rituals for my father and grandfather.”

“You should consider doing the ritual with them. It would increase the ritual’s power exponentially to have three members of the same family going through the ritual together.”

“Power of three,” Sirius said. He should have thought of that when MacLachlan asked him about it. “That’s the best argument for doing it now rather than waiting. Thank you. I must go. I have another appointment in a few minutes.”

Daniel nodded. “Of course. I look forward to seeing you in two days.”

“We’ll talk more then.”

*****

It took all afternoon for the curse breaker and his team to go through everything in Bellatrix’s vault. It was grueling work. He was not sure what was found. Apparently, he would need to wait until they could analyze it. After they were done, he stopped briefly at the store to pick up a couple of books for both Harry and Draco. He then sent an owl to MacLachlan, saying he’d changed his mind and would be doing the ritual with his father and grandfather. And asking if that changed the timing.

On his way back to the bank to floo home, Sirius was stopped by Ragnok’s personal assistant, who asked if he could come to the director’s office. Now, if he had time, which he did.

“I will not take much of your time, Heir Black. I know you are on your way home,” Ragnok said, waving him to a seat.

Sirius sat and looked at him. “Sirius, please. What can I do for you, director?”

Ragnok nodded. “Ragnok Winterkill. Just Ragnok in most instances,” he said.

“I am aware,” Sirius said and inclined his head at the trust of Ragnok giving him his given name, even if he did not use it. “You have the information on what was in the vault?”

“As you know, our curse breaker found several curses that were quite powerful. The fines on those alone will take half the contents of the vault. One of the dark items had a Gemino Curse on it, which would have duplicated the item many hundreds of times when touched, and several of the dark items were cursed with a Flagrante Curse, which would sear the skin and flesh off anyone who touched it. Then there were the usual wasting curses, maiming curses, and other of those types.”

“Given all of that, those fines are fair,” Sirius said. And saw the slightest surprise on Ragnok’s face. “What? Did you think I would argue with you? I saw what the curse breaker went through. Was there something else?”

“Very good,” Ragnok inclined his head. “The chalice we found in the vault was Helga Hufflepuff’s cup. It has a Horcrux attached to it.”

Bloody Hell, Sirius thought. That was why it was so hard to get a hold on. “Thank you for your help with this,” Sirius said. “I am going to guess that your curse breaker is going to look at the Gaunt shack for whatever is there?”

“Tomorrow morning. I believe that will be the last one,” Ragnok said. “We have heard of nothing else created by Tom Riddle.”

“Narcissa and I have been researching how to capture the wraith that is left of Tom Riddle’s soul,” Sirius said. “We have a few ideas. We’ll all need to meet in a few days to figure out what to do.”

“I believe we can use a ritual circle to call the wraith to us, and we can contain the thing after we deal with the Horcruxes.”

“The last thing we want to do is resurrect him,” Sirius said with a shutter. “Or maybe we can just throw all the pieces through the veil and be done with him.”

“I am not sure that would work,” Ragnok said. “I will consult with a seer here and let you know when we meet after we go to the Gaunt shack.”

Sirius stood. “Thank you again, Ragnok.”

*****

It was after dinner and tucking the boys into bed, when Sirius joined Narcissa and Arcturus in the sitting room. He poured each of them a brandy and sat down with a sigh. “I have some family news,” he said and took a sip, letting the drink warm him.

“I am going to assume this is something distressing from your lead-in,” Narcissa said. “Why not just tell us?”

“I met Marius Black’s grandson today. And he is Harry’s second cousin, I think. But he’s family to Harry.”

Both Narcissa and Arcturus looked shocked. “How did you meet him,” Arcturus asked.

“I told you I was going to meet with the conclave, which is called Ordo Silentium Conclave,” Sirius said. “He is a member of the conclave.”

Narcissa smiled at the name but then looked more than a little surprised. “But that would mean that Marius’ grandson, what was his name,” she asked. “He was not only magical but also traditionally magical.”

“Is that not something of a surprise,” Arcturus said. “We should invite him to dine with us very soon. I want to meet him.”

“His name is Daniel Evans. And you will be meeting him in two days. As I said, he is part of the conclave. And you, Father, and I will be going through the cleansing ritual.”

“Evans?” Arcturus asked.

“Yes. That is how he is related. He is Lily’s cousin,” Sirius said. “He is also a healer.”

Narcissa raised an eyebrow at that. “How did he get into an apprenticeship program for that. I had heard that it was nearly impossible for Muggleborns to get in. Not without help of some kind,” she asked.

“He did not go to Hogwarts. Apparently, Marius warned him off it, and he went to Ilvermorny and apprenticed in the States. He came back to open a practice here.”

“That would make sense. There is always a shortage of private practicing healers in Britain,” Narcissa said. “I am sure that Marius had plenty to say about the situation with blood purity.”

“I was surprised that he found a place in that particular conclave,” Sirius said. “Did you know that Theros Nott is also in that conclave? And while I did not speak to him, Corbin Yaxley is as well.” He couldn’t quite believe that either of them would practice with gray-leaning wizards, let alone light-leaning ones.

“I am surprised by both of those names having anything to do with a conclave that is gray-leaning light,” Arcturus agreed.

“Minerva told me that it was about balance. But I do know that Corbin Yaxley’s wife and son were murdered by the Dark–” she stopped and took a breath. “By Tom Riddle.”

“I had not heard that,” Sirius said. “But I was in Azkaban then.” Sometimes, it was hard to have a conversation when he had a two-year gap in his knowledge of everything.

“The end of the war was almost as bad as the war itself. There was such chaos,” Arcturus said. “As far as I have heard, Theros Nott was never marked. He went to school with Tom Riddle and probably knew he was not a traditionalist. I would say he values that more than any pureblood doctrine.”

Narcissa raised an eyebrow. “Were there any other surprises?”

“None that I can think of right now. Daniel was the one who suggested that we three should have the ritual together,” Sirius said.

“I am glad to hear that you will be doing the ritual together. That gives it so much more power,” Narcissa said.

“Thank you for arranging this for us,” Arcturus said. “Have you told your father yet?”

“Not yet. I will in the morning.” Sirius stood. “I will see you all for breakfast.”

*****

The Following Day

Narcissa found herself taking tea with Minerva McGonagall in her office again, far sooner than she had ever expected. “I am very curious about why you asked me here today,” Narcissa said, taking a small bite of her biscotti.

Minerva smiled at her. “I do not suppose you would believe that I just wanted to check on you.”

“I will believe anything you tell me,” Narcissa said, tilting her head. She was sure that Minerva did not believe that any more than she did.

“I have a proposition for you,” Minerva said. “I need someone to teach lower years potions next year.”

“Why tell me this? I –”

“Once had a potion’s apprenticeship that you did not pursue. You had a very high score on your NEWTS in potions. In fact, there are only a handful of people who ever scored higher than you did, and they all went on to become renowned potions masters,” Minerva said. “I have thought that perhaps now the reason for your giving up the apprenticeship is gone, you might like to pick it up again.”

“I would need to actually find someone to apprentice to first. Also, Draco will be living at Black Manor for some years to come, and given our current situation, he is too young to leave alone,” Narcissa pointed out. Of course, Sirius and Arcturus would care for him, as well as all the Black house elves. But Narcissa was not ready to leave him for days at a time. Plus, she had no interest in living at Hogwarts ever again.

“Of course, the teaching would be part-time, and you could also work on your mastery part-time as well,” Minerva suggested as if she could read Narcissa’s mind.

“I would still need a master to work under. Beyond that, they tend to want you to have no other responsibilities so that you can dedicate yourself to learning what you need to know.” Narcissa felt like she was missing something here. Why was Minerva pushing this at her, especially now? “You know this,” Narcissa said.

“I also know several potions masters who might be inclined to help you. If you are self-motivated, teaching would be a good way to work through much of your mastery coursework. If you are interested, I can find a potions master for you.”

Narcissa eyed her. “What do you get out of this.”

“Someone to teach the first three years of Potions.”

“What about Severus?”

“He hates teaching,” Minerva said. “And while he is brilliant at potions, teaching it is not the same. I believe he will leave at the end of the summer term.”

“What makes you think I would do any better, especially without the requisite mastery.” Depending upon the answer, Narcissa would at least think about it. This was something she had always wanted.

“At this moment, a mastery is not required for any teaching position. That will change in the next few years, but right now, I just need competent teachers. More than one per subject.” Minerva sighed. “I am willing to invest in that. I also am not going to require any teacher to stay overnight. After this year, the heads of house will not be teachers. It is too much work for anyone to take on, especially uncompensated. That is one of the many reasons that we have had so much trouble finding teachers.”

“That would go a long way towards my being interested,” Narcissa admitted. She should not be surprised that Dumbledore was so tight-fisted with money that he forced his people to work unpaid. “At this point in Draco’s life, I would not wish to leave him overnight.”

“Nor would many good teachers who have children,” Minerva pointed out.

“How many new teachers do you need?” Narcissa asked.

“Quite a number. I am hoping to find a second teacher for each subject so that each teacher has time to get other things done and possibly have a life and a family.”

“That sounds much more reasonable than the way it was before,” Narcissa said.

“I thought so,” Minerva said and looked up as an owl landed in front of Narcissa.

“Excuse me,” Narcissa said. Wondering what was going on. She took the note off the owl’s leg and resized it to read it. It was from Sirius. “Well, that’s good news.”

Minerva raised an eyebrow. “If you can say?”

“The goblins retrieved another Horcrux from the Gaunt shack, and they believe that they have all of them now. We, Sirius and I, are researching possible rituals that would help us capture the wraith so that it could be destroyed after we deal with the Horcruxes.”

“I would like to help you with that. My coven and Jonathan MacLachlan’s conclave could perform a ritual or could assist in the performance of the ritual.”

“Sirius mentioned his conclave to me,” Narcissa said. “I believe we would need both groups together to do this.”

Minerva nodded. “I believe that as well. How far have you gotten in finding a ritual?”

“I have several ideas. We would probably have to call upon The Lord and Lady of Magic to help. You seem to have a close relationship with her. I have never witnessed her in corporeal form until the ritual for Hogwarts.”

Minerva looked surprised by that. “I have seen her many times over the years.”

“She clearly favors you,” Narcissa said. “She is probably the reason that your circle has never been found. Because I am sure Dumbledore looked for it.”

“I am sure he did as well and ranted about it. Though not to me. I did too much work for him for that. He knew I could walk away at any time, and that would have left all the work for him. I am not sure he could have kept the place running and the lights on.”

“Why did you stay?” Narcissa asked. “I have heard that you did most of his job and your own as a teacher. As well as the head of house and the deputy job. That is truly more work than three people could do well.”

Minerva snorted. “That is true. But I am very well organized, and truthfully, I stayed because I was needed. I always felt that doing this job was serving magic as well as my community.”

That actually made a lot of sense to Narcissa, and it felt like the right thing to do. She had always wanted to be of service to the community she lived in. This might be the way. And it would not hurt her standing in the greater wizarding world, either. “I think I understand that. If we can work out the details, I would be interested in doing the potions mastery and teaching part-time here as well.”

Minerva smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “Please get in touch with me when you have all the requirements for the ritual. It might take as long as a month to plan, possibly longer depending on the complexity.”

Narcissa stood and nodded. “Thank you for the tea and conversation. I am looking forward to working with you in the future.”

*****

Chapter Fourteen

The Next Evening

During the day, Gringotts’ Bank was a large, white marble building in the center of Diagon. By night, it was darkened and much more mysterious looking. Sirius, his grandfather, and his father apparated to the Alley and made their way across the street to the backside of Gringotts. As soon as they had arrived and before they could knock, the door opened, and Jonathan MacLachlan stepped out, holding open the door.

“Good evening to you, Lord Black,” MacLachlan said, nodding to Orion and Sirius as well. “I am pleased you could make it tonight.”

“Good evening, Lord MacLachlan,” Arcturus said. “We are very pleased that you could accommodate us.”

MacLachlan pushed the door open wide. “Please come in. There are a few instructions that need to be made clear, and then you can all go bathe and prepare yourself for the ritual.”

“Of course,” Sirius said.

“The first thing is the order in which you will participate. I believe that Lord Black should go first, you, Sirius second, and Orion last. That will give the most power to his cleansing since both of you would be cleansed first. Also, it is likely that one cleansing will not be enough –”

“What do you mean?” Orion asked.

“You are more damaged from what happened than you probably realize –”

“No. I realize just how bad the damage is, and truthfully, I do not think complete recovery is even possible.”

MacLachlan looked at him and sighed. “I would not say I believe it is impossible, just that it will take work and time. The waters of your cleansing tonight will not run clean. And we can do an additional healing right after it to help you expel the darkness that pervades in you.”

Orion nodded. “I had no hope of being completely healed after so long,” he said quietly. “That you think it even possible is heartening.”

“Your son and your father attending you will make the healing so much stronger for you tonight. You should come back every third month for a year.”

“I do not plan to stay in Britain after this. Within the week, I plan to go to Rome to study.”

MacLachlan nodded. “I would still recommend cleansing and healing rituals. It might take longer, but with your attention to your state, it will get better.”

“I am quite sure that it will get better just from this,” Orion agreed, waving his hand.

“Who will be attending us,” Sirius asked. While he and his grandfather could attend his father, neither he nor Orion could attend Arcturus because neither would have been cleansed.

“For you, Lord Black,” MacLachlan said. “I would ask two of the members of my conclave. Daniel Evans is a blood relation, but I would understand why you would not wish him to –”

“No,” Arcturus said sharply. “I would welcome him, if he were willing. I have every hope of bringing him into our family. As well as Marius. But that is for another time. And the other attendant?”

“Theros Nott is closest to your age, and that seemed appropriate to me. There are others who would also be appropriate.”

“Theros is fine,” Arcturus said. “And for Sirius?”

“You, if you wish, and Daniel, if you agree, Sirius?” MacLachlan glanced at him.

“I am fine with both of those choices,” Sirius said.

“We should get started,” MacLachlan suggested, holding his hand out for them to go down the corridor. When they reached the end, they went through another door, and the ritual circle was beyond it.

It was beautiful. On a raised dais stood a full circle of finely cut white marble, polished smooth with time and care. Along the edge, a series of silver runes were etched into the marble. Concentric circles started at the center where the altar stood and moved outward to the edge of the circle. Magical candles burned brightly in the outermost ring of the ritual space.

There were three identical doors in frames just outside the circle. No one other than the four of them were here now, but Sirius knew that the rest of the conclave would be here before they exited their rooms.

“Please go into the room and prepare yourselves for the ritual. When you are done, put on the ritual robes and return here,” MacLachlan said.

They nodded, and each of them went into one of the rooms. Sirius had done this before, but not since he lived with the Potters. They had been more traditional than Sirius expected, but Doria Potter had been a Black. So, maybe that was it.

When he was done, he left the room and unsurprisingly, his father and grandfather all exited at the same time. The rest of the conclave was there and ready. Daniel and Theros appeared at Arcturus’ side. The circle was opened, and Arcturus’ cleansing was completed.

The relief on Arcturus’ face was telling. It seemed as if a great burden was removed from his shoulders. He stood straighter, and a light that had been dim within him was now brighter.

Then, it was Sirius’ turn. He should not have been as surprised as he was when the respite from the ritual helped him feel rejuvenated and relaxed. It was not that Azkaban never happened, but it was a little easier to cope with. He had more strength, or maybe he just did not feel as worn down. In any case, it was a great relief.

He and Arcturus helped Orion into the water, and as MacLachlan suggested, the water did not run clear in the last submersion. The full circle then did a healing ritual, and Orion submerged himself three more times. This time, the waters were, if not perfectly clear, then at least not as murky at the end, and Orion looked exhausted but also relieved and renewed.

*****

Orion was led to a bench and rested while Sirius and Arcturus helped close the circle. As the group was starting to disburse, Arcturus nodded to Sirius and made his way towards Daniel.

“Mr. Evans,” Arcturus said, keeping his tone mild and smiling. “A moment of your time, if you please.”

“Of course, Lord Black,” Daniel said politely. But it was clear he was wary of this conversation. “What can I do for you?”

Arcturus cleared his throat. “I would like you and your family to come to dinner in the next week or two. I have not seen Marius, well, since he and I were children.”

“I understand that,” Daniel said, tipping his head slightly to the side. “I am not sure he would be willing to come to dinner at Black Manor. Perhaps we could arrange something in a restaurant in Diagon Alley?”

“Or we could do something in the Muggle world,” Arcturus suggested. Although dining in the Muggle world was not his first choice, he could deal with it. “We would need a private room, of course. But how many of you are there who would be willing to meet with Sirius and me?”

Daniel was silent for a second. “Well, there’s Marius Black and Grandma Amanda. Their daughter, my mother Melinda, who is married to my father, Andrew Evans, and then me and my wife. Sarah, and our two children and possibly my sister Katherine.”

“That is what, nine?” Sirius asked. “We could rent a room in that new restaurant that just opened on the Alley. It might be easier there. Plus, no one is going to notice if we cast a silencing spell on the room.”

“We can make that work,” Daniel said. “I am not sure any or all of those people, aside from Grandpa and Grandma, myself, Sarah, and our children, would be available.”

“Let us know when is a good time for you this week or next,” Sirius said and glanced at Arcturus. He nodded. “We need to bring my father home now. He looks ready to drop off.”

Daniel glanced at Orion and nodded. “He does look done in. I’ll see what everyone’s schedule is like and get back to you in a day or two.”

“Very good,” Arcturus said, heading toward Orion. Sirius nodded to Daniel and followed him.

*****

The Following Morning

Sirius looked up from his tea as Narcissa came into the room. She was dressed very nicely. “Do you have an appointment this morning?”

“Yes,” she said. “I will be meeting with the Minister for Magic. I need to discuss something about the ritual we need to do.”

“What exactly?”

“Further research into the containment and banishment ritual had shown that we must be certain that all the soul pieces are accounted for. Or there will be the possibility that he will be able to come back.”

“Ragnok told me that he thought we had got them all,” Sirius said.

“He did say that,” Narcissa agreed. “But I want to make sure that we have not missed anything. And Amelia talked to Dumbledore. I want to make sure everything was followed up on.”

Sirius nodded. “Thank you for your diligence with this –”

Before she could reply, an owl came through the spelled window, which was something of a surprise since only blood relatives could send an owl and have it come through that way. There was a long list of blood relatives who would not be able to send one at all. Sirius did not recognize the owl.

“Were you expecting something?” Narcissa asked.

Sirius shook his head, but he took a piece of bacon off his plate and offered it to the owl, who took it and presented its leg with a note attached to it.

He untied it and touched it with his wand to enlarge it, then scanned it. “It is from Daniel, and he wants to meet me for lunch today to discuss something.”

“I imagine his family had something to say about this whole business of dinner,” Narcissa said. “I must go.”

Something in the way she said that gave Sirius pause. “Do you have a problem with bringing them into our family? Daniel and presumably his wife and children are magical.”

Narcissa looked startled. “No. I just think that after being rejected, they may not want to be brought back in, especially Marius, who was abandoned at eleven in the Muggle world.”

“Well, Cassiopeia kept in touch with him,” Sirius said. “That may have helped.”

“Or may not have,” Narcissa said. “While you might have welcomed not dealing with your mother anymore, I am sure many children would resent being abandoned quite bitterly.”

“I know. I think that is one more thing that needs desperately to change. We assume that using a wand is the only way to have a life in the magical world,” Sirius said. “This is a discussion for another time.”

“I agree about another time,” Narcissa said. “I will see you at dinner tonight.”

“I am not sure you knew this, but Orion is planning to go to Rome tomorrow,” Sirius said as she stepped towards the door.

“Grandfather mentioned it to me, and I am not surprised. He probably needs to be away from Britain for a while.”

“Probably,” Sirius agreed. He had hoped his father would stay, but Narcissa was probably right that he needed to get away.

*****

Ministry of Magic
Later That Morning

Narcissa was shown into Amelia’s office, and she waved her to a seat.

“Good morning, Narcissa,” Amelia said. “Before we get to what you have come to talk to me about, I have something else to tell you.”

Narcissa nodded and waited without speaking.

“This has not hit the papers yet,” Amelia said. “I have heard from one of my Muggle colleagues in Scotland Yard that Lucius was killed last night.”

Well, that was something of a surprise, but not in a bad way. “A Muggle killed him?” she asked. Not that she cared as long as he was, in fact, dead.

“With just cause, apparently. He and two other Death Eaters pulled their wands and attempted to rob a Muggle bank, which interestingly enough, was named Gringotts. He was shot dead by a security guard with a gun. It seems he and his associates were intoxicated.”

“I see,” she said, trying not to laugh. “Intoxicated and robbing a Muggle bank?”

Amelia’s lips twitched, but she did not smile. “Yes. That is what I was told.”

“How did they recognize him? Or rather, who did?” Because Narcissa knew that most Muggles would not know what a wand was or that it was dangerous until they were hit by a spell.

“I was told by the Aurors on our side that the security guard knew what the wand was and shot him before he could use it. The other two were also killed.”

“Who were they?” Narcissa asked.

“The other two were low-level Death Eaters who had escaped being prosecuted because there was no evidence they had done anything wrong.” Amelia sighed at that. “Travis Douglas, and Stewart Sinclair.”

Narcissa shrugged. “I do not know either of them.”

“Low level, as I said,” Amelia said. “You know that your son is going to inherit the Malfoy title.”

“Such that it is,” Narcissa said. “There is not much to it since Lucius gave all of the family money to Tom Riddle.”

“There might not be any money, but there is the land and the contents of the house,” Amelia reminded her.

Narcissa was aware of that but wanted no part of anything that was Lucius’. Truthfully, it was Draco’s birthright from his father. So, she’d talk to Grandfather and Sirius and see what they could preserve for her son.

Amelia cleared her throat. “Now, what actually brought you here today,” she asked.

That brought Narcissa back to the issue at hand. “I want to make sure that all of the Horcruxes for Tom Riddle have been collected and held together. They must be destroyed before the ritual that will bring forth the wraith can be completed.”

“I believe that we have them all, or rather, Director Ragnok has them safely stored,” Amelia said. “In fact, we tracked down the last clue that Dumbledore had given me when I interviewed him, and that turned out to be nothing to worry about.”

“What was the last clue, if you do not mind my asking?” Narcissa just wanted to make sure.

“I had Kingsley research the orphanage that Tom Riddle grew up in. Apparently, one summer, the staff took the children to the shore for a day of swimming. This was the only time this was done in the years that Riddle was there. To make a long story short, there was a cave along the shoreline that Riddle got caught in during the high tide and then got out of later, though there was not much explanation given about that. And how Dumbledore knew he would use that cave for anything is beyond me.”

“So, he did hide a horcrux there?”

“We are not sure of the whole story, but Kingsley and a team of curse breakers found the cave and a lake of Inferi guarding a little island. They found a basin with some kind of poisonous liquid in it. But they could see through the liquid to the locket, and Kingsley knew it had to be a copy of Slytherin’s locket. They were certain that the liquid in the basin was a potion called Draught of Despair.”

Which, of course, Narcissa had heard of. It was quite evil and ingenious to use it to guard something like the Horcrux. “They did not just leave it there?” Narcissa asked.

“No. Of course not. They destroyed the Inferi in the lake and drained the liquid out of the basin, which, despite all the information to the contrary, can be done without drinking it. In fact, they used a muggle means called a siphon.”

Narcissa shuddered. “I have no idea what that is. Muggles have some very interesting ways of doing things.” She needed to learn more about them.

We retrieved the locket, and it had a note in it.” Amelia opened a drawer and pulled it out, handing it to Narcissa.

To the Dark Lord,

I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that, when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more.

R.A.B.

“Regulus,” Narcissa whispered. “I must tell Sirius about this. He will be relieved that his brother turned against Tom Riddle in the end.”

“Of course,” Amelia said. “Is there anything else I should know about the ritual?”

“No, not that I can think of. I need to have a potion made before we can do the ritual. But I am hoping that will not be a problem.”

“You will not be able to do it yourself?” Amelia asked, looking a little surprised.

“Not this potion,” Narcissa said. “It is a mastery level potion and will take days to brew. I am hoping Severus Snape will do it for us. I can pay him well for it.”

“After speaking to him, I believe he would enjoy the challenge.”

She had no idea that Amelia even knew Severus. “I have not talked to him for some time, but I understand that he is teaching at Hogwarts. I have owled him about it.” Narcissa stood. “Thank you for your time.”

“Anything I can do to help facilitate this, I believe it is my obligation to do,” Amelia said. “When do you think the ritual will take place?”

“The full moon, in about two weeks or in six. It is going to depend on how long the brewing will take,” Narcissa said.

*****

Later That Day

“Thank you for meeting me,” Daniel said as he held out his hand to Sirius.

“Not a problem,” Sirius said as he shook it. “Your note sounded…” He paused. “I’m not sure what, but I felt like this might be important.”

“It is,” Daniel said. “Let’s sit.”

Sirius sat down and waited. It looked like Daniel was gathering his thoughts.

“I’m not sure how to address this, but my son is Harry’s cousin.”

“I’m going to assume that it is not just through you?” Sirius guessed.

“No. Petunia asked me to take custody of him after she was arrested,” Daniel said, exhaling sharply. “That poor child. I understand Petunia and her husband abused Harry, but they also abused their own son. Just not in the same way.”

That shouldn’t have been as much of a shock as it was. Petunia had always been a vicious and petty woman. “What did they do to their son? I do not know his name.”

“Dudley Vernon Dursley,” Daniel said. “We changed his name when we adopted him to Dudley Alan Evans. Alan was my grandfather’s name. I have the same middle name.”

“What did they do to him?” Sirius asked.

“There were several things. One was they overfed him so badly that he was obese and could barely move. Consequently, he was behind in all of his milestones. Poor child.”

“Can you bring charges?”

“We sent the doctor’s report to the prosecutor. And because of the additional charges, Petunia signed off on full custody going to me, and as part of her conviction, she lost all rights to him, as did her husband.”

“Well, that will be good for the boy. So, what is the problem?” Sirius asked.

“There are two. One is that Harry will likely remember Dudley and the reverse. I’m not sure how they dealt with each other.”

“I suspect that when they meet, it will be fine. We’ll all be there to supervise,” Sirius suggested.

“I hope they can get to be friends,” Daniel said. “Or at least tolerate each other. They are close family.”

“One way or another, we are all family to each other. That doesn’t mean we have to like each other. But Harry is a sweet boy with a deeply adventurous nature.”

“Dudley is as well. He likes to eat, but we’ve got him on a strict diet that is helping him. And he is catching up to where he should be. He should be able to start tutoring in the fall.”

Sirius nodded. “Tutoring rather than primary school?”

“Yes. That is the other part of this. Someone put a tight binding on Dudley’s magical core.”

Sirius sucked in a breath, shocked. “Do you know who?”

“We can only guess it was Dumbledore,” Daniel said. “If we had not discovered it, Dudley’s magic would have been lost, and he would have never known why.”

“How did you discover it?” Because as far as Sirius knew, it would not have shown up on any kind of scan unless you were looking for it.

“Dudley was miserable. He cried all the time, and he was always cranky. Nothing seemed to satisfy him. I think that’s why Petunia fed him all the time. To keep him quiet.”

“I did a full and complete physical on him and then checked for curses and bindings. I found it, but it could easily have been missed,” Daniel said, sounding furious.

Well, Sirius could understand that. He would be outraged, too. “Did you know what you were looking for?”

“I had a hunch that something magical might be the problem. Petunia hates magic. She would be horrified if her son had done any accidental magic. She might have contacted Dumbledore to get rid of his magic.”

“That would have made him miserable his entire life,” Sirius agreed. “And if you could prove it, she could face charges in the magical world as well.

“I’ve thought of that,” Daniel said. “But I have no way to prove it one way or another. I removed the binding, and Dudley has already had several incidents of accidental magic, hence the need for tutoring.”

“You know,” Sirius said, “Harry and Draco have just started tutoring. Perhaps Dudley could join them. I think having other children around would enhance the learning experience for all of them.”

“I would be interested in that. Let me discuss it with my wife. She has been working half-time since Dudley came to live with us last fall.”

“What does your wife do,” Sirius asked.

“Sarah is an attorney. I met her at school at Ilvermorny.”

Sirius nodded. “Let me know. We have already started the boys with a tutor, but in the fall, it will be a more formalized curriculum.” Sirius picked up the menu. “Also, if Sarah would like to work for the Black family, we can make that happen, too. We should get some lunch.”

“I will mention that to her as well,” Daniel said.

*****

That Afternoon

Narcissa was shown into the office of Oxbert Axehap, the Malfoy account manager for Gringotts. Like all the offices in Gringotts, this one was smooth gray stone with heavy wooden furniture. She was not looking forward to this meeting, but as her son’s regent, she had no choice but to hear how badly Lucius had destroyed the Malfoy fortune.

“Mrs. Malfoy,” Oxbert said, standing and waving her to a seat at the small table to the side of his desk.

“Ms. Black,” she corrected, sitting down. “I understand there are issues to discuss with my late husband’s estate. Such that it was.”

“That is correct, Ms. Black. There are several things.” Oxbert retrieved a ledger from his desk and sat down across from her, putting it on the table. “You may not have been aware that Abraxas Malfoy left a substantial amount of Malfoy money in trust for his grandson, Draco.”

Well, that was a surprise. She’d thought he’d given the bulk of the fortune to Riddle to fund his pureblood war. “I did not realize that.”

“He was a shrewd businessman,” Oxbert said without inflection. “And it is quite possible that he told those around him what he believed they wanted to hear rather than the reality of the situation.”

She had not thought that Abraxas was any more intelligent than Lucius, but maybe he had been. “All right,” Narcissa said. “Were there stipulations for Draco’s inheritance?”

“Yes. But they should be easily met. The major requirement is that Draco Malfoy not be marked with the Dark Lord’s mark.”

“Well, that’s easily proven. Draco is not quite four years old yet, so no mark.” She looked at him. “Lucius did not know this, did he?”

“I do not believe he did. This was an irrevocable trust that could not be changed or challenged, done when Draco was born.”

“Was Abraxas not marked?” she asked. He certainly spoke as if he believed what Tom Riddle was saying about pureblood supremacy.

“I do not know. I do know that he was adamant that his grandson not be marked. I believe he thought that it had destroyed his son.”

“Well, that was certainly true,” Narcissa agreed. “When can Draco claim this inheritance?”

“At sixteen, when he can also take the Malfoy title,” Oxbert said. “You can apply for a stipend for your documented expenses in raising him. Draco has a trust account that will be replenished on the first of every year. That may be used for educational and other school-related expenses.”

Narcissa nodded. That was standard practice. She did not need the money. “As part of my marriage contract, I was supposed to get a stipend from the Malfoy estate that I never received.”

“I see,” Oxbert said, and picked up the ledger and glanced through it, clearly looking for something. “You are correct. The monies should have been transferred to your account monthly. I can see that they were not. I will investigate this and let you know why this did not happen.” Oxbert seemed very annoyed by the problem.

It was one of the grounds for her divorce from Lucius. Not that it would matter now that he’d gotten himself killed, but she’d like to know what happened to the money. “Is there anything else, Oxbert?”

“Yes. The wards on Malfoy Manor have not been updated since Abraxas Malfoy died two years ago. Until Draco can take over the wards, you, as his regent, will be granted access to them to make whatever changes you see fit.”

“Can you send a team of goblin warders to check them and update it as needed?” Narcissa asked. Wards were not something she knew more than the basics on.

“We can do that,” Oxbert agreed. “Will you be living in the Manor or locking it down until your son becomes Lord Malfoy?”

Narcissa did not even want to see Malfoy Manor again until Draco was Lord there. “Locking it down would be preferable to living there. So, until my son can claim his title and the wards, we will continue to reside with my grandfather and his heir.”

“Very good. I will direct all mail to your new address,” Oxbert said and stood.

Narcissa stood as well. “Thank you for your diligence on this matter.”

*****

Chapter Fifteen

A Few Days Later

The floo in the main entry hall flared, and Daniel came through carrying Dudley. At least Sirius supposed it was Dudley since he was a sturdy-looking boy. A woman, who he assumed was Sarah, stepped through after Daniel, and then an older man with dark hair threaded heavily with gray, as well as gray eyes.

“Good evening, all,” Sirius said. “Welcome to Black Manor. Please come in. It’s good to see you, Daniel,”

“And you as well, Sirius,” Daniel said. “This is Dudley, our son. Our daughter, Elizabeth, had another –”

“Is staying with a school friend tonight,” Sarah finished for him. “I’m Sarah Evans.” Her accent was definitely American. She wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Not that he’d had a real idea of what to expect, but she looked perfectly coifed, dressed in something that Narcissa would have worn. Which probably said something about his own prejudices where Americans were concerned.

“It’s good to meet you, Sarah.” Sirius held out his hand, and she shook it. He smiled at Dudley. The boy eyed him curiously but did not say anything.

“This is my father, Marius Black,” Daniel said and put Dudley down.

Marius looked at him suspiciously and said nothing.

Sirius was pretty sure he did not want to be here. “I’m Sirius Black,” Sirius said, holding out his hand. “I am Lord Black’s heir.”

“I know who you are,” Marius said, shaking his hand. “Where is your grandfather?”

“In the drawing room, with my cousin Narcissa and my son, and hers.” Sirius held out his hand. “Shall we?”

“Only if we must,” Marius muttered but followed Sirius out of the room. The rest of the family trailed after them.

Narcissa and Arcturus stood up as he entered the drawing room. Arcturus and Marius stared at each other. “Well, it is good to see you after all this time, Marius,” Arcturus said, walking over to hold out his hand.

Marius hesitated for just a second before he took it, frowning. “I am still not any more magical than I was when you saw me last.”

“I am aware of that,” Arcturus said. “This is my granddaughter, Narcissa Black, and her son, Draco Malfoy-Black.”

“This is my great-grandson, Dudley Evans,” Marius smiled down at Dudley, and the boy smiled back at him. “I believe you’ve met my grandson, Daniel. This is his wife, Sarah.”

“It’s good to meet you all,” Sarah said diplomatically.

Sirius held out a hand to Harry. “This is my son, Harry Potter-Black.”

“Harry?” Dudley said, turning towards him. “How did you get here?”

“Came here after. How did you get there?” He pointed towards Daniel and Sarah.

“After mum and dad were ‘rested. Went to live with Uncle Danny. Then ‘dopted by him and Aunt Sarah. Now, new dad and mum.” Dudley put a hand out to Harry.

Harry came to him and put a hand on his back. “Still hurts?”

“Nope. Dad fixed it.” Dudley smiled up at Daniel.

“Good. Good,” Harry said. “My dad.” Harry pointed to him.

Sirius smiled. This went much better than what he had been expecting. “What hurt you, Dudley?”

“A man with a long beard came and stuck his stick in me. Then everything was tight. And hurt after,” Dudley said. “After I unlock Harry.”

“You unlocked Harry’s room?” Sirius asked.

“The cupboard under the stairs,” Dudley said. “Old mum put him there. And I used to let him out, and we’d play.”

“But one time,” Harry continued. “Aunt Pet found out and got angry. And Dudley broke some glass stuff when she yelled at him. But she hit me and blamed me.”

“And then the man with the beard came and stuck me with his stick.” Dudley shuddered.

“You hadn’t told us that, Dudley,” Sarah said gently.

Dudley shrugged. “Didn’t ask. Dad made it better.”

Sirius laughed. “I guess not. Did you see the man with the beard again?”

“Nope. Only that time,” Dudley said. “But it felt tight. Hurt.” Dudley ran his hands around his middle and back.

“Glad he fixed it.” Harry looked over at Draco. “Draco.” He held out his hand. “Draco. Dudley. Friends, too.”

Draco took his hand and nodded. “Friends.”

“Friends,” Dudley agreed.

Sirius smiled at that. It was so easy when they were that young. “I guess Dudley will be joining their tutoring group?”

Sarah relaxed visibly. “Yes, of course. I can host one or two days a week, if need be.”

“Probably not, if you don’t mind flooing him here. Oh, your daughter is in primary?”

“She’s had a couple of bouts of accidental magic, but we were able to help her get it under control quickly. We need to make a decision about Hogwarts or Ilvermorny this summer.”

“It is a long way to go,” Narcissa said. “And I hope that things will be better at Hogwarts now that Dumbledore is no longer headmaster.”

“Those kinds of ingrained prejudices won’t be easily let go, no matter who is head of the school,” Daniel said.

“We have to start somewhere. And the Headmistress is not a pureblood either. But that’s a choice you must make for her.” Narcissa said. “I will say that I believe change is coming to Hogwarts. I will be teaching part-time this coming fall term, so Elizabeth will have family there.”

That made both Sarah and Daniel smile. “Thank you. While my parents are still in the US, they live in the West and are not near where Ilvermorny is located. That is some distance. And it would be a relief knowing that there was someone there, even part-time, to whom Elizabeth could go.”

“One of the ideas that I plan to suggest is that the children be allowed to go home on some weekends. Like they are allowed in most other schools in both Europe and America,” Narcissa said. “I know that Professor McGonagall is going to let the teachers go home at night, starting next year.”

“That is an excellent suggestion,” Sarah agreed. “It would also go a long way towards easing my mind about her going to Hogwarts.”

Before anyone could say anything else, Daisy popped in. “Dinner is ready in the dining room,” she announced.

“Thank you, Daisy,” Arcturus said. “We will be there presently.”

“Very good, Lord Black,” she said and popped back out.

“This way,” Sirius said, opening the door and holding out his hand for everyone to precede him out of the room.

*****

After dinner, Arcturus retreated to his office, and Marius followed him in. Once again, they stood staring at each other. “What would you like me to say, cousin?” Arcturus asked. “I admit complicity in allowing what happened to you –”

“You were the same age as me. It wasn’t your fault. But you allowed it to continue –”

“I was very young when I took over as Lord Black, and frankly, I had been taught not to think about it. And yes, Cassiopeia brought it up every chance she got. And yes, I ignored it until recently. But,” Arcturus shrugged. “For much of that time, it just wasn’t a priority. And maybe it should have been, but we had a series of megalomaniacs trying to take over the Wizarding World. And, of course, that arsehole Dumbledore.”

“What do you want from me, now, then?” Marius asked, folding his arms over his chest.

Arcturus had thought a lot about it. He wanted his family whole again, and that meant all living members, including Marius and his family. “Would you want to be reinstated to the Magical Black family?”

“For myself, no,” Marius said, shaking his head. “I have lived as a Muggle for most of my life. I have had a rewarding career. I married and had children and grandchildren, and now, I have two great-grandchildren. All without the help of the Blacks.” At least Marius didn’t sound completely bitter about it.

“Well, except the money that was put into a muggle trust for you so that you would not ever starve,” Arcturus pointed out. It was not well known, but the Black family did not completely abandon their squib children. Most families set up some kind of trust for them to live and be educated in the Muggle world.

“That was less than half of what I would have gotten if I were magical,” Marius said without much rancor. “But I did appreciate it when I was starting out.”

“What can I do for you, then?” Arcturus asked.

“It is not me I am concerned about. It’s Daniel and Sarah and their children, all of whom are magical.”

“Of course,” Arcturus said. “That goes without saying. They will be accepted as Blacks and drawn into the Black Family magic. They are blood of our blood.”

“That’s all I wanted,” Marius said. “It is probably too late to have any kind of relationship with you or your family.”

“Do not count us out yet,” Arcturus said with a smile. “I know that Sirius is hoping to change the laws. I would like to see you and the rest of the family again. They are Blacks, too.”

Marius huffed. “Maybe. Let’s see how things go.”

“Fair enough,” Arcturus said.

*****

Gringotts Meeting Room
A Day Later

Sirius held the door open for Narcissa as they went into the room. Surprisingly, Snape was already there, and he stood as they came in. He had not spoken to Snape since they had met here about the memory blocks. The rest of Sirius’ blocks had been removed, but there had been no time to talk to Snape about anything else that happened or did not happen.

Now, he and Narcissa had made the time. “Good morning, Snape.”

“Severus. I think we can be on a first-name basis, do you not?” Snape asked.

“Of course,” Sirius said, with a slight bow. “Sirius, then.”

“Narcissa,” Snape said, nodded his head towards her. “What is so important that you got me out of my classes today. Not that I am complaining, you understand, but I am surprised that Minerva insisted I meet you here and not at school.”

“Let’s sit down, and we can talk about it,” Sirius suggested.

Severus sat down with a huff and glanced at Narcissa.

“We have a request. And we are willing to compensate you in any amount that you deem fair to brew a potion for us,” Narcissa said.

“And it is not one that you could do yourself?” Snape asked, his eyebrow raised. “I remember you were quite good.”

“Oh, I am good, and my NEWTs were excellent, but no, this will require someone with a mastery. Which is why we are willing to pay you for it,” Narcissa said.

“I am torn between curiosity and terror. What is the potion, who is it for, and why do you need it?” Snape asked in rapid succession.

“It is to finally kill what is left of the Dark Lord since he has been disembodied. Did you know that his name is Tom Riddle,” Sirius said and waited for a reaction.

“Bloody Fucking Hell,” Snape spat out, his eyes wide. “A Muggleborn?”

“Half-blood,” Sirius said, laughing. He knew he could count on Snape for drama. “Muggle father, pureblood mother, though it was thought that she was closer to being a squib than magical.”

Snape threw back his head and laughed out loud. Like Sirius had never heard him do. Ever. That was not what he had been expecting from Snape. Narcissa looked slightly surprised by his reaction, too.

It took a few seconds for Snape to calm down. “Well, if that is not the funniest damned thing I have heard in years. Tell me more. How do you plan to kill the bastard?”

Sirius snorted. “Oh, he was not a bastard. His mother potioned his father into marrying her, and then he left her once she stopped the potions.”

“Figures,” Snape said. “So, more information, if you please. But if it’s possible for me to help with this, I am absolutely willing to do it. What is the potion, and what does it do.”

“I am not sure the potion, which is a containment potion with a powerful spell attached, has a name beyond what I just said,” Narcissa explained, pulling a sheaf of parchments out of her robes. “I found it in the Black Library.”

Snape took the parchments, glanced through them, and then went back to the first sheet and started to read.

They waited for a few minutes, and then Snape looked up. “He made Horcruxes? Sweet Merlin, what was he thinking. Well, he must have been quite insane by that point, with only part of his soul left. How many did he make, and do you have them all?”

“We do. And it was six. Though we believe he did not know about the last one,” Sirius said and then took a breath. “It was in Harry’s scar.”

“For two years?” Snape asked, looking horrified. “Is he alright?”

“We had it removed last year, and yes, he’s fine,” Sirius said. “Thank you for asking.” That surprised Sirius. He had always believed that Snape hated anything to do with James Potter, but maybe after the blocks were taken out, he did not anymore.

“Do you have any questions about the potion?” Narcissa asked.

“No. It is fairly time-consuming and complicated, but I do not believe I will have a problem with creating it,” Snape said with a shrug. “The problem arises from the time involved. If I start on a Friday night after class, I will need to miss class for two or three days the following week to finish it.”

“If you give me your teaching notes and your syllabus, I can cover your classes for you,” Narcissa offered.

“Thank you,” Snape said. “That would be very helpful to me. I will clear this with Minerva, but I doubt she will have a problem with it since you’ll be teaching first through third year next year.”

“She told you about that?” Narcissa seemed a little surprised.

“I am one of the masters she has asked to oversee your training,” Snape said. “Part of being a master is to help train those coming behind us.”

“I know. I appreciate your expertise,” Narcissa said. “I understand that you took all the international examinations for your mastery certification, as well as the British ones. You are the youngest potions master in magical British history.”

“That is not saying much, given how poor the training has been here for so long and how many times most have had to retake the tests for international certification,” Snape said. There was a faint redness on his cheeks as if he were embarrassed to be recognized as what he was. “We can speak about this at another time.”

“What do you want in exchange for the potion’s work,” Sirius asked.

“Nothing. Well, I want to be there when you use it, and I want to watch that bastard die,” Snape said, with a hint of his anger showing. “Other than that, you will pay for all the ingredients since I cannot possibly afford them.”

“That goes without saying, of course,” Sirius said and glanced at Narcissa.

She looked at her watch. “If there is nothing else, then I will take my leave of you both. I have another appointment.”

“Thank you,” Sirius said. “I will see you at home.”

And that left him and Snape looking at each other. “Do you wish to discuss any of the memories?” Sirius asked.

“I was even more upset to see that we were on the verge of actually being friends when Dumbledore destroyed it. I am still not sure why,” Snape said.

“I do not know either,” Sirius agreed. “He probably wanted the house rivalry to remain in place, but I feel like it is more than that, though I’m not sure what else it could be.”

Snape shrugged. “Nor I. I am not sure about saying this, but one of my memory blocks was about Regulus.”

“What about him,” Sirius asked cautiously. Despite everything he now knew, it hurt to think about his brother.

“It was just a conversation or two about regret, and I am not sure why Dumbledore took those from me. But Regulus and I both regretted being marked,” Snape said.

“I had heard that he betrayed Voldemort in the end. He stole one of the Horcruxes,” Sirius said. Narcissa had given him a copy of the note that Amelia had found in her investigation. It had given him some closure. The rest would come when Tom Riddle was finally gone from this world.

“I knew that must have been why he was killed,” Snape said and frowned deeply. “I will be delighted when he is gone.”

“Speaking of gone, it occurs to me that to be there when we dispose of Tom Riddle, you will need to be a guest of Ordo Silentium Conclave. Do you know Lord Jonathan MacLachlan?”

“Minerva’s man? Yes. And I have participated in some of their rituals over the years. It has helped keep the taint of the dark mark at bay for me,” Snape said. “I have regretted it, and what it did to me for all the years I have been marked by him. I hope that when he is finally dead, I can gain some peace and be truly cleansed of his taint.”

“I think that the regret is what has kept your magic pure. That and you could not have done anything truly dark,” Sirius said. He could tell there was darkness in Snape, but it didn’t pervade his being the way it did with many, most, who had the dark mark.

“How do you know that?” Snape asked, sounding quite surprised.

“Truly dark magic sticks to the person who cast it. You can always tell,” Sirius said. “And to cast truly dark magic, you have to mean it.”

Snape nodded. “You are correct. My magic is untainted.” And then he smiled with all his teeth. “Which means I will be able to brew your potion and watch what happens.”

“Indeed,” Sirius said and then cleared his throat. “Maybe we can discuss the past a little more when he is gone and we have time.”

Snape’s lips twitched. “I would like that.”

*****

A Few Days Later

Minerva stepped into the now familiar conference room at Gringotts and glanced at the table. Although technically she was not late, everyone had arrived before her. Sirius and Arcturus Black sat on opposite sides of the table, with Narcissa next to her grandfather. Jonathan had left a chair open for her, and she smiled at him as she sat down. Ragnok was at the head of the table. The only one missing was Amelia, who had a meeting she could not miss this afternoon. And this was the only time Minerva could get away from the school.

Sometimes, getting out of the school took a lot of effort. Minerva could not just leave as Dumbledore often had because she had no one to drop the responsibilities on. That was another thing she was going to have to work on, though not right this moment.

“Good afternoon. I am very sorry to be late,” she said. “The headmistress’ work is never done.”

“It is not a problem,” Arcturus said, and the people around the table all nodded. “We understand.”

“We do,” Sirius agreed. “Although, maybe you should think about hiring a deputy?”

“I will definitely add that to my list of things to get done soon,” Minerva said a little more tartly than she meant. “We should get started. Where are we with everything.” Overworked and overtired, she felt like she had no idea what was going on right now.

“Why not start with an update from everyone,” Ragnok suggested. “Since we have found the last of the Horcruxes, we have completed all of the tasks we had to do.”

“And we thank you again,” Arcturus said. “Your help has been instrumental in our getting to this point.”

Ragnok just nodded. “We would suffer too if Tom Riddle was able to resurrect himself.”

“So,” Sirius said and glanced at Narcissa. “Severus Snape will be brewing the potions that will contain the fragments of Tom Riddle’s soul in unbreakable compartments, and then they can be magically sealed. We will then dispose of them through a magical fire.”

“That must happen before we can do the ritual that will draw forth the wraith that is left of Riddle’s soul,” Narcissa said. “We then can capture the wraith. We will call forth both the Lord and Lady of magic with the combined coven and conclave and ask them to bring the captured wraith to death to be disposed of properly.”

“The problem I see is that to call both, you must have both witches and wizards together, and we have separate spaces for rituals,” Jonathan MacLachlan commented.

“I agree,” Minerva said. “But we can create common ground. A Neutral circle would allow us to do the ritual together.”

“We can,” Jonathan said. “But it will not be quick to create a new circle.”

Ragnok cleared his throat. “Or you can use a neutral circle that already exists –”

“I thought almost all the ritual circles in Britain had been desecrated by Dumbledore,” Jonathan said.

“Not all,” Ragnok said. “We have several in the bank that you might use.”

“I had no idea anything like that existed beyond the one that Ordo Silentium Conclave uses,” Jonathan said. “But that would be ideal.”

“It would,” Minerva agreed. “We would only need to sanctify it with our magic and then add some runic work for each of the circles using the new one.”

Ragnok nodded. He placed a round stone on the table. “I believe this will be your enticement to Death to come to you.”

Minerva looked at it and saw the markings on the stone. “No. That cannot be the resurrection stone.”

“I believe that it is,” Ragnok said with a tired smile. “And that will draw Death here if you use it as an offering.”

“I think it would definitely be a draw to Death,” Jonathan agreed.

“I had hoped that the Lord and Lady of Magic would just take it and give it to Death themselves,” Minerva said. “Although the Lady did take the wand –”

“Wait, Minerva. You had the elder wand?” Jonathan asked, his voice going up an octave. “And you never thought to mention that to me?”

“I did have it for a short time. Why would I bother you with that,” Minerva asked, wondering why he seemed so surprised by the idea. Maybe she should have mentioned it to him. But she had known that she was never going to keep it.

“You did not think to keep it?” Arcturus asked, sounding surprised, too. “It is the most powerful wand ever made.”

“It might be. But it was needy, and I did not care for working with it,” Minerva said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “My wand is a perfect fit for me. I am fond of it.” She set her fir wand on the table.

Sirius cleared his throat. “I think I have something else that we can use,” he said. “James had the Cloak Of Invisibility.”

“I had no idea,” Minerva said. But it explained so well how they had gotten away with so much when they were at school. Of course, Dumbledore’s attitude did not help. “I think the last two Hallows would draw Death to us.”

“I agree,” Jonathan said and glanced at Sirius. “Thank you.”

“I would be just as happy to give back to death what was theirs,” Sirius said. “It’s Harry’s, but I am quite certain he will not need it to find trouble when he gets to Hogwarts.”

Minerva snorted at that. “I am sure that just growing up as your son will give him enough acquaintance with trouble.”

Sirius inclined his head. “I suspect you’re right.”

She looked over to Ragnok. “Can we see the ritual space?”

“Of course. When it is convenient for you,” Ragnok said. “After the meeting, if you would like.

Minerva nodded. “I never have any time. But I hope that will change in the future. For now, Jonathan and I can look over the circle and see what we will need to do to sanctify it for our ritual.”

“Also, Ragnok, you’re welcome to join us in the circle,” Jonathan said. “I know you focus on different things in your rituals, but this is important to all of us.”

For a moment, Ragnok looked surprised, but then he nodded. “It is indeed important to all of us. I would be honored to take part for my people. It will serve us all to have him gone from this world.”

“You are correct,” Arcturus agreed.

“And it will be us who are honored to have one such as you join us,” Jonathan said. “Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?”

No one spoke up. Minerva stood. She wanted things to move along so that she could get back to the school. Not that she thought that anything would happen, but it could. “Then we should take a look at the circle, and Jonathan and I can work out what needs to be done and how long it will take.”

*****

An Hour Later

Ragnok watched as the Headmistress walked around the circle where he’d led her and Lord MacLachlan. It was a relief that they had both already proven themselves to be decent wizards and that he did not have to worry about their reactions.

A great deal of goblin craftsmanship had gone into the creation of the neutral space. The floor was black slate, perfectly smooth and round. A slightly raised altar sat at the back of the circle, and a dais more towards the center. There was room on the edge to cut or write runes into the surfaces. They would not be permanent. The room would revert to its initial state once the ritual was completed and the circle closed.

“This is perfect, Ragnok. Thank you for allowing us to use it,” Minerva said, turning towards him. “It will take a few days to create and sanctify the space.”

Ragnok inclined his head. He had known they would respect the work that had gone into creating the space. “Of course, You will have access to this room and the ritual bath chambers that surround it, for your coven,” he said and glanced at Jonathan, who was still walking around the circle. “And for Lord MacLachlan’s conclave.”

“And what about you and your people,” Jonathan asked. “When I invited you, I meant you as well as any of your people who wished to participate. We will have three non-conclave wizards participating as well.”

“Thank you. I am surprised by your inclusiveness,” Ragnok said. More than that. While at least some of the British wizards and witches were respectful, most of them would not invite Ragnok, despite his status as Chieftain of the Goblin Nation, to participate in a dinner party they had, let alone a sacred ritual. It was a testament to their character that they had invited him and his people to join them for this.

Jonathan looked at him, clearly reading his reaction. “We need to work harder as a society to stop the rampant prejudice that exists. I refuse to believe that the Lord and Lady of Magic care that much about someone’s blood status or magical species when they are asking for blessings. I think it is more about who we are and what we are doing to improve our world.”

“I agree,” Ragnok said. “That is what most of my people were taught and grew up with. I will bring at least two others for the ritual. One will be my wife. She is the seer in my clan. I will inquire who else might wish to join us.”

“We will welcome them,” Jonathan said and then looked at Minerva. “Do we have a timeline for this?”

“We do not, and I must return to Hogwarts presently,” Minerva said, touching one of the stones of the circle. “We must wait for the potion and the destruction of the Horcruxes.”

“All right,” Jonathan said. “We will be in touch. We should not delay this. I believe the wraith will only grow stronger.”

“Once the Horcruxes are destroyed, we will need to move quickly,” Ragnok said.

“I did not believe that he could feel them,” Minerva said. She nodded to both of them and left the room.

“He has to feel something when they are destroyed.” Jonathan seemed sure of that.

“I am not sure that there is anything left of his soul to feel the loss of the rest of it,” Ragnok speculated. “He only can have a sliver left.” Riddle truly was an abomination, and while he might not appreciate it, death would be a release for him.

*****

Chapter Sixteen

A Week Later

The day came sooner than Minerva was expecting. She had gathered her coven, and her inner circle was ready to begin their cleansing before the ritual. “Are there any questions?” she asked, surveying those around her.

“Not of the ritual itself,” Amelia said. “Some of us have never participated in a mixed ritual circle before.”

“I am going to assume it is not going to be that much different from what we have participated in,” Molly Weasley said. “I am looking forward to something new. And making sure the danger is finally gone.”

“I agree about the relief that will come when the danger is gone,” Emily Nott said. “I did not want my son sacrificed to that half-blood maniac as my husband was.” Emily’s husband, Edward Travers, had been killed by Riddle in the last year of the war. While he had been more studious than political at Hogwarts, his father had forced him to be marked before he and Emily, who was the heir to the Nott title and estate, had married. Their son, Theodore, would go to Hogwarts the same year as Harry Potter-Black and Draco Malfoy-Black.

Several other witches nodded. “I agree,” Narcissa said. “Even after he was banished, I lived in fear he would return. This ensures that all of our children are safe from that.”

“We should start our cleansing,” Minerva said. “We will do each member of the coven, and then we will move out to the greater circle.”

After all of her coven had been made ready for the ritual, they exited the room and took their places around the circle. Each of the witches had plain gray robes, and the wizards wore a slightly darker gray. The goblin females wore the same gray as the witches, and the males the same as the wizards. Minerva nodded to Jonathan, Freeya, and Ragnok. They would conduct the ritual together.

Minerva opened the circle and then turned towards Jonathan, and he did the same. Ragnok followed suit, in both Latin, which she and Jonathan had used, and then in the Goblin language, Drathkal. Freeya, Ragnok’s wife, did the same, using both languages as well. Minerva had only heard it spoken a few times. As with much of their culture, they kept it private.

One of the things that she wanted to do was to broaden Hogwarts’ curriculum to include the cultures and languages of other species of magical beings.

With the combined magic of their four circles swirling around them in an almost visual way, Minerva stepped forward to put the resurrection stone on the altar and call forth the Lord, Lady, and High Chieftain and Chieftain​ess of magic to come to their aid. Sirius stepped forward after that and laid the cloak of invisibility on the altar next to the stone. He then turned to Jonathan, and he also called them forth. Ragnok and Freeya put the artifacts from the Horcruxes, which had been placed on the altar with the rest, and then together, they called forth the four as well.

There was a moment of absolute silence, and then there was a startlingly loud noise. Four beings shimmered into existence. Instead of being ethereal as the Lady of Magic had been for Hogwarts cleansing, these four were corporeal and solid-looking. The Lady of Magic was dressed as they were, with a long gray ritual robe. The Lord of Magic was dressed in a slightly darker gray robe, and the High Chieftain and Chieftainess were wearing robes that were between the two shades of gray.

“We have heard your plea,” the Chieftain said.

“We are ready to help you,” the Lord said.

“We accept your gifts on Death’s behalf,” the Chieftainess said.

“We have requested that Death join us for this,” the Lady said and held out her hand. A hooded, shrouded figure in a black robe with a scythe appeared.

Without a word, the shrouded figure held out a skeletal human hand and seemed to reach out. It caught the essence of something black and oily looking that appeared in the air. The wraith screamed in terror and seemed to be trying to pull away, but death’s hand was firm, and it could not escape. Death disappeared and took Tom Riddle’s wraith with them.

Minerva breathed out. She could feel that Tom Riddle was finally wholly gone from this world. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“We are pleased with your work this night,” the High Chieftain said.

“But we charge you all to finish what has been started here tonight,” the High Chieftainess said.

“Although this threat has been neutralized, the damage that he and others have done is pervasive,” the Lady of Magic said.

“It will fall to all of you and your children to fix the problems,” the Lord of Magic said.

“That is more than a lifetime’s work for anyone,” Ragnok said, glancing around the circle at those gathered.

“Then, you will task your children to finish what you have started,” the Lady ordered.

Ragnok nodded. “It will be as you say.”

“For all of us,” Minerva promised. This was something she could do, that they could all do.

“So it must be,” Jonathan agreed.

“So it must be,” the four of them said together. “So, you are all charged.”

“So it must be,” the combined coven and conclave repeated, making the promise.

The Lord, Lady, and High Chieftain and Chieftainess all disappeared.

Minerva glanced at Jonathan, Ragnok, and Freeya. They all looked as drained as she felt. Minerva squared her shoulders and said the words to close the circle and end the ritual. Jonathan, Ragnok, and Freeya did the same, and it was finally over. She breathed out a sigh of relief.

Ragnok cleared his throat. “There will be tea and food in the room next door. You will all need to eat something before you leave.”

“That would be most welcome. Thank you, Ragnok,” Minerva said.

*****

It was a low-key gathering after the ritual, but there was an air of celebration to it. Narcissa stood with Sirius afterward, and Severus joined them. “You do know that no one is ever going to know that the Dark Lord did not die in Godric’s Hollow by the hand of Harry Potter.”

Sirius nodded. “I know. And it’s Harry Potter-Black if you please.”

Severus smirked at him. “As you please. Don’t spoil him.”

“I absolutely plan to spoil him,” Sirius said. “But not like you’re probably thinking. I would see him raised in a loving home and never wanting for anything. But not given everything he wants.”

“I agree with that,” Narcissa said. “I want that for Draco, as well.”

“Was the ritual satisfying enough for you,” Sirius asked, glancing at Severus.

“It was quite satisfying, though I would have liked for him to suffer more,” Severus said. “I am pleased that he is gone. As Death walked away with him, I felt all the power in the dark mark fade. That was pleasing beyond words.”

“I am sure,” Sirius said. “I am thinking about creating my own conclave. I was wondering if you would care to join it?”

“I would,” Severus agreed. “Who else has said they were interested? I will have time for it beginning this summer.”

“I had heard you were going to leave Hogwarts,” Narcissa commented. “I was not told why.”

“I hate teaching. And I am terrible at it,” Severus said with a laugh. “I don’t have the patience for small children. The older ones who want to be there are more satisfactory to deal with, but I do not love teaching them, either.”

Sirius nodded. “We should do what we want and what makes us happy.”

“I would agree with that,” Severus said. “You did not mention who else you’ve asked to be in the conclave.”

“I have spoken with Ted Tonks –”

That is an interesting choice,” Severus commented.

“Well, he is a relation, and despite going to Hogwarts as a Muggleborn, he’s practiced some ritual magic with Andromeda. Plus, he is interested,” Sirius said. “I have also spoken to Kingsley Shacklebolt, Benedict Greengrass, my grandfather, and Daniel Evans.”

“Shacklebolt is another interesting choice,” Severus said. “Not your father?”

“He would like to learn more about advanced ritual magic,” Sirius said. “My father is in Rome and likely to stay there for at least a year or two. I expect to see him on holidays, but he needs time to heal.”

Severus nodded but said nothing else.

*****

“Minister,” Ragnok said as he approached her.

“Amelia,” she corrected. “You and I are going to be working closely together if we’re going to see things change significantly.”

“Ragnok Winterkill,” he said. He was sure she knew Ragnok was his surname. And she was right that things needed to change. “Beyond the committee you created, what do you expect to get done? This is no easy task we’ve been given.” Because despite their charge by the High Chieftain, they were going to run into stiff resistance from the Wizarding world’s ruling elite as well as many of the Goblins.

“No, it’s not. But we have to start somewhere in order for change to occur. How is the magical history class at Hogwarts going so far?”

“Better than I hoped,” Ragnok said. He’d sat in on the first few sessions with several others, most of whom were as skeptical as he was. But the children were surprisingly receptive. Much more so than the parents. But Ragnok was not hopeful this would continue. Of course that could be his own prejudice talking. The Goblins and Wizarding Britain were trained to hate each other, even before Dumbledore had made it worse.

“You do not sound very optimistic about it,” Amelia said.

“I have to say that I am not,” Ragnok admitted. “I think it is a step in the right direction, but there are too many years and too much bad blood between our peoples.”

“I agree that it has been terrible. But how do we make it better without doing something to change it?” Amelia asked.

“Perhaps I am just being pessimistic,” Ragnok said. “Change will come slowly.”

“It always does, and there will be backlash and backsliding, but hopefully, over time, we will move forward,” Amelia said, sounding hopeful.

Maybe Ragnok could find some of that hope as well. He would like to believe it was at least possible.

*****

Black Manor
July 31, 1984

It was supposed to be a family party for Harry’s Fourth birthday, but it had spiraled out of control, and there were far more people than Sirius had thought there would be. “How did we get this many people?”

“It was your idea to invite Neville Longbottom and his grandmother,” Narcissa pointed out, glancing toward Neville as he was led out by Harry and Draco. They were probably going to meet Dudley, who had arrived with his family.

“Right. And the entire Weasley clan?” Sirius asked. “Starting with Septimus and Cedrella?”

Narcissa shrugged. “Well, you were going to talk to Arthur about the conclave. And they do have a son about Harry’s age, Ronald, I think his name is.”

“I know that, but I was not expecting all of them,” Sirius complained. He really didn’t mind, but he didn’t want Harry to be overwhelmed. But clearly, his son was having a wonderful time. And he did want to talk to Arthur about the conclave.

“I am sure it will be fine,” Narcissa said, patting his shoulder as she walked past him.

For a while, Sirius just watched as Harry and Draco ran around and then added in Dudley, Neville, and finally, Ron. All of whom had way more energy than Sirius could imagine.

“Did you wish to talk to me, Sirius?” Arthur Weasley stood next to him. “How is your father doing?”

“He is well. Enjoying Rome,” Sirius said. And he was slowly getting better. The best mind healers in the Wizarding World were there.

“Very good,” Arthur said and waited for Sirius to speak.

“I wanted to ask your opinion on creating a conclave,” Sirius said.

“I was always part of a conclave until Dumbledore somehow convinced the Wizarding World that to participate was somehow dark.”

“I know,” Sirius said. “I suspect it was all those memory charms. They are still documenting them. He has already been tried several times already for what he’s done.”

“I am glad that he’ll never get out of Azkaban,” Arthur said. “I will never forgive him for what he did to my family. At least, the younger children will not remember the hardships he caused them.”

“And you,” Sirius said.

“So, you are putting together a conclave?” Arthur looked at him. “What way will it lean?”

“I’m actually light-leaning, and those wizards who agreed to join me so far are mostly gray-leaning, either light or dark. I have at least two dark-leaning gray wizards. We should have a balance by the time I’m done.”

“I think you know I’m light-leaning as well.” Arthur did not seem surprised at all that Sirius was as well.

“I am having a space created here on the grounds. I want something outside. It will be weather protected, of course, but I feel it should be close to nature.” Sirius had seen the foundation laid already, and it was going to be beautiful.

There was a noise, and Arthur looked across the room and sighed. “I told him not to bring his rat,” Arthur said. “Percy and that rat are inseparable.”

Sirius looked across the room and saw him holding a decrepit gray rat. He could see that it was missing a finger on his paw. And his stomach dropped. “Where did he get it?”

“Found it in the garden, two, no three years ago. He sleeps with it.”

“I think there is a problem with that rat,” Sirius said. “Can you call Percy over here?”

“What is the problem,” Arthur asked.

“There is a good chance that it is not a rat at all but an animagus,” Sirius whispered.

It took a second to sink in, and then Arthur strode across the room and demanded the rat, who squealed and tried to get out of his hand, but Arthur had a good grip on him. He touched it with his wand, and the rat stopped struggling and went to sleep.

“I’m not sure how long that will last on an animagus,” Arthur said.

“Probably not as long as it would on a child,” Amelia said, coming to stand beside him. She transfigured her wine glass into a cage and held out her hand to take the rat, locking it into the cage. “Peter Pettigrew, I presume?”

“I believe so,” Sirius said. “Arthur said that Percy found him about the right time.”

Kingsley appeared at her side. “Can I take that for you, Minister?”

“I guess you should,” Amelia agreed.

*****

“Well, that was certainly a surprise,” Minerva commented a few minutes later. Percy had been heartbroken to find out that he would lose his beloved pet. But Sirius had promised him a new one. Not that it had helped much. Molly had taken him home and Arthur had stayed to supervise the rest of the children.

Narcissa agreed. “I am surprised that Sirius caught that.”

“I suspect he had reason to,” Ragnok said. “I was surprised to be invited tonight.”

“Without you and your auditor, none of this would have happened. Who knows what kind of horror would have occurred if Tom Riddle had been able to resurrect himself?” Narcissa said with a shudder. She knew just how lucky she had been to escape both Tom Riddle and Lucius Malfoy.

“Plus, that accounting glitch will have ripple effects. Your daughter has been accepted to Hogwarts for her last year,” Minerva said. “I’m pleased to have her.”

“She is quite excited to be going,” Ragnok said. “I thank you for that. For whatever reason, she has an idea to see the whole magical world, and this will be her first taste.”

“I can’t promise it will be perfect. There is still much work to be done,” Minerva said.

“True,” Ragnok agreed. “But it is one more step.”

Narcissa nodded. “It’s hard to believe it’s been less than a year since all of this started. In our family, the change has been noticeable.” She looked across the room at Andromeda, who was speaking to Sarah Evans, Evans-Black. “Our family has grown in ways I would never have guessed last year.”

“For the better?” Ragnok asked.

“Beyond a shadow of a doubt,” Narcissa said. “We are on our way to finding the redemption we have needed for a long time.” And she saw Sirius talking to Severus. She wondered about their friendship. But it seemed like it was good for both of them. “I am looking forward to what the years will bring in a way I haven’t before.”

“I am just looking forward to having slightly less work,” Minerva said.

“Have you finally hired administrative staff?” Narcissa asked.

“Yes, and several new teachers. All of whom start in the next few weeks,” Minerva said, pleased at the thought. “There is such hope for the future.”

“That is very good to hear,” Ragnok said.

“Very good to hear, indeed,” Narcissa agreed.

*****

Epilogue
Seven Years Later
July 31, 1991

Sirius, Arcturus, and Narcissa were having breakfast on the terrace, enjoying the fine summer weather. Harry raced in, brandishing a thick envelope. “It’s here!”

“As if there were any doubt,” Arcturus muttered.

“Well, are you going to open it?” Draco asked as he came in right after Harry.

“Of course,” Harry said, grinning, and started to open it. Despite his excitement, he opened the letter carefully. “To Harry Potter-Black. Black Manor. Second Floor, Third Bedroom.”

Harry read the letter and looked at Sirius. “It’s kind of the same as Dudley’s and Draco’s. I need to send an owl back to accept. And we’ll need to shop for robes and books and things.”

“We’ll take you in a few weeks,” Narcissa promised. “For now, you need to eat something and then get ready for your party this afternoon.”

“Yes, Aunt Cissa,” Harry agreed.

Draco sat at the table, and Harry sat beside him. “Dudley will be here in a bit. He said he was coming early to help set up,” Draco said.

Sirius smiled at that. They had all become very close over the years since they met. While Marius never fully rejoined the family, Daniel and Sarah had taken the Black name and became part of the family magic. As had Andromeda and Ted.

“Who else is coming today?” Draco asked. “I know that Neville and Theo are also coming early to help us.”

“We do have house elves,” Arcturus said. “They will be upset if you help too much.”

“We just wanted to put up some decorations and set up some games,” Harry said. “A lot of our class will be here.”

“True,” Sirius said. “We’ll talk to Rammy.” They had started to have parties with the children who would be in school with them years ago. And the parties had gotten bigger.

The boys finished breakfast and ran off.

“I think this has worked well,” Narcissa commented. “They are integrated with their peers before school starts. That helps with their socialization.”

“I worry about the few Muggleborns that we didn’t find,” Sirius said.

Amelia Bones was still Minister of Magic and had created a committee that investigated each incident of accidental magic. The committee then helped the families, made sure that they knew about magic, and developed ways to integrate those future students into magical society.

There were tests they now performed that would show the lineage of each student. There were very few Muggleborns who were not related to some family in Wizarding Britain. Usually, if they weren’t related to anyone in Britain, it meant that they were related to someone magical in another country.

“They will be tested by Gringotts when they start to shop for their school supplies,” Narcissa said. “Speaking of goblins, Ragnok and his family will be here today. I think he mentioned that he was bringing one of his cousin’s sons, who was going to start Hogwarts with Harry and Draco. I’m sure he will be added to the legions of Harry’s many friends. I do not believe he has met anyone in his class that he has not liked. Unlike Draco.”

“Well, Zacharias Smith is a bit of a pompous child,” Sirius said. “And he was rude to Draco about his father’s involvement in the war. It did not go over well.”

“That will not go down well at Hogwarts either,” Narcissa said. “I will make sure that is explained well to everyone.”

Narcissa had completed her Potions Mastery and now taught the upper years potions at Hogwarts. Still part-time, though after Draco and Harry went to Hogwarts, she had mentioned working full-time, but Sirius wondered where she’d find the time. She had also entered into a partnership with Severus and worked closely with him.

The blood testing program had turned up some surprises already. The heir to the Dagworth-Granger family estate had been found. She was a very bright witch. Harry and Draco had run into her, literally, years ago in a bookstore in Muggle London.

They watched her levitate a book from a top shelf, and they had reported that to him. He’d gone to talk to the family. They were not as surprised as Sirius would have expected. Again, Robert Granger’s father had been a squib, and Robert knew about magic and told his wife about it as soon as he saw the first evidence of accidental magic in his daughter, Hermione. That made it easier. Hermione would be able to claim the family title when she was of age, but there was a trust fund set aside for her that she used for books and supplies for Hogwarts. Given her taste for books, the boys teased her about draining it dry before she finished school.

They would all be here for the party this afternoon. If Sirius was not mistaken, Draco had a crush on Hermione.

Things were not perfect, but the rampant and awful prejudice of post-war Britain had faded. Sure, there were some families who still clung to old ideas, but mostly, they had changed with the times. The fact that there were many of the traditions and traditional classes returned to Hogwarts had done a lot to soothe the ire of many.

All in all, things had worked out very well for him, too. He managed the Black estate. He’d created the Black Conclave, and as he’d hoped, it was very rewarding and helpful to the community. Raising Harry had its challenges, but he was a good boy. Despite the first few years of his life being filled with strife, the rest had gone very well. Sirius was pleased with the outcome.

–finis

---