Prologue
Black Ancestral Manor, 1981. November 2nd
Inside the manor, specifically in the dining room, sat Arcturus Black and was waiting for his family to finally show up.
Soon they've indeed arrived, and at the same time too. Which means that none of them had the courage to face the old man alone. Although their lack of courage does have some basis. He was always a stern man with an irate temper.
When he saw his grandchildren and their spouses enter he merely motioned them to sit down, scowling all the while. Once they were seated and an uncomfortable silence descended onto the room he finally started talking.
"Can any one of you tell me what is this?" He asked in a voice that left no room for disagreement, while holding up a letter. Said letter was stamped with the ministry's seal.
"Um...where should I start?" Regulus risked a question.
"Oh, I don't know. MAYBE AT THE BEGINNING!?!!?!" Arcturus shouted at his grandson, as his patience has already ran out hours ago.
"Right, right...Well, it started with their obsession with the Dark Lord." Regulus began as he wiped the sweat from his forehead."They wanted to support him politically, financially and in any way they could. Obviously that didn't work out, because of your safety measurement.
Although that didn't stop them from trying and finally pledging their loyalty to him and participating in the war. Although I don't know where did they got the idea that Sirius was on the Dark Lord's side when everyone knew he was Dumbledore's man." He finished and waited for his grandfather to blow up,
"I see." The Lord of the Black family said as he pondered over the words of his grandson.
He knew about the safety measures he mentioned. First he limited his family's access to the main family vault and set up a monthly allowance for them, until he is back from his vacation. As such they couldn't really spare any money for the war efforts, if they wanted to live the same way as they always did that is. Neither could they give away the artifacts and weapons stored in the vaults and the manor.
Secondly, he made it so only he could vote in the Wizengamot and that his children and grandchildren are prohibited from entering the courtroom, outside of their own matters of course. Thus crippling their political ideas and any trouble they could have caused that way.
"Are you sure your brother is innocent?" He finally asked.
"Yes." Regulus answered, while heaving a sigh of relief inside his mind.
"Then, when is his trial? I will have him cleared." Arcturus asked and then immediately frowned as he saw his expression."He didn't get a trial, did he?" He hazarded a guess.
Regulus just nodded.
And no sooner than he did, did an all encompassing pressure descend onto the room. Said pressure was the anger of one Arcturus Black, manifested by his magical power. And as suddenly as it came it vanished.
"It looks like I will have to remind the idiots in the ministry who I am. Well, setting the troublesome stuff aside. How have you all been?" He asked with a small smile. Happy to meet his grandchildren, despite the circumstances.
"Why I am here?" Andromeda asked abruptly.
"Because you are part of the family." Arcturus answered as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I was under the impression I am disowned." She bit back.
Arcturus just rolled his eyes at her, while the others had mixed reactions. Bellatrix was holding back her laugh, unsuccessfully. Narcissa and Regulus just looked on, used to their antics. And Edward Tonks looked quite uncomfortable and a little worried.
"Being blasted off the tapestry isn't equal to being disowned. And as I haven't did so you are still part of the family. But if you refer to being kicked out of Grimmauld, that is on you. I would have allowed you to remain on one of the other estates, but you didn't answer any of my letters.
As for you marrying a muggleborn, well, that could have been righted with a quick ritual during Samhain. And for the record: I was mad at you for abandoning the old ways. Now that is cleared up. How have you all been?" He finished, still smiling. He always loved his grandchildren, even if they didn't think so.
"I was just traveling all around the world and raiding tombs. I have found some interesting stuff though. I will show them later." Regulus quickly said before anything could happen.
"I have been well. Although Draco has been a little fussy as of late. And Lucius is trying to bribe himself out of Azkaban." Narcissa said and took a sip from her tea, that no one knew where did she got.
"Me?" Bellatrix asked as her grandfather looked at her."I am fine. Doing my Mastery in charms and working on some personal projects." She finished with a shrug.
"Well, good for you lot. I have been stressed to hell and back, because of my daughter..." Andy started complaining.
And after this the conversation began in earnest. Everyone talked with and over the others while eating the snacks the elves prepared for them. They reconnected with each other surprisingly quickly and talked as if the grudges they held against each other didn't exist.
All in all their afternoon was spent very pleasantly. At least until Kreacher appeared with a loud pop, disrupting them.
"Kreacher is very sorry to disrupt the gathering of his masters, but Kreacher is in dire need of guidance." The old house-elf said as he bowed so low his nose touched the ground.
"About what?" Bella said impatiently and reclined into her seat, as the others looked at the elf too.
Make no mistakes, Kreacher is loyal to a fault and good at anything and everything, but has the habit of turning up at the most inoppurtunate times.
"Kreacher would like to know his instructions regarding the youngest mistress." He said as he straightened up.
"Youngest mistress? Who is that?" Regulus asked with a frown, that was shared by everyone in the room. After all the last child born into the family was Regulus himself.
"Miss Nagini Walburga Black. The daughter of Mistress Walburga and the Dark Lord." The elf answered dutifully.
"Did my son knew about this child? And why haven't we been notified about her birth?" Arcturus asked with a very deep scowl.
"Yes, Master. Master Orion knew about the child. In fact it was his idea of having Mistress Walburga bear her, because the Dark Lord wanted a heir with great pedigree. The family wasn't notified about her because Master Orion forbidden every Black elf from informing the family."
"I see. Bring her here." He finally instructed the elf.
Who bowed and then vanished, only to reappear with a small child. The child looked to be around a year and then some old. Who he then put on the floor right away.
Her hair was as black as the night that framed her chubby little face in unruly curls. She had silver coloured eyes, and not grey like the rest of the family. Her skin was also very pale, although not in a way that indicated sickness.
At first she was looking around confusedly, then her eyes honed onto Arcturus and she started giggling. Then extended her little hands towards the old man in the unmistakeable way that indicated she wanted to be picked up. Arcturus of course obliged and in response the little girl started giggling even more.
And that was the moment that he fell in love with his newest granddaughter, even if he would never admit it. And proceeded to rock her and coo at her while he was at it. Soon, the others joined at fawning over the little girl too, and she was passed over to everyone at least once.
Although she clearly had her favourites, those being Bella and Arcturus. Who looked extremely smug at that. But soon she tired out and fell asleep in her grandfather's arms.
"What did you say was her name?" Arcturus asked Kreacher in a whisper as he looked at the sleeping face of the little girl.
"Nagini Walburga Black."
"Hmmm, I have a better one in mind." The old man said and drew his wand."I, Arcturus Sirius Black, the Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, bestow you the name Helia Nagai Black and welcome you into the family. So I say, so mote it be."
And with that, it was done. With this oath she will be known as Helia Nagai Black from today onwards and because he bestowed the name using an oath any document concerning her will be magically updated in the following week, depending on their locations.
"Bring her back to Grimmauld. I will be there shortly too." He said and handed her back to the elf."Lets meet next Sunday at Grimmauld next time." He adressed the others in the room.
Then he stood, walked over to the floo and vanished in the green flames.