Chapter 54
Tom sat behind his desk, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. The blood adoption ritual seemed complicated, and the incantation was long and clumsy. Much of it didn’t fit particularly well for Harry, seemingly more appropriate for a baby than a child who was able to participate. Although, the ritual made it seem as if Harry wouldn’t really have much input. Tom didn’t like that – Harry was still a little boy, sure – but he was able to understand well enough what this adoption meant. It didn’t quite sit right with Tom that Harry just sit passively during the ritual.
He sat back with a sigh and looked out the window, deep in thought.
A knock at the door startled him from his reverie.
‘Come in, Marius. To what do I owe the pleasure? I don’t believe we have anything scheduled today, do we?’
Marius came and sat opposite Tom with a small smile. ‘No, nothing scheduled.’ Marius hesitated, seemingly trying to work out what to say next. This caught Tom’s full attention. Marius was not one to hesitate or stumble over his words. ‘I believe we are due for an interesting conversation, my Lord.’
Tom’s eyebrows raised in surprise. ‘My Lord?’ he repeated.
Marius assessed him carefully. ‘Are you aware that squibs have core orientations, same as other wixen? I myself have a Dark core, common for House Black. That would make you my Lord.’
Tom blinked. ‘I was aware that if someone’s magic has been bound, they still have a core orientation, but I thought that was because they had access to their magic before it was bound. I was… unaware that squibs had enough magic to lean in any direction.’
Marius gave him a wry smile. ‘Indeed. Squibs are much feared by wixenkind, and so little is known about us. I can tell you a few things I am sure of – I have many theories, but I usually only have myself to test them on. There are some things I have been able to confirm apply to likely all squibs – although like anything else, there may be exceptions.’ Marius stopped, licking his lips. ‘May I have some water?’
Tom startled, then snapped his fingers. Out of sight, an elf delivered a glass of water before Marius. He took a sip, then placed it down carefully.
‘Squibs have core orientations like anyone else. Magical artefacts and potions work as normal – that is to say, as expected, for squibs. You have seen me use a pensieve with no difficulty. Squibs show enhanced healing and delayed aging in comparison to muggles, although it appears to be slightly less so than that of wixen. Difficult to say exactly, however – as I said, rather small testing pool.’ Marius paused again, glancing up to catch Tom’s eye. ‘Squibs are capable of creating runes and wards and growing magical plants without issue. I believe in some cases, squibs are even able to fuel wards or charge protective amulets – although this is very difficult to test and quantify, and there are likely numerous factors that come into play here. We can discuss that at another time, if you are interested.’
Tom sat in silence, mind reeling as he absorbed this new and unexpected information. He looked at Marius questioningly.
‘I tell you all of this, my Lord, because I am married to a squib, and while we are not able to have children, we are very close with my wife’s family, many of whom are also squibs. I look at my great nieces and nephews, and I am saddened to think that magic runs in their veins, and yet they are utterly unaware, and they will be denied the opportunity to learn and grow and be part of a culture that they have a right to know. They are not muggles, my Lord. They have a right to be acknowledged as part of this world.’
Marius sat back, watching Tom intently. Tom could see the passion radiating from him, carefully controlled but burning fiercely.
‘I was eleven years old when I was sent away from my family – from the only world I have ever known. I did not receive a Hogwarts letter, and my family gave me all of a week to prepare to be on my own. They gave me money, clothes, a few essentials, and dropped me off in London. An eleven year old, alone in the city – for all that I understood about the muggle world, a foreign city.’ Marius ran a hand over his face. ‘My family, despite the Black reputation, was kinder than many others. I had friends growing up, knew other children from magical families who did not receive a Hogwarts letter. Unlike my family, who sent me on my way, those children did not see their twelfth birthdays.’
Tom sucked in a sharp breath. He had heard rumours, of course – but it was spoken about like an old superstition. He didn’t think families actually killed their squibs – he thought they were surely just sent to orphanages in the muggle world, stricken from the family records. He had thought they meant symbolic death, not literal.
‘Some of those were your children, my Lord. Dark children, killed because they held no future with a wand in their hand. I tell you all of this, Dark Lord Riddle, because I believe it is your duty to protect all Dark wixen, and creatures, and squibs. Perhaps you have been unaware, and understandably so – but no longer. Lady Magic has been speaking in my dreams. It won’t be much longer before your plans come together. I implore you to remember your forgotten children. Do not let them suffer as I have, as other have. Do not let them be turned away from their birthrights.’ Marius gave Tom a long, heavy look, before he nodded. ‘I will see myself out. Thank you for your time.’
Tom stared after Marius as he left, and kept staring for a long time, until the sun had dipped below the horizon.
The patter of approaching small feet dragged his attention back to the present, and he smiled as Harry came to take his hand and lead him down to dinner.