Interim Machinations
1875-1885, Number 17 Black Hall Road, Oxford
Over the years Bob and Iola doted on their perfect son. Errai grew up exploring Oxford and the countryside, and he was known to be a polite and helpful young boy in the community. Surrounded by family, well liked, and well educated, he was never caught without a book and his journal, as he catalogued the natural world with an insatiable curiosity.
Errai’s six-times-Great Grandfather Polaris, twenty-sixth of his name, visited more often than ever to his favorite portrait frame and would teach Errai and his seventh cousin, Gabriel, Adam’s son, about the family genealogy. When Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather Polaris described the family tree:
Polaris begat Castor and Pollux.
Castor begat Altair, Rigel and Be-who-must-not-be-named, who begat Antares, who begat Pegasus who begat Lepus who was the father of Errai’s Grandfather, Orion.
Altair begat Atreus who begat Alistair who begat Beatrix, not to be confused with her great aunt Bellatrix Avery, and Beatrix and Lepus, Third Cousins birthed Orion, Errai’s Grandfather.
Rigel named his son Martius who had twins, Deimos and Phobos.
Pollux, Polaris’s favored son, had three daughters; Vela, Lyra and Pyxis. Pyxis became a Fawley, her daughter Nigella named her daughter Hydra, who became a Gamp and had Perseus who begat Jason who begat Felix who begat Hester, who is betrothed to Errai’s younger first cousin, Sirius II. Hydra’s daughter, Selena became a Flint who had Julius who had Ursula who is married to Phineas Nigellus. Polaris describes this part of the tree as the Family Bush, and does not agree with the eugenic practices his descendants in that Bush employ. He recommends being at least sixth cousins, but would prefer the boys to find a nice New Blood or Half-blood of no relation. “We must keep the line clean so we can remain pure” He had told them.
“Toujour Pur” the boys replied.
Vela, Lyra’s older sister, became a Slughorn and had Vera who became a Bulstrode who had Violetta who married a Greengrass and from there the Family Magic diluted enough that Polaris lost track.
Auntie Lyra was blessed with Uncle Vega, apparently by immaculate conception, who then begat Hercules, who begat Alioth and Leo. Leo converted to Christianity and had Abel and Adam, father of Gabriel. But the boys already knew that being raised by them. Lyra’s line is also blessed with long life and youthful appearance, which has reduced slightly over the generations. Errai refers to Lyra’s line as his Uncles, and he didn’t realize when he was little that they weren’t all brothers, until these lessons with Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather Polaris.
Pollux’s Portrait and Auntie Lyra taught the boys comportment, and Errai’s father, Bob taught them all non-magical history.
Iola especially enjoyed the ‘muggle’ lessons with her husband and family, she wanted to ensure that Errai was raised knowing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. She had studied Arithmancy which lended well into her University days studying Maths, but she never wanted the boys to experience the culture shock of the graphite pencil as she had. She remembered how upset about the Hogwarts Express her Grandfather Lepus had been, “disgusting muggle lovers,” in his words, wanted to ensure that First Generation Magicals, “Mudbloods” Lepus called them, could receive an education even if they had no access to Floo or Apparition, and she refused to emulate him.
It was obvious that Errai was magical. He could see wisps around certain objects and had been able to see and draw the runes embedded in the walls of Number 17, Auntie Lyra’s house, where he lives. The runic arrays support “Grandfather’s Magic” as they all call it, the Vivarium-like building style which allows the house to shrink and grow and move rooms around as needed. When Polaris was shown Errai’s drawings, he, for the first time in his life and afterlife had finally encountered something unknown and as far as he knew unprecedented.
Regardless, ever since the night he was born, Errai never had magical outbursts, and from two had some control over his magic. He summons things to him with his bare hands without a second thought, and can tell by sight if someone is sick, cursed or otherwise. He would beg the adults around him for his own wand but was alway shut down wholesale.
“We cannot allow you to use a wand until you must. Even touching one might seal your Magical Core and hinder your current abilities.” Auntie Lyra had said.
“After your eleventh birthday, you will be able to begin your Merlinian Education at Hogwarts” Pollux had said.
“Do not be in such a hurry to grow up and leave me, Errai” His mother said.
“Don’t worry, they refuse me a wand as well” Bob said and everyone laughed.
After that conversation with Bob, Errai realized how insensitive he was. Even though Bob never envied all the Wizards around him and he benefitted by the magical house as much as anyone, Errai saw the value in living a non-magical life and found himself relating with his da and respecting his work, so much so that what Errai looked forward to the most about Hogwarts was that his parents promised that he would join them on the summer archeological expeditions. They decided that 12 is old enough to join them and he also looked forward to finally meeting his curse breaker Aunt Elladora who works for Gringotts. She and Iola send regular owls but Elladora rarely gets any time off and when she does, she has some other mysterious obligations in parts unknown.
June 1886, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
If you ask Phineas Nigellus Black how his life is going, he will tell you that all his dreams have come true. He’s been the youngest Hogwarts Headmaster in 250 years for the past 12 years now, he married Cousin Ursula, a pedigree Pure Blood Witch of two Sacred 28 Lines, has three beautiful children with another on the way, and to top it off he’s seen hide nor hair of either of his wretched sisters in 16 years. Life is good for Phineas Nigellus.
He has kept his eye on that book and delighted as each of his children’s names were recorded, and even more delighted that Erich, or whatever, was not written again. There’s no such thing as a half blood Black, he thought to himself, maybe the whelp died. Wouldn’t that be wonderful, he mused to himself, after all if he had survived he would be 11 this year. OH! Maybe Iola went and got herself burned on the stake after all! Delightful. His feeble mind settled on that outcome and never thought of his sister or her son ever again.
“10 points from Ravenclaw” he yelled at a small girl who dared to be in his path as he strutted down the hall to attend the leaving feast.
The small girl, Sarcharissa Tugwood, first year Hufflepuff asked her friend, Gryffindor first year, Ezekiel Potter, as they passed the hourglasses “What was that about?”
“Haven’t a clue. I just wish it was a few more. Ravenclaw is still ahead of Gryffindor by 5 points.” Potter replied, glancing at the gems.
The Herbology partners shrugged it off and took their seats back-to-back in the Great Hall
Wednesday, 30 June, 1886
The morning light shone through the kitchen window of Black Hall. Two women with jet black hair and silver eyes were rejoining the living with cups of tea. Iola and Lyra, over the years, have made it a tradition to greet the sun together when the elves are on vacation, as that is the only time they are actually allowed in the kitchen at all.
Lyra’s childhood personal elf, Ginny, now head elf of Black Hall, is entirely too territorial. Usually, when any of the residents walk through the door into the kitchen, they find themselves entering into another room of the house face-to-face with Ginny. However, for 6 days at the end of June, Black Hall hosts no elves. Long ago, Lyra tried to give them more time off to no avail.
“Oh no, Mistress, a week is being much too long!” Ginny had said, tears filling her eyes. “Why is Mistress unhappy with Ginny? Elveses not be wanting vacation!” So Lyra settled in for the long game as she is wont to do.
The negotiation took 130 years, but Lyra finally managed to get her elves comfortable with time off, and whether they want it or not, they return from vacation faster, lighter, healthier and at least one elf is pregnant each year. Ginny had finally understood the value of vacation. Now the Matrielf of 6 generations, her elves are sought after for their magic and strength, with Ginny herself, being one of the most feared and powerful creatures Lyra had ever come across.
So best not to cross her.
After a few sips of her favorite blend, Lyra was conscious enough to notice the pensive look on Iola’s face. Iola was staring out the window, her eyes shimmering and shifting from blue to green to silver, her fist tight on the handle of her cup, mouth frowning and the ends of her hair moving on a non-existent breeze.
“What’s wrong dear?” Lyra asked her niece. Iola didn’t respond immediately, she took a long drag on her tea and sighed.
“It’s Errai’s letter, Auntie.” Iola responded. “I can’t trust Phineas..” She sneered the name “..around my precious boy and I worry about him going off to Hogwarts under that man’s thumb.” Auntie hummed empathetically and returned to her cup.
When Iola heard news that her brother had begun teaching at Hogwarts she was worried, but relieved that it was at least an elective. But now, now the scoundrel had been elevated to Headmaster the very same year her Errai turns 11 and Iola can’t imagine what Phineas might do to him. The thought terrifies her. She had been casted out and disowned. She had even been attacked a few times the first year when caught out, but Iola was far too skilled for her Father’s merry band of drunken degenerates and the message got through to them.
After that, the Bad Side of the family has been mobilizing behind the scenes to manipulate the laws to align with the tenants of their blood supremacy and, Iola feels responsible for it.
Had she only followed the rules and allowed herself to be sold off to some cousin like cattle. Had she not fallen in love. Had she not married. And especially, had she not birthed ‘the half-blood Black’ then maybe all of these restrictions and the discrimination sliding into the law may not have been penned. But when her spiral leads there, Iola become incapable of staying. That thought feels too much like blaming her perfect little star for the problems of the world, and her mind literally can’t make that connection. Her precious could do no wrong and even with her advanced Occlumency, she cannot hold Errai and “Wrong” in her mind at the same time, not that she’s tried.
As it turns out, that feat is also impossible for all the other Oxonians as well. Errai is well known and well liked in all corners of Oxfordshire. He is polite, intelligent, curious and extremely helpful. He’s always seen with a book and his journal, exploring and cataloging the natural world. He has a penchant for collecting, and so Errai is the first person anyone asks if they are in need of pretty much anything that can be found in nature. Nearly every time, Errai has what they need, he just reaches into his pocket and there it is. None of his neighbors or any of the students know how he does it, and he just shrugs and smiles when asked. Only a very select few really know his secret, and he knows it is secret for a reason hence the shrug and smile. Iola knows her boy is special, more so than she and the rest of Auntie’s family. He has an aura about him and, when one knows how to sense it, they can feel power radiating off the small black-haired, silver-eyed boy.
Iola knows his secret, his special control over Magic.
The family figured it out a few years ago when an excited five-year-old Errai skipped up to the portrait of Lyra’s Grandfather, Polaris XXVI, brandishing a drawing he made. Normal magical children might move things around, or shrink something, or pop around the house, but when Polaris saw the the recreation of each and every hidden runic array buried in the walls of the house and garden, his mouth dropped and the whole family set about figuring out how he did it.
“They are just right there Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa! Can everyone not see them!?” Errai said.
No, as it turns out, no one could see the hidden magic like Errai could.
“Of Course! He’s seeing Dark Magic!” Polaris said when he stepped into the frame
Iola Gasped
“They don’t call it that anymore” said Lyra.
“Wild magic then”
Iola fainted
“They don’t call it that anymore either.”
“Why not”
“Because, it’s bad now.” Lyra said slowly. Her Grandfather has been around forever and has, no doubt, contributed to the change of lexicon, himself.
“Ridiculous.” Polaris said. As if he really just heard about this.
8 July, 1886 Number 17
Iola was a nervous wreck. She had been expecting a letter for Errai for the past fortnight. No letter has come from Hogwarts for her son and it’s already the day after his birthday. Errai, for his part, tried his best to not feel disappointed, maybe his special kind of magic is just not enough for Hogwarts he thought. The Adults, however have differing suspicions.
Auntie’s favorite teapot flew into the room, and the Sons of Lyra assembled.
“What has happened, Mother?” Vega said as he sat down in thin air which transformed into his lush cerulean armchair, and he lifted his feet for a matching ottoman to materialize and he mumbled something about old bones.
Iola burst out “Errai’s not received his Hogwarts letter!”
Again Errai with the wisdom of an ancient elder, grabbed Gabriel’s wrist and they both made to run outside.
“Hold it you two!” Leo called out “Come sit!”
Sighing, two deflated 11 year old boys marched back into the Front Room and flopped down, being caught by a pair of puffy stools.
Auntie Lyra snapped her fingers and a small tea table appeared in front of them, and she floated teacups over to them.
The boys looked at each other in shock and then back at Auntie in bewilderment. Never had they been allowed to attend one of these special teas and both knew that whatever was about to be said is the strictest of secrets.
“This must be serious.” Errai said “I really didn’t mean to not be a proper wizard, mum, I swear it!”
“Nonsense!” Every other voice said in unison. Errai blushed.
“But then what other reason could there be for me not to be accepted into Hogwarts?” He asked, more maturely than the 5 sugars in his tea should allow him to be.
“It has to be Phineas!” Adam bellowed “Thank Merlin we live in France, Gabriel, otherwise I suspect you wouldn’t have received a Hogwarts letter either.”
“I know Uncle Phineas is the Headmaster, but doesn’t magic choose the students?” Errai asked the room. “And are you all absolutely certain that I’m a wizard after all”
The room went into an uproar of all the adults, and Gabriel talking at Errai from scolding to placating tones until Polaris walked into his frame, and the room went silent.
“Errai” Polaris said “enough of this, of course you’re a wizard, the family magics do not lie about such things.”
“Grandfather,” Auntie Lyra said “Does the boy have a family wand?”
“Of course he does, sweet Lyra” Polaris said as he held up a long black wand octagonal in shape with runes on every face. Errai was about to petulantly say something along the lines of 'a lot of good a painted wand does me’ when Polaris stepped forward in his frame and set the wand down just out of view. The frame made a “CLUNK” sound and the name plate at the bottom flipped down. Iola finally perked up.
“Errai, it appears that it is time!” Auntie Lyra said. “Reach in and take it”
“Go on, boy.” The portrait said encouragingly
Errai grasped the wand in his hand the highly polished pitch-black ebony wood in an octagonal shape with greenish-pearl speckles and runes on all 8 faces.
“Ebony wood, with a core of Thestral Hair, 15 inches, unyielding.”
Errai inspected the runes on one face of the wand while the portrait talked, the runes on one side were not Futhark but Arabic, and it said “Al-Rai”. He waved the wand and deep purple, and silver sparks emanated from it and cast the room in a golden light.
While he was doing that Auntie Lyra had already summoned the writing desk Iola has come to associate with ‘polite discourse’ and had been writing a letter.
“Auntie,” Iola started, “To whom are you writing?”
As soon as she asked a brown barn owl flew through the owl port, dropped a letter on Errai’s head and flew out again.
“The Improper use of Magic Office” Auntie said as she made gimme hands at the letter and it snapped to her. “I must write the ministry and straighten this out, and then we can get dispensation and get the DMLE to look into Phineas Nigellus” The whole family has the habit to sneer when they have to use his name.
“NO!” Iola, Bob, and Errai said simultaneously.
“Why not?” Auntie asked “The magical permit isn’t hard to acquire and there’re plenty at the ministry who would like to knock Phineas down a bit.”
“Alright, Yes to the permit” Iola said “But we cannot have Phineas know where we are or that we’re even alive. I hate to say it but as long as my loathsome brother is still installed at Hogwarts, it’s a relief that I won’t have to send Errai there.”
“Is that what you want? Errai would you prefer to be home schooled?” Auntie asked.
Errai looked at his feet sighed and looked up. “As much as I want to go to Hogwarts, maybe self study would be preferable, I wish I had known I wouldn’t receive a Hogwarts letter, I would have been working toward Eton like Da.” He then had a hopeful look on his face and said “Or maybe 11 isn’t too young for Egypt? Or America, or China, I heard around Keble that they may havediscovered some ruins off the coast of India..”
Bob looked like he won the Nobel Prize in Fatherhood and Iola looked as though she received an Order of Merlin, First Class.. (The same adoring look) as they both scooped the boy up into a hug.
“Very well then, Minister Spavin owes me a favor, perhaps I can persuade him to derail Phineas if he ever catches wind of your continued survival. And seriously that boy, he would know you’re here if he ever looked past his own crooked nose” Auntie said as she finished the last flourish on her letter. “Ginny!?” A house elf appeared. “Would you be so kind as to mail this for me?”
“Of course Mistress, Can Ginny be doing anything else for Mistress” Ginny the House elf asked
“Just the letter, thank you, and you can return to what you were working on.”
“Yes, mistress!” Ginny said and popped away.
“Hercules, Leo, Adam” Auntie said.
“Yes Ma’am?” They replied in unison
“Please could you look into how your cousin may have interfered with either the Quill of Acceptance or the Book of Admittance? You’d do that for me, wouldn’t you boys?”
“Of course ma’am” They said. Leo went to take another sip of his tea but was stoped by an ‘Ahem’ from Lyra. “Now, if you could, dear.” Lyra said.
The three men shot up, their chairs and teacups disappearing and they all ran to the Floo. “Hogsmeade” Hercules said and was followed by the others.
“Errai, Gabriel?” Auntie said
“Yes ma’am?” They replied
“It’s such a lovely day, don’t you think?”
“Yes ma’am” they said and ran out the door.
“Vega, Robert, Iola, I would like to know, have any of you have heard from Elladora lately?” Auntie asked.
It was Iola who spoke “Yes, Auntie, she says she’s still in Egypt”
“Are you certain” Auntie asked and exchanged a look between her father and Grandfather’s painted likenesses. “She didn’t mention anything else?”
“No, Ma’am”
“Peculiar. Father, could you check on her for me, please? I believe she has a portrait of Great Great Uncle Sol in her apartment, and of course Sol has a portrait in Grimmauld and Château Noir, perhaps Charon can help?” Lyra asked.
“Anything for you, Sweet Lyra!” He blew her a kiss, walked farther back in his portrait, scooted his desk to the right and appeared to descend stairs behind it.
“How very curious!” Bob exclaimed. Neither he nor Iola had ever seen anyone leave a portrait in that peculiar manner before.
Meanwhile, Hogsmeade
Falling out of the Floo in the Three Broomsticks, three generations of Blacks brushed themselves off and exited onto High Street. They followed it to Honeydukes, disillusioned themselves and made their way to the secret passage into Hogwarts.
“Omnium hominem revelio” Hercules sang out, waving his wand above a sheet of parchment right before they ascended The Stairs of Gunhilda. A crude map appeared on the parchment featuring the names of the inhabitants of the castle. Luckily, Phineas was not present and it seemed that everyone except Gladwin Moon, in the faculty tower and Aesop Sharp, in the potions laboratory were all out of the castle on vacation.
Reading the map, Adam gasped out “wow! Amazing, grandpa!”
“Ugh, it’s nothing special” Leo said petulantly, Adam never complements his charms work, and Hercules glared at him.
“I’d like to see you do better, son” Hercules said to Leo
Leo said nothing. He tapped his wand to the parchment and the Castle ghosts appeared as well. Hercules chuckled and climbed the stairs.
The three men confidently emerged from the tunnel and strode up the grand staircase to the highest point of the tallest tower. Still disillusioned, they avoided the Ghosts and the Portraits paid no attention to them and when they reached the hallway with the Headmaster’s office they took a sharp right away from the gargoyles, as not to wake them. They made their way to the Secret Chamber which holds the Book of Admittance.
The book was innocently sitting there waiting for them, but they wouldn’t know that.
Leo approached it and for some reason asked it if he could have a look, the book did nothing. Leo started flipping pages back to hopefully find out something about the Headmaster’s treachery until the book flipped its own pages and landed on July 1875. It was immediately obvious what Phineas had done. Near the top of the page, there were 5 names and addresses then a blank space wide enough for another name, then they continued below the space.
“Merlin! He didn’t” Leo said
“Impossible!” Adam cried out
“Wait until my father hears about this!” Hercules exclaimed
The men knew that Phineas must have tricked the quill to write on a separate parchment as to prevent the castle’s wards from generating the Acceptance Letter, and the worst part, there’s nothing they can do about it.
“Maybe the quill will try again?” Adam asked hopefully
“Maybe.” Hercules replied shrugging.
As they left the book looked on them with a longing gaze. It doesn’t know this boy, but if the Loathsome Headmaster didn’t want him at Hogwarts, then the book wanted him even more now. Hopefully the quill will try again. Hopefully.
Meanwhile, Château Noir, Asco, Corsica
Pollux Black peeked his head into the top of the frame of his Great Uncle Sol. His eyes widened as he fell hard to the painted floor.
“Nice to see you Pollux.” Sol said, hoisting his great nephew up. “What brings you to Château Noir?”
“I am on a mission!” A delighted Pollux said importantly. “Lyra is seeking Elladora. Have you seen her?”
“I have. What does dear Lyra want with her?” Sol skeptically asked.
“I haven’t a clue! They were all talking about Phineas..” Sol Sneered ..”and all the sudden I was sent on a mission to Elladora’s apartment.”
“Did Lyra mention the Family Reunion?” Sol asked carefully.
Pollux’s eyes blew wide. “Has she!?”
“She has.”
“When?”
“I don’t know, I’m a portrait. About the time Iola was disowned. Probably.” Sol said and then called out “Charon!”
They heard the rhythmic clicking of heels on the black granite floors and then a tall thin woman with a short black bob and silver eyes stepped into view “You called for me Uncle Sol? Oh! Great Great Grandfather Pollux! A pleasure to see you! What has happened?” Charon asked.
“Lyra has sent me for the whereabouts of Elladora, Young Errai did not receive a Hogwarts letter” Pollux said and all of the portraits in the house and Charon, herself, gasped.
“What is Iola going to do? I was certain the boy had magic!”
“That’s the worst part! He does, he received a wand from Father just this afternoon. They believe that Phineas has interfered.” Pollux said.
Everyone gasped again.
“How can we help?” Said all of the portraits and Charon simultaneously.
Pollux couldn’t hold back his wide grin.
________________________________________________________________________
10 July 1886 Ministry of Magic
Auntie Lyra practically floated out of the floo when she arrived at the Atrium of the Ministry. It’s not often she appears so publicly, after all she has spent a century making sure that no one connects her with the other side of the family, and that’s nearly impossible when they all look so similar. But today, she’s on a mission and her usual tactics of sending her painted relatives to do her bidding is insufficient. Some things need that personal touch. She walks through the Atrium, delighted as the Ministry workers part for her instinctively, as they should, walks right past the wand registry counter and straight into the Minister’s office.
Favis Spavin, Minister for Magic, was seated at his desk and the portrait of Ulick Gamp was reading over his shoulder. Lyra knocked twice on the door and entered before Favis had the chance to invite her in. He was expecting her so took no offense, after all, a personal visit from Auntie Lyra is something like a solar eclipse, It only comes by every so often, and you usually won’t see it yourself.
“Lyra! It’s good to see you, please come in, come in!” Favis said. He raised out of his chair and reached out his hand. Lyra shook it instead of allowing him to kiss it. He respected that. The legends of Lyra are well known to those in power but no one seems to ever remember the fine details, just that she was charming and charismatic and would often take the short end of a bargain in order to preserve her relationships. She’s Merlin knows how wealthy and Morgana knows how old, but her aura is warm and soft and leads most to call her ‘Auntie’. “Tea?” Favis offered.
“Please.” Lyra replied. Favis called for tea and an elf popped the set in and the pair moved to the sitting area to be more comfortable. As she stood from the chair in front of the desk she locked eyes with Ulick Gamp. Ulick winked, reached up and pulled down a blind with a copy of him sleeping and left the painting. Gamp’s painting was just one in the vast network of friends’ and allies’ interconnected portraits and he, in particular has at least 7, that she knows of, unless he found a way to overcome that arithmantic hurdle. Either way, Ulick Gamp was great friends with Lyra’s father, much the same way that she hopes to maintain with this minister, and the next.
“Now, Lyra, you were not too specific in your letter, not that I mind, not at all, however I am not sure of the agenda for this meeting.” Favis said, then he lifted his teacup and gently blew across the top of it. Lyra added a sugar and a bit of cream and gently stirred as to not make a sound, as her mother taught her.
“Well, Minister, this is in regards to a couple of issues, primarily, The Headmaster. I fear he has been interfering with systems in place he ought not play around with. And the other matter, is of my Great Nephew and the letter I sent the other day about this ‘Reasonable Restriction’. Lyra started.
“Now, Lyra, I know how you hate the Trace but the restriction is to protect the children first. Now the headmaster, I don’t believe there is much that I can do about him.” Favis said.
“Oh, Favis, dear, I completely understand the Restriction, however my Great Nephew is in need of a license to practice, as he is pursuing self-study, brining me back to Phineas. I have no evidence to give you but let’s say I have it on good authority that he may have meddled with the Book of Admittance.”
Favis gasped. “How could he!?”
“We aren’t sure, but on the page where my Great Nephew’s name would have been there is a blank space. And the boy has been performing magic without any issues since the night of his birth. Remember that magical storm over Oxford? That was my nephew an hour before he was even born.” She said, glowing with pride.
“Merlin! This wont do, Lyra! We cannot afford to have such talent wasted by preventing the boy from learning!” Favis reached behind him a plucked a pink paper from his desk and began writing. “There” He said as he tapped it with the quill and it folded up into a crane and flew out of the space above the door. “That matter is settled, I have sent notice to Education and Improper Use. Your Great Nephew will receive his license later today. Does he have his own wand?” The minister asked.
“He does, but strictly speaking, it is a Black Family Wand and it is imperative that this information does not get out. And further, I would like your blessing to continue one of my schemes to undermine Phineas Nigellus, for personal reasons.” Lyra said in her sweet Auntie tone.
“Of course! Of course! What do you need me to do?” The Minister asked.
“Oh, the only thing I need from you is your confidence, not another soul can know until the time is right, and I would greatly appreciate it if you were to disregard anything Phineas Nigellus might try with you. But for that confidence and teensy bit of obstruction, I need to ask you, Favis, What can Auntie do for you, dear?”
Dumbstruck, Favis replied. “Well, we are having a hard time containing dragons. Again. The need for containment is worse than ever and the Ministry is not really in the business of Dragon Keeping. If you happen to learn of anyone interested in expanding or opening a sanctuary, I’m sure they will be more receptive to you than anyone has been toward the Ministry.”
“Absolutely, Favis, We will see what we can do! After all my little clan is in the business of keeping Magic hidden, as you know, my father and grandfather were key participants in the ritual for the Statue of Secrecy and we have vowed to protect that secret at all costs. Can’t have a dragon flying around Leeds now can we? Lyra said, smiling. The two changed to more pleasant topics and enjoyed the remaining food and tea.
When Ulick Returned and opened his blind, he gave Lyra a nod.
‘Excellent’ Lyra thought. It was imperative that he was elsewhere as not to be affected by the secrecy charm she cast, surreptitiously.
Lyra left the office and the Minister returned to his work, he was overjoyed by the meeting. “Such a wonderful woman, don’t you think, Gamp?”
“Absolutely” the painting replied.
Oxford
Errai jumped for joy when he read the letter from the Ministry.
“Thank you, Auntie! I don’t know how you did it!” He said as he hugged her tightly around the waist.
“I have my ways,” she said mysteriously “and that license is valid internationally as well.”
Errai squealed with delight “Mum!” He yelled and ran out of the room to tell her.
“So..” Pollux asked his daughter.
“All of our plans are firmly in place, we might just have to catch a couple dragons. I’ll ask Hercules to put the boys on it if they can spare the time”
“I’m sure they can.”
“Anyway, I haven’t seen you in a couple days, father, how are things with Elladora?” Lyra asked
“Fabulously!” Pollux checked to make sure they were alone. “As you know she was disowned inadvertently by Orion years ago and was invited to the Family Reunion shortly after. I visited her apartment, if you can call it that, and she is quite comfortable.”
“Wonderful! Now, if we can just get an invitation extended to Iola and Errai. They really do need to meet Him” Lyra pondered.
“All in due time, sweet Lyra, we have plenty” Pollux said.
An excited Errai found his mother taking leave on the front porch with a novel, as usual, and showed her the letter from the Ministry. “Auntie says it works everywhere!”
“I hope to one day understand how she gets so much done so easily. But anyway, we must tell your father, I’m sure we can continue your studies from anywhere now and I think we are due for a bit a of a tour, don’t you think?”
Errai nodded and emphatically said “Oh yes! I have been researching some likely locations for ruins and the like in Australia, and I can’t stop thinking about that sunken city off the coast of India!”
“Your father would love to see that too. I’ll start making the plans and later you two can fill some gaps, Ok?”
“Thanks, mum!”
“What else are we for, darling?” Iola said.
Just then Errai felt what he described as ‘a wiggle’ in his stomach which he hadn’t felt before and he snapped his hand to it. Iola’s eyes followed the movement and gave him an amused smile and asked “Did you feel something?”
“I think I’ve been called to tea!” Errai jumped up and rushed back inside. He locked wide eyes with Uncle Adam, who smirked.
“Gabriel is going to be so jealous!” He announced as he sat, his yellow wingback appearing as usual.
Errai sat and an azure dragon hide chair with bronze studs appeared for him.
Auntie gave him a shrewd look-over “How Ravenclaw of you, Errai.”
“Alright, to business”
Lyra recounted her visit to the ministry, and her Sons were given their tasks.
“Now for you, Errai. You and your parents are set to leave for expedition next month.” She glanced into her cup and said “but I will be called away to attend to some relatives overseas..” She glanced back into the cup “tomorrow. I will not be seeing you for quite some time..” Errai’s face fell “…and when all my machinations come to fruition, I will call you back here. We are plotting from many angles and I expect the fruits of our labour to converge during Mabon of 1890. I will miss you dearly, but I know you shan’t be too far from a portrait, and you can always send a letter. But now, let us all go into the dining room, it’s nearly dinner time.”
Ginny is being the head elf for Mistress Lyra, and as such, Ginny be listening to Mistress. Always unseen, of course! Ginny is being a good house elf, never seen! Could you imagine!? When Mistress be calling for special tea, Mistress never be needing to ask Ginny, oh no Ginny just be knowing. And today Ginny be having a feeling Mistress be needing a feast with her whole family. Ginny be the head elf and Ginny is having 4 other elveses at her command. They is being good elveses also and so they are being ready for Ginny to snap her fingers.
“Gary! Is the soups being ready!?”
“Yes Chef!”
“Good! Picky! The salad?”
“Ready in 1 minute, Chef”
“Chef! Filly be needing hands!”
“Debbie! Drinkses be ready, Debbie be giving Filly hands!”
“Yes chef!” Debbie and Filly placed the filled water goblets and wine glasses at the staging table just 3 seconds before Mistress Lyra sat.
“Ready in 3, 2, 1” Ginny snapped her fingers and as soon as Mistress Lyra settled at the head of the table, the drinks appeared at it.
“Gary, Picky! Is you being ready?”
“Yes, Chef!” They announced and levitated the starter course to the staging table.
Ginny snapped her fingers just as Young Master Adam wanted a bread roll and the soup, salad and bread materialized just as he began to reach out.
“Yous all being good elveses!”
“Thank you, chef!” They all called out
“Now, the lamb. Gary?”
“15 minutes, Chef!”
“Potatoes and sproutses ,Picky?”
“14 minutes, Chef”
“Perfect! Debbie Desserts needing to be ready in 30 minutes!”
“Yes Chef!”
Back in 1875, Elladora All Along.
100 miles North of the South Pole, toward Chile instead of literally anywhere else, tucked into an innocuous mountain range, lies Black Mountain. It looks like any other Antarctican, snow-covered mountain, but this one is special, because it’s not actually a mountain at all anymore.
A man, named Polaris the Black, discovered the mountain, in his youth, and had quickly gotten to work hallowing it, and a couple of the adjacent hills, out. He anchored the space in 6-dimensional space expansion charms, transfigured the rock and mineral into a vibrant and sprawling, futuristic city. The subterranean city-state lies both within and outside of the Upper Realm and the Earthen Realm, while the Earthen realm contains Space and everything in it, the Upper realm shares outer space with the lower but all the physical matter within the realm is rotated on a 4-dimensional axis, counter-clockwise by 23 degrees.
Polaris discovered the metaphysical crack in the world, being held together by Magic’s Lament, and so he just squeezed in there and used his vast, magical resource to carve out, within and without, inside and outside, all at the same time and in no time at all, a space all his own. A pocket universe nestled in and protected by a fissure in the spacetime continuum.
He calls it Home.
Entering Black Mountain is disorienting only if you think too hard about it. The major part of keeping the space open is the performance of an ancient rite called the Unbroken Chain. The incantation used to pin the pocket universe to its metaphysical and hyper-dimensional coordinates. Directly in the center of Black Mountain’s layout is the Choral Chamber. A rounded white stone structure with open sides and flattened spires attempting to reach as high as possible. The shape of the towers is reminiscent of grass and their tips fan out from the center. The sound reverberates off the walls of the building eventually hitting the far off ceiling and ricocheting down to converge on the enchanted sky. The image of the sky created by the Choral Chamber is called the Sacred Constellation. It is the real-time representation of all those magically descended from Polaris. Living under the reign of Polaris is actually leagues better than living in any of the other dimensions, countries, planets or the such. The weight of the magic needed to keep the place existent is on everyone, yet no one is crushed. They all thrill in the precariousness of their situation, know they can leave, but choose not to. They all trust in the magic, and they all know the words to the Unbroken Chain.
Roads spoke out, from the Chamber, leading off to different clusters of the inhabitants’ dwellings. Despite being deeply underground and outside of spacetime, there is no lack of light or weather where it’s needed. Occasionally, you’ll see a house in the dark right next to one with noontime sun beating down on it , the rain ending at a fence, snow blanketing one hill and groups of children, on brooms, seemingly part a thunderstorm, when it gets in the way.
Over the millennia, every time a Star appeared in the Sacred Constellation, the Magic has carved out new spaces for them. Magic pulls people from the different realms together as to preserve herself, and Polaris The Eternal fancies himself a matchmaker.
Sure, supreme greylord Polaris the Eternal, could have anything he wants within the Multiverse, he’s built many societies, crushed others, played at domination a time or two. But with the death of so many of his Sons, Polaris took up residence, full time, in Black Mountain, ages ago and has lost any desire to interfere with the others in destroying themselves. Truly Neutral.
Polaris sits atop his throne and inspects the Unbroken Chain and watches the Sacred Constellation, for the sole purpose of connecting star-crossed love matches.
Elladora was pushed through space in a way she’d never experienced before, as though space folded around her, followed by a moment of dark and silence, the space unfolded back around her and she was in an entirely different place. She was standing under an unfamiliar sky in the center of, what can only be described as, a citadel. The spires were glowing at their sharp edges in a pattern of blue chasing green to the tips of the pointed towers, curving away from her. She looked out and around and was confronted with a wild skyline of curves and points, interspersed by pools of soft, glowing, magical light.
“Elladora, welcome to Black Mountain.” A deep voice surrounded her from all sides, without any discernible source at first.
“Polaris?” Elladora asked the empty room. And before the echo of her voice dissipated, the air shimmered and revealed a man on a black throne in the center of the citadel. He had his cheek in hand, elbow leaning on the armrest of the throne. He was smirking and had glowing silver eyes locked on her.
“Of course! Thank you for accepting my invitation.” He said. “This is my realm, and now, you may consider this place your home as well.” At that Elladora got anxious. But Polaris, sensing that, straightened up and put up a placating hand. “Worry not, child, you are always free to come and go, or stay, or go.”
Elladora let out a sigh of relief, bowed and said “Polaris The Eternal, what is it I can do for you?” The man chuckled. It lit up his face and he smiled.
“Nothing at all, Elladora. Nothing at all. You owe nothing to the Inter-Dimensional House of Black. We owe you everything. What is it that you want, child?”
“I… well. I erm, don’t want anything, really.” She said. Baffled, she had never been asked what she wanted a single time in her entire life, and had not really thought about it. She wanted to be a curse breaker, but that was mostly to get away from her family.
“Hmm, curious. Do you enjoy your work, Elladora?”
“I do, very much.” She replied honestly.
“And what about it do you like? Could it be the discovery of ancient secrets?” He asked. Elladora raised her eyebrows, surprised at the specific insight, and nodded.
“Yes, I suppose that’s what is desirable about it.” She said.
“Excellent!” Polaris exclaimed. He clapped his hands and stood up abruptly. He held up his hand and a holographic image of a box appeared floating and rotating above his hand. Polaris continued “This artifact will find it’s way to surface within the next few years. It is the first piece of the puzzle in the Keeper’s Quest, and it is fated to land in the hands of your new nephew.
“The one filled with light, God helps the shepherd destroy the doom from the deep. Keep the secret, gift of god, the path of the key leads also to ruin, all who touch it will perish but one.
“You are uniquely positioned to run interference on the widespread discovery of the artifact, should the factions of goblin clans discover this secret, the damage to the magical network will be beyond repair. However you are not to touch it, and by the time it surfaces to your awareness, it will be too late for those who do.” Polaris concluded.
Elladora was taken aback by all of this information and the casual delivery of prophecy. Especially of fated death and destruction. “What am I able to do? I may be a competent curse breaker, but I have no power to occlude such things from my one-woman tent in the desert.” She said, feeling as though in a deep pit with no discernible way up.
“Worry not, your talents would be best used under London, instead of the Sahara.”
“I need to become an Unspeakable?!” The pit she imagined herself in got deeper and darker. “One doesn’t simply walk into the Department of Mysteries!” She said.
Polaris laughed. “You are more than qualified, and the Portraits will be of great assistance to you.”
“The Portraits?!” Elladora’s eyes flashed and she let out a bewildered laugh. “What could they possibly do?” Polaris laughed again
“Let me show you!” He said, standing and swiftly guiding Ella out of the room.
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