The Black Lion

The Black Lion 

Chapter 9

Hermione and Regulus silently give each other a once-over as Kreacher serves them breakfast. The father-daughter duo didn’t speak to each other much. One was too nervous to talk and the other was waiting to be spoken to not wanting to push the other.

Kreacher ignored how tense the room was, he had a huge smile on his face. Not only was he happy to be serving his master again he was now serving the heir of his master.

“Thank you Kreacher.” they both tell him simultaneously, making Hermione pause slightly in shock. Regulus on the other hand hid a smile behind his glass of tea.

Sirius sitting watching them silently raised an eyebrow and shook his head. If the room wasn’t so tense he would have made a joke but he knew it wasn’t the time to push Hermione.

It’s only been a couple of days since they discovered everything and Hermione seemed okay but who knew what would happen?

Taking a sip of her drink Hermione looks at Regulus, before asking “We need to go to Gringotts today?”

Nodding slightly looking at his daughter Regulus smiles and places his hand on hers hesitantly, he didn't want to push the relationship but he wanted some form of contact with her.

“Yes, since I’m back I have to inform the goblins. I also have to name you as my heir so you can get the heir signet ring. Even though your Uncle is older I am still considered Lord Black.” he tells her.

Hermione doesn’t move his hand away she just looks at it. It didn’t feel right but it also didn’t feel wrong.  She nods her head at him not giving him an answer as she lets his hand stay on top of hers. It might sound weird but it was giving her a form of comfort.

“I’m just glad I don’t have to deal with all that stuff. I planned on making Hermione the heir of our family anyway before you showed up.” Sirius tells his brother.

Regulus raises his eyebrow at his brother. He wasn’t surprised his brother didn't want to be Lord Black but surprised he wanted Hermione to be his heir. 

“What? I thought Harry was your heir Siri?” Hermione frowned, her arms crossed in confusion.

Sirius shakes his head and looks Hermione in the eye. “Prongslet and I have not agreed on many things recently, plus he decided that being Heir Potter is all he needs in life. I’m not one to push my family name onto others.”

Hermione nods furrowing her eyebrows. She knows it's more to the story but she didn’t want to push it. Some things were better left alone.

As they finished breakfast and prepared to leave for Gringotts, Hermione couldn’t shake the weight pressing on her chest. Her father who she still struggled to think of that way was watching her closely, and despite his obvious desire to say more, he stayed quiet.

“I should feel something more,” Hermione thought to herself.

She grabbed her cloak, glancing at Regulus from the corner of her eye. Her eyes stared at his Lordship ring.

"Ready?" Regulus asked, standing tall but uncertain as if asking for permission to lead her out.

Hermione nodded, pulling her cloak around her. The warmth of his hand on hers still lingered, though she wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Sirius opened the door for them both, offering a look of encouragement, though his sharp gaze shifted to his brother.

“We’re going to walk to there. The goblins are still mad about how you guys damaged their bank.” Sirius tells Hermione.

Gringotts was only a short walk away but every step felt like she was making a bigger and bigger decision. As they approached the steps of the bank Hermione could feel the eyes of everyone around her. Looking down quickly she rushes behind Regulus and Sirius inside the building.

She stands in the background her eyes still looking at the ground as she doesn’t want to meet any of the other occupants' eyes. She sighs softly as she tunes all of them out.

A hand grabbing her own makes her look up to see Sirius and Regulus giving her concerned looks. She blinked her eyes rapidly as she looked around. She didn’t realize they had already gone to the vault.

The two brothers looked at each other it seemed as though they were having a silent conversation with each other. Regulus turned to Hermione, there was a gravity to his eyes now, a sense that what was coming next wasn’t just a formality, but something far deeper and older.

“Hermione, I know that you were raised as a muggleborn, so you don't know much about the steps on how to become Heir of a house. It’s not just you put on a ring and you’re done. You have to prove yourself to the family magic. It’s more like a binding.” he tells her.

“Bound? Like a magical binding?” she asked as Regulus opened the family vaults, he waved both her and Sirius inside the vault.

“Yes, it's nothing harmful. It’s more like a test. Every heir must prove their worth to their family magic. This test binds you to the legacy of the Blacks.” Regulus tells her trying to reassure her.

Sirius snorted from behind them. “Don’t worry, Hermione. It’s not some dark ritual. The Blacks have plenty of those, but this one’s tame. Think of it more like… a formal recognition.” He gave her a reassuring wink.

The three of them continued to walk further inside the vault until they reached an altar, where there was a box floating. The box was small and green.

“In there is the family ring. Sirius and I will stand here. You’ll go up there and prick your finger with the family dagger once your blood hits the altar the test will begin.” Regulus instructs her on the process.

Hermione hesitates and looks at them both worry thick on her face. Taking a deep breath she walks to the altar and grabs the thin dagger it seems as if the blade is glaring at her menacingly. 

Taking a deep breath she closes her eyes tightly, “I can do this.” she whispers before using the dagger to prick her finger. The room goes into a strong silence. 

The altar begins to glow a bright light the runes that were carved into the altar begin to glow and pulse a low humming sound. As the glow intensified, Hermione felt a surge of energy envelop her. Images flashed before her eyes visions of the Black family, their triumphs and tragedies, their loyalty and betrayals.

"Toujours Pur en croyances, loyal à ceux qui méritent, fort face aux épreuves." ("Always Pure in beliefs, loyal to those who are deserving, strong in the face of trials.") was being whispered in the room in a soft voice. Was the voice trying to say that the Blacks lost the true meaning of their motto?

“Focus Hermione.” she hears Regulus telling her in the background. Taking another deep breath Hermione starts to see flashbacks of herself. She saw herself standing up for house elves, defying societal norms for the sake of justice, and fighting in the war not for bloodlines but for what was right. She felt the family magic trying to push her, questioning her resolve. Would she uphold the legacy of a family that once valued purity of blood? Or would she define a new legacy for them? Did she figure out the true meaning of the family motto?

“I believe in loyalty,” she whispered to the magic, “but not blind loyalty to traditions that do more harm than good. I believe in strength, but strength is not measured by bloodlines. It’s measured by the choices we make, the people we stand by.”

The magic pulsed pushing her harder. It was almost as though it was testing her resolve. It seemed as though it wanted to see if she truly believed what she said.

Hermione held strong not backing down she pushed her magic out in a way fighting the family magic slightly wanting it to feel the truth in her words. The family magic responded just as strongly as before settling into hers connecting her to the family, and accepting her claim as heir.

The glowing slowly begins to fade in the room just as the family magic and her magic begin to settle again inside her. The altar settled, and the glowing box hovered before her, revealing the family ring nestled inside. It sparkled a blend of deep emerald and shimmering silver. Hermione felt a surge of pride. This ring symbolized not just her heritage but a chance to redefine it.