For you, my brightest star

POV – Harry Potter

17/06/1979

Harry tossed the daily prophet on the table unable to read about more deaths and destruction. Gods, what was he doing, Magic has sent him here with a purpose, not to sit around, surrounded by love and comfort and safety.

Will Black the younger, be a part of this inhumanity once he is out of school? Will he willingly go and kill and torture innocent people? If Harry had not travelled back in time, the Black Heir would have died before even sitting for his NEWTS. But this time Harry had saved him, atleast from that particular death. But at what cost, so that one more death eater is alive to bring even more devastation. After all Harry doesn’t knows what was the exact reason Regulus wanted Voldemort dead, that he was willing to die to accomplish it. Was it only in a retaliation of Voldemort’s treatment of Kreacher or was there more to it?

Harry is in a way grateful that Pandora brought up that ritual. If Harry’s secret is safe and if the other three would be loyal to him then he is not concerned about telling his story to them. And getting to learn more about the people who will be working with him in this quest to bring Voldemort down then it is an added benefit. He wants to do this ritual both to clear his own doubts and hesitations as well as that of the other three.

He always worked with Ron and Hermione. Had known them for seven years. He trusted them and they were loyal to him. That’s why they were such a good team. Its good thing that he will know the personal details of his new team in this new era after the ritual as well. Afterall one cannot fight the big, evil guy all alone. You gotta have trusted people who would have your back.

In today’s newspaper, it is printed in big bold letters that a muggleborn named Mary Macdonald had been killed in an attack at Diagon Alley. He remembers Lupin telling him that she was the first of many deaths. Technically the first death would have been Regulus’s but since no body was found he was declared dead few months later.

“What is it Harry, is something wrong?” Charlus asks. He seems concerned at Harry’s reaction.

Harry forgot that he was sitting with his new family, having breakfast.

“Ohh, umm there is this news in the papers, a young witch, Mary Macdonald was killed yesterday.”

“Did you know her somehow from future?” Kade asks

“No, I didn’t know her. The exact same thing happened to her in the original timeline too. It’s just that Mary was the best friend of Lily.” He informs them.

 He remembers she being the only friend his mother had at Hogwarts aside from Snape. When Lily broke her friendship with Snape, she then befriended Remus Lupin. He feels guilty that he could not stop the death of his mother’s best friend.

“I will stop you right there, kid. You seem to forget that this Lily is not your mother. Besides there is no need to be emotionally invested with the life of a person you never met. Also, you can’t probably save each and everyone. Not even the deities who have sent you here have that kind of power. You are not all-knowing, child. Bad things will happen. To strangers, to family, to friends, to you. This is war. And I think you know this better than most of us. Right son?” She asks him in her stern but kind voice.

He nods his head. Death had also reminded him the same thing that these Lily and James are not his parents just like this Sirius won’t be his godfather. Even if James and Lily have a child, even at the same date and time, that won’t be Harry. The only Harry Potter in this timeline will be him. There will not be any time loop. Harry truly and ultimately belongs to this timeline now. There is no going back.

“This must be why James and Sirius didn’t come to dinner yesterday.” He commented in general.

“Yes, that must be it. James was quite cryptic in his letter. 'An emergency has arrived with a close friend', he said. Requested to reschedule the dinner and apologised for the troubles.” Charlus said with a frown.

“Hmm. Harry told us that James is in a relationship with that ‘muggleborn girl’ who is apparently friends with this girl who was killed yesterday. Must be consoling his lady love.” Dorea said. While Kade snorts at ‘lady love’.

She said the word muggleborn a little stiffly as if she is not used to. Harry understands. She is trying to overcome her prejudice. She obviously doesn’t want people dead because of their birth status but that doesn’t mean that she feels that they are her equals. Years of learning cannot be unlearned.

He remembers Sirius saying that all the Blacks feel that they are practically royalty and Dorea was also raised a Black. He knows that this generational prejudiced would not just go away with a simple acknowledgement that blood purity does not matters. It will require continuous efforts and conscious work to make it possible that another war does not takes place after this one is completely over.

“So, when will James come, did he mention in his letter?” Kade asks his mother.

“He asked to reschedule the dinner but said that this week it’s not possible. He is an Auror. So, most probably will be busy with that and his private life and then that Vigilante group is also there to wipe away his free time.” Charlus told his son. “Did you write back to him, Dory?” He asked his wife.

“I wrote to him in the morning saying that it is a very important family business. I reminded him that you are now the Lord of the house and he better not be shrugging your orders to meet with him, that he better remember that duties as a Potter should be his priority over his Auror duties and his ‘other duties’. I told him in no uncertain terms that it would not be good for him if he didn’t come within this week. And once again wrote to bring Effie’s second son, my grandnephew too.”

Dorea then put another piece of toast on his plate and raised an eyebrow as if to challenge him if he doesn’t eat it. He quietly accepts defeat and she smirks a little.

“Wow, Jamie might be shitting in his pants knowing that he has properly pissed you off.” Kade whistled, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Language Kayden Potter.” Dorea reprimanded her son at which he simple shakes his head in exasperation.

A warmth fills Harry’s heart and being allowed to witness this playful bantering and being allowed to be a part of a normal family for once. Dorea and Charlus don’t know how much big favour they had done to him by giving something he craved so much.

“Dorea, I actually wanted to ask you something.” At her nod, he continued, “Do you happen to know anything about this ritual called, Circulus Summa Fide. If you can you tell me anything about it.”

Dorea gives him a calculating gaze and then answers, “It means Circle of utmost loyalty. In olden days of tribes, witches and wizards used to form covens to protect and facilitate each other. Some members of the tribe used to travel for long days in search of resources or for finding people to make their coven stronger or to visit other coven etc.

Sometimes these members came back swayed by other tribal communities and decided to kill their leader and be the top of the chain themselves. Or other times these members were captured and tortured to reveal secrets of the coven to attack it or hurt a specific members. When such instances became recurring, some troubled coven heads approached Merlin to provide them with some solution to their problem.

Merlin listened to their grievances. He then told them that while forming the Coven, they perform a ritual. Circulus Summa Fide. Merlin told them that only those with pure intentions towards each and every member of the coven can partake in this ritual and only those will be allowed to be part of the tribe.

The ritual serves two-fold purpose, firstly it ensures that the secrets within the coven cannot be outed until decided unanimously among the coven. The member attempting to do so will suffer the most painful punishment for their treacherous behaviour but still the member will not be able to diverge any information.

And the second purpose is the caveat to ensure that no members can hide important information from other members. In other words, everyone had to share all information concerning the coven or any member of the coven or any of the goals of the coven with everyone else, truthfully. Since, all members had to have pure intentions, the internal killing ceased and since no information can be outed, the capture and torture ceased. It serves the Circle of utmost loyalty.”

Harry nodded at her explanation. Then a thought suddenly occurred to him, one that made his heart clench painfully going in the direction of what ifs. Wormtail’s betrayal! 

“But if such a brilliant ritual is available then why did Dumbledore not use it in the order of the Phoenix? It would have done them loads of good if no one from within them can bring them any harm.” He asked thinking about Pettigrew serving as Voldemort’s spy.

Charlus answered, “Dumbledore’s father who was a pureblood, was imprisoned when he was very young and his mother was a muggleborn. So, possibility is that he himself had never heard of such ritual. As knowledge of such old magic is lost in the history and only passed on within wizarding families. All the members of this group must defer to Dumbledore’s decision. So, maybe those who knew about of it must have thought that if dumbledore does not find it necessary then it must not be important. While few self-entitled ‘light families’ claim that all old rituals are either evil or barbaric or both. This is just how that man work, trying to deflect from old ways just so that the muggleborns are comfortable even when it turns out detrimental for them.”

“Right. These muggle lovers truly paint us purebloods and old families as some villain or orthodox people. As if they know all that there is to know about magic.” Dorea stated primly.

“So, what are Potter family’s views about old traditions and customs and dark magic?” Harry asked curiously.

Charlus replied calmly, “Potter family is neither a dark family nor a light one. We believe in nature, and nature survives only when there is balance. So, we call ourself a grey family. We follow all those tradition and customs and magic.”

“You mean to say that our family do dark magic! From what I heard in my timeline, my father used to bully his school rival because he practiced dark arts. I can’t believe him being much excited at the prospect of learning, much less applying dark arts and old rituals!” He claims.

Dorea gave a sad laugh at this, why though, Harry didn’t know. Her husband also just shook his head. It was their son who answered Harry’s question.

“Harry, you have to understand that Jamie was born to aunt Effie and uncle Monty in their fifties. Before that they had too much trouble in conceiving a child. It was planned that Mason will be the Heir apparent as he was the eldest male child from a cadet branch of the family when the couple had lost their hope.

But by some grace of gods, he was born. So, he was a really badly pampered kid. He was spoiled beyond limits. And the potter family is not like Black family, we don’t make children learn all these stuff that early on. In our family, we are taught about the basics from an early age but all the grown-up stuff is not taught that early. As you know that some rituals, although important are really too much graphical for a child’s mind, so it is taught when the children reach of age.

When James went to school, he was impressionable and naive. And the whispers of war might be there and Hogwarts was always too big on house rivalries. So, if Gryffindors are the good guys then the Slytherins must be the villains. Hence the bullying and hatred for rituals and dark magic. And the muggleborn students already make it seem like Wizarding culture is quite backward so he let go of that too.

Effie and Monty told mother and father in their letter to us that when James came of age and they sat him down to start these lessons, before his last school year, the kid was so much brainwashed to think that all this stuff was only done by dark pureblood families like Blacks and Lestranges and the like.

He refused to listen to his parent’s wishes. Since, my aunt and uncle never gave the kid tough love and always listened to his whims, they gave up trying. Now, here we are, with the heir of the family and future lord with a mindset that our family is a light family and that all rituals and old traditions are vile and disgusting. This is the future of our family.” Kayden finished with a shrug saying what can you do.

“Okay, I understand that old tradition and ritual must have logic and reason for them to be there, but how can dark arts be used by us if we are grey.”

Dorea answered this time, “Harry, being grey wizard doesn’t implies not using dark magic or limited use. It implies not using dark arts if they will bring harm to innocents. Witches and wizards can be good and bad but magic is magic. It’s an instrument, how people use it, it is their prerogative. It’s not the instrument’s fault if the user wills to harm someone. Or do you think that spells used by light wizard, as you call them, cannot ever bring any harm?” Dorea finished with a raised eyebrow.

Harry nods his head trying to wrap up his prejudiced mind to understand that what Dorea is saying is logically correct. He is as much brainwashed after all as James had been, if not more. But Harry is nothing if not resilient and he will try to look it without those rose-tinted glasses and be open minded about it.

He does remember that when Amelia bones casted tickling charm on him in the shrieking shack that day, it was really beginning to hurt his lungs and she had carried it on for long enough that it was beginning to become painful. So, he can say that light curses can used to harm someone, it simply depends on the user’s intention.

He looks at the elderly couple and asks sincerely and excitedly, “Will you teach me about all of these rituals and traditions and customs? Once the war is over and I survive, that is.”

All three adults gave a proud grin as if he had passed some hidden test.

” Of course, we would love to. And don’t worry son, we will make sure that you will survive.” Charlus said with equal conviction and sincerity.

“Yeah Harry, you are only about a year late from your coming-of-age time.” Kade teased him. “Mother, you could also teach dear Harry about all there is to learn from your side of the family.” He suggested mischievously.

Initially Harry thought that Kayden is just teasing but Dorea nodded her head as if she is considering it, at Harry’s wide eyes, shocked expression Kade said, “Don’t be so surprised Harry, or do you honestly think mum would not teach her now only son about the Black side of the things. I have learned about both family’s customs, traditions, arts, rituals, secrets, history, past achievements, talents. And the Black side of education started in the traditional Black ways i.e., since before I attended school.”

“Then, you must be made the heir if you know all this much and since James seems to be have denounced the family’s legacy and has got the wrong perceptive.” Harry commented Casually.

“No son, Kayden cannot be the lord of the house.” Charlus replies, “James is the son of existing lord Potter. He is the one who deserves the tittle. Kayden can always guide James and be his right-hand man and advisor.”

Dorea also nods her head. “Also, Euphemia has said that I have free reign over her sons now. She and Fleamont both understand how the way they had raised James had made it much more difficult for their son to change his narrow mindset. So, now I have got the right to discipline that boy. But I don’t think it will be much necessary. He is an Auror in training, a successful one at that, so he must know how to handle responsibilities by now. He is already strong in leadership. And besides fighting in the war for a year must have stripped some of his self-righteous behaviour. He must have seen that how in real life the line between light and dark, good and bad is not so clear. How being nice is different than being good. Once he is been through Charlus and I's training he will be a fine lord that our house deserves, that I am sure of.”

Kade is also smiling fondly and nodding his head. He also seems to be agreeing that his cousin is capable of being the deserving head of the house.

“Alright, we got a little side tracked” getting back to the topic they were discussing, “So, Dorea you remember how I told you that Voldemort places a mark on his followers, now I also don’t know its intricate working but will this ritual that we were discussing be effective if one of the people in the group is a death eater? Or will they still be required to be loyal to Voldemort. As you mentioned earlier that only most loyal people in the coven were only allowed to be a part of the Coven ritual.”

Dorea took a little pause to think about it, “Hmm, I don’t think you are properly understanding the working of this ritual, Harry. Because this ritual is for a group of individuals. Thus, it requires a minimum of three people. While what Lord Voldemort has done with his followers is to make them loyal to him and only him. They are not loyal to each other.

Now, we don’t know the full extent of this dark mark that you explained is on the forearms of his death eaters. But if I have to make an educated guess then I will say that it is a mixture of protean charm which causes the mark to burn whenever he wants his followers to come to him and some modified version of crucio curse to punish them for insubordination. I don't think the mark has anything to do with loyalty. That is the reason why as you told, one of the death eaters could become spy and help in war efforts in your timeline and tricking Him in such a way. If the mark demanded utmost fealty then no one would have been able to go behind his back. 

Hmm and what else, uhmm right something to allow apparition location be sent through this mark. So, it is nothing that is solely set on honesty and fealty. And I don’t think that location of a death eater can be known through these marks, but that is only a guess.

I would say that it would most probably be alright to involve a marked death eater in this ritual. By doing this their initial commitment would be towards the Coven. You don’t have to fear, if any member is even a little bit unsure or has bad intentions then the ritual will be not successful but if it is completed fully then I will say you could trust these people even with your life.”

“Thank you, Dorea. That was quite useful explanation. It really helped clear my reservations.”

“May I ask son, if you don’t mind telling, which death eater are you planning to be working with.” Charlus asks politely.

Harry first instinct is to say no, he can’t tell because it is a top-secret mission and because revealing the identity may get Black killed. But isn’t it doing the same as he had been doing his whole life. Keeping his cards close, reaching the location on time and fighting dangerous beast or dark lords and coming out victor by sheer dumb luck and no one the wiser as to what had happened. With dumbledore orchestrating events in his life like a ring master and he doing his bidding like the loyal and trained pet.

These people have taken in stride all the shocking and almost unbelievable things he has told them. Knowing that their family is in danger, and the reason for his time travel is to end the reign of a dark lord, still they insisted that he stay with them at the Potter manor, treated him like a family, shown him love, respect, support, understanding.

Also, the tattoo of magic on his forearm is still there. The mark that signifies to either help the champion or be out of their way, otherwise bear the ire of mother magic. Its not like they are going to go behind his back and tell to Voldemort that Regulus Black is a turncoat!

He should learn to trust people. If during his last year in past, during that camping trip from hell, had he and his friends decided to take help of order member, there was a little chance that everything may have been achieved sooner and the war could be over instead of being dragged.

Harry may have fought in a war, but he is no expert in it, far from it, he only ever got lucky in his life, otherwise he won’t even have survived the first year at Hogwarts itself. While Charlus and Dorea had seen the entire war against Grindelwald. Lived a life afterward, lost their own son to muggle car accidents. They have so much more experience and knowledge then him. He just has to make that leap of faith and trust that everything will be alright.

“Do you remember that I told you that Voldemort has made horcruxes. And that a young death eater had gone to great length to retrieve it and died doing so. His last instruction to his house elf were to destroy that object at any cost. This is the same death eater. He had agreed to help me. Its Regulus Black.” Harry says and Dorea lets out a gasp at listening to her grandnephew, the youngest Black. The supposed baby of the Black family. Harry doesn’t know if the shock is about that he became a death eater or that he decided to strike back on Voldemort.

“So, did you save him? Or will that event take place in the future? Will he….?” She trailed off, not being able to voice her thoughts.

“In the original timeline, it happened on 30th May of this year but coincidentally that was the day when I met with him and convinced him to not do it alone. So yes, the event took place already which had led to his death the last time. Now everything is a fair game.”

Dorea closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, when she opens them, her eyes are shining with controlled tears. She takes Harry’s hand in her hands and says, “Thank you son, House Black will forever be grateful to you.”

Harry nods back, knowing that it was just fate’s hand otherwise he couldn’t have stopped young Black’s early demise.

“Did you know that he had joined Voldemort?” Kayden asks his mother.

“Yes, I was aware.” Came the short reply.

“But mom, he is barely out of school. How could you be so blasé about it. He is what 17, 18-year-old kid.” Kade asked his mother indignantly.

“It was not supposed to be like this. My cousin Arcturus knew that a big war has been brewing. So, he made arrangement to ensure that the Black family comes out on the top, irrespective of which side wins. It was after Cygnus’s eldest, Andromeda ran away that things started to go pear shape. He wanted a few members of family to be present at both camps of the war and a few members in the ministry and neutral.

Initially he wanted Sirius to remain neutral so that the reputation of the future lord of house Black remains stain free, while the other kids could have been on the either side as per their wishes and the situation.

Bellatrix was in her sixth year, Andromeda had just betrayed our family by turning her back to us, Sirius had started school and got sorted in Gryffindor house and started befriending blood traitors and mudbloods and everyone in between, he was quite fascinated by muggle world. Everyone in the family knew that Sirius was lost to Dumbledore’s side.

So, Arcturus changed his plan. To let Sirius be the on the supposed light sides of the troupe as per his wishes. Narcissa wanted to marry Lucious Malfoy, so Arcturus thought she could keep an eye in the dark lord's camp as that family was already aligned with Lord Voldemort. While Regulus was supposed to be the neutral one. Everyone had a role to play. Sirius , Bellatrix and Narcissa were to stay loyal to the house of Black, despite of whatever sides they were allied with.

But that changed when Sirius ran away from home. The family was seen as having internal struggles and these are the best times for outside forces to attack and bring down the ones at the top. That’s what happened, Voldemort started using his pawns to pressurise the new Black Heir in joining his tropes, since he did not have any Black who bore his mark,,,,,”

“Wait a minute”, Harry interrupted, “What do you mean he didn’t have any Black who bored his mark. He had Bellatrix on his side then why would he pressurise Regulus and you mean to tell me that Regulus didn’t want to be a death eater. But the newspaper clippings on his bedroom wall depict some other picture itself.” He asked utterly confused.

“Bellatrix is not a marked death eater son, she is only the wife of a marked death eater, Rudolphus Lestrange. No daughter of the Black family would stoop so low as to bow to any lord who is not her father or husband. She is neither a death eater nor an unmarked member. She just plays the role of eyes and ears in Voldemort’s camp for the lord Black. Same as Narcissa does. Both of them are utmost loyal to the Black family and only Black.” She told him.

Harry could feel his entire belief system shook a little. In what world has he arrived, where Bellatrix Lestrange is not a death eater!

The same Bellatrix Lestrange who tortured Hermione. The same death eater who was famous for her use of Cruciatus.

“You mean to say that the most feared from Death eater form my timeline is not a death eater at all. Are you sure, Dorea. I think you are mistaken. Maybe she is hiding something.”

“No Harry,” She said firmly, “No member of our family can lie to lord Black. If she has taken mark then she would have to ask Arcturus’s permission. And I don’t know what happened to my grand niece in your timeline but as of now she is no killer. Irrespective of our beliefs, Blacks do not sully themselves by killing anyone. We are politician, businessman, or engaged in law enforcement but we are not the people who go down the street and take it upon ourselves to end all those we consider below us. We believe in food chain system. Blacks can rule only if there are people who are below us and that includes all people whose background and history is not as strong as us.

But I do have a theory. You said that as per your past timeline, Regulus died the last month. So, chances are that Bellatrix either willingly to revenge for her baby cousin’s life thinking that the other side had been the reason behind his death became a death eater willingly or was threatened to become a death eater to replace a marked death eater from Black family after Regulus’s death. How she became that ruthless and deranged woman you are describing, I don’t know. But losing her sanity due to loses of her family and friends might be the reason, that comes to my mind.”

“So, Bellatrix is not a death eater as of now, okay one less death eater to worry about. Right. And how Regulus played a role in Lord Black’s scheming?” He asks her.

“Regulus is a good kid as my sister Cassiopeia often tells me whenever we meet. She is his godmother you see. Anyways, Sirius and Regulus had begun to drift apart just after Sirius joined Hogwarts. All people in the school were a witness to how much the siblings resent each other now.

Regulus had to compensate for Sirius’s misdemeanour at school. Sirius in his rebellious phase, started openly telling to anyone and everyone who would listen that he hates his family and made extra efforts by going out of the way to prove that he is miles apart from his family. So, Regulus had to step up and show that our family is still united and that its just Sirius who believes differently.

But our enemies could see that the environment in the house was not stable if the heir and his second in command are at the odds. In summer of the year 1976, the heir of the house ran away and left the family adrift. Regulus had been named the heir but the family was suffering. And just a few months later, in October of the same year, someone killed Orion.

The poor child, Regulus, had tremendous burden on his shoulders. First the pain for his brother abandoning them all, then standing up to support his parents who were also grieving at the their eldest turning his back on the family in the times of need, then the responsibilities as the heir, but the death of his father was too much for both Walburga and Regulus.

Walburga lost her mental bearings as a result. Regulus was only 15 years old, in his fifth year. He became the last hope of the family after Orion’s death and Sirius’s betrayal. He also can feel the burden of these responsibilities because he became quieter and more reserved after that.

But how he became one of Voldemort’s men because he was supposed to stay neutral as the heir, that I don’t know because Arcturus didn’t seem inclined to divulge more on that matter. Or maybe chances are that even he doesn’t know the whys and how’s.”

Harry listens to her aptly and questions, “But you just said that Bellatrix will have to inform to Lord Black if she becomes a death eater. So, won’t the same rule apply to Regulus?”

“Merlin no, child. Regulus as an heir has autonomy that others do not. How do you think James became part of Dumbledore's group without informing his father, the current Lord. How do you think Sirius was able to rebel so much without any repercussions whatsoever. Walburga was fed up with his disobedience so she started hinting that they will remove him from his heir position so that he could be held accountable. Sirius knew that the noose will come even closer if he was not the heir when being the heir was already restricting enough for him. So, he chose the next best option. Disowning himself from the family. And leaving us altogether.”

“Wow, I didn’t know all these intricacies of pureblood families.”

Kayden nodded his head and suggested, “You could ask Regulus, why he became a death eater after the ritual. There is more to his story than what meets the eye.”

Harry nodded to his recommendation, while he knew that he was already going to ask this from the young Black.

“So, son, who else will be part of this coven ritual other than heir Black and you?” Charlus asked.

“Amelia Bones and Pandora Avery.” He replied to Charlus and asked Dorea, “I don’t understand how Bellatrix and Narcissa can remain most loyal to House Black. After their marriage, shouldn’t their new family have their fealty?”

Dorea smiles, willingly answers, “You see often marriages between purebloods are based on alliances most of the time. And to secure an alliance you need to draw contract. These contracts specify the terms and condition of marriage. In cases of our two daughters’ marriage, House of Black is more powerful house as compared to House Malfoy and Lestrange.

Malfoys are neither noble nor ancient they are just rich. While Lestranges, although an ancient house is neither noble nor rich. On the other hand, House Black is a noble and ancient house with enormous wealth and political strength. So, our house had the control over the protocols laid in these contracts.

Thus, Lord Black will be the governing position over both these marriages. Any major decision should come to pass after the permission of lord Black.

Initially Andromeda, as the eldest was going to marry into House Lestrange while Bellatrix was going to stay neutral. Andromeda and heir lestrange were of the same age and were rather compatible with each other when the contract was drawn when they were both of 15 years. But with her run-away stunt, Bellatrix had to bear the burden of her sister's duties. 

Anyways, after their marriage Arcturus wanted both girls to be the informant for our house but he would never have married them if he didn’t know that both of them could come to him in case of any troubles and he has the power to resolve any issues and even resolve the marriage if the situation demands.”

Harry can understand the position of Lord Black, he had to secure the future of the house and ensure that most member survive this war. He can’t sit and ensure the happiness of family members in the times of war. Just keeping everyone alive is enough. Little sacrifices have to be made when you have the responsibility of so many people.

“It’s a good thing that Voldemort didn’t know about this Ritual otherwise people like Regulus or Snape who tried to help in bringing him down could never do so because they would have to stay loyal to their leader.” Harry commented a while later.

“I think that it has negative affect too. For example, how he is putting pressure on purebloods to join his side by blackmailing or threatening them. But the ritual requires the individuals to join on their free will for the benefits of all the members of the ritual to serve a common goal. Then, his supporters would have been very less in number.” Charlus said.

“Also, even though the ritual calls for a person to lead the other members but it does not give that person the ultimate power. All within a coven are equals because of this ritual. The leader just gets the management role within the group. The person who is the most experienced and powerful often is assigned to be the leader.” Kayden supplies.

They all were lost in their thoughts after that.

“Anyways Harry dear, I wanted to inform you that Euphemia and Fleamont are doing much better due to those muggle medication. I got a letter from them this morning, she wanted to ask how was our meeting with her sons yesterday. We are thankful to you son.”

“It’s the least I can do Dorea. They are also my family even if I am not theirs’s.”

“Nonsense, you are part of our family. We are always here. Always.”

Harry stands up from his chair and goes to where Dorea is seated, He gives her a back hug to express his gratitude. This family of three had accepted Harry and made him feel as if he had always been part of it. Not once in the last ten days had he ever felt like an outsider.

Charlus also puts a hand on his shoulder from where he is seated at his wife’s left. Kayden not wanting to miss out, also stands up and completes the group hug.

Harry feels belongingness here. As if at the end he was always meant to be here. With these people, In this time. Content.

The strength these people have given him is enough to cast a million Patronus charms.

Harry Potter maybe an orphan but now he has a family who cares for him. This is more than he has ever let himself wish. This is what he craved. This safety is what he never let himself believe that he will ever get.

Now only he has to kill a Dark Lord so that no harm comes to his new family.