The First Year

The next morning,Orion woke earlier than usual. He summoned Kreacher,and drank a gin while he waited for the elf.

"Bring Master Sirius and young Master Regulus to me"

"Yes,sir"

Soon afterwards,the door opened and Kreacher came in,escorting two young boys. Sirius was the older of the two. He had chin-length brown hair and the Flint eyes,blue speckled with grey. His smile was unassuming,but Orion knew that at his tender age it already spoke of hidden depths. Like his Greengrass relatives. He will go far in life.

Just don't let Walburga's bloodist views rub off on him.........

Regulus had inherited more of the Black features:blonde hair,brown eyes,a sharp chin. His own look was indifferent,the same look Orion had affected in his own younger days. More of a Johnson,or Macmillan,than a Black. Malcolm Johnson may be a fifth year this September,but when he's a sixth year Regulus will rub off on him.

Orion watched as his sons took seats on the floor.

"Boys,do you know why I summoned you?"

Both of them answered in the negative.

"Last night,your mother and I had an argument. The origins of that argument stem from many things.

You may remember that earlier this century,in 1909,a Finnish wizard by the name of Gellert Grindelwald emerged in Slovakia. He talked of many things,but above all he was a pureblood supremacist.

The society Grindelwald espoused was built like this:

1. Greatest Pureblood families (Black,Avery,Greengrass,Selwyn,MacDonald,MacDougal,Malfoy)

2. Pureblood families of major degree (Abbott,Bones,Potter,Longbottom,Brown,Flint,Turpin,Diggory,Parkinson,Spungen,Nott,Rosier,Slughorn,Vaisey,Ollivander,Bulstrode)

3. Pureblood families of middle degree (Weasley,Sinistra,Vector,Wood,Dumbledore,Edgecombe,Corner,Yaxley,Shacklebolt,Runcorn,Crouch,Macmillan,Prewett,Carrow,Strahan,Davis,McKinnon,Rowle)

4. Mixed-blood families of middle and minor degrees (Bell,Lovegood,Cornfoot,Spinnet,Johnson,Thomas,Pucey,Crabbe,Goyle,Rookwood,Thicknesse,Farley,Vane,Robins,Midgen,Cattermole,Davies,Montague,Fudge,Scrimgeour)

5. Foreign families (Finnigan,Marchbanks,Patil,Chang,Zabini,Li,Delacour,Catone,Clynes)

6. All other halfbloods

7. All Muggleborns

8. Beings

9. Creatures

10. Beasts

11. Muggles

That order didn't work out,and for good reason. It isn't the natural order,in which all are equal. Grindelwald waged a long war. He had many come to his side. But in the end,they deserted him. Upon the field of Rodrikstadt was he defeated. His city at Nurmengard was destroyed:he himself wanders Europe,his magic bound.

Our family wasn't always like this. We used to believe in blood equality,and were campaigners for Muggleborn rights. Only recently have we had the first Muggleborn Minister for Magic. We voted for Leach,you know. And I want you to,if another Muggleborn runs for that office,vote for them, both at the booth and in the Wizengamot.

Remember Elfred the Blackheart,who founded our family. He befriended the centaur Oleg,who aided his rise to fame and fortune,and thus enabled creature rights.

Remember our motto, Toujours Pur. Always Pure. But don't let it guide every little decision you make.

And always be a friend. Whether your classmate is Pureblood,Halfblood,or Muggleborn,always be there for him or her.”

With that,Orion dismissed his sons. He hoped that when the time came,they would remember his words. If he had known how soon Sirius would make friends,and who they were,he would've smiled right then and there.

———-

When it was time for luncheon,Orion marched down the Grand Staircase with purpose in his stride. He held a commanding pose as he came to the table. He clapped his hands to summon Kreacher.

"And what may Kreacher do for you?"

"Get Mistress Walburga"

5 minutes later,Walburga appeared. She was the very picture of anger.

"Why have you summoned me?"

"To turn you away from the poisonous beliefs Voldemort and his followers have ingrained in you. No matter what you think,Voldemort and his followers aren't out to save our world. They preach a gospel of hatred against half-bloods and Muggleborns,who are vital parts of our world."

"Pah! I'll believe that the day I see it!"

"Do you choose to forget the term of Norbert Leach as Minister for Magic? As far as people like you are concerned,his term might not even have happened!"

"Exactly! And you're a pureblood yourself!"

"Is that necessarily supposed to dictate how I feel about other people,Walburga? Or magical creatures of all kinds who participate in our culture? No. Despite my family motto, Toujours Pur, my parents taught me to treat all people and creatures as equal,no matter their status. Voldemort would undo all that if he could. The man is daft,Walburga! He cares nothing about our culture at all! All he seeks is power for himself and his pureblood friends!”

"And how would you know?"

"Sybil Trelawney"

"That madwoman of a 'Seer' who graduated from Hogwarts just four years ago?"

"Yes. She Sees more than you know. Her great-grandmother is Cassandra Trelawney."

"That means nothing!"

"Correction. It means everything,Walburga. You bloodists try to go to war,it will end badly. And I'll leave you,get a divorce,and take the boys. Leaving you with....Bellatrix perhaps? She seems most inclined to share your views.”

"See if I care! At least Bellatrix is more of a Black than you!”

Walburga stormed out of the room. After a minute of staring after her,so did Orion.

He had work to do,and first on his list was teaching his children tolerance. Which he would do at any cost.

Even if that price is my marriage.