Chapter 18: Dark Legacy
After breakfast on Boxing Day, Pollux took Harry and Draco to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, leaving Abraxas and Arcturus to discuss their plans with the Squibs. They emerged from the grate to find a dusty old townhouse, similar in many respects to the one on Windermere Court, but far dirtier, and with somewhat of a darker feel to it.
Malfoy Manor had its fair share of Dark objects on display – skulls, shrunken heads, phials of blood and so on – but this house seemed to revel in its Dark heritage. The staircase was lined with the heads of dead house elves and a troll leg had been turned into an umbrella stand near the door. The portraits looked at Harry and Draco suspiciously, and many of them wore sinister expressions. The cobwebs and thick layer of dust only served to enhance the house's spookiness.
Draco nudged Harry nervously. 'Do you think it's haunted?' he whispered.
Harry shrugged. 'Even if it is, we've got Great-Granddad with us.'
Meanwhile Pollux was scowling in utter disgust.
'What has that blasted elf been up to since Walburga died?' he murmured angrily. 'KREACHER!'
The house elf appeared instantly, and bowed low when he saw Pollux, his eyes wide.
'Master Pollux has come to visit Mistress's house,' he croaked. 'Kreacher is honoured to serve his Master.'
'Kreacher, Mistress Irma and I are moving here after the New Year,' Pollux said sternly. 'We had hoped to find the house fit to live in. How could you disgrace your Mistress in this way? What would she have said to find her home in such a state?'
Kreacher grabbed a poker and started hitting himself vigorously, but Pollux stopped him.
'You'll have plenty of time to punish yourself once the house is clean,' he said sharply. 'I want this place immaculate by the New Year. Every surface should shine.'
Kreacher bowed. 'Kreacher will do as Master has ordered. Kreacher lives to serve the House of Black.'
Pollux pulled Harry and Draco over. 'Kreacher, these are my great-grandsons: Aries Black and Draco Malfoy. They will be coming to visit often, and I expect you to obey them fully. Do you understand?'
'Yes, Master,' Kreacher murmured.
'Aries is Master Sirius's son,' Pollux went on. 'He will be your Master after I am gone, and I expect you to show him full respect and obedience.'
Kreacher's eyes narrowed. 'Master Sirius was an ungrateful blood traitor who ran away from home and broke his mother's heart. Mistress swore he was no son of hers.'
Pollux looked horrified and, without thinking, placed his hands over Harry's ears, which was completely ineffective, since Harry could hear everything anyway, even if it was a bit muffled.
'I forbid you ever again to speak ill of Master Sirius, or to repeat anything bad that anyone else has said,' the old wizard said imperiously. 'From now on I command you to think, feel and act as though you had a deep and profound love for Master Sirius, and to regard him as a great, kind and beneficent master. Now get to your work.'
Harry thought for a moment that Kreacher looked very unhappy, but the elf only bowed deeply.
'Of course, Master,' Kreacher said, and disappeared.
Pollux turned to his great-grandsons. 'Wait for me in the parlour,' he said. 'I need to have a word with Aries' grandmother's portrait.'
Harry and Draco went back into the parlour, but did not sit down, neither one fancying the idea of wallowing in the dust. They wandered around a bit, looking at the various objects on display. Draco stopped in front of a large tapestry that spread across an entire wall.
'Look over here, Aries,' he exclaimed. 'It's the Black family tree.'
Harry wandered over slowly to see what had his cousin so excited, and he had to admit that the tapestry was fascinating, showing every member of the Black family for centuries.
'There's Mum,' Draco said, pointing to one of the names. 'And there I am.'
'There's Great-Granddad, and Aunt Cassiopeia,' Harry pointed out. His heart leapt when he saw Dorea Black married to Charlus Potter, with one son, James Potter, but of course, he said nothing. It wouldn't do to raise suspicions, even with Draco. 'Uncle Marius isn't on here.'
'Oh? Let me see.' Draco looked over where Harry was pointing. 'There's a funny black mark right there. Maybe that's where he ought to be. Do you think the tapestry is damaged?'
'Maybe,' Harry mused. 'There's another black mark like that over here where my dad should be.'
'There's a lot of them on here,' Draco said. 'See? Here's another one right by my mum.'
'Found something interesting, boys?' Pollux asked, walking back into the room.
'We found the Black family tree,' Draco said. 'But it's damaged.'
'Really?' Pollux came over to inspect it. 'I wonder how that happened.' He scanned over the tapestry. 'I don't see any damage.'
'Right here, Great-Granddad,' Harry pointed out. 'This funny black mark where my dad should be. And another one over here, where Uncle Marius should be.'
Harry thought Pollux looked a bit pale. The old man laughed weakly.
'Fancy that,' he said, his voice shaking. 'The tapestry does seem to be damaged. Oh, well, it's easy enough to fix.' He raised his wand and muttered a spell. The black marks vanished, being replaced in each case by names.
'My mum has a sister!' Draco exclaimed. Sure enough, the black mark by Narcissa's name had vanished, being replaced by the name Andromeda Black. A double line of gold thread connected her to Ted Tonks. Beneath their two names appeared yet another: Nymphadora Tonks.
'Look, Draco,' Harry said. 'We have another cousin! She's several years older than us.'
Draco frowned. 'How come I never heard about her before?' he asked Pollux.
His great-grandfather hesitated. 'Andromeda doesn't get on with the rest of the family,' he said carefully. 'She went against her parents' wishes and married a Mudblood.'
Draco gasped. 'Why would she ever do something like that?'
'People do many silly things when they're young,' Pollux replied.
.....
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