Chapter 2: c2
The last 3 days had gleaned very little information for Albus Dumbledore. No matter how often he told himself that Harry was ok he couldn't help but worry deeply for the missing teen. He knew that he was alive at the very least and sure that he was not in the clutches of Tom Riddle, had he been he would surely know by now.
Severus had gotten very little useful information from Crouch Jr who was unaware of what the plan entailed after Harry was transported to the graveyard. He was finally taken into custody by Amelia Bones and nothing had been shared about his fate. Dumbledore was sure that when Fudge became aware of the Azkaban escapee he would use every one of his resources to sweep all existence of the man under the proverbial rug.
A large part of the last few days had been spent both answering and avoiding questions about the fate of both of the Hogwarts champions. It was not that he was unwilling to answer the questions but he wanted to be sure of all the facts before he shared the information he had. He simply wanted to make a solid statement that could not be easily dismissed. He knew the uproar he was going to cause would be quite the spectacle and put himself in a very sensitive position. Again Fudge would do all he could to reassure the public that everything was fine and would resort to character defamation without hesitation to hide the return of the Dark Lord.
Thus Dumbledore had spent part of the last few days putting together his contingency plan. He knew he would lose favour with many people but he knew he had to prepare them as much as they would allow for the inevitable conflict that was on the horizon.
Yes, the last few days had been difficult but Albus Dumbledore had not been idle, in fact he had been at his most busy in many years.
Currently, he was stood at the podium in front of the teachers table at the leaving feast and had the room's undivided attention. There was no need to raise his hands to signal for silence as everyone in the Great Hall had been rather subdued after recent events for whatever personal reasons they had. He let out a long breath before addressing his audience.
"Welcome to the end of year feast" He began neutrally. "I wish we were celebrating what has been overall a successful year. We have had the pleasure of two other schools for the majority of our term here this year and it has been a pleasure to host them. I would like to thank Madame Maxime and the currently absent Headmaster Karkaroff for making the journey here and sharing our grounds and castle with us" He finished clapping towards the foreign students and the remaining staff member eliciting a subdued round of applause from the Hogwarts students and staff alike. "Now I know you have been patient the last few days in regards to the fate of the Hogwarts champions".
His speech was cut off by the students murmuring to each other, so he raised his hands to silence them, to which they obliged.
"Both champions took the cup at the same time so the result was a draw between Mr Diggory and Mr Potter" he informed the room.
The murmuring began briefly again but stopped as quickly as it started all knowing that the headmaster had not finished.
"However both champions upon touching the cup were transported to another location far away from Hogwarts where tragedy struck" he explained sadly.
The students at this point looked both confused and concerned.
"There is no easy way to say this but Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter, as of 3 nights ago, is missing and his current condition is unknown" he finished sadly.
The shock was so much that all failed to react to the use of the Dark Lords name. The reactions in the room were very mixed.
The staff were simply horrified.
The Gryffindor table had expressions of complete and utter disbelief.
The Ravenclaws looked both saddened and contemplative.
The slytherins had the most mixed reactions. Some looked terrified, some completely neutral and others entirely gleeful.
The Hufflepuffs were simply inconsolable. Cedric was popular with all in his house and his loss was felt across its entirety. Aside from the gentle sobbing emanating from some, the room was stone silent.
Very little of the feast was consumed and it was an entirely silent affair, all lost in their own thoughts. The silence continued as they left the hall broken but was broken by a comment from a 6th year hufflepuff student.
"I bet Potter had something to do with it, he probably sacrificed Cedric to save himself and then joined You-Know-Who" He muttered to his friend quietly, but the sound carried to all around in the silent entrance hall.
Everyone froze at his statement, many looking disgusted at his accusation.
Before anyone could reply a blurred figure broke through the crowd and punched the offending boy on the jaw eliciting a sickening crunching sound before he hit the floor.
Standing over him was a murderous looking Neville Longbottom rubbing his already swollen hand.
"You stupid bastard" He roared. "Harrys' parents were murdered by that prick, why the fuck would he join him?" He finished trembling with rage.
"What is the meaning of this Mr Longbottom?" A sharp voice cut across the hall.
Turning to face the voice Neville was faced with the entirety of the staff, many looking surprised at the reaction of the usually passive boy.
He swallowed deeply but stood firm.
"This moron accused Harry of turning Cedric over to Vol-, Voldemort and then joining him Professor McGonagall" He said not wavering under her stern glare.
Her eyes softened slightly but her lips were still tightly pulled together in a thin line.
"Be that as it may we do not resort to Neanderthal measures to demonstrate our distaste at somebody else's opinion. We are civilised people Mr Longbottom, you would do well to remember that" she scolded him. "That will be 20 points from Gryffindor and had this not been our final day here you would be serving a week's detention" She finished.
"And that will be 50 points to Gryffindor" the voice of professor Sprout cut in "For showing great loyalty to a friend and defending a fellow students honour when he was unable to" She continued. "Some members of my own house could do with showing the same loyalty as Mr Longbottom here, and Mr Bradwell?" She said addressing the grounded boy. "You and I will be having a conversation about such a slanderous accusation. That will be 50 points from Hufflepuff". "Mr Potter and Cedric" She choked back a sob at his name, "had become very good friends throughout this year and there is no doubt in my mind that Mr potter would not have done anything intentionally to put Cedric in danger, you would all do well to remember that" She finished before walking away clearly in tears.
All in the entrance hall made their way to their respective common rooms, pondering what they had been told.
Tomorrow they would head home for the summer for some much needed space and time away from the castle. All knew the coming months would change things in their very world and had a lot to digest and think about.
(BREAK)
Albus Dumbledore returned to his office contemplating the reactions of the students to his announcements. He knew that word would reach parents and the general public by morning and the repercussions were likely to be quite dire for him. But he only cared for the truth and he had only given the truth as he knew it.
He was broken from his musings by a gentle tapping on the window. He opened it to a very beautiful black eagle owl with very observant amber eyes. The red envelope snatched his attention away from the regal looking creature and he sighed as he removed it.
"And so it begins" he murmured opening the howler.
He was surprised to not hear the usual screeching that came accompanied with such an envelope but a gentle, strong and dignified voice spoke a little above a regular speaking volume.
"Potter is safe and sound, you have my magical vow", the voice sounded.
Once finished a silver glow surrounded the paper sealing the vow and then burst into flames leaving not even ashes in its wake. The owl flew out of the still open window, its message delivered and job completed.
Dumbledore frowned. He was sure he knew that voice but simply couldn't place it. He was however feeling much more at ease knowing that Harry was in fact safe and had that knowledge sealed in a magical vow.
He sunk into his chair behind his desk, carefully picked out a lemon drop from the ever-present bowl and sucked at it as he continued to ponder the events that were unfolding around him.
(BREAK)
Harry was feeling a mixture of emotions. He was confused, relieved, grateful and nervous at the same time. He hadn't been told anything personally about Arcturus by Sirius but he had said that his whole family were dark and supported Voldemort.
Before he could arrange his thoughts into any form of coherent speech the man next to him spoke.
"I bet you're wondering why I saved you hmm?" Arcturus questioned. "Tell me boy, what do you know of my family?" He asked over steepled fingers, his eyes alive with a gently penetrating stare.
Harry considered his answer before speaking; he did not want to offend the man next to him.
After a moment he decided honesty was best. It was no secret that the Blacks' were considered a dark family by all accounts.
"Sirius told me that you were all dark and supported Voldemort" He said simply flinching slightly at the impassive face that looked back at him.
"Ahh yes, my idiot grandson. I can see why he would say that and he would be correct for the most part" he replied. "Most of my family are supporters of him, hell even I was at one time" He said to a surprised and slightly panicking Harry.
"What changed?" Harry asked nervously.
"The very thing we have been discussing" He answered, "Family" He finished simply.
Harry looked confused but before he could ask the question Arcturus answered.
"The last two wars have all but decimated the Black family" He started. "We have lost many on both sides of the conflicts. Yes, believe it or not some fought for both Grindelwald and Riddle and some fought against them. My older Brother Perseus and my father, both for Grindelwald and both died, my brother in battle and my father murdered because he refused to fund the effort further after his death" He continued. "After that I became disillusioned with the war and the ambitions of Grindelwald. I figured that being a Black meant nothing to him and knew that if he was to succeed our way of life here would change for the worse. So at 17 years old I became the head of the family, a position I was never meant to have nor had I ever wanted it, I had long ago accepted that it was not my destiny" Arcturus explained.
Harry listened with rapt attention to the man.
"My brother was 13 years older than me so I never really knew him he had already left school by the time I was aware of much and had joined Grindelwald" the older man continued. "But I was always told that blood is the most important thing in the world and that stuck with me, even to this day" he added seriously. "I hated Grindelwald for what had happened to Perseus and for what he had done to my father. I wanted revenge".
He laughed a hollow laugh that reminded Harry of Sirius and how he sounded when he spoke of Pettigrew.
"Anyway, I will come back to that part in a moment" He said coming out of some clearly deep thinking. "Needless to say after the Grindelwald years the Black family started to thrive again in the peace. Our numbers were still quite few but our family was growing to what it had once been. That was until the first rise of Tom Riddle" He finished with a distasteful sneer. "Many of my family rallied to his cause and I could see a repeat of the last conflict, only this time it was much closer to home and I knew it would be worse for us so I personally opted to stay neutral, but foolishly allowed the family to make their own choices knowing that if I forbade them there would be an internal conflict I couldn't cope with. Many of the family, my son Pollux namely, had already long since been allied with other dark pureblood families; the Malfoy's and the Lestranges" He spat distastefully "being the more prominent ones and were set to solidify the relationships through marriage. I gave too much freedom to the family and I certainly paid the price for my laxity" He mused almost to himself.
He shook his head.
"After Grindelwald fell I certainly didn't expect another Dark Lord to rise so quickly, certainly not in my lifetime" He continued. "Needless to say, the war once again tore my family apart. My grandson Sirius was the only one who stood against Riddle and all of the others followed him quite fanatically. Pollux died early on in the conflict leaving Druella a widow who has since lived alone in isolation. Narcissa is still married to that prat Lucius and stuck with nothing more than an even more moronic version of him in her offspring. Bellatrix was sent to Azkaban and is still there and Andromeda married a muggleborn and fled the family as soon as she could. My son Orion was weak and simply allowed his wife to run his household to her own ends. The only thing she achieved was causing Sirius to flee the family and Regulus being a fanatic just like her" He said almost to himself once again.
Seeing the confused look on Harrys' face he elaborated.
"Regulus was Sirius' younger brother; he was quite the talented wizard" He said. "We will come back to him later" He finished.
Harry just nodded at the revelation of Sirius's brother and waited for Arcturus to speak again.
"The one loss I truly struggle with was that of my little sister Dorea" He continued suddenly betraying sadness in his eyes. "This is where your part in this comes Mr Potter" He said and was again wearing his impassive mask. "Tell me young Potter, what do you know of your family?" He asked with what appeared to be a little amusement in his eyes.
Harry thought carefully before he answered.
"Not very much sir" He admitted shrugging his shoulders.
He had long since learnt not to ask about his family it was after all a taboo subject in the Dursley home.
"I know my mum was a muggleborn and my Dad was a pureblood" He finished lamely.
Arcturus looked quite annoyed at Harrys' lack of knowledge. He could not believe that the boy knew nothing of his family. Blood was important, had he not been told anything?
"Is that all you know?" He asked stiffly.
"Yes sir" Harry replied. "I was raised by muggles and they hate magic, they told me my parents died in a car crash and no one has ever told me about my Dads family before" He said looking both apologetic and upset.
"Has Dumbledore never said anything" Arcturus asked already knowing the answer.
"No sir" Harry replied quietly.
Arcturus looked even more annoyed, enough to allow a scowl to pass over his mask of neutrality.
"Well then I guess it's time to learn about your blood Mr Potter" He said. "I can't tell you much about your Father, I met him numerous times of course mostly when he was younger and when he and Sirius visited before he fled. And I'm afraid I know very little about your Mother, only that she was a muggleborn but she was a very talented witch by all accounts" He finished.
Harry was hanging on to his every word, no one had ever made any effort to tell him about his parents and until now he hadn't realised just how much he had missed out on.
Arcturus was clearly pondering the best way for him to proceed so Harry remained silent while the older man was thinking. Eventually he stirred from his thoughts and continued.
"I can tell you much more about your Grandparents than I can your parents as I knew them well enough" He said thoughtfully. "Do you know anything about them Potter?" He asked, suspecting he already knew the answer.
"No sir" Harry replied again feeling quite stupid by now.
For a split second Arcturus looked simply murderous before slipping back into his neutrality.
"Ok, then I will tell you everything I know and then you will understand how and why we are where we are now" He stated. "We will start with your Grandmother Dorea" He said with nothing more than pride and fondness in his eyes and voice.
Harry, though emotionally rather obtuse, could see that the woman in question meant very much to the man.
"Dorea was my sister, a year younger than me" Arcturus began again. "She was a very gifted witch and quite different from the rest of the Black women. She was quiet and caring even before my father was killed and after that she became more so, she was particularly protective of me. It was me who took care of her after my father was gone. Actually I think she took care of me more" He added. "She eventually became a healer much to the surprise of everyone besides me. It was just in her nature and I'm very proud of what she became" He finished, his grey eyes sparkling gently in the firelight.
"It was an even bigger surprise to everyone that she married your grandfather Charlus" He continued, looking quite amused. "I've never told the story of how they became married, it's very personal and I'm sure they only shared it with those close to them" He explained. "It is safe to say however, that had my father lived your grandparents would have never been together. The Potters' and the Blacks were always too different and there had never been a union between the families" he stated matter-of-factly.
He looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking himself from his reverie.
"Dorea would have been forced to marry into a darker family against her wishes, so in a way my fathers' death was a blessing in disguise. Dorea was not inclined towards the family politics and any marriage arranged by my father would have been a very unhappy one for her" He said with a slight frown adorning his face.
"Now, your Grandfather was an honourable man, as tough as they came and respected by all. We found ourselves in similar positions, he also having lost his father at a young age; he was killed by Grindelwald personally" he clarified.
'So I have lost more than just my parents to dark lords' Harry thought to himself sadly.
He was pulled from his thoughts again as the man spoke further.
"Charlus was the same age as myself and we went to Hogwarts together, I of course was in Slytherin as expected and he in Gryffindor. I had been told about the Potters growing up and your father certainly did not coincide with what I had been told. He was neither arrogant nor full of himself. He was a very gifted wizard, observant, quiet, very intelligent and extremely formidable with a wand. He learnt the family magic from a young age and simply became a fierce warrior in his own right. At his prime even Dumbledore would have been very reluctant to cross wands with him. That would have been a very interesting battle" he mumbled to himself.
To hear that his own Grandfather was on par with Dumbledore certainly surprised the teen.
"We had very little interaction at school even then the house separation was prevalent but we did share the occasional class and competed against each other in the school duelling competitions and I'm not ashamed to admit he made me look like an amateur and I was certainly no slouch, gifted in my own right" He said shaking his head. "Charlus was not taught to duel he was taught how to fight by his father, there is a big difference" He added. "We weren't friends but we were never at odds, we respected each other very much and for the most part kept our distance. We would share little more than a passing greeting in the corridor. That was until our fifth year" He said frowning again.
He sighed deeply before explaining.
"Dorea was in the year below us and as I said rather quiet, to the point others thought that they could take advantage of her or that she was an easy target" He said shaking his head again with a look of annoyance. "It's probably easier if I show you" He said suddenly coming to a decision. "Elgar" He called loudly.
There was a quiet pop as a reasonably aged house-elf appeared in the room.
"Master called for Elgar?" The Elf asked.
"Yes Elgar, can you bring me the pensieve please" He replied, and with that the elf disappeared with another pop.
"Do you know what a pensieve is Potter" He asked.
"Yes sir" was the answer he received.
"Good" He replied. "That will save me explaining it".
The elf appeared again holding a very ornate stone bowl which he placed on the bedside table before disappearing again having carried out his task.
Arcturus drew his wand and placed it to his temple and removed a silvery strand which he immediately placed in the bowl. Harry stood and joined him and one after the other they plunged face first into the surface.
They appeared in what Harry immediately recognised as the Slytherin common room which looked very similar to the way it had when he had been there during his second year. The room was full of students talking quietly but the older ones were clearly studying in various groups scattered around the room.
Harry saw a much younger looking Arcturus sat at a table by himself surrounded by a vast amount of parchment which he was studying intently.
Suddenly the room became very silent. Harry turned to look towards the door and saw a boy stood in Gryffindor robes with his arms wrapped around a clearly distraught girl wearing the robes of Slytherin.
The boy was tall and fairly well built with the tell-tale messy hair of the Potter males. His eyes were a deep brown and Harry could immediately feel his presence and understood why his Grandfather had been so respected. The fact that he had just walked into the snake pit and none had tried to confront him added to that image.
The girl he had in his arms was very beautiful and regal looking. Her very long and thick black hair was put up in an elaborate fashion and her eyes were similar to her brothers, only a shade or two lighter. She had a petite nose which matched the build of her physique and very soft looking plump lips.
The sudden silence gained the attention of the younger Arcturus who, at seeing his sister in the arms of the Gryffindor, raced across the room looking both angry and concerned.
"What the hell is the meaning of this Potter?" He asked in a no nonsense tone.
Everyone in the room was watching the unfolding events with unwavering interest.
Charlus raised his left hand in a non-threatening manner in an attempt to placate the clearly confused boy.
"Black" He greeted the other boy with a simple nod. "I was walking towards the library when I came across your sister being attacked by 4 7th years from my house. She is ok, I got there in time" He added quickly seeing that Arcturus was about to explode in fury. "She really is fine, just a little shaken and I dealt with the perpetrators personally. I couldn't leave her like this so I brought her back after she told me you'd be here" He finished.
"I'm surprised you didn't join in" A voice muttered from the corner. "You Gryffs are all the same, thinking you can do what you want when you want".
Charlus' eyes suddenly became alight with a very intense fire and he stared in clear fury at the offending boy.
"You would do well to remember Stebbings, that I have never attacked anyone in this castle let alone in this room. In fact I have done nothing but defend anyone who is attacked for no reason and many of them are in this very house. So you will kindly shut up with your stupid opinions when they do not include me" He finished still glaring at the boy, who gulped loudly and remained silent after hearing murmurs of agreement from his fellow housemates.
Charlus turned to look at Dorea who had stopped crying by now and he smiled a reassuringly at her before guiding her to her brother.
"It's OK" He said "Your brother will look after you now" he added handing a reluctant looking Dorea back to her brother who took her in his arms.
Dorea looked at Charlus with a soft, delicate smile. "Thank you Potter" She said quietly.
"It's Charlus to you, my lady" He said with a slight bow and a similar smile before turning his attention to Arcturus.
"Now that your sister is safe I will take my leave" He said. "But first" he drew his wand from his sleeve causing many in the room to mimic his action cautiously. "I Charlus Henry Potter swear on my life and magic that I will not reveal the location of the Slytherin common room nor will I reveal the password used to enter the room, so mote it be" He finished being surrounded by a very bright golden light.
He turned and left leaving a shocked Slytherin house behind him. They had clearly been concerned that the whole of Gryffindor would now know where their common room was and they would have to be much more alert and vigilant.
The memory ended and Harry along with Arcturus, were deposited back into the cosy bedroom they had begun in. Arcturus sat back in his chair lost in thought as Harry sat on the edge of the bed lost in his own. It was Arcturus that finally broke the silence.
"That was the day that I gained the respect I have for your Grandfather now. Not only did he save my sister but he protected the rest of our house with his magical vow" He began again. "It wasn't until a few days after that I learnt that the seventh years who attacked Dorea would spend the next 2 weeks in the hospital wing recovering from what Charlus did to them" He said amused. "Charlus lost his prefect badge and was given detention for the rest of the year, but that didn't faze him, he did what he felt was right as he always did and cared not for the consequences" He concluded, the respect evident in his voice.
"Dorea became enamoured with Charlus and he was very taken with her too. I would often see them exchange looks and the occasional smile but they both knew they could not pursue any form of relationship, neither of our families would allow it so they remained apart. At the time even I would have been hard pushed to approve of them despite how much I loved my sister and respected Charlus. The wizarding community would have been in uproar if a Black and a Potter were to be together, it would have been completely unacceptable" He finished shaking his head in his usual way.
"Anyway" He continued. "The last couple of years at Hogwarts were tense. The threat of Grindelwald separated the houses further the closer the conflict came to our shores. Many supported him, particularly in my house, and many opposed him. It created a conflict within Hogwarts and there were a few quite ugly incidents. Eventually we graduated and all went our own ways to carve out our futures. Charlus went to run the family businesses in his Fathers absence, who was away fighting against Grindelwald and his army and I was training to join the duelling circuit not expecting things to change so quickly and drastically" He said looking thoughtful.
"Dorea was in her final year so I went to America to train. I had been there for 6 months when I received word of my brothers' death and my fathers' murder. I returned home immediately to tend to the family businesses and took up the headship shortly after. I mentioned before that I was angry and I wanted revenge. The family deaths were only truly a small part of why I became so angry, I was angrier that I had to take over the family and put my dream on hold. Duelling was what I was always best at and had always wanted to have that as my career, not having to be responsible for the family. The war had really heated up and the danger of it spilling on to our own land had never been greater. The way of life here was becoming more and more in peril and I knew what would happen to me and my family if Grindelwald was triumphant here. I was angry and worried. I worried for Dorea more than anyone else I knew what those animals would do to her given the chance so I acted rashly and decided I would fight. Dorea begged me not to go but against her wishes I went anyway" He said sadly.
He paused again reflectively.
"The war was fought on two fronts" He continued suddenly. "There was the muggle side and the wizard side. Grindelwald was pulling Hitlers' strings and controlling the muggle side while we fought against the wizarding army he had amassed. I found myself at Normandy where the battle lines had been drawn and attached myself to a group of French freedom fighters. I stayed disguised hoping that if the war went badly I would be able to salvage something in the aftermath" He said unashamedly. "One of the Blacks at some point had been an unspeakable, so I used the robes to hide my face knowing the hood could not be removed by anyone except me. It wasn't long before I saw action and realised my mistake in trying to be anonymous" He said grimacing. "I was completely out of my depth, here let me show you" He said again extracting another memory. "This is my first fight and the day your Grandfather came back into my life" He said fondly and they again entered the pensieve.
Harry found himself in a very muddy field on what appeared to be a fairly clear spring day surrounded by hundreds of men and women all looking grim and tense.
Around 70 metres in front of him was an equally large group all wearing grey robes clearly preparing for battle. Insults were traded between the groups and out of nowhere all hell broke loose.
Harry watched as the hundreds of witches and wizards traded all manner of curses and jinxes and looked on in horror as people were felled hard, some killed instantly and others sporting various types of gruesome wounds, screaming or simply moaning in heaps and piles of entangled bodies.
The ground was quickly littered with entrails and limbs alike and there were many small streams of red and black liquid that formed into one vulgar river of blood and claret that gently disturbed the guts and extremities that were caught in its flow.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Arcturus nod towards a robed man, his face covered who was stood stock still in what appeared to be complete shock.
The robed Arcturus shook himself from his stupor and began firing of curses into the grey masses quickly disposing of 3 individuals with some vile looking curses.
One caused the entrails of one man to exit his body through his mouth.
Another engulfed a man in completely black flames reducing him to nothing more than a pile of ashes.
The final curse simply caused the man rot instantly into what looked like a mummy. Harry fought the urge to vomit at seeing the effects of the curses but still felt very nauseas and uneasy at the sight of so much gore.
"This is war Potter" Arcturus interrupted his attempts at calming his stomach. "Beautiful and glorious apparently" He said bitterly. "There" He said pointing at another man. Harry looked at the man in awe and a fear he had never felt before.
He was frightening and took his opponents down quickly and without hesitation. He removed limbs, broke bones and simply opened wounds so deep that the spell scraping on the bone was audible above the noise of the rest of the battle.
The man in question was covered in blood and looked positively feral. His eyes were alight with power and the force of his spells reflected that power.
It wasn't until Harry really studied the man's face did he realise that it was Charlus; his Grandfather was this frightening individual.
Harry watched as he came closer leaving more corpses in his wake without remorse until he was stood next to Arcturus who had garnered a lot of attention by his anonymous appearance.
They fought side by side, not looking at each other, in a strangely beautiful harmony each other's spells complimenting the other perfectly.
They shielded the other when it was needed and then moved to a back to back position where they continued to fight in their recently established synchronicity.
Harry watched for several minutes as many fell to their combined efforts neither being hit by a spell. He didn't know how long he had been watching when he felt another tap on his shoulder.
Looking up he saw the enraged face of Arcturus who was simply glaring to their left. Harry looked and saw a tall, blond curled haired man stalking towards the pair looking deranged.
"Grindelwald" Arcturus ground out through gritted teeth.
Grindelwald continued on his way towards the two men that were decimating all in front of them. Charlus saw his approach and turned to face him. Harry suddenly felt a wave of apprehension that seemed to reverberate around the entire battlefield.
Many stopped to face the inevitable confrontation and stared with baited breath. Arcturus was still battling two other people and was not aware of what was happening just behind him.
Grindelwald looked at Charlus with a calculating eye sizing him up and Charlus returned his gaze with a glare of pure hatred and fury.
He silently fired a very powerful barrage of curses that clearly took Grindelwald by surprise as they smashed into his hastily erected shield crackling and emitting gong like noises with every hit sending him back several feet.
He fired back with curses of his own only to see them simply batted aside by Charlus who didn't bother raising a shield.
The surprise on his face was clear; it was obvious that this was not a common occurrence. He frowned and suddenly looked furious at the young man who dared make him look foolish.
He fired off more curses which Charlus simply dodged gracefully and batted away again. Harry was simply shocked by the skill and power of his Grandfather and felt a huge rush of pride and respect for the man.
Grindelwald looked towards the back of the still battling Arcturus and smirked. He fired off a chain of spells intended to cause grievous harm towards Arcturus.
Charlus conjured a massive thick granite wall at his comrade's back that crumbled more and more as each spell hit.
He fired back and the two began trading spells dodging and batting away the strays they couldn't avoid.
The frustration Grindelwald was feeling could be seen in his eyes and he quickly changed tact. He fired off a string of spells at Charlus and immediately fired an unfamiliar sickly purple and yellow curse at the exposed back of Arcturus that connected with a sickening crunch followed by a spray of blood.
Arcturus simply screamed and fell to the floor clutching his wound.
Charlus was furious. He hurtled a powerful cutting curse towards Grindelwald who shielded the spell, but not well enough. Some of the spell passed through and opened a deep gash on his left cheek.
The blonde man roared in surprise and agony and with a final look of hatred he disapparated.
Charlus quickly turned his attention to his fallen companion and tried to remove his robes so he could attempt to heal his wound but found he could not take it off.
"I need to remove your robes to get to the wound" He said calmly.
Arcturus hesitated but finally removed his hood and looked up at Charlus, each as surprised as the other.
"Black?" Charlus asked incredulously.
"Potter?" Arcturus returned the question equally surprised.
After a moment Charlus shook himself from his surprise.
"I need to get to the wound" He said simply.
Arcturus nodded and obliged his request by removing the garment revealing several deep wounds exposing the bone of his shoulder blade in various places.
The flesh at the edges of the wounds was black and the blackness was spreading slowly consuming the healthy flesh around it giving the skin the appearance that it was dead and dying.
"How bad is it?" Arcturus asked grimacing in pain.
"It's bad" Charlus replied with worry in his voice. "The flesh on your back is turning black its spreading from the wound" He finished grimly.
"Was the spell purple surrounded by yellow?" Arcturus asked sounding hopeful.
"Yes it was" Charlus retorted "Do you know what it is" He asked in a curious tone.
"Bastard" Acturus muttered under his breath. "Yes, it's a Black family curse, he must have learnt it from my brother. You need to get me to Dorea, she's the only one that can counter it she will be at home it's the Easter holidays" he finished gritting his teeth through the pain.
Charlus hesitated for a second before grabbing Arcturus' left arm.
"Where am I apparating to" he asked.
"Shit" Arcturus replied. "You're not keyed in to our wards and they're quite unpleasant. Can you take me to your place and then you can floo Dorea?" He asked.
"Sure" Charlus answered simply. "Read this" he instructed handing Arcturus a piece of parchment he took from his pocket.
Arcturus took the paper and read: Potter Manor can be found 10 miles west of the most southern point of Mount Snowdon, wales.
"Fidelius?" he asked, clearly impressed.
Charlus just nodded and with that they disapparated.
The memory faded briefly but soon came back into focus. Harry now found himself stood in a black and white marble entrance hall decorated with thick, opulent oak and leather furniture. The room was lightly painted in neutral colours and ahead of him was a very grand oak staircase with gold bannisters snaking the length on both sides of the stairs.
Charlus was stood in the middle of the hall supporting a very sickly looking Arcturus who was leaning heavily on the other man.
"Maisie" Charlus called in a loud commanding voice. A house-elf appeared immediately in front of the duo.
"Yes Lord Potter" the elf replied unfazed by her masters injured companion.
"Can you fetch the potion kit and take it to the first guest bedroom and then take Mr Black there please?" He asked the elf softly.
"Yes Master Charlus" The elf replied looking fondly at her master before popping away again.
"I need your floo address" He said turning to Arcturus who was beginning to sweat profusely under the effects of the curse.
"Ravens corner" He answered breathily. "The password is purity".
With that he placed Arcturus in the chair in front of the fireplace and took a handful of floo powder from the pot on the mantelpiece. He hesitated momentarily before throwing the powder in and calling out the address followed by the pass phrase.
He stuck his head into the now green flames and looked into a beautifully decorated dining room.
There was a large black polished table with several chairs around it that rested on a thick grey carpet. A beautiful tapestry depicting the Black family tree took up the entirety of the opposite wall. The rest of the walls were a deep, dark green completed with various portraits and silver candle holders.
"Miss Black?" He called loudly into the open room.
After a moment's pause Dorea entered the room looking even more attractive and regal than he remembered.
Her face had matured into something that he had only seen in the most beautiful and sought after works of art. Her features were delicate, aristocratic and her cheeks had a gentle blush that drew attention to her light silver eyes that were simply enchanting. Her figure was as lithe as it had always been but she had filled out in all the areas that completed the picture of a perfect woman.
Charlus's breath hitched in his very lungs at the sight of her. He had fought his attraction to her while at school and even after the amount of time that had passed he found the internal conflict just as difficult, for him it was as though no time had gone by at all.
"Mr Potter?" She asked clearly very surprised at the appearance of the man in her fireplace. "How did you get this address" She questioned attempting to smooth down her form-fitting robes discreetly.
"Your brother is here, he's been hit by one of your family curses and says that you know the counter to it" He said composing himself. "Can you come through?" he asked. "The address is Potter Manor and the pass phrase is pride. I'll send through the parchment so you can bypass the Fidelius charm" He finished exiting the floo and throwing the parchment into the flames.
He turned to see that Arcturus had been taken to the guest room so waited for Dorea to appear. He was very aware of his state of dress and the fact that he was caked in blood. He removed his wand and waved it over himself in attempt to clean as much off as possible. He then cleaned his hands and face and attempted to tame his messy hair.
Dorea appeared shortly afterwards looking concerned and he immediately began to lead her to the room her brother was currently occupying.
"What curse was it he was hit with" She asked in a business-like tone Charlus was unfamiliar with.
"Erm… It was purple and yellow" he answered caught off guard by her unusual demeanour.
She quickened her pace and started to race up the staircase forgetting she had no idea where she was going.
Charlus quickly caught up to her and took her by the arm surprising her at his gentle yet firm grip.
"It's this room here" he said guiding her inside.
The sight they were met with would have been comical if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation.
Maisie was stood on the bed tugging at the duvet that Arcturus had clearly retreated under to escape the onslaught from the clearly determined elf.
"Young Mr Black must be taking the potion" the elf shouted at the quivering form. "It will helps with the pain" she finished.
"Damn elf" was the muffled reply. "If I take that potion it will kill me, I can't take it until the curse has been countered".
"Maisie its ok, Mr Blacks' sister is here now, you can give him the potion after she removes the curse" Charlus said trying to calm the determined elf.
The elf reluctantly stepped away from the covered man and stood patiently at the side of the bed waiting for her turn to heal the patient.
A very dishevelled looking Arcturus emerged from the duvet quite red in the face. Dorea immediately stepped forward and began scolding her older brother shocking both of the men in the room.
"You damned fool Arcturus" She shouted. "I knew this would happen, I told you you would only get hurt running off and fighting like that" She finished breathing heavily.
It was clear to see that Arcturus was suitably reprimanded. The two men shared a look of agreement; that upsetting Dorea Black was not a good idea. She may still be quiet and reserved but she was no longer the nervous 14 year old girl from 3 years ago.
"Show me" she demanded of her brother who obliged her request by turning to show her his wounds.
She sucked in a deep breath and turned to Charlus. "Mr Potter, can you keep him talking?" She asked softly. "This is going to hurt but he needs to be awake while I remove it"
"Of course Miss Black" he answered before making his way to the chair next to the bed. Dorea made her way on the bed and sat behind her brother, drawing her wand and waving it in an intricate pattern over the wounds whispering in what Charlus recognised as a Nordic language.
"So Black" he started, "What the hell were you doing there?" he asked, genuinely curious.
Arcturus stared at Charlus thinking on his answer but the pain he was feeling compelled him to talk and distract him and so he answered honestly.
"Grindelwald ruined my life" he stated simply. "My brother died in his service and then he murdered my father because he refused to continue fund his efforts. Now I'm head of the family, something I never wanted. I was in America when I got the news, I was training to join the duelling circuit" he finished wincing in pain.
Charlus looked at him in what appeared to be sympathy and understanding. He nodded in acknowledgement at the answer.
"It's getting more dangerous" he continued. "The war is now on our doorstep and you know as well as I do what will happen if he succeeds, you know what will become of our families and what they will do to the people here. You've seen more of it than me and you've heard the rumours of what happens to the women" he said looking at Charlus who understood what was being said without hearing the words. He looked towards the unaware Dorea and then back to Arcturus who nodded at his observation. "What about you, why were you there?" he asked. "The last I heard you were running the family businesses while your father was fighting" he said with a questioning tone.
For a brief moment Charlus looked devastated. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them the sadness had passed and in its place was a fierce look of hurt and anger.
"Grindelwald killed my father" he said simply. "He cursed him in the back, the coward didn't even fight him like a man" he finished shaking in rage. "They managed to bring him back home but he had already succumbed to the curse and there was nothing that could be done, he died painfully and slowly" he said after pausing for a few seconds to gather himself.
Arcturus nodded in sympathy. The death of his father had hit him quite hard but he and his father had not shared the same closeness Charlus and his father had. He could see the pain in the mans' eyes and he truly felt for him.
"What about your mother?" he asked in an attempt to draw Charlus away from his clearly dark thoughts and to distract himself from the pain he was feeling.
"She broke down badly after my father died and when she found out I was going to fight she said that she couldn't face losing me too. She went to stay in one of our family homes somewhere in the tropics" he answered. "I can't just sit here and do nothing" he added. "My father fought because he knew it was the right thing to do but I fight for nothing but my revenge for what he has done to me and my mother" he finished his eyes ablaze once again.
Arcturus remained silent waiting for him to continue knowing he needed to vent.
"I will get that bastard" he continued breaking the momentary silence. "If it's the last thing I do I will get him" he spat uncharacteristically.
"I'm finished" Dorea suddenly said breaking the tense atmosphere. "It will take a while to completely heal but the curse is gone" she said placing her wand back up her sleeve.
"Thank you" Arcturus replied gratefully looking exhausted.
"Now take your potion and get some sleep" she advised standing away from the bed. "And don't think for one second that I'm finished with you yet Arcturus, when you're feeling better we will be having a conversation" she added sternly.
Arcturus gulped and nodded knowing that it was not a good idea to argue with his obviously angry sister. He drank his potion and settled deeper into the pillows and sighed in relief.
"Is it ok for him to stay here Mr Potter?" She asked Charlus nervously. "It's not safe for him to travel for a few days until the wounds seal" she explained.
"Its fine Miss Black" he replied. "Your brother is in very capable hands" he said nodding towards the already busy elf.
"Thank you Mr Potter" she said shyly. "I will make sure he doesn't cause you any trouble" she said glaring at her injured brother. "I have to go" she suddenly remarked. "I return to school in a few days and I have a lot to do" she finished looking a little disappointed.
"It's ok" Charlus replied. "I'll escort you back to the fireplace" he said offering his arm which she took with a slightly trembling hand.
They exited the room leaving an already sleeping Arcturus to start his recovery. They made their way slowly back to the drawing room not saying a word, both seemingly content at the small amount of contact they were sharing. All too soon they reached their destination both hesitating to release the touch of the other. When there was no longer an excuse to hold on to his arm Dorea released her grip slowly and clearly with reluctance.
"Thank you again Mr Potter" she said in her usual soft voice. "If you hadn't of gotten him back so fast he wouldn't have survived the night" she explained grimacing at the thought. "Can I come and check on him tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.
"You're welcome Miss Black" he replied simply. "You can check on him anytime, the floo is open to you" he finished with a gentle smile.
"Thank you" she said simply returning his smile shyly. "Goodnight Mr Potter" she said throwing a handful of floo powder into the fire.
"Goodnight" he said. "And Miss Black?" he asked gaining her attention.
"Yes, Mr Potter" she asked curiously.
"I told you 3 years ago that it's Charlus to you, it always will be" he finished, his eyes twinkling as he smiled a little more.
Dorea blushed and simply nodded before disappearing into the emerald flames.
Harry was suddenly pulled from the memory and found himself once again in the room he was staying in alongside Arcturus who was looking quite melancholy.
"What happened next?" Harry asked timidly.
Arcturus looked at the boy in front of him internally pleased with his curiosity about his grandparents and how they became to be.
"It took me 3 weeks to recover from that curse" he said casually. "Dorea came back every day for the next 3 days before she went back to school and before she left she lectured me and your grandfather" he said shaking his head in amused exasperation. "She knew regardless of what she said that I would go back. I was stubborn and pig-headed, there was nothing that would stop me going back to protect her and get my revenge which I had more reason to get now after he used one of our own curses on me. She took Charlus aside a few times to talk to him but I don't know everything she said but I do know that she begged him not to lose himself because of revenge. He told me many years later that she told him he was a good man and it would be such a shame if he took his revenge and couldn't live with what he had done to get it after the war was over" he concluded looking thoughtful once again. "I'm sure she scolded him the way she did with me on a couple of occasions too" he added amused. "He came back after a conversation with her a few times looking like a child who had been reprimanded. I've never known Charlus to look like that since those times and I'm sure Dorea was the only one who could talk to him that way and get away with it. People respected and feared Charlus too much to even try that tact with him but Dorea didn't care; she knew Charlus would never do anything to hurt her. You can see from that memory that he had quite the soft spot for her even though I'm sure she was unaware of it at the time. She felt something for him too but I think for her she thought that there would never be a chance for them. There was no guarantee that Charlus would come back from the war and even if he did she didn't think that a Potter would be interested in a Black, it was just not a possibility in her eyes. The backlash that Charlus would get from the lighter and neutral families would be astronomical. I know she thought of him though. She would often ask after him in her letters and I would often see him lost in thought during a lull in the battles with the same eyes he had when he was talking to Dorea. He never admitted it, but that look was reserved only for Dorea" he finished.
He paused and went back to thinking for a few minutes before continuing.
"During the 3 weeks it took for me to recover Charlus and I formed a tentative friendship. We found we had a lot in common and we were fighting for similar things. It was the second week that he truly surprised me though" he said extracting another memory and placing it into the pensieve.
"This is a short memory Mr Potter, but one that will give you a little more of an idea of the kind of man your Grandfather was" he said entering the pensieve.
Harry followed suit and found himself back in the bedroom they had left only minutes ago.
The younger Arcturus was in the same bed but looking considerably healthier than he had in the last memory. He was sat reading from a book on duelling when Charlus entered the room.
"Black" he greeted in his usual tone. "If you're going to be coming back with me to fight then these spells will be useful for you to know" he said handing Arcturus a small but fairly thick leather bound book.
Arcturus looked at the book and his eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline at reading the title.
"These are your family spells" he said unable to hide the surprise in his voice.
"They are" Charlus replied. "I just need your vow that you will not share this knowledge with anyone or use these spells against any member of the Potter family" he requested.
Arcturus hesitated for only a second before drawing his wand. He knew the Potter spells were designed for battle and it would give him much more of an advantage in open battle.
"I Lord Arcturus Black swear on my life and magic that I will not share the Knowledge of the Potter family magic with anyone nor will I use the spells against any and all members of the Potter family, so mote it be" he vowed being surrounded by a bright golden glow sealing his oath.
Charlus simply nodded and turned to leave when he was cut off by Arcturus.
"Wait Potter" he said. "Elgar" he called and a much younger looking Elgar appeared beside the bed.
"What can Elgar be doing for Lord Black" the elf asked.
"Can you bring me the Black family spell book" he questioned the elf.
The elf looked at Arcturus and then Charlus with confusion but obediently popped away returning a minute later carrying a similar looking book to the one that Charlus had given Arcturus.
"Thank you Elgar that will be all" he said dismissing the elf.
"Here Potter" he said handing the book to Charlus, who was confused but had a look of new found respect for the young man.
"Share and share alike" Arcturus said simply. "This has to stay between us though, I'm sure us sharing our family spells would not be well received" he said seriously. "But this is a dangerous war, what we share could save our lives and I fully intend on coming home when it is all said and done" he finished looking determined.
"Of course" Charlus replied and gave the same oath Arcturus had moments ago. With that they settled down and began to read.
Harry was again pulled from the memory and looked at Arcturus questioningly. "Why would sharing spells be frowned upon?" he asked the older man.
"Family spells are created by the family and are supposed to remain a secret. They can offer you a distinct advantage in certain situations" he explained. "The Potter family magic is largely battle magic used in fights, not for duelling. The spells are designed to maim and kill. The Potters' are famous for having warriors in its lineage and their prowess on the battle field is quite legendary, you saw for yourself what Charlus was capable of and a lot of that was the Potter magic" he explained further.
Harry was surprised to learn that his family had their own magic but was more surprised at the nature of it.
"The Black magic is based mostly on curses it's effective in battle too but focuses more on one to one fighting" Arcturus continued. "We shared our spells knowing that it would give us a whole new advantage. Your grandfather gained a great arsenal of curses and counter curses that would make any wizard envious. I gained the knowledge and spells of the best battle magic available and let me tell you that book gave me spells that saved my life on numerous occasions" he said gravely. "We studied those books intently for the last 2 weeks and practiced each other's spells until we perfected them. For some reason the different magic came easily to us, something we didn't understand at the time. We came to believe much later that we took to the different magic because we had formed a bond on the battlefield when we fought together for the first time. We both saved each other a few times that day. You saw how we fought together and how we shielded each other during the fight. It seems that from then are magic connected in some way and made learning each other's family magic quite easy" He shrugged.
Harry nodded to show that he was still listening and again waited for the older man to finish his thoughts.
"We returned to Normandy when I had fully recovered and immediately Charlus was put in command of a foreign battle group of around 100 wizards and witches" Arcturus continued after a short moment. "He placed me as his second in command for reasons unknown to me and we fought side by side for the next 2 years. In those 2 years we fought together, ate together and slept in cots next to each other often saving each other's lives and bonding in ways that can only be achieved in war. We garnered quite the reputation on the battlefield for being ruthless and even Grindelwald was wary of us. Since the day Charlus got him with that cutting curse he avoided him. He knew that Charlus was not an easy fight and he couldn't afford another blow to his reputation. The war was finally going our way and we were pushing them further and further back and Grindelwald knew eventually he would have to confront our group personally. He did just that in his typically cowardly way" he spat, his voice laced with bitterness and venom.
He took a minute to compose himself and released a deep breath.
"We had finished fighting for another day and we returned back to camp victorious. As we entered the camp Charlus was handed a letter that he read and simply fell to his knees. I tried to ask him what was wrong but I could get nothing from him. Eventually he handed me the letter and the reason for his state was obvious, his mother had died of dragon pox the week before. He was distraught and I didn't know what to do for him. He said nothing and went to bed" he explained sadly.
"I woke up the next day expecting Charlus to have left to handle his Mothers' funeral but he was still there and on the surface he looked as he always did; calm and composed and ready for the day" he continued. "The truth was something had snapped within him. I could see it in his eyes that he wasn't really there his mind was elsewhere and he was acting purely on instinct. We went into battle that day as we usually did and Charlus was even more merciless than I had ever seen him. I'd seen him use the Black spells often but he tended to avoid the darker ones that were designed to give a slow and painful death, but not on this day. He was so focused on punishing as many people as he could curse that his usual battle technique was abandoned. We would always fight side by side but on this day, try as I might I simply could not keep up with him and that's when it happened" he said angrier than Harry had yet to see him.
He took another deep breath and swallowed.
"Grindelwald appeared out of nowhere behind Charlus" he said grimly. "I tried to get to him but I wasn't quick enough" he continued shaking his head with apparent guilt. "Before I could get to him Grindelwald had already fired the curse at Charlus' back and he dropped, I was sure he was dead. The bastard just laughed. I fired curses at him and he vanished like the cowardly shit he was" he continued shaking with fury. "I managed to get to Charlus and was shocked to find him alive. I knew he only had minutes to live so I did all I could and apparated him to St Mungo's where Dorea had started her training to be a healer. We arrived there and I passed out from exhaustion, I wasn't as powerful as Charlus and was already exhausted from the battle, apparating that distance is very draining. I woke up 4 days later to the news that Dumbledore had defeated Grindelwad in the time I had been unconscious. Charlus was still out of it and would be for a few days more. I knew he wouldn't take the news well and stayed with him knowing he would need someone to be there for him. He had just lost his mother and now his chance to avenge his father had been taken away" he explained looking quite upset.
"Dorea was with him the whole time" he continued. "I think if anyone tried to move her away she would have hexed them something rotten" he mused with a bark of laughter. "She was frantic with worry; he shouldn't have survived that curse but somehow he did. He was the toughest bastard I've ever known" He said more to himself. "I was too naïve at the time to see the way she looked at him, but she loved him which I found out days later" he finished. He drew another memory and placed it in the pensieve.
"If you learn anything from this memory let it be to never punish yourself for things you cannot control Potter" he said sternly. "This is your Grandfather at the worst I have seen him" he finished again the sadness flashing across his eyes. He entered the pensieve followed by an apprehensive Harry.
They landed in a hospital ward clearly in the dead of night. Only two of the beds were occupied; one just behind the pair with the curtains drawn and one in front that was occupied by Charlus with Dorea sat in the chair next to the bed.
"You've been awake for 3 days Charlus and not said a word, please talk to me" Dorea pleaded. "Tell me what's on your mind" she begged him.
"It's over" he said simply. "He took everything from me, even my chance to pay him back for what he did to my father, he cursed me from behind the same way and fled like a coward" he spat bitterly.
"Does that really matter?" she asked. "Isn't it enough to know that he's dead now and can't do to anyone else what he did to you?" she questioned him still with a hint of pleading in her voice.
"No it's not enough" He snapped. "I wanted to get the bastard myself for what he did to me and now there's nothing left, what can I do? How can I live with myself knowing I failed at the most important thing I'd ever have to do in my life?" he asked begging her to give him something.
"You find something else that can be that important to you" she said as if it was obvious. "Do you think your mother and father would want you to punish yourself for something you couldn't control?" "Grindelwald feared you Charlus, why do you think he avoided you? You already beat him long ago so you need to let. It. go" she said emphasising every word with a sharp prod in the chest.
"And what if I can't" he asked harshly.
"Then you will always be a bitter man who never got over himself" she answered. "Do you remember what I said to you when you brought Arcturus back to your house after he was injured?" she questioned.
"You said a lot Miss Black" he pointed out.
"Don't be so petulant" She scolded. "I told you not to lose yourself in the pursuit of vengeance, do you remember? I told you you were too good a man to let that happen" she said repeating the words of years gone by.
"I'm not a good man" he whispered. "I'm a failure, how can you even look at me when I can't even face myself without feeling ashamed?" he asked her bitterly.
"Because I love you you idiot" She blurted grabbing hold of his hospital gown tightly. She took a deep breath and continued. "I've loved you since I was fourteen years old, since that day you saved me. I didn't fall in love with you because of that" she added. "I fell in love with you because I saw something special in you that I knew I would never see again. I saw a boy who defended me from his own, a boy who walked right into the enemy's common room and faced all of them down just to make sure that I was ok. I saw a boy who would do the right thing no matter what he had to do to get it done. I saw a boy who didn't care about my name or my family defend me when he could have just walked away and not get involved. I saw a boy that in that moment only cared about me and how I was and didn't care about the consequences. I saw a boy lose all of the privileges he had worked hard for and who served detention for the rest of the year selflessly and never once wanted anything in return. In that boy I saw the man that you would become and I fell in love with you even more" She finished breathing heavily. "I tried not to love you" she continued. "I tried to block it out and wished so hard that those feelings would disappear because I knew I could never have you" she said tears streaming down her face. "The only thing I wished for more was a way that I could have you and that you would return those feelings so we could be together" she finished emotionally exhausted.
They stayed silent for some time Charlus trying to take in what he had heard and Dorea trying to compose herself. She eventually turned to look at him again tears still in her eyes.
"If you really have no other reason to live for but your petty vengeance then you really aren't the man I fell in love with" she said sadly. "The man I fell in love with wouldn't let one setback ruin his life, he would keep fighting for the people who can't fight for themselves as he always did before. If you can't do that then you're clearly not the man I thought you were" she concluded sounding broken hearted. With that she left the room and Harry felt himself pulled from the memory much to his dismay.
Harry sat on the edge of the bed again lost in his own thoughts. He was angry at his Grandfather for his pettiness. Throughout that memory he himself had wanted to shake Charlus by the shoulders and scream for him to snap out of it and to stop being a prat. His thoughts were interrupted by Arcturus.
"I woke up the next morning and Charlus had disappeared" he said. "I was so mad at him, I knew he needed his space to deal with his issues but he broke my sisters' heart, I wanted to tear him limb from limb but try as I might, I couldn't find him" he said sounding very annoyed.
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