Again, a new Lord Black wasn't odd so much as odd. Not that there was one as there were plenty cousins all of whom had more or less equal claim to the family magic but it was a surprise as Sirius was the blood heir. And while Albus just couldn't see Sirius taking up the mantle with the depth of derision he held for his family name and heritage, the whole thing was very odd in the timing.
There again, thought Albus as he navigated the corridors and stairs with ease, Sirius had been in the news constantly following his escape. Media attention may have prompted one cousin to assume the Lordship and make a plea on his cousin's behalf. Or maybe Sirius had fled to this cousin and made a deal: Sirius giving up all claim to the Lordship in exchange for getting him exonerated and perhaps a job for a friend? It would explain Remus Lupin's immediate success in finding alternative employment. No matter…Albus was sure all would be revealed in time.
So, Albus wasn't alarmed by a new Lord Black appearing on the scene. The Black family had been powerful and traditionally Dark but the old alliances were broken and Albus couldn't see someone like Lucius Malfoy simply accepting an usurper in his dealings with the Ministry. And if this was a Lord Black that had taken the position at Sirius's behest then Albus wasn't overly worried as he doubted Sirius would have approached someone truly Dark. No, there was no need to assume a political threat until more was known about this Lord Black's agenda.
The more immediate wrinkle was Sirius himself.
In hindsight Albus wondered if it wouldn't have been better to have pushed Cornelius for a trial the night Sirius had been locked up in Hogwarts. Albus could have offered his personal protection and insisted on due process under the auspice of his Chief Warlock authority. From there he could have controlled the issue of Harry's custody – using the debt Sirius would owe him to convince him that the boy remained with the Dursleys. But Albus had decided at the time that he couldn't take the risk; Sirius as a fugitive made it easier for Albus to keep Harry safe, and so he had determined to simply allow Harry to help Sirius escape – after all, Sirius was innocent and didn't deserve to be incarcerated or Kissed. Albus regretted more than he could say not visiting the boy in Azkaban and not ensuring there was a trial – the chaos of the end of the war and his own grief at the various losses were poor excuses for his inattention in that regard despite being the truth of why he hadn't.
However, Sirius was now exonerated; he was free to try for custody of Harry and, from the press over the past week, the wizarding world was eager to give it to him. Albus had lost a great deal of leverage because he'd had nothing to do with securing Sirius his freedom. It wasn't a disaster – the good news was that Sirius remained abroad, whereabouts unknown, and Harry was safely away with the Dursleys. If there was a move to award Sirius custody, Albus was certain that he could advise a long period of convalescence for Sirius after his ordeal in Azkaban before any access to Harry was allowed.
And beyond that… he had confidence in his own ability to persuade Sirius to his point of view that Harry was safest at the Dursleys. After all, Sirius had acquiesced to that view on the fateful night of the Potters' deaths when Albus had arranged for Hagrid to collect Harry from the wreckage of the Potters' home. Although possibly, Albus mused, back then Sirius had thought the plan to hide Harry with the Dursleys was a temporary one – and it had been until Albus had discovered the blood protection Harry carried. Maybe he would have to give up the secret that Harry's blood carried within it his mother's sacrifice; that it was renewed under the blood wards she had left around her sister's home and imbued back into those very same wards by Harry residing within them. The advantage it gave far outweighed any other consideration.
Like the boy being raised by people who loved him.
It was deeply unfortunate that the Dursleys hadn't accepted Harry; hadn't loved him. Albus had hoped Minerva had been wrong about the kind of people they were but Arabella's first report to him only a few months after leaving baby Harry with them had left him with little doubt she'd been perfectly correct in her concerns. Albus had felt a twinge of conscience about removing the Potters' will from their solicitors at that point but by then the poor Longbottoms were no longer viable contenders to look after young Harry, Sirius was in prison, and Minerva…well, he was certain she would agree him which made the Tonks' claim moot.
And the Dursleys had looked after Harry; housed him, clothed him in a fashion, fed him poorly perhaps but enough, and through their example of how not to behave, Harry had grown into quite a splendid young boy.
No, Harry's home life wasn't ideal but it was sufficient and more importantly, the blood protection Harry carried was maintained which was the important thing; it had already saved his life once more. Sirius would understand the necessity of leaving Harry with the Dursleys when Albus explained it. He was certain of it.
Albus entered the Great Hall in good spirits then. The holiday seating was out: one long table in the centre of the hall. He sat down in his usual chair which had been placed in the middle of the right hand side.
Minerva had chosen to sit opposite him rather than beside him, (she still hadn't forgiven him for barging in on her meeting with Remus at the beginning of the week, and for not yet having his promised discussion with Severus), but Filius was on his left as normal and Severus had taken the seat to his right. Pomona Sprout was across from the Potions Professor, rounding out the Heads of the Hogwarts Houses, while Poppy Pomfrey sat opposite Filius. Hagrid was at one end of the table, Argus Filch at the other. The rest of the staff had already been released from their duties and had departed for their holidays – or in the case of Sybill Trelawney retired to quarters.
Albus let their conversation – a mix of glee at the absence of students, irritation at the end of year bureaucracy and paperwork, and anticipation of their holiday plans – drift over him as he tucked into a bowl of porridge with warm honey. Instead he focused on the vexing problem of Tom Riddle. He was confident that defeating him was still achievable.
He had spent years suspecting that Tom hadn't died the night he had attacked the Potters, based on his discovery of a vile soul fragment of the evil wizard within Harry when he had examined him in the Hogwarts' infirmary. It had horrified Albus and the staff with him – Hagrid who had brought Harry to Hogwarts, and Poppy, who had been administering healing. Albus had no idea how to remove it and had settled for binding Harry's magic to ensure the fragment was kept weak. Then he'd erased Hagrid's and Poppy's memories of Harry being there and what they had learned: he couldn't risk news of the soul fragment – or indeed the blood protection which he'd also discovered – leaking out to the general public. He'd sent Hagrid off with the child to Privet Drive on the motorcycle, beating him there easily, and allowing Hagrid to think he'd come directly from Godric's Hollow.
.
.
.
.
.
🎉The novel is available in PDF with more than 400 chapters, visit us in our Ko-Fi store🎉
🎉ko-fi.com/gokublack444🎉