"Asterion!"
Hearing his name called, Asterion looked towards the door and saw Narcissa entering the living room. Her pale hair was loose, cascading over her shoulders and back, and she wore a simple black dress.
Narcissa seemed much freer than before, not as serious as when she got divorced; the divorce really helped her readjust her life.
"You've arrived at a great time, Cissy." Setting aside the box containing Hufflepuff's Cup, Asterion spoke calmly.
"What do you need me to do?" Sitting beside him on the sofa, Narcissa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked with a serious look.
"An informal gathering, drinks and cigars, for our guests." Asterion replied, his red eyes glowing momentarily.
He couldn't believe all the Noble Houses had surrendered to a crazy psychopath who kills on a whim. Even the stupidest person knew that aligning with someone like that was a huge risk, especially with this civil war about to break out.
"Has something very serious happened?" Noticing the seriousness hanging in the air, Narcissa's gaze moved between Asterion and Arcturus.
"Voldemort has returned." Placing the cigar between his lips, Arcturus replied, releasing a trail of smoke into the air. His cold and indifferent eyes hid a faint murderous intent that lingered in the air.
The image of Regulus's body returning in a coffin couldn't help but appear in the old patriarch's mind.
A shiver ran through Narcissa's body upon hearing the cursed name, her face paled as she relived some memories of encounters she had with the Dark Lord.
After a prolonged silence, she asked, "Another war?"
"Just a civil war within the faction, but I do not rule out Dumbledore entering the war." Asterion replied, his gaze thoughtful.
Taking a deep breath, Narcissa tied her hair into a ponytail and responded as she stood up from the sofa. "I will make the preparations; the entire living room will be ready to receive our guests tonight."
"Thank you, Cissy, your help at this moment is crucial." Asterion thanked her with a smile on his lips. Without Narcissa, planning a last-minute party would be a challenge for him and Arcturus, as neither of them knew anything about organizing parties or gatherings among nobles.
In the future, as his wife, Daphne would be responsible for these types of formalities, such as parties and informal gatherings. It wasn't just Daphne; one could say that in British society, women were essential for these types of tasks.
Giving Asterion a kiss on the cheek, Narcissa hurried out of the living room; she had much to do and plan. At times like these, she missed her sisters, even the crazy Bellatrix.
"I hope many come." Flicking the ashes into the ashtray, Arcturus sighed with a touch of weariness in his tone.
"Those who don't come are enemies of House Black." Rubbing his forehead, Asterion replied exasperatedly, feeling a prolonged headache, apparently another side effect of the surgery.
"Not many in the first place, Voldemort left a deep mark on his own allies, especially after the revelation of his mixed-blood origin." Arcturus spoke, with obvious sarcasm at the mention of Voldemort's mixed-blood heritage.
"Hiding will give an impression of fear to his allies, so he has to choose a good location for his base and start preparing for war." Arcturus continued. "That filthy rat is probably at Lestrange Manor or Malfoy Manor."
Asterion nodded. War wasn't as simple as one might imagine, no matter how many men you have, without logistics behind it, everything will collapse like a house of cards.
Arcturus looked at his thoughtful great-grandson and couldn't help but let out another heavy sigh laden with guilt and helplessness.
"Sorry to make you bear this burden when you're so young, Asterion." He said, his voice tired. Arcturus knew he didn't have much time left, but he really didn't expect that at the end of his life, he would still be part of another war.
"If you want to be king, you must bear the weight of the crown." Asterion responded to Arcturus's words with another phrase, one that made the old patriarch smile.
"Yes." With a nostalgic smile, Arcturus closed his eyes and replied peacefully. "Old age is affecting me, sometimes I forget my own principles."
Both remained silent after this conversation, enjoying the warm and comfortable silence before the fires of war engulfed England once again.
-
Later that night, more and more guests arrived at Black Manor, men and women, all of noble origin and powerful wizards, mainly those with an aged appearance, all of whom emanated powerful and sharp auras like swords ready to be drawn at any moment.
These elders were of the same generation as Arcturus, invited by the patriarch himself, perhaps the last request before his death. All experienced individuals who had spent decades fighting between life and death.
In the Living Room, everyone was seated in elaborate armchairs and chairs, a large amount of accumulated smoke hovered in the air.
The patriarchs of Noble Houses sat on the right, with their wives on the left.
"I will be direct and to the point." Sitting in the main chair, Asterion looked at everyone present, his demeanor calm and composed, even under numerous gazes. "Voldemort has returned."
The murmurs that had filled the room almost immediately ceased completely.
"From this moment on, those who have come to this meeting will be my allies. I will protect you as your future leader." Although his voice was calm and cold, it somehow soothed the entire room.
"Voldemort is not the problem." Everyone listened intently, the mere mention of his name made some present shudder, showing the monster Voldemort was. "The only problem in this civil war is that in the end, we will be even more weakened. We won't have as many seats in the Wizengamot as before. Dumbledore will take control of the Wizengamot."
The tense atmosphere was revived once again with Asterion's words. The Wizengamot was created by them to remain in power after the dissolution of the old Wizard's Council.
The smartest among them had already guessed what was about to happen.
"Counting everyone present at this moment, we have seventeen of the seventy-two old noble houses that founded our society." Asterion continued. "Now, like our ancestors, we have two options in front of us."
"Continue with the Ministry of Magic or dissolve the current regime and found another."
When Asterion's voice fell, everyone became lost in thought, all deeply considering his words. What they were discussing was not irrelevant; it would change the entire internal and international landscape.
"What do you propose, Lord Black?" An elderly lady asked, taking the lead.
"We won't be able to stay in power within the Ministry of Magic, even with the Neutral Faction on our side." Asterion's gaze fell upon his future in-laws, Aurelius and Helena Greengrass, next to them, the youngest daughter of House Greengrass, Astoria Greengrass.
As for Daphne, she was sitting right next to Asterion, holding his hand the entire time.
"I propose we create another governing body." Asterion spoke with determination.
Honestly, there was another option, to use the Lesser Noble Houses to occupy the seats of the Great Houses that had disappeared over time, but that was impossible. The power of the Extinct Noble Houses had already been distributed among the Great Noble Houses over millennia. Decentralizing at this moment was a risk of rebellion that Asterion didn't want to take.
Thus, creating another governing body was essential, especially so that Asterion and the Noble Faction could still have power in the future. Otherwise, with the few seats they had left in the Wizengamot, Dumbledore would create more and more laws gradually stripping them of their powers, and they would no longer be as powerful as before.
The Noble Houses that founded the British wizarding society and influenced the entire world in ancient times will gradually be sidelined for a filthy democratic future where Muggle-borns and half-bloods gain more and more power.
"What new governing body would that be, Lord Black?" Arthur Nott, father of Theodore Nott, asked.
Looking at everyone present, Asterion spoke.
"The Clock Tower."
"Clock Tower." Everyone murmured, rolling the word around in their mouths as if tasting its meaning.
"The Clock Tower," Asterion replied solemnly, meeting Arthur's gaze. "It would be a governing body comprised of a parliamentary table of Twelve Lords, elected with five-year terms subject to reelection. The Clock Tower will be a place of politics and innovation. It will be the center of our society, a place where our magical civilization begins to advance, surpassing all others."
"And how would we do that?" Aurelius Greengrass asked, his question striking directly at the heart of the matter.
"All Noble Houses, regardless of who they are, must open their libraries and place their legacies in the Clock Tower." Asterion said, but only silence responded.
------------------
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Next Chapter: 87 - Civil War (3), 88 - Civil War (4), 89 - Civil War (5), Chapter 90 - Civil War (6), Chapter 91 - Battlefield (1), Chapter 92 - Battlefield (2), Chapter 93 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (1), Chapter 94 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (2), Chapter 95 - The War Intensifies (1), Chapter 96 - The War Intensifies (2), Chapter 97 - The Death of Voldemort (1), Chapter 98 - The Death of Voldemort (2) And end of the first volume.
Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 99 – Decision (1), Chapter 100 – Decision (2), Chapter 101 – Decision (3), Chapter 102 - The Black Sisters (1), Chapter 103 - The Black Sisters (2), Chapter 104 - Rose's Past (1), Chapter 105 - Arrival of Country Representatives (1), Chapter 106 - Arrival of Country Representatives (2), Chapter 107 - Arrival of Country Representatives (3).
Asterion's proposal made everyone hesitate. They were not noble solely because of innate skills; the monopoly of knowledge was what made them superior to Muggle-borns and half-breeds. While Muggle-borns only began studying at thirteen when they went to Hogwarts, descendants of noble houses started from childhood, laying a solid foundation for their future. Giving up this advantage was something they were reluctant to part with.
"As the future Lord of House Black, I will be the first to open the library of House Black. The entire legacy of House Black over a thousand years will be placed in the Clock Tower Library to be accessed at any time," Asterion said, seeing everyone hesitating, including House Greengrass. He wasn't surprised. He expected this when he proposed it, so Asterion was the first to set the example.
Asterion's words widened many eyes; the idea of freely accessing all the knowledge of House Black, successor to House Slytherin, made everyone look at Asterion with warm gazes, almost as if they were admiring a beautiful woman.
Asterion knew that knowledge was a tempting weapon, used by those who knew how to manipulate it to establish the foundations of human society, creating a society like no other, differentiating humans from other magical sentient races.
No wizard would resist the temptation to obtain all the knowledge of a Great Noble House like House Black.
"House Greengrass will also open its entire library," Aurelius, Asterion's future father-in-law, said, supporting the idea. There was a smile on the man's lips.
With Aurelius's words, other patriarchs made their decisions.
"House Carrow..."
"House Shafiq..."
"House Yaxley..."
Listening to everyone, Asterion firmly held Daphne's hand and could barely stop himself from smiling. The first part of his plan went so smoothly that it surprised even him. Asterion even thought of sending a gift to Voldemort for making things easier for him. And the gift he would give to his father's killer would be a slow and painful death.
"Will Dumbledore accept this new government?" Arcturus asked, calming everyone present. Yes, Dumbledore had to accept the new government so that the Ministry of Magic could peacefully and orderly dissolve without bringing too much chaos to the country.
Taking a sip of wine, Asterion wasn't dissatisfied with his great-grandfather's words; it was a very important question in the first place. Savouring the wine for a moment, Asterion swallowed the purplish liquid and calmly replied, "Dumbledore will accept it. The Clock Tower will facilitate the rise of Muggle-borns in our society." His words made everyone's faces darken; the idea of Muggle-borns freely enjoying the knowledge accumulated by their ancestors left a bitter taste in their mouths.
"I know what you're all thinking, but consider a different angle," Asterion didn't need to read minds to understand what was going on in these people's heads. "We will still be in power. Our knowledge will be used to foster new innovations in our society; we can use this to our advantage without attracting too much hatred. In other words, the future creators of these innovations will have to sign a profit-sharing contract, or they won't be able to patent their own creations."
This made everyone feel better. Yes, as long as they were in power, they could create laws to prevent certain unpleasant things, like the possible future tide of democracy coming in like a tsunami.
"But, before we begin our preparations, I know many of you were Death Eaters," Asterion spoke, grabbing everyone's attention again. A slight tension hung in the air, anticipating his next words.
"I don't trust you," his words were direct and to the point. "But for this to work, we need to have a certain level of trust among all present."
"I propose an Unbreakable Vow for all of us," he continued without waiting for anyone's reaction. "This Unbreakable Vow will be performed during a ceremony for each new member of our Faction. In other words, my children, your children, grandchildren, and future descendants will be required to make an Unbreakable Vow to ensure the security of the interests of our noble houses."
Although Asterion knew that the Unbreakable Vow wasn't so unbreakable, given that the vows of Dumbledore and Grindelwald were broken, but the Unbreakable Vow was still the most powerful binding method in the wizarding world. Which was a great solution to the problem of distrust.
Everyone didn't rush to respond, and Asterion wasn't in a hurry at this moment. It wasn't an easy decision to make; it involved the possible survival of their houses. It was totally normal for them to talk amongst themselves.
While everyone conversed among themselves, Daphne approached Asterion more closely and whispered, "You really surprised me; I came urgently after receiving my mother's letter." Her warm breath tickling Asterion's ear.
Asterion looked at her and rolled his eyes. "What excuse did you give to leave Hogwarts?" He whispered.
"I just said that my sister's situation worsened," Daphne replied innocently.
Asterion just shook his head. He looked at his friends accompanying their respective parents; they were all silent, looking at him with admiration.
The only thing bothering him was that Draco and Dorea weren't present, which meant they were on Voldemort's side, or rather, where Lucius wanted them to be.
Asterion estimated that about half of Slytherin was empty at the moment, which must have surely surprised Snape with so many excuses students used to leave in the middle of the school year. This must have also alarmed Dumbledore, who obviously knew that Voldemort had returned.
"Poor Snape," Asterion pretended to be sad and sighed.
"Please, you must be happy about his suffering." Showing a playful smile, she whispered in his ear as their fingers intertwined.
Squeezing her hand firmly, he casually replied, "I'm not that cruel."
This time it was Daphne's turn to roll her eyes at his remarks.
Remembering something, Daphne whispered to him, "Rose has gotten quite close to Dumbledore recently; she's spent a lot of time in his office."
Asterion was surprised for a moment but calmly accepted the news; it was expected that Rose would side with Dumbledore, especially after the Hogwarts attack.
"Worried about your cousin?" Daphne teased sarcastically, seeing his silence.
"Was that a hint of jealousy I detected in your tone?" Asterion raised an eyebrow and asked, his voice tinged with amusement.
"You went into a broom cupboard with her," Daphne spoke coldly, her voice almost spitting venom.
"Firstly, she dragged me in there. Secondly, nothing happened between us inside the broom cupboard. Thirdly, she just wanted some advice about her life." Holding Daphne's hand firmly, Asterion patiently explained.
For some reason, he found his fiancée's jealousy quite adorable, especially regarding Rose, whom he only saw as a cousin with some parental affection.
Daphne felt like some weight had been lifted off her shoulders hearing his words. Although it was normal for a Lord of a noble house to have lovers outside of marriage, she didn't want that for her future marriage. Asterion was hers, and she didn't want to share him with anyone else.
"Lord Black."
Hearing his name being called, Asterion focused his attention on the guests who had stopped murmuring among themselves. It seemed like everyone had come to an agreement. A good thing in his opinion.
"We have agreed to make an Unbreakable Vow. In the future, our interests are intertwined not only by promises but by blood and magic," Aurelius Greengrass spoke, assuming the role of representative of the nobles present.
Everyone applauded for the wording choices of Daphne's father; the man was a born politician who took on the role of representative in a few short minutes of discussion. Asterion presumed that the man would be one of the Twelve Lords of the Clock Tower in the future, especially with the support of the Neutral Faction, which was not as neutral as before.
Asterion rose from the chair that resembled more of a throne and lifted his wine-filled glass.
Everyone followed Asterion's lead, rising from their seats and raising their glasses.
"A toast to a new beginning and a new era," Asterion spoke, displaying a rare smile.
"A new era!"
"A new era!"
"A new era!"
The patriarchs exclaimed as they raised their glasses high.
Watching everyone like this, Asterion smiled and drank all the purplish liquid from his glass in one gulp.
"My era!"
He murmured to himself.
--------------------------
Support me to write more and read chapters ahead of all regular readers!
P-atreon.com/HPSCB
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
Next Chapter: 88 - Civil War (4), 89 - Civil War (5), Chapter 90 - Civil War (6), Chapter 91 - Battlefield (1), Chapter 92 - Battlefield (2), Chapter 93 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (1), Chapter 94 – Conflicts on the Battlefield (2), Chapter 95 - The War Intensifies (1), Chapter 96 - The War Intensifies (2), Chapter 97 - The Death of Voldemort (1), Chapter 98 - The Death of Voldemort (2) And end of the first volume.
Next Chapter Second Volume: Chapter 99 – Decision (1), Chapter 100 – Decision (2), Chapter 101 – Decision (3), Chapter 102 - The Black Sisters (1), Chapter 103 - The Black Sisters (2), Chapter 104 - Rose's Past (1), Chapter 105 - Arrival of Country Representatives (1), Chapter 106 - Arrival of Country Representatives (2), Chapter 107 - Arrival of Country Representatives (3).
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