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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 65: The Favor
"I thought you intended to wait longer before meeting with him." James closed the door after entering the studio.
Pollux sat on his chair and let out a loud sigh. The man was clearly exhausted but refused to show any weakness in front of his family.
"It was not my idea. I barely left the bed since I took that potion. I thought I was not going to make it..."
"I see... so today..." James didn't know much about Voldemort during his early years as a Dark Lord.
All his information came from hearsay and old stories told by people who lived through those harsh times.
He learned that Voldemort had begun recruiting ancient pureblood families to his side during this era, and that he was a very charismatic man at the time. Unlike the fearsome half-man, half-snake he remembered interacting with.
It was not surprising he was now targeting the House of Black, as it is one of the most ancient and rich ones out there.
'I wonder how many other houses he already has on his side.' James thought.
"You could have warned me about the side effects." Pollux's grumbling interrupted his train of thought.
"Side effects?" James asked.
"Didn't you hear me? I spent the last few days in bed. I could barely eat or move. I bet Druella was already getting ready to celebrate my death."
"That just happened because the curse was too advanced already, and I didn't warn you because I hadn't known the state of the curse. But a few days of discomfort are better than death," James commented.
Pollux could not argue with that. Since yesterday, he had begun to feel much better and now... he could tell that all his strength was coming back. "So... am I really cured?"
"You are. But feel free to consult some healers to confirm it, don't just take my word for it."
Pollux nodded. "I will do that too. In the meantime... thank you, Mister Potter."
"No problem. We are distant relatives after all...I do have to ask though, about the artifact that you got the curse from, I hope you have it well secured. There is still the possibility of someone else being affected if they interact with it."
"It is inside my private vault. No one will be able to touch it there." Pollux responded.
"An old family relic?." James recalled being inside the Black vault a couple of times. There wasn't much left during his time. But a few cursed artifacts were still there. He never had a chance to take a closer look at them, as the Ministry took possession of the illegal items.
Pollux negated with his head " It came from an old friend. He sometimes sends me interesting items he finds during his travels."
James didn't want to say it out loud, but if this came from someone else, there was a chance that this was not an accident.
Pollux didn't revealed who this friend was, but he could imagine it must be a Lord from another ancient pureblood magical family. And if that was the case, he could be someone who Voldemort has already on his side.
His Godfather, Sirius, would rarely speak about his family, but there was one occasion when he mentioned that his grandfather had passed away while he was still studying at Hogwarts and that it made the living situation at home much more tense than before.
This was one of the reasons he hurried to get away from that house, even before finishing his education. Luckily, the Potters were there to take him in.
Without his intervention, this would have happened again, in just a bit under a year from now.
'Was Pollux's original death a murder or an accident?.' James wondered.
The old man smiled, unaware of James' thoughts. "Now it is my turn to keep my promise to you. I will take a proper look into the Lestrange House and decide if the union must be kept or shall be broken. And as for that favor you asked at the end... we don't have much time to prepare, I'm afraid..."
James had requested to be present during his meeting with the Dark Lord. This was not a small request, as the rest of the family was definitely going to complain, but he wanted to see him in person and hear what kind of promises he was making to bring all these powerful houses to his side.
Neither of them had expected that the meeting would occur right before the end of the Christmas break, but a month or two from now instead.
That would have given them some time to investigate Voldemort a bit and learn about his current state and which families he had already convinced to follow him.
"Yes, that was very unexpected, I will admit that much." James said.
"My son Cygnus had taken over my duties while I felt unwell. Although I have no doubt that the decision to push for this did not come from himself, but from the mind of his wife, Druella. The woman is a true Slytherin... ambitious, calculative, and cruel. And Walburga is not much better either."
James had only known Druella for a short bit and could still agree with Pollux.
Walburga... he knew her a bit better. Not her in person, but the ugly living painting she left behind during his time. That thing was the most terrifying object in the entire house, and it took a lot of effort to get her out.
"Can you get me into the room with this Dark Lord?" This was the favor he had requested at the end. To be present during their meeting with Voldemort.
He knew it wasn't going to be easy. Not only was he not a member of this family, but he wasn't even an adult yet. James Potter had no business in there, but if anyone could make it possible, it was this man in front of him.
"Mmm, leave it to me. I can still keep my family in line when I need to." Pollux gave him a look filled with confidence. "I'll figure something out."
<><><><><><><><><><><>
House of Black, Main Hall. Late afternoon.
"Father? What is the Potter boy doing here?" Walburga glared at James with disgust, who was sitting on the left side of the patriarch.
"Why is he still here?!" Druella had to control her tone to avoid shouting. "And why is he sitting there?"
"Our... guests are about to arrive. Surely... this is not appropriate." Cygnus moved his dark purple eyes between James and his father, Pollux.
"I have to admit... I am curious too." Cassiopeia sat on the other side of the patriarch. As his sister, she had stakes in the whole successor debacle and always remained very neutral. But she couldn't help but wonder why her older brother would bring this young boy here.
Orion Black was also eyeing James with curiosity but did not utter a word of complaint. Sirius's father had always been a solemn man, who only spoke when he felt it was necessary. A very big difference when compared to his wife.
"So... this is my new apprentice." Pollux pointed at James. "And he will be staying for this meeting."
"You took an apprentice?" Cygnus exclaimed.
"You want this brat to stay in the presence of our esteemed guest? That's outrageous!" Walburga could not contain herself any longer.
"Not even our own children are allowed into this meeting. Why would he get to stay here?" Druella wondered what Lord Pollux was plotting with this move. But she felt like a lot of information was missing.
"Brother... what is going on?" Cassiopeia glanced at him with mixed feelings. "First you announce to us that you are dying, and now you want to take the Potter heir as an apprentice?"
Druella gasped at the realization. "You are not really intent on making this boy your heir, right? You can't do that! That would be more than just a breach of protocol, it would be a betrayal to your family."
Walburga spoke next. "Father? If you are still feeling unwell, perhaps it would be better if you went back to rest. Obviously, your mind is not—"
"Enough!" Pollux's fist hit the thick wooden table with such force that it created a crack across it.
There was a long silence after that, which ended up being broken by Kreacher's sudden arrival.
"Master... the guests are here."
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