It was approximately ten minutes later when another commotion arose on the lawn. The reason: Narcissa Black was returning with a man.
The man appeared old—in his late sixties by Muggle standards, though in reality, he was much older. He possessed dark black hair and equally dark eyes. The man stood over six feet tall, and despite his advanced age, his presence loomed around him.
A single glance at the man was enough to discern that he was a man of stature, a man of strength, a man of influence, and a man of power. This man was the Lord of the Black Family—Arcturus Black.
As he walked across the lawn, a look of awe could be seen on the faces of many in the younger generation of wizards and witches. The legendary Arcturus Black was before them. Apart from members of the highest-ranking families, other wizards and witches rarely had the opportunity to see such a renowned man.
Within moments, he had traversed the distance and reached near the pinned Rodolphus Lestrange.
"Lord Black," the nearby wizards and witches greeted him respectfully.
Arcturus Black gave a noncommittal nod, acknowledging only one person: "Malfoy."
"Lord Black," Lucius repeated the greeting, a look of genuine respect etched on his face.
The man had the capability to unsettle anyone with his gaze. Even though Arcturus did not utter a word, Lucius felt as if the Black Lord was scrutinizing him inside out.
"Rodolphus," Arcturus turned and gazed at the pinned Lestrange heir.
"Lord Black," he pleaded. "Please save me. I am suffocating."
Arcturus did not immediately respond to Rodolphus's pleading, gazing at him for a few moments. He then let out a sigh, pointed his wand at the chain, and a spell left his wand.
The moment the spell struck the chain; they crumbled and withered away like dust. This demonstrated the power of Arcturus Black. A single glance was enough for the Black Lord to undo the spell cast by Antonio.
Rodolphus was finally free. He immediately scrambled to his feet and bowed before Arcturus Black.
"Thank you, Lord Black," he said. "Thank you very much."
Arcturus snorted, "Save your thanks, Rodolphus. If this were not a party organized by my family, do not even think that I would have bothered with you."
"I learned from Narcissa what happened," he continued. "I will never understand what Cygnus and Druella see in you that they are willing to marry their eldest daughter to you."
"You not only disrespected the person you wish to marry," he said with squinted eyebrows, "but what you did was a direct insult to the authority of the Black family."
Rodolphus reeled in shock and fright upon hearing this. Although he had been aware of his actions, he had not anticipated this consequence, nor that Lord Black would be the one to utter these words.
"This gathering was organized under the banner of my family name. Antonio Olario, a lord of a magical house, was a properly invited guest at this party, hosted by none other than my eldest grandchild."
"What will Lord Olario say? That the Black family cannot even manage to give their guests the respect they deserve?"
"Lord Black…" Rodolphus stammered.
But Arcturus cut him off, "Learn to be better, Rodolphus. I am starting to worry about what will happen when you assume the Lestrange Lordship."
With this, he turned to walk away when Lucius interrupted him.
"Lord Black," he said with a smooth tone. "If I may ask something."
"What is it, Malfoy?" Arcturus inquired.
"I was wondering if you could tell me about the spell that Lord Olario used and what you used to counter it?"
"It was the first time I have seen such a spell."
Arcturus chuckled, "I have never met this Antonio Olario, but one thing is certain: he is a very fine wizard."
"All of you should be wary of him, especially if you intend to provoke him again."
"And what will you do with the spells, Malfoy?" Arcturus questioned with a slightly mocking gaze. "I doubt that you will ever use them."
"After all, you believe in politics, smooth talk, and blustering your way out of any problem."
With this, Arcturus marched away, while Lucius turned stiff. Although Arcturus had been amiable with him on the surface, the last line was a clear mockery of the Malfoy heir. And this was not the first time he had been insulted by the Black Lord.
Although Arcturus had snapped at Rodolphus as well, he and the Lestrange Lord shared a much warmer relationship. It was more akin to an elder scolding a child.
However, the Black family and the Malfoy family had been rivals for quite a long time. Although they had maintained a pleasant relationship in the current era, the tension between the two families was ever-present.
Lucius clenched his fists and tightened his jaw. He took deep breaths and used his Occlumency to calm his nerves.
He knew that this was not the right time. He knew that his time would come soon, when he would dominate the Black family. The time would come soon when he would make the Black family dance to his tune.
Arcturus might not live to witness all this, but Lucius was determined to have his revenge.
#
#
#
[Checkout my P@treon at [email protected]/theimaginarywriter for advanced chapetrs. Replace @ with a.]
[Add the story to your collection and send some power stones. Rate, Review and comment your thoughts about the book.]