Friday, 21st June, 1991
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The last day of the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s ended with a rather silent relief. The entire school seemed exhausted, drained of all its energy, but the Fourth Years and below were still excited for the weekend.
And there was good reason for their excitement, even though the summer holidays would begin a week later.
The Broom Race League House Trials were going to take place tomorrow, and on Sunday, the Black Lake Regatta was going to be held. From Monday until the following Friday, the students would be competing to secure the 100 House Points and medals in the Broom Race League. The following Saturday, the Great Hall Culinary Clash would excite their taste buds, and the Great House Talent Gala would be their farewell to the school year.
After the Gala, the results of the First Years to Fourth Years and the results of the Sixth Years would be announced. As for the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, the results would not be released until the end of July.
For now, however, almost everyone was trying to forget about their examinations. Except for two girls who, right after dinner, pulled Altair to their suite and sat him down, scrutinising him.
"What?" he curiously looked at Aurelia and Cho, who simply kept staring at him.
"What happened between you and Nymphadora?" Cho asked, and Altair raised his brow at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you two ignoring each other?" she inquired, furrowing her brows, and Aurelia looked curious as well.
"I have noticed it too."
"I thought you wanted me to ignore her." He smiled at the Malfoy, but she did not smile back.
She narrowed her eyes instead, and he chuckled.
"We are fine. She probably needed to focus on her N.E.W.T.s, and I did not want to disturb her either. These examinations are very important for her since she wants to become an Auror."
Even though they felt there was something he was not telling them, they nodded, and then Choxue excitedly grabbed his hand.
"Ambrose, Aurelia, you, and I will be representing the First Years of Slytherin in the Broom Race League."
"I think we already knew that, Xue'er." He smiled as he stood up and stretched his arms. "Go and get changed. I will then take you to a very secret and special place."
Their eyes widened at his words, and without wasting any time, the two rushed to their room, leaving him chuckling.
Of course, they knew where he was taking them. He had promised to take them to the secret place he disappeared to every other night.
"Let us go." Cho was almost bouncing with excitement, brimming with it, and Aurelia, as always, was trying her best to remain composed.
"You promise never to speak about this place to anyone?" he playfully asked, and both rolled their eyes at him and practically dragged him out of the room.
Soon, however, both stopped, realising they could not simply leave the dormitory. Then they felt as though a veil had surrounded them.
The two girls remained very quiet as Altair, his hands locked with theirs, led them out, and no one seemed to see them.
Their questions never made it to their tongues because soon they were travelling down an ominous, dark corridor, and after a while, they felt slightly dizzy.
Their minds almost blanked out, and when they regained clarity, they found themselves entering a tunnel-like aisle. The heavy metallic vault door closed behind them, and only the sound of their footsteps echoed in their ears.
"Welcome to Salazar Slytherin's solar," Altair gently said as the door to the chamber opened, and the two girls remained rooted to the spot, too shocked to respond. "Come in." He released their hands.
Aurelia and Cho saw him bow to someone, and then they heard a voice, which prompted them to instinctively step inside and see who it belonged to.
"So, these are your future wives of House Black?" the old man in the portrait scrutinised them, and Altair nodded before glancing their way.
"Aurelia, Cho, meet my ancestor, Lord Salazar Slytherin."
It was quite amusing how they were both sweating now, and without wasting another second, they bowed deeply to the portrait.
"Sit," the old man commanded, and Altair gestured for them to take their seats at the desk.
Cho nervously glanced at him when he simply walked towards the bookshelves, leaving them alone to converse with Salazar. She was scared, truly scared.
Her eyes landed on the portrait again, and she had to admit that he looked very different from the image she had imagined. He did not look like a wizard dabbling in the Dark Arts, but rather like an old man who had not lived an easy life. He looked wise with his iron hair and noble without doubt.
Unlike her, Aurelia was very curious and not shy at all as she answered all the questions Salazar asked her. Most revolved around Altair, their families, the history of the Malfoys, and she responded to everything to the best of her knowledge.
Eventually, seeing how amiable the old man was, even taking interest in their lives at Hogwarts, Cho soon relaxed. She happily sat there conversing with the founder of Hogwarts, a legendary wizard whom their world both admired and feared.
By then, she was certain that the secret Heir of the Slytherin line was none other than her fiancé. And it was something she would never speak of to anyone.
Altair allowed them their conversation, paying it little attention. He sat in the corner reading a book, completely engrossed, yet he could tell that Salazar was genuinely pleased to have more people to speak with.
The old man was unusually gentle with both Aurelia and Cho, almost like a grandfather with his granddaughters.
He even told them stories from his life on his own initiative and seemed proud of the awe on their faces at his escapades.
"Altair, let us go back."
The young Black was lost in his thoughts and the book when he heard Aurelia call to him, and he instinctively looked up at the enchanted ceiling.
Standing, he returned the book to the shelf, bowed to Lord Salazar, and sighed inwardly when he heard his ancestor command him to teach Aurelia and Cho a spell of his choice.
It was remarkable how energetic the two of them were despite having stayed up all night, and even as they returned to the dormitory, where everything, thankfully, seemed normal, they continued chatting in their suite.
Cho felt as though it were a dream. She had never expected to meet Lord Salazar Slytherin one day, hear his stories, and hold a long conversation with him. Brimming with a myriad of emotions, she hugged her cat tightly, planting kisses on its head from time to time.
All three of them then prepared for breakfast and left early.
Since the examinations had ended the previous day, everyone was very tired and sleeping in late. In the Great Hall, only a few people were present, mostly staff.
Aurelia and Cho sat on either side of Altair and silently ate their meal. Neither hesitated to eat their fill, and they patiently fed their two cats as well.
Towards the end of breakfast, Madam Hooch approached them, and Altair, who had finished eating and returned after washing his hands, quickly stepped forward.
"Mister Black, Mister Rosier has informed me that you, Miss Malfoy, Miss Chang, and Mister Ambrose wish to represent the First Years of Slytherin in the Broom Race League."
"Yes, Madam." Altair politely nodded.
"Those who are part of the Quidditch squads do not need to go through the trials. Enjoy your day off, and tell Mister Ambrose to relax as well."
"Thank you, Madam." He smiled, and both Aurelia and Cho stood as Madam Hooch took her leave.
Since they now had the day off, both changed back into their pyjamas and went to their room to sleep.
Altair, however, retired to his study inside his trunk.
As soon as he sat at his desk, he leaned back and silently stared at the ceiling. In his mind, the conversation he had with Nymphadora over forty days earlier replayed.
She was strong, yet so frail. It was quite remarkable how intense she was, and a smile crossed his lips at the madness reflected in her eyes.
As much as he liked her, Altair knew that her demand was unreasonable, and it was not even a matter of discussing it with his mother, who was the Head of House Black, and Aurelia, who was the future Lady of House Black.
Even if they agreed, he would never agree, and he knew that neither of them would ever consent to it either.
Nymphadora wanted the Black name, but unfortunately for her, he would never compromise on it. She was not a Black and would never be one.
Yes, it was not her fault, and neither did he look down upon her, but some things were simply not within one's control. Sometimes, you had to accept the hand dealt to you by Fate. If she wished to blame anyone, she could blame her mother, whose choices resulted in her birth as a quasi-pure-blood.
He had already given her a choice, a sincere and honest one, more than most would offer. A choice not only for her but also for her legacy, and although it upset him how long she was taking to decide, Altair did not wish to force her into anything.
Even if she needed the next two years to reach a decision, he would wait and respect her request that he keep his distance.
Yes, she had asked him to stay away after he refused what she wanted.
Sighing, he picked up parchment and a quill to write letters to Eléonore and Fleur. He shared anecdotes since their last exchange, the Quidditch matches Slytherin had won, wrapping up the season with six victories out of six. He also described the experience of examinations at Hogwarts, which had been quite an experience indeed. He asked about their plans for the summer holidays, inviting them to Buttermere.
Once he finished, he folded the two letters with magic, placed them into enchanted envelopes, sealed them, and stepped out of the trunk.
It was a pleasant sunny day with a clear sky, at least for now. The weather here was always unpredictable, something he actually enjoyed.
Crossing the viaduct, he arrived at the Owlery, slightly surprised to see Gemma descending.
She stopped and smiled brightly at him, and he returned the smile.
"Good morning, My Lady." He politely greeted her, taking her hand and planting a kiss on her knuckles, and she curtsied respectfully in return.
"Good morning, My Lord."
Gemma silently followed him upstairs, where they found Strix silently perched atop a stone owl, bathing in sunlight.
She watched him show affection to his familiar, speak quietly with it, and then entrust it with the two letters.
Lady Dumbledore never asked who the letters were for, and as they descended the stairs, she began chatting with him, confidently stating that she would earn Outstanding in all her subjects.
Altair did not doubt her in the least. She had worked tirelessly and was fulfilling one objective after another that his mother had set for her.
"I suppose you will not allow me to participate in the Black Lake Regatta." she teasingly said, and he chuckled.
"You are not permitted to participate in that competition, My Lady."
"And your wish is my command, My Lord."
When they entered the castle, they crossed paths with Nymphadora, who was walking with Professor Montclair.
"Morning, kiddo." She smiled at him, unwilling to let others sense there was anything amiss between them.
"Good morning, Cousin," he replied, then politely greeted the Professor.
"Looking forward to the holidays, Mister Black?"
"I am, Professor. It has been a long year."
"It certainly has." Professor Montclair nodded, then asked Gemma to accompany her.
Altair watched the three of them depart, likely heading towards Hogsmeade, and remained standing there until they were nearly out of sight.
Nymphadora turned around. Their eyes met from afar, and when she disappeared behind the trees, he stepped away and headed back to the dormitory.
He had something in mind now that he wished to create for her.