Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter
November 15th, 1969
The first two months of classes at Hogwarts were largely uneventful. Life in Slytherin House was much more low-key than I had expected. The transfer of Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange to Durmstrang has played a large role in that. Reinhardt Lestrange wasn't a complete idiot, apparently. Seeing the normally controlled and emotionless Arcturus Black look as angry as he had made him realize that his sons would not survive a year at Hogwarts in the same house as the Black sisters and their allies. Which was unfortunate, as it would have been rather easy for them to kill the two future Death Eaters and make it look like an accident.
My yearmates in Slytherins are a mixed bag. There were two first room dorms, and I was roomed with Cyrus and Eric, so that was an excellent situation. Our other roomate, Hadrian Pucey, was decent enough. The other three boys are not the nicest bunch. Loran Bole and Terrence Derrick were neither bright nor polite. Bole and Derrick were often compared to third year Slytherins Crabbe and Goyle, who were cronies of their fellow third year Lucius Malfoy. Considering Warrington was their leader like Lucius was, it was a rather accurate comparison. Some things never change, and apparently the arrogance and entitlement was a genetic trait for Draco in the stories. Both Lucius and Warrington were abnoxious and ambitious snobs, although I was treated with kindness due to my name. But I found their kissing ass routines to be rather pathetic. I am certainly not going to let Narcissa marry Lucius.
The girls in Slytherin were also a mixed bag. Adrianne Shafiq and her friends Ramona Turpin and Samantha Smith seemed like the decent sort, and quickly joined my friend group. They were tolerable, unlike Alberta Runcorn, whose brother Albert was a third year Slytherin, or Mafalda Hopkirk. Alberta was loud, opinionated, and abnoxious, especially on the subject of blood status. And while Mafalda was quiet, she was also a blood supremacist and a snob. But worse was Alberta and Mafalda's choice for their other friend in the first year.
When I had heard the name of Dolores Umbridge called during the Sorting, it took a considerable amount of self control not to start cursing. Umbridge had always been one Harry Potter character I had always thought I would shank on principle if I had been a student at Hogwarts in 1995. As it was, I wasn't sure I would make it through seven years without arranging an unfortunate accident for her. She was completely awful, even at eleven. I had never hated anyone in either of my lives more than I hated her after three months. She was unfortunately smart enough not to comment on my aunt and uncle, though. I could have ruined her for that with a few words to my grandfather.
The deaths of Cygnus and Druella Black were not commented on by the other students of Hogwarts except for the largely insincere condolences made by the Heirs of Noble Houses. Slytherin House knew better than to mess with the House of Black and were gauging the sister's reaction to their parents death. Even their cousin, fourth year Slytherin Evan Rosier, had hardly discussed the death of his aunt and uncle with them. He was angry at Lord Black, but had probably been instructed by his father to keep that to himself. Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa had been instructed by Arcturus to keep any feelings they had on the fate of their parents to themselves as well. House Black needed to show a united front, after all.
Ravenclaw was taking a similar route as Slytherin and studying the reactions of my cousins whenever Arcturus Black or the rumors of a new Dark Lord were mentioned. One of my Ravenclaw friends I had made, Kingsley Shacklebolt, said that the upperclassmen had been impressed by the evasiveness and control shown by the historically passionate Black sisters. Kingsley and fellow fraternal twin Ravenclaws Ranek and Shanti Patil had joined my friend group alongside my fellow Slytherin year mates Eric Potter, Adrianne Shafiq, Ramona Turpin, Samantha Smith, Hadrian Pucey, and Cyrus Greengrass.
Hufflepuff was either too nice or politically neutral and didn't comment. Unsurprisingly, the most sincere condolences came from that house, mainly from one fifth year prefect in Hufflepuff, Edward "Ted" Tonks, to my cousin Andy. Knowing the future is awesome sometimes and I fully intend to enjoy knowing how that relationship turns out. Especially since I can already see sparks flying there. Getting Kingsley and the Patil twins was inspired by my knowledge. But all three had become good friends regardless. Cyrus and Eric were already true friends beforehand, and no future knowledge would have ever impacted those two relationships.
Gryffindor had surprisingly said absolutely nothing to anyone in my family about the death of Cygnus and Druella Black. It wasn't until I heard a conversation between sixth year Gryffindor Bilius Weasley and a sixth year blonde Hufflepuff girl (whose name I didn't know) that I found out why.
Apparently, a mouthy third year was trying to be clever in the Gryffindor common room and made a crude pun on how our last name made us all dark wizards, and how it had led to my aunt and uncle's death. Unfortunately for him, the comment had been heard by Head Boy and Heir of the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom, Reginald Longbottom. He was the older brother of fourth year Gryffindor Helena Longbottom and second year Gryffindor Frank Longbottom. And he had not been pleased by the comment, especially since it was made in front of his fourteen year old sister.
Reginald had grabbed the foul-mouthed third year, Barnabus McLaggen, by the robes and slammed him up against the wall. "If I ever hear you or anyone else in Gryffindor say something like that again, I will take you down to the dungeons and make you repeat it to the Black sisters and their cousins. And knowing Bellatrix Black and Evan Rosier, you'll probably be spending the next month in St. Mungo's Spell Reversal Ward," he said angrily, with a fierce expression that made everyone present sure that he would follow through on his promise.
Upon hearing what had transpired in Gryffindor's common room, two thoughts came to mind. One, Barnabus McLaggen was going to have a miserable next month or so getting hexed and pranked. I made a note to talk with Eric about that, he would definitely want in. Maybe Cyrus as well. Two, I found myself thinking how ironic it would have been if Reginald was the one that Bellatrix had been betrothed to. Though that wasn't going to happen for a number of reasons, it was a nice thought. Once it had become public knowledge that the eldest daughter of the House of Black was single and unintended, betrothal offers had been flooding Grandfather's office, along with several for Andy and Narcissa.
This presented quite the dilemma, in my opinion. Bellatrix was extremely fascinated by the Dark Arts, and had learned at the feet of our mad Aunt Cassieopia and her mother. In another world, she would be marrying Rodolphus Lestrange and become Lord Voldemort's lover and most devoted follower. She would become a insane murderess that was completely obsessed with murdering and torturing whoever she pleased until she was finally put down. But thanks to my meddling, Bellatrix would never become a Lestrange, and would only be able to become a Death Eater if her husband was. Granted, she was still rather insane if you asked me.
Because Bellatrix would be of age in one month, the pressure to make a match that would be profitable for the House of Black was considerable. The most powerful and impressive betrothal offer was from The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Dolohov, who had an eligible heir in twenty-three year old Vladimir Dolohov. And the Dolohovs were royalty in the Wizarding World.
They were closely related to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Romanov, which was as famous in the Wizarding World as they were in the mundane world. A Wizarding family ruling an entire country was practically unheard of. Since the Romanov dynasty had begun before the Statute of Secrecy was made into law, they had been mostly left alone for almost seventy years. However, magic had died out in the blood of the royal family, so the Romanovs had folded to the pressure from the ICW, leaving the magical side in the Wizarding World and their Squib relatives in the Royal family in 1762 with the death of Empress Elizabeth. The Romanovs were still ruling Russia in the Wizarding World though, with the elderly Tsar Peter X currently ruling the monarchy there.
The current head of the House of Dolohov was the right-hand man to the Tsar, as his ancestors had been for the last 150 years or so. They wielded a tremendous amount of wealth and political power, so the political and financial gains from the match would be significant. As it stood, Vladimir was fifth in line to the throne, after the Tsar's fourteen year old son, ten year old daughter, and Vladimir's father. The Tsar hadn't sired any heirs until well into his sixties, as he had been the second son until his older brother and his family had been killed by Grindelwald and his followers for opposing him in 1945, four months before Dumbledore defeated the Dark Lord in a duel. Peter's infant nephew had survived, but had perished at the age of fourteen due to a deadly magical illness that had swept across Russia claiming hundreds of lives. And so Peter became Tsar in 1959.
The only problem in my book with this match was that his younger brother, twenty-one year old Antonin Dolohov, was a Death Eater in Voldemort's Inner Circle. But Vladimir wasn't marked when he met with my grandfather. Which meant that Voldemort hadn't marked him. And Grandfather had signed the betrothal offer, making the engagement of Bellatrix Black to Vladimir Dolohov official. Something that I couldn't blame him for. The chance to tie the House of Black to the prestige and wealth of the House of Dolohov was too impressive to pass up. The wedding would be over the winter holidays in Tsar Peter's party manor outside Moscow. Yeah, he has a party manor. Apparently the Russian royal family are extremely paranoid about people knowing where they live, which is understandable considering their status. The Blacks have one too, so I suppose that it's not just the Russians who are paranoid. Considering our family though, our paranoia is extremely justified as well.
I am quickly realizing how little I knew about this time period. There was a few things that he did know, but most of them were things that I couldn't change unless I wanted to become a serial killer hunting Death Eaters and make myself and my family even bigger targets for Voldemort and his minions. And considering that he has five Horocruxes at the moment and I am only eleven years old, that would be a absolutely terrible idea.
So, trying to keep my cousin out of Voldemort's hands would have to do for now. Good thing he doesn't know that I'm the one behind it. In the meantime, I was determined to enjoy being a kid at a school for magic. Learning and having fun were my top two priorities at the moment. But I plan to wait until the Marauders come to Hogwarts in two years to start unleashing my prank ideas. I am a Slytherin after all, and having both the Prewett twins, who are Gryffindor pranksters in my year, and the Marauders to blame appeals to me.
December 27th, 1969
The Tsar's party palace was rather impressive, I have to admit. Makes me wonder what his house looked like. My father looked rather jealous, which is extremely hard to do to someone who grew up with the extensive power and wealth of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. I have always been of the opinion that such lavish palaces and manors were pointless, unnecessary and an extension of the owner's massive ego and desire for attention. Which is something I will never ever say in front of a rich pureblood, especially my father and grandfather. They would not be amused.
My grandfather had informed me that the marriage contract had specified that Vladimir would not join any terrorist organization. Nor could he allow Bellatrix to join. And because of the contract being a legally binding magical contract, he would lose his magic if he did. So Bellatrix and Vladimir Dolohov would never be joining the ranks of Voldemort's Death Eaters. Instead, they would both be living in one of the Dolohov's manors outside of Moscow, about a hundred or so miles from here.
This was the best scenario in my opinion. She would be safe and happy with Vladimir, in my opinion. She would be out of harm's way when Voldemort started his campaign of terror. And while she might agree with the Dark Lord's agenda, if I was put in harms way, she would come after him in all of her fury. She was extremely loyal to me once she was told that I was the one that found her marriage contract to Rodolphus Lestrange, and that it wouldn't have been found if it wasn't for me. Now, there was only one person that she would kill for, and it wasn't the Dark Lord or Vladimir Dolohov.
The wedding went off without a hitch. Narcissa and Andromeda were Bellatrix's bridesmaids. It was a very traditional and boring pureblood ceremony. It was easily the most boring wedding I have ever been to, in either of my lives. Sirius and Regulus had gone home with father shortly after the ceremony, as no one trusted a bored Sirius. There was a chance that he might cause an international incident with his antics. That left me sitting alone watching the rich lords and ladies play politics while waiting for the ball portion of the reception to begin.
Most of the other young children my age had been sent home by the time the dancing started, with the exception of the daughters of the rich purebloods that were obviously being shown off like prize mares, Narcissa and Andromeda among them. The youngest male heirs still present were of age or close to being so. I have never been fond of all the political posturing at these parties, and I felt rather sorry for my cousins. All I had to do was be a polite little lording when I was spoken to, which wasn't often since I was only eleven. They were the ones that had to deal with them all night.
I did have to admit the guest list was extremely impressive, as dignitaries from what appeared to be every Ministry of Magic in Europe and Asia were there. The Dolohovs, my grandfather, and Romanovs had certainly spared no expense and gone all out. I could see Minister Jenkins and my grandfather speaking with Tsar Peter and the Russian Prime Minister of Magic. My grandfather had pointed out several ministers and important dignitaries to watch, and important heirs to talk to. Fortunately those conversations had been short, as even the ones that recognized my intelligence and status were more interested in the single ladies in the room. It wasn't until I approached the heirs of the royal family heirs in their private booth that my streak of boring but informative conversations ended.
"Greetings, Prince Romanov. And Princess Romanov. My name is Krios Black, Heir of the Most Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I was hoping that I could have the honor to have a moment to speak with your Highnesses?" I asked, making sure to address them with the respect their status demanded. They had a few guards beside them, so I felt that doing so would be beneficial to my health.
"Of course, let him through," the Prince said, looking rather exasperated as he waved the guards aside. I couldn't blame him, being sucked up to by pretentious lordlings is an exhausting experience. I handed my wand to the guard before I stepped in, much to his suprise. I just gave him a look.
"I would have thought you would be more careful. I could be an imposter under Polyjuice Potion or under the Imperius Curse. Honestly, what is the point of having guards, your Highnesses, if they are this incompetent? Especially at such an exposed event such as this?" I asked the prince and princess. I was rather suprised for a reason. The Queen Mother had been poisoned four years ago. The King would have been killed if the Queen hadn't drank and collapsed before he could take a sip of the wine. The guard responsible had committed suicide before he could be questioned, leaving the King extremely overprotective of his children.
"That is an excellent question, Heir Black. One should never assume that a threat doesn't exsist based on appearances. I will make sure to talk to my father about this," the prince said, looking rather angry at his guards. He was understandably still upset over his mother's murder, and was well aware that the guard most likely hadn't acted alone. The party responsible was undoubtedly still at large.
I walked past the rather embarrassed and nervous guards and took a seat across from the prince and princess. "Thank you Heir Black for your interest in our safety. If I may, why did you say something? Most lordlings such as yourself would never give up your wand voluntarily no matter the circumstances," the Princess asked, giving me a calculating look.
"Natalia!" the Prince exclaimed looking scandalized at the blunt questioning of his younger sister.
"It's quite alright, your Highness. To tell you the truth princess, my grandfather and your father are old friends and allies. I remember how the death of the Queen had saddened him when he had received the news. Not only is it my duty to protect our families to preserve that alliance, but it an honor as well. I sincerely hope that we can renew that friendship and alliance," I said with a smile.
"I appreciate that Heir Black. We do not have many friends that would be willing to give up their wand for our safety," the Prince said with a small smile after a moment of stunned silence from the royal heirs at my words.
"In the interest of not starting our friendship on a lie, I have a confession to make. Your guard is holding an ordinary stick. My wand is in my dress robes," I said, smiling sheepishly.
The prince and princess stared at me for a moment. Then, the princess started giggling, which somehow caused the prince to burst into laughter as well. "Well played, Heir Black, well played," the prince said with a smile after managing to gain control over his amusement.
"Thank you, your Highness. And please, call me Krios," I said with a smile.
"Only if you call us Boris and Natalia," the princess said, her eyes twinkling mischievously. The prince nodded his agreement after glaring at his sister slightly in exasperation.
"As you wish, Prince Boris and Princess Natalia," I said with a mischievous grin, causing the prince to burst into laughter again and the princess to roll her eyes at me.
"So, my father tells me that you just began your study at Hogwarts. What is it like?" Natalia asked.
"Despite our Founders dreadful ability for naming things, it's truly an incredible castle. The ceiling in the Great Hall is enchanted to look like the night sky. And don't even get me started on all the hidden rooms and passages in the castle," I told them.
The conversation continued for quite some time, with the topics ranging from Hogwarts to Prince Boris's private studies in magic from hired tutors to our family lives. I knew that I had made two good friends tonight. It wasn't until I looked up at the guard approaching us that I realized that the party was pretty much over. Only my grandfather, father, Narcissa, Andromeda, Tsar Peter, Lord Dolohov, the Russian Prime Minister of Magic and a group of about fifty guards remained.
"Your Highnesses, Heir Black, your fathers wish to depart," the guard said nervously. We allowed the guard and three others to lead us to the fireplace to Floo home. As we said our goodbyes and my grandfather, father, and cousins disappeared into the Floo, I noticed a few things about the guards surrounding the prince and princess. One, they looked rather nervous. And two, they smelled like the Polyjuice Potion from the storeroom in Black Manor. I realized that the Royal Family was in grave danger.
Fortunately, the Chief of Security realized it the exact moment I did. "Imposters!" he yelled, and drew his wand at the guards around us. I quickly drew my wand and shot a banishing charm at the closest guard, knocking him backwards.
"Run!" I yelled, pulling the prince and princess out of harms way. Fortunately, the guards nearby were too preoccupied trying to protect themselves to stop us. The bad news was there was more than a few imposters in the Royal Guard. And they were being led by the Russian Prime Minister of Magic, who was shouting orders to kill us. I saw Lord Dolohov fall dead to a jet of green light from the wand of the Russian Prime Minister as I ran, shielding our back with my Shield Charm. But I also saw the Chief of Security Dissapparate with the Tsar to safety. The roar of anger from the Prime Minister was evidence that they had missed their target.
I led the prince and princess down a hallway away from the fight and into a room. I quickly barricaded the door with both magic and furniture with the help of the prince. "There. That should hold them for now," I said, wiping a bead of sweat from my forehead.
"I can't believe that the Prime Minister would betray us like that. He was one of Father's most trusted advisors!" Prince Boris said in disbelief.
"Power and ambition tends to corrupt the minds of those weak enough to give into it. At least they failed to kill you and your father," I said with a grimace.
"How are we going to get out of here?" Princess Natalia said fearfully, her pale face shining in the darkness of the room.
Before I could answer, the door handle rattled. "They're in here!" the voice of a guard shouted.
"Gremlin! Get us out of here!" I yelled, calling for my personal elf. He appeared within seconds of my call. And just as he did, the door exploded, revealing what was likely the only two guards that survived the skirmish in the hall and the Prime Minister.
"Black Manor!" I yelled, and Gremlin disappeared just as the guards casted curses where we sat hunched together. I turned my back to shield them as Gremlin worked his magic. If they hit Gremlin, we were all dead. I heard was the voice of my grandfather when we arrived. "Orion, get Dorea, now!" And then I knew no more.
Arcturus Black couldn't have been more proud of his heir as he watched him talking and laughing with the Prince and Princess. He knew he had made the right choice in allowing his heir to remain at the wedding despite his age. He had no worries about leaving his grandson behind to say goodbye to his new allies, knowing that he was responsible enough that he would be following him in a timely manner. But when he didn't come through the Floo, he began to worry. And when he showed up with the prince and princess covered in blood that was coming from his back where he had undoubtedly taken a curse protecting them, he had felt fear for the first time since the war against Grindelwald.
He quickly had Orion call for Dorea, who was a Healer at St. Mungo's. The prince quickly explained that they had been betrayed and attacked, and how Krios, his heir, had saved their lives. And while Arcturus couldn't help but feel a burst of pride for his grandson's heroics and quick thinking, he was terrified that it would be at the cost of his own life.
Dorea quickly rushed into the room. After muttering a few healing spells, she turned to Arcturus. "He took an extremely dark curse that appears to be trying to rupture his organs. I've managed to stop the progress of the curse, but we need to get him to St. Mungo's immediately in order to save his life," Dorea said, her face conveying how serious the situation was. Arcturus nodded.
"Go," he said. Dorea nodded, and conjured a stretcher and Flooed herself and the stretcher to St. Mungo's. He then turned to the pale-faced prince and the tear-streaked face of the princess. "Gremlin, lead the Prince and Princess to our finest guest rooms. I must go to Russia and ensure the safety of the King," Arcturus told the scared house elf. Considering how attached the creature was to his grandson, he could see why.
"Yes Lord Black," the House Elf said with a bow, and led the prince and princess away. The Lord of the House of Black then muttered a few spells and then turned to his son. "Inform Alphard of what has happened and bring him here. Do it discreetly, I am not ready to deal with Dumbledore yet," Arcturus told Orion.
"Yes father. I will not fail you," Orion swore, before heading to one of the other fireplaces in the Manor that Arcturus wasn't about to use.
"See to it that you don't," Arcturus said, before calling through the Floo to the King's private quarters. "Peter! You there?" Arcturus called. He heard a chair knocked over as the King scrambled towards the fireplace, despite protests from his security.
"Arcturus, my children! Have you seen them? Are they safe?" Tsar Peter asked, obvious concern etched on his face. He had seen Krios Black lead them away from the fight before being taken to safety and had hoped that he had managed to get them away somehow.
"What was the name of my first crush?" Arcturus asked him seriously.
The King smiled slightly as he answered. "Your cousin Callidora Black."
"Yes they are safe. My heir called his personal House Elf and had him bring them here. He took an extremely Dark Curse shielding your children with his body. He's at St. Mungo's now, and he's in critical condition. And I want to know exactly why that is the case," Arcturus said, his anger evident.
The King paled. He knew that friendship or not, he had better provide answers. He knew that there was no one that Arcturus Black loved and cherished more than his heir. It was in this moment that he was extremely fortunate to have the men responsible in custody. He quickly explained what had happened and that the Russian Aurors had arrived quickly on the scene and had captured the Prime Minister and the two remaining guards. There was no doubt that they would be executed for the murder of Lord Dolohov and almost forty Royal Guards, including the ones that had been impersonated. Vladimir had already been informed. Antonin had recently been disowned due to his new allegiances to the Dark Lord, so they hadn't bothered to inform him. Apparently the Dolohovs weren't fans of their members being branded like livestock either.
"I understand you want blood for this, old friend, but I have already promised Vladimir their heads for the death of his father," the King said nervously, hoping he would understand and keep this from being even more of an international incident than it was. Both of his heirs owed Krios Black a life debt, and if the boy died, Arcturus would undoubtedly demand the heads of those responsible as payment for one of the debts, as they would pass to him as Head of House. If Arcturus made this a problem, he would have to give him what he wanted. And he didn't want to disrespect the House of Dolohov any more than the House of Black, as both were extremely dangerous enemies to have.
"He can have them on the condition that his wife, my niece, assists him. It'll be far worse for the traitors that way. Bellatrix is extremely fond of my grandson, and I have no doubt that she will wish to express her displeasure with some of the old Black family spells," Arcturus replied after a moment, grinning viciously at the thought.
"I am sure that Vladimir will agree you that," the King said in obvious relief. "Vladimir will have no desire to have that woman angry at him when he has to sleep with her to preserve his family line," Tsar Peter thought with a slight shudder. He had only spoken to the bride for a few moments, but it was long enough to privately thank the stars and whatever deities exsisted that Vladimir was loyal and on his side. Having that woman after his head along with the other members of the House of Dolohov would most certainly end the reign of the House of Romanov.
The next few days were filled with anxiety and fear for his grandson for one Arcturus Black. He, Dorea, Alphard, and Orion took turns staying by Krios's hospital bed. The prince and princess had been sent home once they extracted a promise from their father that they could visit as soon as Krios was well enough. The princess had refused to leave without it. This of course had both Orion and Arcturus thinking about a marriage contract between Princess Natalia and Krios when they were older. Considering how ambitious they both were, this idea would have suprised no one if they had heard it.
The Daily Prophet had gotten ahold of the story and proclaimed Krios Black a hero. Arcturus found it ironic that the story didn't even have to be sensationalized, as it was incredible on its own. Although that didn't stop the Prophet from claiming that Krios had created a Portkey to save the Prince and Princess from danger. Arcturus didn't bother to correct them. He preferred the credit to go to his grandson. Let the masses keep believing House Elves were inferior and not worth noticing. Although he did check and make sure that Black Manor had wards against Dark Wizards with House Elves.
Fortunately, at least one of his ancestors had thought of that. Those with intentions of harm couldn't get in that way. Funnily enough, only Azkaban was protected from that. And that was probably the work of the original owner. The Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts were not, although he had no intention of telling anyone that. Too many opportunities to exploit in the future. The idea of sending his house elf into the Minister's office to spy on her, for starters. Arcturus had always wondered what the nerds in the Department of Mysteries got up to in the lower levels of the Ministry. Krios was definitely getting an increase in his allowance once he woke up.
Krios POV
It was a week after the attack before Krios Black woke. Arcturus was the one staying with him at the time. "Ughh where am I?" I groaned. My muscles felt extremely stiff. I suddenly remembered what had happened, and that I had been hit by a curse.
"You're in St. Mungo's, Krios. You gave us quite a scare," Dorea said, as the wards had apparently alerted her that I had awoken. She forced me to choke down some of the most awful concoctions I had ever tasted. I sputtered indignantly as I swallowed.
"Damn it, Aunt Dorea what the hell was that for?" I asked my aunt in outrage. I mean, the first thing she did when I woke up from a coma was shove that nasty crap down my throat!
"Language, Krios. Your Aunt has been the Healer in charge of your care and the reason you are alive. We weren't sure that you were going to make it, you know," my grandfather said sternly. I could see the relief and worry in my grandfather's eyes. It was nice to know that he cared.
"Sorry, Aunt Dorea," I said softly, feeling thoroughly chastised.
"That's quite alright dear. I managed to convince the other healers to allow you to go home. However, you will be having a week of bed rest before you are allowed to return to Hogwarts and I will be putting you on a potion regiment that you will be following," Aunt Dorea said sternly. Her eyes were the only thing that conveyed how much she cared.
"Yes, Aunt Dorea," I said, knowing arguing with her was a losing battle. Plus, I really didn't want to stay at St. Mungo's. I have always hated hospitals. My grandfather filled me in on everything that had happened while I was in the hospital. Hogwarts had started yesterday, so I would be missing a week or so of school. Sirius had been driving everyone insane with the antics that he had been pulling trying to "cheer everyone up" in attempt to take his mind off his brother's condition. He had escaped severe punishment only because it had in fact cheered an extremely gloomy Regulus up.
Bellatrix hadn't returned to Hogwarts, having already taken her NEWTS early. Apparently this was a good thing, as Grandfather had received a letter from the Headmaster complaining that one Barnabus McLaggen would be spending the next week in the hospital wing after insinuating that the school was better off if Krios died. And Narcissa and Andromeda had been hacked off to say the least.
I have no idea what family spell they used to turn the boy into a banana slug for a week, but I was rather impressed. Especially since both the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall were Transfiguration prodigies. And both Andromeda and Narcissa had refused to change him back. Arcturus had sent a Howler telling the Headmaster that he was proud of his nieces and that the boy was lucky that Bellatrix had graduated. Apparently the Headmaster had received the letter at breakfast this morning, thoroughly chastising the Headmaster. Apparently the entire Great Hall had heard Lord Black's accusations that he actively protected and allowed bullying.
This had lead to a rather long argument over the Floo. It was safe to say that nothing had been accomplished from it and both men were extremely unhappy with each other. Personally, I agreed with my grandfather. Bullying had always had a free reign at Hogwarts, especially with Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster. There was little anyone could do about that with Dumbledore's power and influence at Hogwarts nearly untouchable at the moment.
Although, my grandfather did convince the Wizengamot to appoint a different representative to the ICW, as he had voiced his opinion that three positions was too much work, even for someone as powerful as Albus Dumbledore. Fortunately, the majority of the Wizengamot agreed. The defection of the Black seat from the traditionally Dark faction of the Wizengamot to the Neutral faction had actually given Arcturus even more sway than he had before. The Dark faction didn't dare to speak out publicly and call him a blood traitor, and the Light faction couldn't afford to alienate him as the new leader of the Neutral faction either. It was a beautiful situation for us.
Over the week that I was at home, Sirius and Regulus hardly left my side. It took me an entire two days to convince them that I was going to be fine. Even my father was somewhat parental for once. Honestly, Dumbledore would probably faint from shock at seeing how familial the Blacks were right now. It actually took a couple days for the shock and gratitude to give way to irritation over having to stay in bed. It was the third day that my bedroom was graced by visitors that I had honestly not expected, despite the fact I had saved their lives.
"Krios, you have visitors," Dorea said poking her head into the room where I was currently chatting with my brothers. The door opened and a blur of blonde hair few towards me, and somehow I was suddenly being embraced by the crying princess of Russia. I looked up and saw her brother and father standing in my room, chuckling at the princess and my likely stunned expression. To be fair, I doubted I looked as ridiculous as Sirius and Regulus did seeing the King of Russia in my bedroom. Actually, never mind I felt my jaw drop upon realizing that the King of Wizarding Russia was in my bedroom. Merlin's Pants!
"Your Grace," I stammered slightly through the surprisingly crushing hug of the ten year old princess.
"Natalia, be careful Heir Black is still healing," the King said with a chuckle.
Natalia quickly let go. "I'm sorry, are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?" the princess asked.
"No, you're fine. I'm healing rather quickly. I'm honored that you have come all this way to visit, your Graces," I said, quickly trying to gather my wits. I really did not want to make a fool out of myself in front of the King.
The King waved his hand dismissively. "The honor is ours, Heir Black. If it wasn't for you, both of my heirs would have been killed and the House of Romanov would have ended with me. The House of Romanov is in your debt, and we acknowledge that both my heirs owe you a life debt," the King said. I could feel the magic in the air as the debt was acknowledged. I had completely forgotten about those. And of all the possible people to owe me a life debt, it was the Prince and Princess of Russia!
"I accept your thanks and acknowledge the debt. However, I believe that I must take some time to consider how or when I wish the debt to be repayed. I confess that you have caught me off guard," I told them, still rather shocked at what just occurred.
"That is understandable. Just know that if you ever need anything, the House of Romanov will be there to honor our debt," the King said.
"Thank you, your Grace. Although, I only did what anyone else would have done," I said numbly.
The King smiled at this. "Heir Black, I think we both know that is not true. You are a hero to my family and the people of Magical Russia. Never forget that," the King said, as he turned and left the room. Boris then turned to me.
"When you first offered your hand in friendship, I expected that you would be another superficial friend trying to curry favor. I was wrong. I am honored to have you as my friend and hope that someday I can repay my debt," the prince said clasping my hand in gratitude. I shook it, and thanked him. The princess just blushed, handed me a letter and squeaked a thanks before rushing out of the room. Boris shook his head, chuckled, and followed her out of the room.
A moment of stunned silence followed, before Sirius had to break it with an inappropriate comment. "Is it just me, or is the princess in love with you?" Sirius asked me with a grin.
I glared at him. "Out!" I shouted, ordering him and Regulus out of the room. The laughing boys fled the room, singing something about me and the princess sitting in a tree. I swore to hex the hell out of those two when I got my wand back.
AN: hope you liked the update. I have not given up on my crossover fic, and I intend to update it in the next couple of months or so. This is a fic that I have had in my head for months now and is one I will be updating soon. Enjoy!