Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter or anything else you might recognize
AN: Sorry this update took this long. Between working 50 plus hours a week as a server at a retirement home that has multiple positive cases of COVID, losing my grandfather to kidney failure, and assisting my family with the care of my grandmother who has advanced Parkinson's, I have had little time the last couple of months. A shout out to all those doctors, nurses, and other emergency services working on the front lines during the pandemic. You are all true heroes. I hope you enjoy this update, it may be a while before I can update any of my stories. Thank you for your understanding. Hope you all stay healthy and safe during this time.
Krios POV
My return to Hogwarts next week was looking like it was going to be far more eventful than I had originally expected. Although catching up on my schoolwork was going to be rather simple, I had been away from school for over a month. And as such, I had completely forgotten that the Slytherin-Hufflepuff Quidditch match was to be played in a week and a half. This was a problem, as the Slytherin team didn't even have a single practice with the entire starting team yet.
They had been practicing with the reserve Chaser, third year Emma Vanity, who was reportedly decent. But the new reserve Seeker was a fourth year who had made the team as a reserve Chaser. And the only reason that Albert Runcorn got the spot was because his father had recently been appointed the Undersecretary of the Ministry, and had been arrogant enough to believe he was a good Quidditch player. In truth, he was terrible and didn't belong on the Quidditch pitch.
Unsurprisingly Slytherin Quidditch Captain Steve Laughalot was in a complete panic. Fortunately, he didn't blame me at the moment; or at least that is what I had gathered from the letter that he sent me three days after the duel. I had some doubt that he would continue to feel that way if I failed to catch the Snitch, though. But I had no doubt that I would be able to do so, as I was confident I could beat that pompous windbag Amos Diggory to the Snitch. He may be three years older than me, but I felt that I was the better Seeker. And losing to the Hufflepuffs was unacceptable to me. Despite the fact that they were decent people for the most part, I never could get the idea out of my head that they were the stoner House for some reason.
I knew that my position as Heir Black was the only reason the Slytherins whose families supported the Dark Lord wouldn't dare come after me. I had all but singlehandedly destroyed the House of Malfoy, one of the Dark Lord's most powerful and wealthy supporters. While we still weren't considered enemies of the Dark Lord to the Wizarding World at large, I had no doubt that Voldemort was at least beginning to consider my grandfather as an obstacle that would likely need to be removed. But I doubted he would move against us for a while. Attacking the House of Black would lose him a lot of support that he couldn't afford to lose right now.
I had hired Gringotts cursebreakers to comb Malfoy Manor for anything dangerous. I knew this would be money well spent, especially if Abraxas had been the one to get the diary from Voldemort. It was quite possible that he had passed it down to Lucius when he had died, and Lucius had used it to try and discredit Arthur Weasley in 1992. I knew if this was the case, Voldemort would be coming for it. And since I currently only knew the location of the diadem, I felt it was important to retrieve and destroy the diary. And since Voldemort was reportedly in Albania recruiting, it needed to be done before he returned.
I arrived at edge of the property of Malfoy Manor with my father via Side-Along Apparation the morning after the duel. A team of four cursebreakers waited there, along with a team of four Aurors. I immediately recognized the lead Auror, Arabor Moody. He was an imposing man with several scars lining his face and muscles bigger than my head. The famous war hero had been one of a select group to duel Grindelwald and live. He was in the company of wizards like Albus Dumbledore, Charlus Potter, Newt Scamander, Aberforth Dumbledore, and Doctor Fate. And only a few knew about the latter three, as they had not been public knowledge. Aberforth and Newt had kept it a secret for personal reasons, and the ICW had no intention of informing the public that someone as powerful as Fate exsisted outside their jurisdiction. Bloody idiots had a superiority complex.
Steapa Moody, Arabor's eldest son, stood beside his father. He was also in terrific shape, which was rather rare for anyone who wasn't a professional Quidditch player. The other two Aurors were two other Aurors I didn't recognize. The cursebreakers were two goblins who had been hand selected for the task by King Ragnok himself. He and my grandfather were on decent terms for a goblin and a wizard, and I had apparently made a good impression on him when we had met to discuss the Malfoy fortune.
"What are you doing here?" Orion Black sneered at Arabor Moody, who was glaring at him. Oh, great. They don't like each other. I swear, I can't take Orion anywhere without him causing a scene of some sort.
"I'm sure that Uncle Charlus sent them to see if they could find anything on some of Abraxas's friends. That fucker was the type that would collect evidence against people in order to blackmail them later. I'd imagine that there is a treasure trove of information on corrupt bureaucrats in his office. That's probably why he sent Auror Moody. He may be an utter bastard and a pain in the ass of many of his superiors, but he's a damn good Auror and completely incorruptible," I said, cutting off the inevitable retort from the accomplished senior Auror.
Granted, I had my house elves clean the place of that information already. That and anything valuable. There was no way that I was letting the Aurors take anything from the manor that was valuable to use as blackmail later or valuable artifacts and heirlooms. I had the house elves stay away from anything containing dark magic though. I did not want them to be damaged or possessed by some dark artifact like the diary. That would be a waste of a valuable asset.
I intended to grab the diary myself when I got inside. One of the elves had been kind enough to tell me where it was. I couldn't ask the elves to bring it to me at Black Manor. The wards would fry the elf if it tried. The Black family had lines where dark magic was concerned, and Horocruxes crossed that line by a considerable amount. And I didn't want to chance putting it in Gringotts without talking to the goblins first. The goblins would know what the Horocrux was when they saw it. They hated soul magic with a passion. Bellatrix must have bribed one of them to look the other way in the other timeline.
"He's got you there, Arabor," one of the Aurors said in what I recognized as a slight New Jersey accent. Which was surprising to hear in Britain, to say the least. The man had an amused grin on his face, and was a rather hefty man with dark hair and a cigarette in his mouth that looked to be in his mid-twenties. His partner, a drop-dead gorgeous blonde in her early twenties who was as dangerous as she was beautiful, started giggling beside him. Martha McKinnon was my Uncle Charlus's protege, and had been over to the Potter's house for dinner several times while I was visiting Eric. I knew her rather well, and she was the subject of several fantasies of mine.
"Stuff it, Bullock. You too, McKinnon. Yes, that's why we're here, boy. Although I do wonder where you learned how to swear like an Auror. I doubt Dorea lets our boss swear around you kids," Arabor said with a slight grin.
"Yeah, she would castrate him if he did, no doubt. Nah, I learned most of it from Orion. He spends a lot of time sulking and swearing in the halls of Black Manor, complaining about how his life is unfair and that it's everyone's fault but his own. How he came to that conclusion when he hasn't done anything productive since he got Walburga pregnant with me and my brothers is beyond me, though," I said with a shrug and a slight smirk on my face.
"How dare you speak to me like that?! You should show me some respect!" Orion said, his face reddening in rage. It was a sight I was used to, and didn't frighten me in the slightest. Orion was pretty much all bark and no bite these days. And I was tired of his attitude and the way he acted as if he was Merlin's gift to the Wizarding world. It was time to knock him down a few pegs and hopefully motivate him to become somewhat useful to our family.
"And it's time you started to earn the respect you think you are owed. I have done more for this family in the last two years than you have your entire life. It's way past time for you to stop moping around and do something constructive for the House of Black. I love you father, but I am getting tired of your attitude and I am tired of cleaning up your messes. The House of Black needs you to step up. So please, let me do what I need to do without starting a fight with the Aurors," I told him firmly. And with that, I turned around and made my way to the Manor. I was eventually joined by the five stunned wizards and two amused goblins.
As I walked up to the gate at the edge of the property, I stopped and admired the luxury of Malfoy Manor for a moment. Then, I got down to business. "I, Krios Hyperion Black, as the new Lord Malfoy by right of conquest, claim control of these wards and lands as mine. So mote be it!" I said in what I felt was a rather commanding voice for a twelve year old. I immediately felt the magic of the wards that I had claimed.
I turned to the lead goblin, who was named Worror, and he handed me the tome that contained all the protections on Malfoy Manor and instructions on how to control them, which I had found in the main Malfoy vault. I waved my wand over the book and adjusted the wards that allowed access to certain people. I did not want any of Abraxas's old friends dropping in on me, so wiping the access list clean was a wise thing to do. I also gave temporary acces to the others there so that they could enter the wards and the manor.
"Thank you, Worror. Shall we proceed then?" I asked the group as I began to make the half mile trek to the doors of the Manor. They were opened for us on our arrival by one of the House Elves I had inherited with the Manor. Arabor nodded slightly at me, and entered the Manor with the rest of the Aurors following closely behind him, and the rest of us followed.
Voldemort POV
One month. I leave for my Death Eaters alone for one month to gather more followers in the Balkans and everything goes to hell. One of my most useful followers is dead due to his own stupidity, and the majority of his fortune is lost to me because of the idiocy of his heir. I was tempted to hunt the little bastard Lucius down for losing the Malfoy fortune and causing Abraxas to lose his wits and life trying to save him. But losing his magic was more than punishment enough. I couldn't help but be impressed by the ruthlessness of Krios Black. I would definitely be recruiting him in the future.
Abraxas had thankfully been kind enough to make sure to give me a couple of his vaults before he got himself killed attacking Dorea Potter. That witch and her husband were obstacles that likely needed to be eliminated at some point. I would have to start planning the best way to do that in the future. Both were admittedly rather powerful, it was a pity they had chosen to oppose me. They would have been valuable servants. But my spies inside the Ministry inform me that Charlus Potter was very much my enemy, and a competent one at that.
As it happened, one of said spies was giving me a report on how the Ministry was handling the death of Abraxas Malfoy and the duel between Krios Black and Lucretia Malfoy, the result of which has caused the Black family to be more powerful than ever. I sat at the head of the table in the luxurious manor that I claimed from one of my French relatives in Wales. Becoming Lord Rochambeau had been a huge boon to my crusade, despite the name no longer holding any political power.
It was a pity I had been unable to find and claim the ring of Lord Slytherin, something that still angers me. Salazar has become so paranoid that he had not only hidden the ring, but allegedly had put many protections on the ring to keep those he deemed unworthy from claiming it. I suspected that it was in the Chamber of Secrets, as I had regrettably been unable to search the Chamber much after I had opened it at Hogwarts with Dumbledore watching me so closely. I would have to do that when I have finished conquering Wizarding Britain.
"The Minister spent a lot of time with Dumbledore after the duel. Both are very concerned about how much power Arcturus Black is gathering. He has almost complete control of the Grey faction, as they are calling themselves these days. Not to mention that he controls a good portion of the votes in the Wizengamot as well. They're both very concerned that he will chose to join us, or stay out of the war entirely. I overheard the Minister say that if Lord Black chooses to join forces with the Dark Lord, that it was unlikely that this was a war the Ministry could win," Lord Thaddeus Nott informed me.
"And is this a possibility, Pollux? Will your cousin be willing to join our cause under any circumstances, despite all he has done to oppose us in the Wizengamot?" I asked Pollux Black, who was among the Death Eaters seated near me at the table.
Pollux shifted nervously in his seat before responding. "My cousin was very adamant the last time we spoke. He does not believe in you or our cause. He said that he would never join the quest of a madman and a fool no matter how powerful he was, as a true Black bows to no one. His words not mine," Pollux said, his voice laced with fear of how I would react to the news. It admittedly angered me, but it was not his fault this time. I may enjoy torturing people, but my followers have to do something really stupid in order to deserve the Cruciatus Curse. No point in destroying the minds and nerve endings of my followers unless I have to.
"Silence," I commanded, as my followers had been outraged by the words of the words of Lord Arcturus Black. And rightfully so, as he must be either ignorant or foolish to believe that he is my better. I will enjoy killing him when I figure out how to get into Black Manor. The man rarely leaves the place these days. He even appointed his vassal Rowland to sit in for him in the Wizengamot, according to my spy on the Minister's support staff.
"Arcturus is an old man, and will not be Lord Black forever. What of his son, Orion? And his grandson and Heir, Krios?" I asked Pollux.
"Orion is sympathetic to our cause, my Lord. But he has had little input in the raising of his children since his wife's death. Krios has been all but raised by Arcturus, so I do not know where his sympathies lie. He has not given anything away to his fellow students in Slytherin, besides informing them that Arcturus is Lord Black, and his word is law," Pollux informed me.
"I see. Rosier, your son is a student at Hogwarts and the cousin of Heir Black's cousins, who he is rather close with. Does he have any insight on Heir Black's opinions?" I asked Edmund Rosier, who was seated two places to my right. He was the Head of his house, and an exceptional minion that excels in the art of Human Transfiguration. He has had some beautiful ideas of ways to torture people with transfiguration. Truly marvelous to watch.
"They do not interact at Hogwarts, but I will have Evan ask the girls in my next letter. Although I did hear that young Krios has yet to return to Hogwarts. I have heard from my spy in the Auror Office before I arrived that Arabor Moody has taken his son and two other Aurors to search Malfoy Manor this morning for any evidence against any associates that they suspect he has. They are to meet Krios, his father, and a couple of curse breakers from Gringotts there in a half hour or so," Rosier told me, looking nervous as he finished.
Shit. Abraxas totally would have evidence against everyone he knew was a Death Eater. He always did enjoy blackmailing people and was always trying to keep a step ahead of all the minions trying to earn my favor or usurp his position in my Inner Circle. I had no doubt that he had enough evidence in his Manor to do some serious damage to my ranks. And I gave him my diary. If the Aurors found it, they would learn my secret. And I knew that Dumbledore would most certainly find out from Moody, and that would be bad. If anyone could figure out what I had done it was Albus Dumbledore.
"Well then. We'll have to do something about that. Black, Macklebee, Snyde, Flint, Crabbe, and Goyle with me to Malfoy Manor. The rest of you, go back to what you were doing," I commanded, grabbing some Floo Powder and heading to the fireplace.
"Yes, my Lord," they all said.
And so it happened that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were spread out in the Manor searching for the diary when Krios Black and the others arrived. Since they were already there, the wards could not prevent them from arriving. Voldemort had assigned Crabbe to watch the door, but Crabbe had decided to investigate the pantry instead. Therefore, Krios Black and company were able to enter the Manor without being seen.
Krios POV
"Master Krios, you be having guests. Misters Pollux, Macklebee, Snyde, Flint, Crabbe, and Goyle are here with their Master," the House Elf told me in a low, nervous voice. It was fortunate that Arabor Moody had heard the elf and quickly silenced the area around the entryway, as the reaction of Auror Bullock was sadly not subtle at all.
"Voldemort's here?! Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me!" Bullock said. He did end up saying it rather quietly, but I was still grateful for Moody's quick thinking.
"Keep it together, Garfield. We're Aurors, let's do our job" Alastor said with a low growl.
"I believe that you will not be needing our services, Lord Malfoy. I do hope to do business with you soon," Worror said, before activating a Gringotts portkey and disappearing. While I couldn't blame them for not wanting to get involved, I was still irritated that they ditched me like that.
It was then I heard a crack that told me that the goblins were not the only ones to tuck tail and run. Orion had Disapparated, abandoning me in the process. While I had known that my father was a coward, I had never suspected that he was the type to abandon his first born son like that. He certainly wasn't the father of the year by any means, but leaving his son in the same home as a insane Dark Lord and his minions was a new low that I had never suspected he would reach.
I suddenly felt my young age for the first time in ages. I was a terrified and vulnerable twelve year old trying to thwart a powerful Dark Lord. How could I stand against such evil? Even as the eventual Lord Black and current Lord Malfoy, how could I defeat such a powerful evil? The fear was certainly evident on my face, as the four Aurors looked at me with concern and pity.
"We need to get the kid to safety. I doubt that the Lord Black would let our deaths stop him from making our lives miserable if something were to happen to his heir," Steapa told his father.
It was then I realized that I knew exactly why Voldemort was here. And I could not allow him to get ahold of the diary, no matter the cost. "Binky, do you know what they are looking for?" I asked the House Elf standing beside me.
"Yes, Master," the House Elf responded.
"Do you know where it is?" I asked. Binky nodded fervently, telling me that he did.
"Can you bring it to me?" I asked him. The House Elf nodded, and disappeared with a crack.
Arabor looked at me suspiciously. "What are you planning?" he asked.
"Considering that whatever he was looking for was important enough for him to risk running into the Aurors, it's probably something Dark and dangerous. I was hoping that you could destroy it. I don't think the Ministry will be able to keep it safe from him," I told the seasoned Auror.
Before he could respond, Binky reappeared. And in his hand was the diary. Arabor quickly took it from the House Elf and ran a few diagnostic spells on it before swearing loudly.
"What is it?" McKinnon asked nervously.
"I have seen one of these before. A German warlock made one years ago. I spent four decades working with the ICW and the White Council to bring that evil bastard down. Grindelwald was one of three students that learned from him personally, and everything he did was on the orders of his Master. And he was worse than Grindelwald and Voldemort combined. I had hoped I would never see one of these monstrosities again in my lifetime. You'd be hard pressed to find magic fouler than this. The kid's right. It needs to be destroyed," Arabor said with a dark look on his face.
As he finished saying this, a roar of anger came from the lower levels of the manor. Apparently Voldemort was now aware that his Horcrux was missing. I heard a clatter nearby, and heard loud footsteps heading towards us.
"He knows. Stand back and stay ready," Arabor said. He walked forward a few feet and set the diary on the ground, before walking back into the entryway.
" Ignis Maledictus Bestia Perdere" Arabor said with a low growl as he pointed his wand at the diary. Flames shot out of his wand in a way that I had only read about. Heads of beasts such as a dragon and an eagle consumed the diary, which let out an unholy shriek before it burst into flames.
It was at that moment Crabbe and Goyle ran into the sitting room where the diary was being destroyed. They both foolishly rushed to try and save their Master's treasured possession. But the result was something that I would never forget for as long as I lived. Flames engulfed the two stupid, beefy men as they burst into flames. They screamed as they were burnt alive by Fiendfyre. I vomited from the gruesome sight, and Auror McKinnon did the same. Bullock and Steapa looked rather ill as well.
"Steapa, McKinnon, Bullock, get the kid beyond the wards and get out of here. I can't control this very well, and the Dark bastard has put up the jinxes to prevent us from leaving. Protect the kid, he's the future and one of the best hopes we have of winning this war. I'll hold him and his minions off," Arabor said as he struggled to control and subdue the cursed fire. The counter curse apparently took as much focus to cast as the Fiendfyre itself.
"But father-" Steapa began to protest.
"Go!" Arabor bellowed desperately. The reason for his urgency made itself present in the form of an enraged Lord Voldemort. He appeared to have known that his Horcrux had been destroyed. Probably felt it when it had happened. Seeing the charred bodies of Crabbe and Goyle likely made him even angrier.
Steapa picked me up and put me over my shoulder. While I was taller and heavier than most twelve year olds, it did not appear to bother the Auror at all. As he began to run to the ward line with McKinnon and Bullock behind him, I saw a jet of green light hit Arabor Moody in the chest just before he managed to vanish the cursed fire that had destroyed a portion of Voldemort's soul. The powerful and famous Auror fell to the ground, dead.
"No!" McKinnon screamed, as she had seen her fellow Auror fall at the hands of the Dark Lord Voldemort as well. I felt the body of Steapa tense up, but he continued to run towards the gates. We were less than a hundred yards away before a jet of green light hit Martha McKinnon in the back, killing her instantly. I snarled at the masked man who had cast the spell that killed someone I had cared about. I pulled my wand from my holster, and fired.
"Sectumsempra! Bombarda Maxima!" I said, aiming my wand at the Death Eater, likely Snyde as he was the skinniest Death Eater there. His eyes widened as the dark curse caught him in the neck, killing him. And even if it hadn't, the blasting curse certainly did. It also caught another Death Eater in the blast, knocking him backwards into another Death Eater and Voldemort. This took three Death Eaters and their Master temporarily out of the fight. And judging by the fact that I heard Pollux screaming obscenities at Bullock, I had done so without them realizing it was me.
Because of this, we were able to reach the edge of the property safely. Steapa set me down and grabbed my arm and Apprated, with Bullock doing the same seconds before us. I saw Malfoy Manor in flames behind us and heard a scream of fury from Voldemort as we disappeared, and landed in a place that I did not recognize. Bullock was there as well, so I suspected that this was a Auror safe house that they had agreed on before they left this morning. I knew from my uncle that they had procedures when a mission went sideways.
"Well, fuck. I can't believe.." Bullock said sadly.
"My father went out the way he always wanted to. He and McKinnon both knew the risks. They will be honored for it, I'm sure. We can grieve later. We need to get the boy back to Lord Black first. Those bastards knew we were going to be there today, which means he has a mole in the Auror Office. This place won't be secure for long," Steapa said, looking around nervously.
While he was speaking, I had raced over to the fireplace and had Flooed my grandfather, who was sitting in his office when I called. He had only needed to look at me before he realized that something had happened. He immediately gave me permission to come through the Floo with the two Aurors. Once we arrived, Steapa wasted no time in explaining everything that had happened at Malfoy Manor, only leaving out any clues that his father had given about what the destroyed object had been.
"I am sorry to hear about your father. He was a good Auror and a hero. As was Auror McKinnon. I will personally make sure that the Ministry awards both of them Order of Merlins for their bravery. I cannot thank you enough for returning my heir home safely, which is more than my son can say," Arcturus said, a dark look appearing on his face at the mention of Orion. I think that little detail was the thing that pissed him off the most, if I had to guess.
"We were just doing our job, Lord Black. But I would ask that you would place my wife and infant son under your protection. We are both targets now, and I have no desire for my family to targeted for revenge," Steapa pleaded.
"I'll have them moved to one of my cottages immediately if that is what you desire. You are more than welcome to stay there with your family. It is under the Fidelius Charm, and I am the Secret-Keeper. It will be more than safe from the Dark Lord and his followers," Arcturus told him.
"Thank you, Lord Black," Steapa said gratefully.
Steapa then turned to Bullock. "I'm sorry, but I have to protect my family, Garfield. I can't do that right now while being an Auror," he said sorrowfully.
"I understand, Steapa. You have to do what is best for them. Alastor and Charlus will understand as well. You take care of yourself, my friend," Garfield said, embracing his fellow Auror.
"And I will make sure to explain to your brother what happened. I am sure that you will see him soon," Arcturus added.
"Thank you, Lord Black. I will never forget this. The House of Moody will stand with you and your Heir should you ever need us. I swear this on my life and magic, so mote be it," Steapa swore. A pulse of magic signified that it was a binding oath. And just like that, a powerful Auror pledged to ally with us. While not as powerful as his father or brother, I knew Steapa was an exceptional wizard. And he was extremely close to his younger brother, which meant Alastor would likely stand with his brother, depending on the circumstances.
Arcturus nodded at him in acceptance of his vow. Steapa then turned to me. "You got both power and guts, Krios. You saved our bacon back there, and both Garfield and I know it even if no one else ever does. You have the potential to be one of the most powerful wizards and leave a mark on the history books. And I have a feeling that you will be quite different from the powerhouse wizards that we have had in the last century. I am looking forward to seeing what you do. Good luck, Krios," he said, extending his hand.
"Thank you, Auror Moody," I responded, shaking his hand.
"You can call me, Steapa, Heir Black," he said with a smile, before he turned and stepped in the fireplace, called out his home and disappeared in a flash of green flame.
The next day, I discovered that Bullock had quit the Aurors and was hired as my personal bodyguard. He would be staying with me at Hogwarts as well, with his quarters located near the Slytherin dorms in the dungeons. A blazing row between myself and my grandfather had ensued, as I had no desire for a bodyguard. I felt it would be a major impediment to both my school and social life. We eventually managed to compromise, agreeing that Bullock would keep his distance and remain out of sight while keeping an eye on me. The Hogwarts staff had already been informed of my arrangements, so that was the best I could hope for at this point.
My father had been disowned and blasted off the family tree. He was banned from seeing us while we were wards of the House of Black, or until we reached the age of seventeen. He was exiled to one of our properties in Greece, a nice cottage on the beach far away from us. Sirius had failed to hide his glee upon seeing the blast mark on our family tree. In his defense, he vividly remembered both Orion and Walburga threatening to do that to him when he misbehaved over the years, so I could understand how he felt.
I was disappointed, as I had hoped my father would come around eventually. But his cowardice and refuse to change had doomed him in the eyes of our family in the end. I doubted that I would see him again, and I had no problems with that. Orion had gotten what he deserved in the end. Even Regulus had accepted that.
I had been labeled as a victim in the news, as I had watched Aurors and Death Eaters alike die as my mansion burned. No one besides my grandfather and the two surviving Aurors knew or suspected that I had a hand in the carnage, and I had no desire to tell them. It was the first life I had taken in either of my lives, and it weighed heavily on me despite the fact that he had murdered an Auror.
Martin Snyde had only been nineteen, the wealthy heir of House Snyde. He had been engaged to be married in the spring to the daughter of a wealthy German baron, who was reportedly furious about the loss of the alliance with House Snyde, but privately relieved that his daughter would not be marrying a Death Eater. The Snyde family was undoubtedly fuming, but could do nothing as their son was a murderer in the eyes of the Ministry and the Wizarding World.
I also did some quick research on the White Council that Arabor Moody had mentioned. They were warlocks that preferred not to use a wand, and lived by their own rules. They apparently were headquartered in Edinburgh somewhere. The Ministry didn't control them, despite the fact that they wished otherwise. If you asked them, they were a Ministry Department that worked with the Department of Mysteries in dealing with the deeper mysteries of the supernatural world.
Although this was technically true now, as most of their forces had been killed taking down a rather nasty warlock, Heinrich Kemmler, nearly ten years ago. There were only about a couple hundred left after that battle between the White Council and the Wardens, and and they were all preoccupied keeping tabs on the vampire courts and other dark creatures. The Unspeakables had been assisting them with that, as that was their main purpose. Only a small portion of their Department was researchers, apparently. But the Ministry still didn't completely control them, as they were scared shitless of the Senior Council. But they had been taxing them heavily for their help, making it very difficult for the White Council to break free from the Ministry since they were in debt.
As I began to prepare my return to Hogwarts, Steapa's words weighed heavily on me. He was right, I had no desire to be like Dumbledore, Grindelwald, or Tom Riddle. But it got me thinking that I needed to evaluate my goals. Because I really needed to consider what kind of wizard I wanted to be.
AN: Dresden Files fans rejoice, for it has joined my story. They won't be involved much with the war, as Kemmler did a lot more damage to their numbers in my story. It is also why the Unspeakables aren't taking on Voldemort, they are helping the White Council deal with things that most of the Wizarding World believes to be fairy tales. Even Voldemort believes the Fae to be a myth. Even if he did know of them, Voldemort is well known to abhor sharing power, so he would only make a deal with the Fae or demons unless he felt that he had no other choice or if he felt that he could control them.
For those who have not read the Dresden Files, I definitely recommend them. But it will not affect your ability to understand the story, as a majority of the storylines involved will take place much later in the story. Dresden is 15 right now, so Storm Front is still ten years away.
One Horocrux down, four to go. The locket, the cup, the diadem, and the ring are the only ones that have been made at this point. And with an ex-Auror bodyguard, Krios will undoubtedly look to deal with the diadem sooner rather than later. RIP Arabor Moody, (father of Alastor and Steapa), Martha McKinnon( Marlene's oldest sister), Grandpa Crabbe, Grandpa Goyle, and Martin Snyde( father of Merula Snyde, who will no longer exsist. Oops.)
Hope you enjoyed the update. Will cover Krios returning to Hogwarts, how he deals with the aftermath of the last month, and Quidditch. Take care and stay safe everyone!