Chapter Text
Ch.8 Settling in
Sunlight streamed through the high windows of the castle, gleaming across the stacks of yellowed envelopes and heaps of rolled parchments in the room. Small particles of dust fluttered in the golden beams of sunlight as the door opened and Arcturus stared at the envelopes, his eyebrows rising.
Dumbledore stood next to him, a twinkle shining in his blue eyes as he gestured to Arcturus to enter.
"What am I looking at, Dumbledore?" Arcturus' cane clicked on the stone floor, echoing through the domed room. "All of Hogwarts' lost mail from the past century?"
The corner of Dumbledore's lips twitched. "No, my friend. I'm afraid that this is just Harry's mail from the past fortnight."
Arcturus felt a weight drop in his gut as he looked around, his grip on his cane tightening. "He has received so many letters?"
"Even more than you can see right now, Arcturus. These are only the letters that came without any spells or traps." The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed. "The ones which were unsafe have already been sent to the Auror office, and are being dealt with by the DMLE, who are trying their utmost to make a case." Dumbledore grimaced. "That is how they caught Lucius Malfoy and several of his friends, I believe. The Aurors used the portkeys that had been sent and used them to arrest the perpetrators."
"Several of whom undoubtedly walked free yesterday, thanks to my damned granddaughter." Arcturus scowled, his fist clenching. "Imperius, my foot. Had sending portkeys in the mail been a crime, I would've gotten them thrown in Azkaban for that, dark lord's followers or not."
Dumbledore let out a heavy sigh. "Unfortunately, the Wizengamot didn't share my opinion on it several years back, keeping mailed items rather inadmissible as proof or as a crime." Dumbledore frowned disapprovingly. "What surprised me more was that Minister Bagnold didn't seem all too eager to prosecute Lucius and his friends either, despite having insisted on leading their trials."
"Undoubtedly something Narcissa pulled." Arcturus felt a knife twist beneath his ribs. "Bagnold knew about Harry being with me, didn't she?"
Dumbledore inclined his head, his silver beard swaying forward, glinting with a silver sheen in the sunlight. "Yes, she signed the papers herself and is the only person in the ministry to know about the adoption. But you needn't worry, Arcturus. I've sworn her to secrecy and made the adoption a State Secret until you determine otherwise."
"Thank you," Arcturus said, turning back to the letters. The click of his cane echoed through the rows between the piles of letters as he walked around, his heart thumping with every step. "These letters. How many are there?"
"A little over nine hundred, I believe. After being checked thoroughly, the gifts that came along have been deposited in a vault in Harry's name."
Dumbledore rummaged in his pocket and removed a small, golden key. He handed it to Arcturus, who examined it, running his thumb over the etched number.
"I have a copy of the key to deposit the gifts that come in the future," Dumbledore said. "But the vault is in Harry's name, and thus, under your control. But I've provisioned that Harry himself will not be allowed to access it until he is of age, unless he is in your presence." Dumbledore adjusted his spectacles, his eyes twinkling. "Forgive me, but I do have a little experience."
"But I suggest you visit it soon. The vault contains many things, ranging from cribs to toys to a decent sum of money. Some in galleons and some in the form of precious items."
Arcturus raised an eyebrow. "Precious items?"
"Amongst other things? Toys of gold, a golden crib, two jeweled tiaras— one of goblin silver and one of gold. There are also valuable items, such as books, scriptures, and paintings. There's also a collection of the finest Firewhiskeys brewed in every decade since the mid-eighteenth century, gifted to him by Tiberius Odgen and his family."
"Merlin's bloody balls," Arcturus whispered. "That'd be a fortune."
"Which is why I felt that restricting Harry's access to it may be a good call." Dumbledore's lips quivered. "Harry already has admirers far and wide, my friend. From children to elders, most of Britain is grateful to him for saving their lives at great personal cost. Others are intrigued as he survived a killing curse. I have rebuffed quite a few already who sought to meet Harry."
"To study him?"
"Or meet him, in general." Dumbledore shrugged. "One doesn't even need to look further than the papers to know that he's the most famous child in the world. And he'll be for years to come."
"I suppose." Arcturus let out a breath. "A small part of me is glad. Glad that the world knows and respects the sacrifice his parents made. But a huge part of me? It fears for Harry. Fame is a fickle thing. It burns like a flame, but can easily turn you to ashes."
Dumbledore inclined his head. "You'll have to prepare him for it and manage it for him until he is. I recommend that you start by answering each of these letters on Harry's behalf… especially these ones."
Dumbledore pointed to a small pile of letters on a table in the corner of the room, encased in a dome of magic. Arcturus frowned and walked closer, his eyes widening as he saw the envelopes and the Insignias stamped upon some of them.
"These are the letters from world dignitaries," Dumbledore peered over Arcturus' shoulder. "And the ones who sent Harry some rather expensive gifts, like Tiberius. I believe you should respond with haste, on Harry's behalf."
"I suppose this is a thing that I will have to do personally," Arcturus muttered. "And will hire someone for the rest of this lot. Melody or the elves can't do this. I'll need this cataloged too, for Harry when he's old enough to run in the circles that have written to him."
"I can help you with that, I believe. I have a record of all the mail that has come to Hogwarts for members of the Order. I'll separate the list for Harry and send you a copy with Fawkes… if he agrees to carry it. He's rather wary of your ward."
Arcturus snorted, walking through the rows between the piles of letters, feeling little anxious waves chop across his heart.
"Oh, there's one other thing. The only thing that didn't go to the vault was a small mountain of chocolates and candy, which I have donated to the children's ward at Saint Mungo's, under Harry's name. It was all Harry's to eat rightfully, but Minerva was quite insistent that so much candy is not good for a child, nor should it be shown to them." His face fell. "A shame."
"She got that one right." A little chuckle slipped past his lips. "Harry loves chocolate, and if he saw a mountain of it, we might just lose him in there. I've ordered Melody not to give him over one chocolate a day, regardless of how much he asks. Or cries." He sighed. "You wouldn't believe the faces he makes. It is very tough to say no to it."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, and a wide smile spread across his face. "I take that he has settled in well with you."
"He has. He's a bundle of joy most of the time, and he's asking a little less about his mum. But he still cries for her and James at times." He grimaced. "And the accidental magic doesn't help either. He gave Melody long red hair the other day while crying. Took me the better part of an hour to reverse it."
"Red hair like his mother's." Dumbledore winced, his smile vanishing. "Poor child. I hope it gets better for him. Seeing what he undoubtedly saw at his age…"
"You and I both, Dumbledore," Arcturus murmured. "Now for these letters. I'll have Melody collect them and take care of it. But by all means, keep anything and everything edible that is sent. You can have the candy yourself, for all I care."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I take it that you've decided to continue Harry's mail divergence to Hogwarts?"
"Till he's eleven at least, yes. I reckon he won't receive a great many letters that aren't fan mail until then. Not to mention, all the official mails and statements would come directly to me anyway as Harry's guardian." Arcturus met Dumbledore's gaze. "And while you may play games as you see fit for your agendas, I can trust your intentions. You care for Harry."
"I'm just making it up to him, Arcturus." Dumbledore closed his eyes, the wrinkles on his face deepening. "It is due to my mistakes that James and Lily are no more. Lily put her trust in me to save them when she sent the Patronus, but I failed. Had I been faster or just been more insistent on being their Secret Keeper, all of this could've been avoided. Harry would still have his family, and you would've had yours."
Arcturus winced, putting a hand on Dumbledore's shoulder.
"If that happened, I wouldn't have Harry in my life. If it didn't happen, Voldemort and his Death Eaters would've taken so many more lives." Arcturus sighed. "Melania always said that one cannot change the past. So the only thing to do is to look up to the future."
Harry's emerald eyes sparkled with happiness as he toddled after the bubbles, reaching up to them with his little arms, giggling as each popped. Arcturus smiled in his chair, watching his ward over the desk. Harry popped a bubble, and more burst from the end of his wand.
Delighted giggles rang through the room, and Harry chased after them, running around on his little legs, trying to reach them with his arms.
He made a disconsolate noise as the bubbles floated out of his reach, his face breaking into a big scowl. Harry thrust his arms upward, and Arcturus felt the hairs on his arm prickle.
With a crack, every bubble popped, the lamps nearest to him bursting into shards. Harry tumbled onto his bum, looking around with wide emerald eyes, before bursting into giggles again.
"Merlin." Arcturus repaired the lamps with a wave of his wand, applying an unbreakable charm to them. "I suppose we forgot the lamps."
Harry beamed at him from the floor, and he smiled, scooping him up in his arms.
"Gra-pa." He gave Arcturus a wide grin before yawning cutely.
"Harry, would you like to go to bed now? It is your sleeping time."
Harry made a small noise, turning in his arms, and stretching his hands. With a pop, the plush phoenix appeared in his grasp, and he clutched it to his chest.
"That's a good boy," Arcturus ruffled his hair.
As he carried him through the hallways, Harry stared at the flickering lamps, their light shining in his emerald eyes. He pushed the nursery door open and laid Harry in his crib.
He snuggled into the phoenix, burying its beak into the crook of his neck.
Draping the blue, snitch-covered blanket on Harry, Arcturus conjured a chair by his crib, swaying it, watching Harry yawn, his eyes drooping. Arcturus smiled, running his fingers through Harry's hair, before standing up and vanishing the armchair.
"Sleep well, little one," Arcturus said.
As he turned, he saw Melody standing at the door, a wide smile on her lips. Arcturus quietly made his way out, ushering Melody with him, and closed the door.
"Lord Black, did little Master go to bed so soon?"
"He did. He's already asleep," Arcturus whispered. "Accidental magic takes a lot out of him. Speaking of which, we forgot to enchant the lamps to be unbreakable."
Melody frowned. "Mistress Melania bought the special lamps when she redecorated this house. I bought them myself, Lord Black. They cannot be broken."
"I suppose the charms wore off," Arcturus muttered. "Bloody subpar enchanters. We have to put charms on everything we assumed was enchanted."
"Yes, Lord Black." Melody bobbed her head before removing an envelope. "This came by owl while you were playing with little Master. It is from Remus Lupin— he was young Master Sirius' friend."
"He met me at the funeral. He was asking about Harry." Arcturus plucked the letter from her fingers and tore its flap open, removing the parchment inside. "Even Dumbledore mentioned him."
"He was a close friend of Master Sirius and little Master's father." Melody nodded. "Little Master may want to know more about his mother and father when he grows up."
"Yes, he will." Arcturus grimaced. "And I don't have much to tell him. I may tell him a little about James, but I didn't know him as well as Lupin might. He may be a werewolf, but he's a good man from what I know. And it won't hurt to have him answer those letters either, and help me with some of these things. I need to manage this House for Harry, and raise him at the same time. So, a personal assistant won't go amiss."
Arcturus glanced at Melody, who had a warm smile on her face.
"With your permission, may I say something, Lord Black?" Melody asked softly.
"Go on, Melody. You don't need permission. You're my closest family since Melania passed away."
Her smile widened. "I am glad to see you settling in with little Master, Lord Black. Mistress Melania would've been very proud. And happy too."
"If she had been here, she would be spoiling Harry rotten herself." Arcturus snorted, feeling a warmth blossom in his chest. "And it would've been so much easier with her. Everything would've been."
Melody's ears drooped, and she gave him a sad smile. Arcturus felt grief bubble in his breast and closed his eyes, gripping his cane tighter.
"She would've been on the moon with Harry being here. But she would've been upset too. Upset to see the rest of the family crumble… but maybe, it wouldn't have crumbled, had she been alive."
"Not all your old family is gone, Lord Black."
Arcturus looked down to meet Melody's imploring eyes and released a breath. "Andromeda."
"Miss Andy and Miss Cissa both. Miss Cissa is your family too, Lord Black. Mistress Melania would've said the same."
"She's no family of mine," Arcturus spat. "She isn't since the day she married the Malfoy spawn."
"Miss Cissa came to you, Lord Black." Melody frowned. "You may not like it, but Miss Cissa didn't want to marry Mister Lucius."
"That may be, Melody, but Narcissa broke it all when she helped free him." Arcturus spat. "Her husband is a bloody murderer. He's a criminal." His fists clenched. "The bastard tried to get to Harry too, you know? He undoubtedly wanted to get revenge for his master. And she knew all of this. She knew. And yet, she chose him over us! Her family!"
Arcturus' cane banged on the floor with a crack. The blood pounded in his ears as fury burned in his veins.
Melody pursed her lips and folded her arms. "And what of Miss Andy?"
"I told you, I'll approach Andromeda." Arcturus scowled. "You need not repeat it again and again."
"You said that last week, Lord Black." Melody huffed. "It's been days, and you haven't approached Miss Andy. You said Little Master Harry might like a family!"
"I did say that. And I also told you that I will see her. And I'm a man of my word, Melody." Arcturus took a step toward her. "I don't back down on my word. I will visit Andromeda when the time is right. At this moment, I am dealing with too much."
"And Miss Andy would help you with it! It is what a family does, Lord Black. Mistress Melania always said that—"
"You aren't Melania!" Arcturus snapped, and Melody jumped back, her eyes wide. "You. Are. Not. Her."
"I'm not, Lord Black," Melody said, looking away for a moment, before meeting his eyes. "But this is what Mistress Melania would have done. Mistress Melania would've dragged you to Miss Andy. She would have held the family together. Her last order to me was to take care of you and the family, Lord Black."
Tears brimmed in her eyes, slipping down her cheeks. Arcturus felt his heart clench and looked away.
"I—I know I failed Melania." He took a deep breath, the words feeling like stones on his tongue. "I blame it on Walburga and Voldemort. But the fault was my own. I drove them away."
"Mistress Melania said that families fight, Lord Black. But fights don't break a family. Family breaks when they don't forgive one another after the fight." Melody said as a tear fell down her cheek. "And Miss Andy didn't do anything that cannot be forgiven. Please, Lord Black. If not for me, not for Little Master, see Miss Andy for Mistress Melania. I know she would've wanted it."
Arcturus swallowed the sea of grief and anger and gave her a nod. "You have my word. I'll see Andromeda. For Melania. And for Harry. He deserves a family too."
The faint pop of an apparition rang through the trees, drowned in the roar of motor cars driving down the road. Arcturus pulled his cloak tighter as the chilly breeze bit into his skin. He glanced at Harry, who watched the cars with fascinated eyes, his face breaking into a wide smile.
Arcturus smiled, tugging the small woolly socks up his legs and adjusting Harry's emerald cap. "Harry, we're going to meet some people. You'll like them."
Harry giggled happily, keeping his attention on the cars that passed by. Arcturus shook his head and stepped around a puddle, wincing as the pain in his leg flared. He adjusted Harry in his arms and trudged down the street, his boots squeaking slightly on the wet road.
He paused at the gate, eyeing the nameplate outside, before pushing the gate open. A small, purple bicycle lay in the grass, in the path, and he stepped over it, carefully holding Harry.
Pain flared in his knee, but he smothered it. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Harry before pressing the doorbell. The chime rang, and his gut twisted. Harry gurgled and clapped his hands.
"Coming!" A familiar voice drifted from inside. "Aside, Nymphadora. And don't run!"
Arcturus felt anxiety claw through him as the lock clicked, and the door swung open. The woman froze, her gray eyes widening.
"Good afternoon, Andromeda," Arcturus breathed. "May I come in?"