I revitalized Andromeda with my power, little by little, helping her sit up. Without my help or aftercare, she would probably remain weak for the rest of the day. But as much as I would have liked to let her rest, we still had unfinished business.
The hall we were in was beginning to regain its calm. The oppressive aura was dissipating, and the spirits slowly faded away. Kreacher, tears in his eyes, watched as Regulus vanished before collapsing to the floor in exhaustion. His contribution had been minimal and the cost high… but at least he had done something. For that reason, I made sure to heal him as well; we would need him for what came next.
Most of the ghosts departed right away, though not all. Something had happened to Walburga's portrait: it seemed to have lost some of the strength and realism it had just moments before, yet it hadn't vanished completely. The figure in the painting clearly felt unwell; her face twisted in displeasure.
But that didn't matter now.
"Did we do it?" Andromeda asked, though she already knew the answer. She could feel it.
The magic of the House of Black seemed to respond to her, as if ready to obey her will. In her mind surfaced memories and knowledge that only the head of the family was meant to possess: passwords, secrets, properties, family spells, who the most important living members were… she could even sense her position within the lineage, right at the center, as the main bloodline.
"Hello… Lady Black," I said with a mocking tone. "Will you still allow this humble servant to kiss your feet, or am I no longer worthy?"
"You're going to kiss more than just my feet," she retorted with a mock authoritarian tone, before wrapping her arms around my neck and kissing me hard.
It was an intense, dominant kiss, as if Andromeda were unloading all the tension she had endured into that one gesture. Walburga wasted no time complaining from the portrait, but we ignored her. Still, it was I who broke the kiss; there were more urgent matters to address.
"We have guests waiting for you outside," I reminded her, caressing her softly.
The last barrier was already nearly destroyed, though, if I really wanted to, I could maintain it for as long as I wished. Elsewhere, one of my clones was absorbing blood from the farms to recharge it; the cost was high, yes, but I could prolong it much further if needed.
Andromeda knew we had to deal with those "guests" first. She rose and walked to Walburga's portrait—not to argue with her, though the witch was still muttering that Andromeda ought to behave with more decorum now that she was head of the family. Instead, she removed the frame, revealing a plain wall… though it didn't stay that way for long. With her wand, she inscribed upon it: Toujours Pur.
The blank wall shifted, revealing the Black family crest. Andromeda touched a specific sequence on the crows, and at the top, the skull opened its mouth to reveal a ring. Without hesitation, she slipped it onto her finger. When she turned, she caught me watching her with curiosity, and decided to explain:
"Family ring. It opens the house's hidden vaults and restricted areas more easily… and also works as collateral in Gringotts," she said, timidly, though with a mischievous wink.
Walburga fell silent. She knew that ring well, yet had never spoken of it. After the death of a head of family, the ring returned to its hiding place, or if the bearer failed to wear it for long enough. She had expected Regulus to inherit it, but he was gone… and she would never have given it to Sirius. She had not expected, however, to see it on someone else's hand. Her emotions were too contradictory to put into words.
Wasting no more time, I handed Andromeda another dress and explained what she had to do—to her, and to the newly recovered elf who now knelt before the new Lady Black, acknowledged by Regulus himself. The previous dress was beautiful, but this one projected an aura of authority far more fitting for a pure-blood.
With the dress, the ring, and a mindset ready to command, Andromeda was prepared to step outside and show everyone who she was now… and that the House of Black had risen again.
...
-Outside the mansion-
The attacks against the barrier continued, at least from those still unaware of what was happening. Yet, at a certain moment, the faces of Narcissa and Draco darkened as they once more felt the ancestral call—this time announcing the rise of a new head of the family.
Lucius was the first to notice, as he saw his wife shake her head, a silent surrender reflected in her eyes. Rage consumed him instantly: he struck his cane against the ground so hard it nearly snapped, and turned a furious glare toward the barrier and the mansion it protected. He had lost… but that didn't mean he intended to retreat.
Dumbledore felt it as well, immediately understanding what had transpired, though he kept to the sidelines. While he had considered intervening, now his only interest was to watch how events unfolded… and to take advantage of the moment to send a few letters to his Brazilian colleagues, hoping to learn more about the "conduct" of certain individuals.
Only these two groups understood that everything had already been decided. Fudge and the Aurors, on the other hand, had no idea and kept striking at the barrier as if there were still a chance of breaking it.
After a while, the barrier suddenly seemed to solidify, only to then spill like water and vanish into the ground. The Aurors striking it were left bewildered; a few, proud, believed they had delivered the final blow. Most, however, realized that the barrier had not been "broken," but deactivated voluntarily.
Just seconds after its disappearance, and before any orders to advance could be given, the great door of the Black House slowly opened. From it emerged Andromeda, walking with a slow yet steady stride, her head held high and her disdainful gaze sweeping across all present. She wore a dress that any highborn lady would have envied; it was not extravagant, rather simple, but it radiated an undeniable aura of opulence.
"I would appreciate it if you refrained from attacking my house… unless you wish my family to consider you enemies," she declared in a clear voice, carrying a hauteur she had never displayed before.
"Andromeda?!" several voices exclaimed at once upon recognizing her, each with its own shade of emotion.
Fudge was left gaping. He had not expected that the one to claim the Black House would be her. And, judging by the ring on her hand, she had indeed succeeded… a dull ache struck his chest as his mind began scheming how to handle the situation. In his ignorance, he believed that, among all possible Black heirs, Andromeda would be the easiest to manipulate, and that his own losses would be minimal… perhaps he could even deceive her to his own advantage.
The Malfoys, meanwhile, watched her with palpable hatred, striding firmly toward her as if about to start a fight. Of course, they would not; they would not begin a physical dispute in front of everyone, especially now that the situation had already spun so far out of control… though Lucius longed to. He could not accept that the inheritance his family had so eagerly awaited had vanished in a matter of minutes. Even Narcissa wrestled between the bitterness of seeing that ring on Andromeda's hand and a faint, buried trace of the affection she once held as her sister… though deep down, she felt something had been stolen from her that should have belonged to her son.
On the other side, Dumbledore and McGonagall could not conceal their surprise. That it was Andromeda was notable enough, but what was truly striking was her bearing. They had known her as a student and later, but now she not only looked younger —a detail many others also noticed—, she radiated an attitude and aura utterly different from the young woman expelled for marrying a Muggle-born.
"Lord Malfoy, don't make that face… it almost looks as though you're about to start a war between our houses," Andromeda remarked with a mocking edge toward Lucius, who kept approaching.
"Hello, Lady Black," he replied with a forced smile, gripping his cane tightly.
"Andromeda," McGonagall intervened, gazing at her with concern, alongside Dumbledore. Fudge also came forward, pushing the Aurors back.
"Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore… a pleasure to see you here. I would invite you inside, but this is not a convenient time: the house is in shambles. I'll be sure to invite you for a drink in a few days, once I've restored it," she said with a smile more political than cordial. "The same goes for you, Cissy… I hope we can resume those secret meetings from our childhood. We have much to catch up on."
Her sister stared at her with conflicted emotions.
"So you've become the head of the Black family…" Dumbledore murmured, sighing, feeling older as he watched this transformation in someone he would once have considered a trustworthy ally. He was no longer sure he knew her. He smiled courteously. "Congratulations, Andromeda. I did not expect this of you… but I always knew great things awaited you."
"Good morning, Mrs. Tonks," the Minister interrupted, eager to seize control of the situation and the conversation, for he was being ignored.
"Black, Minister," she corrected without showing deference or disdain. "I am now Andromeda Black, and I have reclaimed my surname. Furthermore, I am Lady Black: mistress and head of this family."
"Yes, well… congratulations on your reinstatement into the family, but you cannot assume the headship without the Ministry's approval. Don't worry, it won't be complicated," he said with a rehearsed smile. Fudge had no intention of accepting the change so easily, but he saw in Andromeda an opportunity: Malfoy was too convoluted and cunning, but she, with a much simpler record, might prove more beneficial as the new head of the Black family.
"No, I'm afraid that is not the case. I am already Lady Black," Andromeda replied naturally. "Whether you like it or not, Minister, it cannot be changed."
Fudge's face tightened slightly as he realized the woman was neither yielding nor giving him room to impose his authority, though he forced himself not to show irritation.
"You cannot simply take possession of a family without Ministry approval. But… I support you, and I can help you. I always believed you to be an exceptional healer and a great witch, and I think you could be a good leader for the family and restore it from the state it has fallen into… a promising future, if you achieve it. We only need to settle certain legal matters at the Ministry, as the law dictates." Fudge continued, striving to sound friendly. At his side, Lucius —though he doubted it would be that simple after seeing how things had unfolded— was secretly supporting the Minister to overturn this succession.
"I think you misunderstood, Minister…" Andromeda smiled, this time with a mocking tinge. "I am already the head of the Black family, legally. If you go to the Ministry and check the records, in all properties, titles, and files… you will see my name."
Her words left the Minister stunned. The certainty with which she spoke was not feigned, because it was the truth.
This was not a mere ritual nor a symbolic act: Andromeda had truly taken possession of the family's wealth and debts. Her name appeared on every pre-existing contract, even certain magics now responded solely to her. She was, in every respect, the head of the Blacks, and no one, even if they wished, could deny it.