Friday, 21st December, 1990
Hogwarts Express en route to King's Cross Station
If one looked closely, they would find all the First Year students, except for the Gryffindors, wearing magical pins on their robes as they sat inside the train, smiling fondly at the memories they had shared at Hogwarts so far.
The Quadrivium Cup was not the only highlight of December. Last Friday, the Castle Treasure Hunt had taken place. It was an event designed solely for the First Year students, and all the seniors had been sent to Hogsmeade Village, except for those confined to their dormitories if they lacked permission from their guardians.
After breakfast, the First Years of each House were handed the first token and clue by Professor McGonagall, and Altair was the one to lead House Slytherin.
Since every single participant had to contribute to the event, it was not an easy one, and for the first two years since its return, no one had managed to win it.
Last year, Cedric Diggory and House Hufflepuff had won the event, but no one else had even finished it.
The first clue led them to the Library, but as only one or two participants from each House could enter, the young Black assigned two of his classmates to retrieve the clue from the book about Hogwarts' history, page forty-seven, and specifically told them to cover the book under their robes and use Lumos.
The other Houses were still trying to figure out which book it was when the two Slytherins excitedly rushed out with the second token.
Seeing that they had found it, one of the Ravenclaws came over and openly asked Altair for help. It was none other than little Miss Holmes, who was good friends with him.
He whispered something in her ear, and she happily rushed back to her team.
Hufflepuff, believing he had assisted them, also approached him, and he whispered the truth in their leader's ear as well.
The Gryffindors taunted both Houses for trusting him, but when the First Year Badgers and Eagles came out with the tokens, they regretted their words.
It was in the second Potions Classroom in the dungeon that the Slytherins retrieved the third token, and as it involved brewing a potion, Altair made a very careful choice and sent in Cho and another girl. Given how good they were at Potions, they succeeded rather easily.
Again, on their way back, the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff teams asked for his help, and he aided them in understanding the riddles that were slightly different from the ones Slytherins were receiving.
The third clue led the House of Serpents to the entrance of the Great Hall, where a scroll and a token were hidden inside one of the armoured statues. He instructed a pair of Slytherin boys to retrieve it from the left arm of the statue with the Slytherin crest. There was a compartment, and the two boys had to use some of the spells they had learned so far to open it.
This time, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw teams did not need help and successfully collected their scrolls too, which led each House to a famous Hogwarts ghost.
For Slytherin, it was Sir Nicholas, and they had to answer one of his riddles and collect the token and clue from where it was hidden. However, first they had to find him, and the search nearly exhausted them.
The fifth clue, another riddle, led them to the Trophy Room, where they had to retrieve the next token and riddle from a badge belonging to one of the Slytherin Duelling Cup champions from over three centuries ago.
This was perhaps the hardest clue yet, and when Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff requested his assistance, he gladly helped them.
The next clue and riddle led them to the Greenhouse, and as it involved identifying the correct magical plant, even by age and size, he entrusted the pair of Slytherins best at Herbology with the task.
They all waited anxiously outside for a good half-hour, and in the end, the pair succeeded. With excited cheers, they rushed to the Enchanted Staircase when they figured out what the next riddle and clue meant.
However, their excitement soon died out. For the next two hours, they searched everywhere for the portrait mentioned in the riddle, but it was not easy at all.
There were hundreds of Magical Portraits, and the lady that was supposed to be inside the one they were looking for was having tea somewhere else...
It truly infuriated them a lot, but Altair kept them all in check and showed no displeasure on his face.
Aurelia, who had already been told the answer by Altair, responded when the lady asked the riddle, and the portrait revealed a hidden compartment behind it, where they received the last token and clue.
Almost embarrassed, Hufflepuff asked for help once more, and the young Black gladly aided them, patiently helping them understand the riddle, much to their delight.
The final clue led the Slytherins to the Astronomy Tower, where Professor McGonagall and Professor Sinistra were having tea and a chat.
Both professors were very surprised to find them there, but then Professor Sinistra asked for the answer to the riddle, and the student who had been informed by Altair spoke it.
Much to their relief, it was the correct answer, and with a wave of her wand, Professor McGonagall revealed a compartment with a chest and told them they had to open it, without using magic and right there.
Everyone turned to look at Altair, who carefully observed the chest and then looked over all the riddles, clues, and tokens.
He took his time before setting all the tokens on a table and began looking around the place.
Both professors curiously observed him and were surprised when he hurried to the table and picked up the tokens, soon fitting them into the wall, which clicked and revealed a compartment where the key was hidden.
The Slytherins cheered their hearts out as soon as he entered the key into the chest and opened it, and they were beyond delighted to find the trophy and silver magical pins bearing their names and House crest inside. They were the Treasure Hunting Champions, and they had won their House a hundred points.
Later that evening, when Professor McGonagall announced the results in the Great Hall, everyone cheered except for the Gryffindors, who had not finished the task.
They even complained to the Headmistress that the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had asked Altair for help, but when little Miss Holmes stood up and asked the Professor if it was stated anywhere in the rules that they could not ask for help from First Years of other Houses, Minerva smiled.
"There is no such rule. You are all part of the same class, same year, and you may help each other. But since House Points are at stake, not everyone might be willing to assist you," she informed the entire Hall, and then awarded Altair twenty more House Points for helping those he was not obliged to assist.
It was truly an evening no First Year would forget.
Altair even asked the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students to join them in the group photo, and they happily agreed, becoming part of it together with the entire staff.
And now, a week later, they were heading home for the winter holidays, excited to see their families again.
At exactly eight o'clock in the evening, the Hogwarts Express stopped at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and Aurelia and Cho rushed straight into the arms of their mothers, who were waiting there.
Altair smiled at Fruska, his House-elf, who was present, and then accepted Draco's embrace when he came over.
"The newspapers do not stop talking about you, Altair. They write something about you every week, and the Hogwarts Weekly now has a designated section for you!"
"Yes, yes, Draco. I shall hear all about it, but I am a little tired at the moment," he gently replied, and the boy sheepishly smiled and stepped back before gasping at the sight of the MoonFox. "Meet Illya." He smiled and restrained a chuckle when his cousin fell into a deep trance.
Even Narcissa was startled to see the MoonFox, though she composed herself far better.
"Fruska, could you please send my luggage and Strix to my room?" he asked his House-elf after giving her a pat on the head, which she adored.
"Of course, Master Altair," she said, and then disappeared with his Harpy Eagle and luggage.
Altair then shared a hug with Narcissa, and also greeted Cho's parents and little brother, who was only three years old.
A few moments later, another family approached, Mr and Mrs Fawley, Gemma's parents.
Lady Annabel smiled at his MoonFox, and then chatted with him, Aurelia, and Cho, congratulating them on their successes at Hogwarts so far.
She also reminded them they were invited to her father's house on New Year's Eve, and Altair promised her that he would come.
Aunt Narcissa and Cho's parents agreed as well. Only moments later, Armand Rosier and his wife, Roxana Rosier, née Lestrange, arrived.
Roxana was a relative of the Black family, a distant cousin to his mother and Aunt Narcissa.
Her grandmother was Lycoris Black, who was the first cousin of Pollux Black, grandfather of the Black sisters.
As for Lord Armand Rosier, his grandmother was Melanie Morvaine, who was Altair's grandaunt.
They were family, bound by the shared blood of a long history, and they were Damien's parents.
Altair had met them before, of course, and had also met the little Rosier twins, Lucian and Elodie, who had turned four years old a month ago.
However, he had not yet met their daughter, Laetitia Roxana Rosier, and she seemed to be a very quiet one, who did not even enjoy celebrating her birthdays.
It was even a surprise that she came to the platform today.
"Miss Rosier," he greeted her with a bow, then planted a kiss on her knuckles, and all she did was offer him a very polite smile.
"Mister Black." Her voice was soft and melodious, and he smiled at her as he sensed the potency of her magic.
She was almost a year younger than he, and would turn eleven on the first of January. There was a darkness about her that captivated him, and he could tell what she truly felt about him even if she tried to hide it to the best of her ability.
"Fascinating," he whispered as he looked into her dark eyes, and when she raised her brow at him, he gently smiled. "Your secrets are safe with me."
His words surprised her, but then she lowered her eyes, not before casting a glare at her older brother, believing that he had told Altair something.
No one understood what they were talking about, and the adults did not interfere in their conversation.
Aurelia and Cho greeted her next, and the latter happily told her that they would be waiting for her at Hogwarts next year.
The young Miss Malfoy was already acquainted with her, and knowing that Leta did not enjoy too much conversation, she did not press her.
A few other people came over to congratulate them on their recent successes at Hogwarts, and because Illya was growing impatient, not enjoying the crowd, the young Black picked her up and politely excused himself, leaving with his House-elf, who had returned.
However, before leaving, he did not forget to smile and nod to a certain girl, a Weasley, who was secretly watching him, hiding behind her mother in the distance.
He took a deep breath and sighed in relief at the silence now surrounding him.
Seeing the familiar room, he smiled and placed Illya on the bed.
He could already sense his mother in the house, and after freshening up and changing into his nightwear, he joined her and Granduncle Cygnus at the dining table.
"Good evening, Granduncle, Mother," he greeted before taking his seat, and the old man, who should not have looked this old yet, smiled softly.
"You have made quite a name for yourself, Altair. You are already the most promising and famous student at Hogwarts."
"Not all of it was intended, but since Mother asked me not to keep a low profile, it cannot be helped."
"Family's prestige, Altair."
"I understand, Granduncle." He smiled, then met his mother's eyes, who was wearing a proud smile on her face.
The two did not need to share words and just silently ate their meal.
To be honest, he had terribly missed the silence at meals in Hogwarts, and he relished this comfort and the tastiest food in the world, which he knew his mother had prepared with her own hands.
Once finished, he stood up, but his mother asked him to sit down again.
"Turn the napkin over," she told him, and he curiously did as she asked.
"Number 12, Grimmauld Place, London..." As he read the address, he suddenly felt something unlock in his mind, and only then did he realise he had forgotten his own House's address. "Fidelius..."
"Yes, Grimmauld Hall is under the Fidelius Charm now. Officially, the new Black Residence is the Black Castle in Buttermere, Cumbria."
Altair looked at her in surprise, a pleasant surprise, then smiled brightly.
He had truly wanted them to move to the Black Family's Ancestral Castle. Grimmauld Hall was mysterious, but ultimately very grim for his liking.
"We are moving?"
"We already have, but your Granduncle prefers to remain here. So, we are keeping him company." Her smile thinned, and Altair's heart slowed. He looked at his Granduncle and sighed inwardly. He knew that the curse Cygnus suffered from was incurable.
It was a curse that stemmed from a broken heart, he had no wish to live and was simply waiting for the moment when his time would come and he would join his Druella in the afterlife.
"It's a beautiful place, but not the one where I was born." The old man smiled, and Altair nodded in understanding. "The Rosier, Selwyn, Fawley, Lestrange, Potter, Bones, Diggory, Dumbledore, and Greengrass ancestral residences are nearby as well. Your mother gave the ancestral Weasley residence to you that is further into the lake. You can do as you please with it. In the mountains behind it is the Ravenclaw Tower, which your Luna will claim once she is of age, and not far away, inside one of the mountians is the Slytherin Sanctum."
Altair froze at those words, then nodded before excusing himself to his room. His hunch had proven right. Luna was the Ravenclaw Heiress.
However, he soon returned, and his mother looked at him curiously.
"May I take Fruska with me to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning?"
His request surprised her, and she raised her brow.
"Do you want me to accompany you?"
"No, it's fine. It will take a while. I wish to speak with Lord Ollivander about something."
"Interested in wandlore?" She smiled, and he smiled back at her.
"I collected a few wand cores at Hogwarts, and I shall try to negotiate with him to allow me to observe the crafting process."
"Are they rare enough?"
"Very."
"Oh?"
Altair merely smiled and did not elaborate, and his mother respected his secrets, simply nodding.
"Be careful."
"Thank you, Mother." He bowed to her, and then to Cygnus again before retiring to his room.
He smiled when he saw Fruska feeding Strix and Illya, then wished himself goodnight and prepared for bed.