Black Dawn Ch.9: The Disgraced Daughter

Harry’s emerald eyes sparkled as he stared wide-eyed at Andromeda, who stood rooted in her spot, her mouth moving soundlessly. A small, orange toy car fell from her hand, clattering onto the ground. Harry’s eyes followed, his face lighting up as he saw the toy. With a wide smile, Harry held out his little arms and the small car zoomed into his hands, his tiny fists grabbing it from the air.

He burst into delighted giggles, clapping his little hands, and Andromeda flinched, her breath hitching in her throat.

“Grandfather?” Her gray eyes flicked to Harry and narrowed. “Whose child is this?”

Arcturus felt a storm tear at his heart as he swallowed the anxiousness.

“It’s a long story, Andromeda. One which I am here for… alongside a few other things.” Arcturus smoothed the creases from the face of the baby crup on Harry’s green cap. “First, may I come in? The cold is terrible for my knee.”

She hesitated, before sliding to a side, her eyes fixed on Harry, who happily swooshed the toy car in his hands. Arcturus smiled, the storm in his chest easing as he walked into the toy-strewn living room, smothering the flare of pain that shot up his knee with every step.

“Who is it, Andy?” A voice came from down the hall and Arcturus scowled, his grasp on Harry tightening. 

A man peeked out of a door and stumbled out as he saw Arcturus, his pale brown eyes wide as a tremble ran down his legs. He gulped, running a hand through his hair, patting it down, before straightening slightly.

“Lord B-black,” he stammered. “W-what are you doing here? Sorry, I mean, welcome, sir. I— I cannot say how good it is to have you in o-our home. Please, come in.”

“Theodore.” Arcturus forced a smile onto his face. “It is a pleasure to finally see you in person. I nearly didn’t expect to see you here today. You are a very busy man, I thought. Busy enough to have not come with my granddaughter the last two times I invited you two.”

Ted Tonks gulped, looking past Arcturus’ shoulder toward Andromeda, who flicked her wand to clear a path through the toys, walking between him and her husband.

“If you came here to insult my husband, grandfather, you can leave right now.” She glared at Arcturus. “This is our home you’re in, not yours.”

“Certainly.” Arcturus picked a pink unicorn off an armchair and tossed it onto the couch. With a slight groan, he sat down before placing Harry on his lap, who continued to play with the car, running it on the chair’s armrest with delight. “I must say, this is much better than what he was having you and your child live in till about three years ago.”

Ted flinched and Andromeda’s glare intensified, her fists balling up.

“Not everyone’s born in the lap of luxury. Some have had to fight to get where they are.” Andromeda’s nostrils flared and Arcturus’ heart clenched at the aching familiarity her expression bore to Melania’s. “Now, whose child is this and why are you here after all these years?”

“Those are both excellent questions,” Arcturus said, leaning back in the chair. “A few days ago, something was brought to my attention, and it made me question my decision about your banishment from the family. So, I am here seeking answers. And hoping that I could… regain my family with them.”

“Good for you.” Andromeda scowled, watching Harry drop the car onto Arcturus’ lap and turn to the pink unicorn. “First, you better answer my question, before I call the Aurors on you. Who is this child and how did you get him?”

The unicorn vanished from the couch with a pop and appeared in Harry’s hands, startling Ted. Harry made a small, disconsolate noise as he examined the unicorn, a big frown forming on his face, which scrunched up in concentration a moment later. 

The pink slowly turned to a brilliant blue in front of their eyes and Harry’s face broke into a huge smile before he giggled.

“Oh, dear,” Ted murmured. “Nymphadora’s going to be pissed.” 

“Gra-pa!” Harry looked up at Arcturus, holding up his unicorn. “Gra-pa!”

“Yes, Harry, very good.” Arcturus smiled at him, patting his head. 

“Harry?” Andromeda said in a high voice that drew Arcturus’ attention to their gaping faces. “As in Harry Potter? Green eyes, black hair… Merlin, it is him, isn’t it?” Her eyes widened and her face paled. “You kidnapped Harry Potter!”

“No, Andromeda.” Arcturus winced at the shriek as Harry jumped in his lap. “I did not kidnap Harry. I took him in as his closest remaining relative through Dorea, his grandmother. He is family and I am his legal guardian.” He caught a flash of pink hair and a set of purple eyes that stared at him through the crack of the door behind Ted and smiled.  “Now, are you going to introduce your daughter? I daresay, she’s wondering who I am.”

The head of pink disappeared back into the room as Andromeda twisted around, strands of her hair coming undone. She let out a heavy sigh, glancing back at Arcturus and Harry, then looking at her husband. 

“Nymphadora? You can come out.”

“I am not peeking!” A voice came from inside and Arcturus chuckled while Harry looked up from his unicorn, wide-eyed.

“No one said you were, honey,” Ted muttered. “Come on out.”

The door slowly creaked open and a little girl shuffled out, her two pink braids swaying over her shoulder, slowly reddening. Her purple eyes darted from her parents to Arcturus to Harry and then to the unicorn. 

“Mum?” 

“Nymphadora, this is my grandfather,” Andromeda said. “And the boy in his arms is Harry.”

Harry beamed. “Me!”

Her face lit up, and she darted toward them, coming face to face with Harry, who giggled and reached out to her, the unicorn still in his arms. 

“Is Harry my brother, mum?” A longing and a spark of excitement burned in her eyes as she touched Harry’s hands. “I always wanted a brother.”

“Would you like to play with him?” Arcturus asked, sliding Harry off his lap, who trotted toward Nymphadora. “Careful, dear.” 

“May I, mum?”

Andromeda nodded hesitantly and Nymphadora beamed, grasping Harry’s little hand in her own, giving him a wide grin. Harry stared at her as her hair turned a bright pink, bursting into giggles and claps. 

“Harry, I am your big sister.” She bounced on the tips of her feet, and Arcturus felt a smile curve on his face. “We’re going to have so much fun!”

Harry gave her a big smile and handed her the unicorn, before trotting forward and picking a small quaffle from the ground.

“Why don’t the two of you go to your room and play?” Andromeda shot her husband a quick look. “Ted, keep an eye on them, no?” 

Ted nodded, slowly ushering the two of them away. Nymphadora’s cheerful blabber and Harry’s delighted laughter faded away as the door to Nymphadora’s room closed, leaving the two in the room. 

“You’ve some explaining to do, grandfather.” Andromeda’s voice bit through the silence, and Arcturus met her narrowed eyes.

“So do you.” Arcturus felt the lightness of Harry’s laughter drain away as dread filled his chest. “Frank and you—”

“I do not care about it. That was years ago, and honestly? It is a part I wish to put behind me.” Andromeda scowled. “I want to know why you’re here after all these years. Your last words to me were, ‘I never want to see your face again. You are a shame on the family and I wish you were never born.’” Her nostrils flared. “So, why are you here, in my home, after all these years? That too, with Harry Potter of all people?”

Arcturus sighed. “When… When I lost Sirius, I realized that I had lost all my family. Bellatrix was on her way to prison, Narcissa was married to Arbaxas’ spawn, and you… I had to banish from the family.”

“You chose to banish me from the family. I had expected you to fight for me!” Andromeda huffed. “Yet, you didn’t. Just like you didn’t fight for Cissa after me. Oh, yes. I know about that too.”

“You didn’t leave me much of an option.” Arcturus scoffed. “Augusta Longbottom ensured that—” 

“No, you ensured that others would dictate us!” She stomped her foot, glaring daggers at him. “You were supposed to fight for me! Fight Augusta Longbottom and de-escalate the fallout!”

“I did!” Arcturus roared and she flinched. “I fought for you. I protected you and your husband. Augusta would’ve made both your life a living hell. She would’ve ensured he would never get a job, and you, never another husband. Your daughter would have suffered the same taint once she was born. Augusta was preparing to ruin your family, had I not negotiated!”

Arcturus rose to his feet, anger boiling in his veins as memories and the phantom of screaming tirades rang in his head. Andromeda took a step back, gulping slightly, her fingers tightening around her wand.

“You, girl, have no clue as to what all I did. Had it not been for me, your husband would’ve been begging on your streets, alongside your daughter and you! Augusta Longbottom was going to throw down the full force of her house against you three. I could’ve shielded you against it. Maybe even Nymphadora, till I was around. But your husband?” Arcturus scoffed. “He would’ve been thrown out of our world, his wand snapped, if he was lucky. Augusta would’ve taken out your revenge on him. She would’ve tortured you, through him. I prevented that and worse.”

Andromeda looked away, a tear rolling down her cheek. “So, why are you here now?”

“Because it was brought to my attention that Frank was dating Alice during your seventh year at Hogwarts. Which meant, he was cheating on you, not the other way round. Had you told me that—”

“You would’ve gone to war, doing the same with Alice and Frank as Augusta Longbottom was going to do with Ted and I,” Andromeda snapped. “And no, grandfather. Frank didn’t cheat on me. Yes, he was dating Alice in our last year, but I was dating Ted too.”

Arcturus took a deep breath, clenching his fists as he swallowed the words, meeting Andromeda’s glare with his own.

“So, both of you were at fault,” Arcturus said. “Augusta pinned all the blame on you and she still does. Had you told me about this, I wouldn’t have needed to banish you, coming to a better accord with Augusta.”

“Really?” She snorted. “Or would the two of you have entered into a feud till there was only one left standing?”

“No, it would’ve been an accord.” Arcturus gritted his teeth. “I would’ve had a leg to stand on against her. I could’ve twisted her arm back in response. Yet, I couldn’t, because I didn’t know.”

“You would’ve had enough ammunition to not twist her arm, but to tear into Frank. I know you, grandfather. Had you been given a leg to stand on, you would’ve waged a war! You would’ve hit where it hurt.”

“Isn’t that what you and your sister wanted?” Arcturus growled. “For me to fight back? For me to stand my ground? You scream at me for not acting but are too afraid to have me act!”

“Standing your ground and tearing into another family is different,” Andromeda screamed. “You would’ve torn through their family, doing the same to Frank that his mother threatened to do to me. Listen to me. Frank and I knew how our decision to separate would turn out. He knew his mother and I knew you. We were planning to get a better one down, but I ended up pregnant. So, we did what was the least harmful, given the circumstances.” 

“So, you took all the blame. You took it all on you,” Arcturus said, frustration twisting in his heart. “You both were to blame and in a mutual agreement. In fact, I think you all were good friends. After all, Alice Longbottom signed as a witness on your and Theodore’s marriage, didn’t she?”

“She did,” Andromeda muttered. “And yes, we were good friends.”

“So, why didn’t you all come to me?” Arcturus snapped. “You let Augusta Longbottom dictate it all! She made you the guilty one in front of the world. She crushed you with the fault. You and Ted became the ones in the wrong! Only if you had come to me, I would’ve solved it for you, Andromeda.”

“What difference would it have made? Frank’s mother wasn’t going to back down, come what may,” she said bitterly. “And she wouldn’t have taken our solution as the answer. She wouldn’t have accepted Alice and our family wouldn’t have accepted Ted either.” 

“You don’t know that.” Arcturus scoffed. “Telling would’ve made all the difference in the world! I would’ve fought for you four. I would’ve negotiated or annulled the contracts and made Augusta accept it. Instead, I had to lay down to Augusta Longbottom’s demands, because I thought you cheated on Frank and got pregnant with another man’s child!”

She flinched sharply and glanced away, closing her eyes. Arcturus sat back down in the armchair with a huff, taking deep breaths, feeling the drum of his heart in his ears. 

“It seemed that you had betrayed everything I stood for,” Arcturus whispered. “And most of all, you betrayed the family. I… I didn’t even think it had been mutual. How could I? Both of you had dated and then said yes to the contract.”

“We had.” Andromeda grimaced. “And that time, at the end of our fifth year, we did like each other a lot. But, I think it wasn’t love. We fell out of it, deciding we were better as friends and we had fallen in love with someone else.” She sighed. “Both Frank and I tried to broach the topic with our parents— not you though, and definitely not directly. But we did test the waters. And the response that came wasn’t encouraging.”

“So, you decided to elope and take the blame?”

“Our initial plan had been to elope together at the same time and force all of you to accept it.” She smiled bitterly. “But, I got pregnant. If Augusta Longbottom knew that I got pregnant and then her son eloped with someone else—”

“It would’ve been a lot worse.” Arcturus completed. “She might’ve gone as far as to accuse you or Alice of influencing her son through magical means… love potions or worse, the Imperius.”

“Alice and Ted would’ve been the prime targets for her. In her eyes, Frank did no wrong and he knew it too. So, I thought it’d be better for me to take the blame. Better being called a harlot by an old woman than ruining the lives of me and my friends.” She shrugged. “We knew any shame the world put on us would fade. That people would forget. And, I knew you’d help us.”

“Instead, I banished you, leaving you out on your own.” 

Andromeda quirked an eyebrow. “But you didn’t, did you, grandfather? Ted got a contract as an enchantment consultant for Nimbus Brooms about four years ago when things were most dire for us. A very well-paying job landed on his lap out of the blue, when work was scarce. Work from a company whose board of directors you sit on.” 

“It wasn’t a job he didn’t deserve.” Arcturus shifted his cane. “He was a good enchanter and Augusta was interfering against him, still holding a grudge. I cut her influence out to get back at her.”

“What about the time when we were looking for a house?” She asked and Arcturus stiffened. “We got a hefty discount, putting the house which I liked, just in our range. A house that had been way out of our budget before. You paid the difference, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Arcturus muttered. “I just wished that it wouldn’t have come to this. Had you told me the truth, you wouldn’t have had to suffer for the years that you did.”

“For all it’s worth, I’m sorry too, for all the trouble you had to go through because of it. You and the whole family.” Andromeda murmured. “I cannot fathom how much pain you would’ve gone through to tear away a part of your family. And to not kill Augusta Longbottom while at it.” She smiled humorlessly. “Everyone saw what you did in the courtroom when she came face to face with you.”

“She was pushing it,” Arcturus scowled. “I decided I had enough of her. She was always a piece of work, but she was crossing her line.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter now.” Andromeda wiped her cheeks. “Despite whatever she did, we turned out fine. I’m a lawyer, Ted’s a good enchanter, and Nymphadora’s in a good school right now. And she’ll go to Hogwarts when she’s eleven.”

“Of course, she will. She’s a powerful witch, and a Metamorphmagus at that,” Arcturus said. “One of only nine in the whole of Europe. Any school would be lucky to have her. After all, she’s a daughter of House Black.”

Andromeda’s eyebrows rose and Arcturus smiled, removing a scroll from his robes. 

“You will officially be reinstated into the Black Family if you and your husband accept,” Arcturus declared. “You will once again be the daughter of House Black, and second in line.”

“And Harry Potter will be your heir?”

“He will. He’s the reason I’m doing all of this. The boy deserves a family beyond me. Someone to take care of him and be with him if something happens to me. He has lost too much.” 

“The poor boy.” Andromeda sighed. “He lost both his parents and he’s what? A year old?”

“Sixteen months, in a few days,” Arcturus said. “He’s been with me for over three weeks now. He’s a little ray of sunshine.” He looked at the door, where Harry was with Ted and Nymphadora. “But he has no one to play with. Until today.”

“Well, Nymphadora’s been demanding a little brother. I’m sure she’d be happy to have one in Harry.” Andromeda smiled. “And they cannot possibly make more of a mess than she does anyway.”

Arcturus let out a chuckle. “Wait until he starts with the accidental magic here then. He already turned your unicorn blue. And that’s just the start.”

“Then Merlin help us both.”

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The floo turned a brilliant green, and Arcturus stepped through, flicking the soot off himself and Harry, chuckling as Harry clapped his hands, his delighted giggles filling the room.

“Yes, that was very fun, wasn’t it, Harry?” Arcturus poked Harry’s tummy and he burst into another set of giggles.

A pop rang through the room and Melody appeared; her eyes worried as she looked at them. “How did it go, Lord Black? Did you talk with Miss Andy?”

“I did. I would say it went rather well. She accepted coming back into the family without much resistance. Sure, we screamed at each other, but once we had it done, she was happy to accept. Especially with Harry here. Speaking of which, he got a new sister.”

“Do-do!” Harry turned to Melody. “Do-Do.”

“He can’t say Nymphadora yet,” Arcturus told Melody as Harry squirmed in his arms. 

Arcturus slowly placed him on the ground, and he toddled forward, before walking back to Arcturus and taking the blue Unicorn from his arms.

“Do-do gib!” He smiled widely at Melody, pointing to the soft toy. “Do-do!”

“Nymphadora gave him the Unicorn. Apparently, she said her little brother liked the toy and he ought to have it.” Arcturus smiled, ruffling Harry’s hair as he thrust the toy toward Melody, looking at her with wide emerald eyes.

“Yes, Little Master. It is very beautiful. Hello, little Unicorn.”

Harry beamed in response and bounced the toy through the air, before placing it on the floor and holding his arms out. With a pop, his Phoenix toy appeared in his hands, and he pointed it toward the Unicorn.

“Do-Do! Magic-birdy!” He nudged them toward each other, clapping his hands before picking them up, and running in the direction of his room. 

“Bailey, look after him!” Arcturus called and the other elf came out of another room, running off after Harry, while Arcturus smiled. 

“I am glad, Lord Black,” Melody said softly. “I am glad that it went well. You look happy too.”

“I’m happy. Andromeda being back in the family means more than I thought. And her daughter is a joy as much as Harry is. She was even entertaining him by changing the color of her hair and Harry loved it. He has a big sister now.”

“That he does, Lord Black.”

“Yes. And before I forget, they’re coming to dinner next weekend, and bringing Nymphadora over with them to play with Harry. Make sure adequate preparations are made.”

“I will, Lord Black.” Melody bowed. “Also, while you were gone, another letter arrived for you, from Remus Lupin. What am I to do?”

Arcturus paused, mulling over it for a moment before inclining his head. “Tell him to meet me. I’ll assess him for myself. And once I do, I will decide whether or not to introduce him to Harry. Also… remind me to write a letter to Amelia Bones in a few days. She has a ward of Harry’s age, and our situation is all too similar to ours.”

“Forgive me, Lord Black, but is it wise to tell others about Little Master? Little master has enemies who would hurt him.”

“They would. That is why he needs friends too,” Arcturus said. “I realized that by seeing him play with Nymphadora today. He was so happy. Happier than I’ve ever seen him. And as for safety, I have known Amelia since she was a child. And I knew her parents and her grandparents. They’ve raised her right from what I hear. And she has the same enemies as Harry does while being in a position to protect him from them, with the force of the law.”

“She’s only an Auror, Lord Black.”

“And she’ll rise through the ranks. I’ll make sure of it personally.” Arcturus gripped his cane tighter. “I want to ensure that Harry’ll be protected, even if I am not here. That he’ll be safe, and he’ll live his own life like he is meant to. Right now, his allies amount to me, and perhaps Andromeda at a stretch. He has well-wishers but the world’s a fickle place.”

“What about Headmaster Dumbledore?”

“I’m sure Dumbledore will play his own part and try to protect him in his own way.” Arcturus frowned. “But I know Dumbledore of old. His intentions may be pure, but his ways may not be the best there is for our Harry. Nor does he have a personal stake or a relationship with Harry. What he did so far was out of the goodness in his heart and a sense of responsibility for his Order members.” He let out a breath. “If the push really comes to shove, I’m not sure if Dumbledore would continue to protect him. He might, but I cannot be sure.”

“So, you want Little Master to have more friends before he goes to Hogwarts?”

“At least those who would fight for him and stand on his side,” Arcturus said. “I will be there as long as I can and help him in every way I can. But after that, he’ll need something more. People to fall back on. I had my friends through thick and thin and I had Dorea too. He would need the same and more.”

“Then, I’ll help you give him that, Lord Black.” Melody bowed, a spark of determination hoovering in her tennis ball eyes. “Anything for Little Master.”

“Yes, everything.” Arcturus closed his eyes. “That’s what Sirius would’ve done too. And James. It is my responsibility to ensure the same.”

“You will, Lord Black. You will.”

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AND… DONE! I hope you all liked the chapter!

So, yes, Andromeda’s secret falls out and now, she’s back in the family! It has been a tumultuous few years for her, but she pulled through, thanks in part to Arcturus himself. As for the rest? Well, I will be taking a leap here (Or soon enough) to go onto the years ahead until we arrive shortly at the main story, with Harry as the central character.

Right now, he’s just a delight. The rays of dawn through the dark night. He’ll soon be the center of attention, at which point, we’ll speed into the plot and branch into newer characters.

Nymphadora will play a pivotal role ahead, and she’ll be one of the more important side characters in the story. Andromeda and Ted, in comparison, will have a more limited screen time. They’ll be there, but it’ll be less of them, more of Nymphadora, and Harry, and Arcturus.

A huge thanks to Mughil and Tulayb for betaing this chapter!

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Stay Happy! Stay Safe! Keep Smiling! Keep Reading!

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