1152 Black Family Tutelage Ⅳ

Glancing at the clock in the corner, Cassiopeia said, "Since we cut Dorea's lesson short, let us move on to discussing flower arrangement. We shall not commence until tomorrow seeing as lunch rapidly approaches."

Needless to say, Rowan is far from relieved or pleased for that matter. She was hungry again. Learning is a hard business, ya know.

"Floriography (the language of flowers) is a means to send messages to loved ones, friends, and acquaintances. There are hundreds of words that can be expressed right down to the very foliage and greenery used." Cassiopeia quickly threw out a sharp question. "What is the meaning of a Camellia?"

"Called the Charming Camilla meaning destiny and typically adoration. In other words, my destiny is in your hands," Rowan promptly answered.

Excellent," Cassiopeia nodded her head in satisfaction and continued to quiz Rowan until it was time for lunch. 

With lunch upon them, Cassiopeia ends the lesson and helps her younger sister, Dorea to her feet. With the two witches leading the way, Rowan obediently follows after them. The only speck of relief is that as annoying as her lessons are she is one hundred percent certain that Severu's lessons were far worse!

After lunch in a classroom Marius began to recount his life as a muggle and how he met his muggle wife. Despite being thrown out by his family, he possessed the ruthlessness of the Blacks and had made a name for himself starting from the ground up. Not bad for a squib, eh!

With time Marius and his son, Marius Jr. (the Ⅱ), and his grandson, Marcel eventually became the largest shareholders of an enterprise consisting of a construction company and the overseas transport of goods. Their primary contractors are the government and military from both near and abroad. Resulting in a vast network both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

When Marius retired, his son, Marius Jr. (the Ⅱ), and his grandson, Marcel ran the family enterprise. With Gringotts Bank entering the muggle market as a legitimate financial institution, Marius had begun to transfer a third of their assets over to Gringotts. Not all though, he had learned the hard way not to keep all of one's eggs in one basket lest the basket overturn.

Standing up to stretch the elderly squib stood up. His white hair is slicked back revealing a widow's peak eerily reminiscent of that of the unborn Draco Malfoy. Marius' face is wrinkled but calm. The perpetual gray eyes of the Blacks are solemn but now and again a gleam of light could be seen in their depths. 

With his arms folded behind him, Marius turns to gaze at his two pupils, Severus & Rowan Prince. Seeing their attention, he continues, "I shall not go too much into contracts and goblin as I have been informed you are already under proper tutelage in Gobbledegook. Nevertheless, there are things that cannot be taught but rather experienced."

"I shall arrange a trip to London. Naturally, we will visit Gringotts and if there is time to their subsidiary, Gringotts Inc. I shall introduce some muggle contacts but more importantly, I shall show you the potential of holding a proper foothold in muggle society. Wizards too often underestimate the power that is to be held there," Marius knowingly said.

Severus slowly nodded his head, while Rowan's expression remained as solemn as ever. The muggle world is not to be estimated. As humanity advanced in technology, there may come a day when witches and wizards would be outed. If that day ever came, they would be more than amply prepared to deal with the consequences. War. 

Rowan was realistic enough to admit that though Riddle and Grindelwald had gone about it the wrong way that did not mean their beliefs did not hold a grain of truth. Humanity since the dawn of time has always conquered whom it has seen as the lesser civilization. The opposite is held true as well for those that they deem a threat or different like the Jews or undesirables according to the Nazi rhetoric. 

The Minister of Magic and the whole known magical world was wholly unprepared for such a day. Wizardkind needed to remain appraised of the technological advances of muggles lest one day their magic falters before the eyes of mankind (the no-maj(s)). They needed power in the government and in society. And if all else should fail, an evacuation point for all magical folk. Naturally, that was far easier said than done.

The voice of Marius speaking returned Rowan to the present listening to the elderly squib explain the differences in muggle government to that of the Ministry of Magic. Seeing the eyes of his students glazed over, Marius decides it is a good place to stop. Lightly coughing, he says, "That is more than enough for today," he motioned with one hand. "Run along now, I am sure that the children would be more than happy to see you."

"Yes, sir!" Rowan and Severus chorused eagerly in unison.

They hurriedly gathered their notes and quills and ink pots, before magically waving their wand minimizing them, and putting them into their satchel. Severus is already down the hall when Rowan stops at the door. "One more question, if I may sir?"

"Go on and ask," Marius waved his wrinkled spotted hand at her.

"Where might Lorcan and Sirius be located?"

"Ah," Marius slowly nodded his head. "Dorea's adopted child is in the left wing; you will find the child's quarters soon enough if you keep left." He paused as if carefully considering his next words, "As for Sirius, he can be often found in the chess room near the gardens. However, he has not lately been in the mood for visitors."

"Thank you, sir, for your candor," Rowan bowed with gratitude to Marius Black, who faintly returned the gesture.

Slowly gathering her thoughts, Rowan gazes at the high ceiling of the hallway punctuated with ornate cornices, delicate plaster moldings, and painted gold ceiling roses. On second thought, the gold roses might actually be gold roses rather than painted gold roses. Hanging also from the ceiling are magnificent chandeliers with candles hanging overhead to light the hallway during the evening and night. There is sufficient lighting during the day from the large open windows that light up the Black family summer home.

The walls of the halls all have a similar delicate flora wallpaper design in a block printing or surface printing technique. Not that other chambers did not but they are not the same patterns as those in the hall. Hanging on the walls are magical paintings in classicism and neoclassicism style with more modern paintings in the romanticism and impressionism style. Romanticism and impressionism styles weren't that modern really, but for witches and wizards, they likely were. She had a rather distinct feeling that wizardkind wouldn't know what to make of Cubism, Pop Art, Conceptual Art, and other such modern painting styles.

There is delicate furnishing in the hall along with various decorations from ancient Chinese porcelain vases with beautiful blue patterns to delicate glass work, polished glass mirrors, antique gold or silver and jeweled items, etc. Though there are even some dubious antiques that are locked in a glass cabinet such as a Hand of Glory, an assortment of (human) bones, an evil-looking mask, and other such items that wouldn't have looked out of place at Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley.