23: The Trial Continues

"Preposterous!" One Pure-Blood shouted.

"Ridiculous!" Another joined.

"Outrageous!"

"Utterly ludicrous!"

Other protests filled the room as well. The reveal of my heritage had sent the whole Wizengamot into shock and denial. The Dark Faction couldn't believe I was a Pure-Blood heir; for once, the Light Faction wasn't far from agreeing with them. The momentum the prosecution had been building stuttered to a stop and collapsed on the spot.

"He must be lying!"

Finally, Edward cleared his throat, cutting through the chaos with a calm tone, "I would like to remind the Wizengamot that my client is currently under Veritaserum."

"He must have found some way to beat the potion! Check him for a hidden antidote!" A large man declared.

"Then why did magic recognize his claim? Do you even use that overly large brain of yours, Lord Bulstrode?" Edward shot back.

The man who must have had Giant in his lineage at some point sputtered his offense, "W-Why-! How dare-!"

Edward continued, talking right over him and everyone else who was protesting, "I was made aware of this situation well before this trial began. Its discovery is a recent development. My client was not trying to hide anything from the court or the Wizengamot. The truth of the matter is simple: no one asked. Personally, I don't see why this reveal should affect the outcome of this trial but I know it will."

"Of course it will! Everyone knows that the laws apply differently to Pure-Blood Lords, Ladies, and their heirs!" Surprisingly, it was a Light-sided Lord who said that.

Edward zeroed in on that voice with a grin, "Oh?"

The Light-leaning Lord Macmillan shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Well… it does."

"And I'm sure the public will be very interested in your professional opinion on the subject, Lord Macmillan. Would you care to repeat yourself for the record?" Edward's grin deepened.

Fudge was quick to try and cover that up, "No! The Court orders the previous exchange stricken from the record!"

Edward acquiesced with a hint of sarcasm, "Of course, Minister. We wouldn't want the masses getting the wrong idea, would we?"

"Perhaps we should return to the matter at hand," Amelia suggested, playing mediator with a sigh.

As soon as the attention of the courtroom was fully returned to me, I was bombarded with a barrage of questions. My body struggled against a compulsion to answer them all at once until I clamped down on my Occlumency. It didn't allow me to beat the Veritaserum, per se, but it did allow me to resist answering every single question put to me.

"Who are your parents?!"

"Why were you in hiding as a Muggle-born?!"

"Do you support the Light or the Dark?!"

"When and how did you learn you were a Pure-Blood?!"

"Why did you declare the duels against the Pure-Blood Lords whose deaths you are being charged with?!"

"Will you assume the Lordship of House Black?!"

"Are you single?" That last question was asked much more calmly than the rest and came from the woman who scared me as much as she aroused me — Valentina Zabini.

"Enough!" Amelia shouted, accompanied by a bang of her wand. "None of you are permitted to ask the Accused questions! Have some tact, people! This is still a trial!"

Umbridge seemed to finally recover from the shock of my reveal, clearing her throat as she took back control of the room, "Hem-hem… Thank you, Madam Bones. I shall now continue with my questioning of the… Accused."

"I think I shall take cues from one of our vaunted Wizengamot members. Who are your parents… Heir Black?" Umbridge visibly struggled to spit out my title.

"Sirius Orion and Bellatrix Dorea Black," I made sure to only answer the question asked and not give out any more information than necessary.

"My client has informed me that both of his parents were given undue sentences," Edward added. "They were either tried under duress or not tried at all. We shall soon be pressing the Ministry to reopen their cases."

Of course, that additional information caused an outroar from most of the Wizengamot. One that set Fudge farther onto the backfoot. He hurriedly tried to plead ignorance to several enraged members at once. Having not one, but two Pure-Bloods denied due process was the perfect issue to unite the Wizengamot's factions over.

Umbridge tried to rescue her boss and return everyone's attention to my interrogation, "H-Hem-! V-Very good, Heir Black. Let's move on to my second question. Are you responsible for the deaths of four Pure-Blood Lords? Namely, the late Lords Malfoy, Parkinson, Flint, and Yaxley?"

I knew this question would be the sticker for a lot of the jury, "… I am. However, I was not aware of their identities at the time. I simply killed four Death Eaters in defense of myself and another."

Once again, Edward added context to my answer, "Please note my client's last sentence. The actions he took were in defense of himself and another — a foreign Witch of some standing who shall remain anonymous for the time being. Given that knowledge, I believe it is appropriate to deem the situation eligible for a Duel of Conquest, Justice, and Satisfaction. Satisfaction for himself, Justice for the anonymous victimized party, and Conquest for the finality of the duel's results."

"But you said yourself that your client's lineage is recently acquired knowledge!" Someone from the Dark Faction protested. "He could not have known he was a Pure-Blood at the time of the killings!"

Edward didn't even blink before firing off a rebuttal, "I do not see how that's relevant. The facts of the situation in the present are what matter, not the incomplete information of the past."

"Solicitor Tonks is correct," Amelia said. "This court's decision will be based on the information we have now.

"My Aurors were able to find plenty of evidence that the fallen Lords were at least dressed in the uniform of a known Dark Lord. One Dark Mark was also found at the scene. The others were too… incomplete to be certain. Given that information and considering the Accused acted in self-defense and defense of another, whether or not it was a properly declared duel becomes insignificant."

The Wizengamot devolved into chatter amongst themselves. The general mood of the courtroom seemed to agree with Amelia and Edward's statement though. Behind the bench, Fudge and Umbridge shifted in place. This trial was very obviously not going the way they wanted it to. Now, all they could do was try to save face.

"V-Very well," Umbridge said, her voice cracking as she did. "I-It seems the Wizengamot is decided. I just have one last question before we finish things up here and make our decision.

"H-Heir Black… W-Will you hold a grudge against the Ministry for your treatment today and the treatment of your parents in the past?"

That was a question I was more than willing to answer to its full extent, "Yes. I will personally bleed the Ministry dry for our due compensation. Starting and ending with you and the Minister, Undersecretary. You have made an enemy of House Black. I hope you like looking over your shoulder…"

Umbridge froze in her seat at my answer. Fudge tried to laugh it off, "Ahahah… I'm sure the Ministry's budget will be able to spare a few thousand Galleons to compensate House Black."

"Minister Fudge," Edward began. "My client has previously asked me to inform you that we will be taking your entire salary and every little bribe you've squirreled away for a rainy day. And even then, you will owe House Black compensation."

In the background, Valentina Zabini and a few others could be heard chuckling, "You just had to ask him this when he was under Veritaserum, huh, Toad? Now, you can't complain when he doesn't hide anything behind social niceties."

Edward scoffed, "He's just lucky Atlas hasn't already declared a Blood Feud."

That had Fudge pale dramatically and made Umbridge look like she was about to faint. Fudge waved his wand, fudging the typical cannon blast spell used in place of a gavel. Instead, all that came out was something that almost sounded like a whimper.

"Case dismissed!" Fudge declared all too quickly. "I rule the Accused innocent of all charges! Get this wonderful example of a Pure-Blood Heir the antidote to his Veritaserum! There's no need to be rash, Solicitor Tonks, Heir Black. I'm sure this can all be resolved in a civil manner."

I waited until after the antidote took effect to respond, "Until my father is pardoned, acquitted, or otherwise declared innocent and reinstated in society, I am the Acting Head of House Black. Not just its heir. Don't make me exercise the power that comes with that appointment."

"Through Right of Conquest, you're Head of House Parkinson, Yaxley, Flint, and Malfoy as well," Edward pointed out.

"B-But what about Lady Narcissa?" Umbridge sputtered from the wings. "Or the new Lord Flint?"

"That is now a House matter. I don't see how it's any of your business, Undersecretary."

"What will you do with those Houses?" Someone from the Dark Faction demanded. "They are proud, long-standing bloodlines. They should not have to answer to some upstart, Muggle-raised baby Lord!"

"Lord Sebastion Nott," Edward whispered to me, identifying the man who had spoken.

I replied to the demanding Lord, "Again, I don't see how that is anyone's business but our own. I shall be working something out with the named Houses. Whether they are dissolved entirely, taken as Vassals of House Black, or just left alone has yet to be seen."

"This is an outrage! I will not bend the knee to some fake Pure-Blood!" The recently and falsely appointed Flint Lord shouted. I recognized him from his earlier outburst.

I shrugged, "Then consider your House dissolved and yourself disowned, Flint."

Unexpectedly (at least for me), magic flashed to back up my nonchalant statement of intent. The false Flint Lord staggered and fell as his House and Name were ripped from him. All I could do was act like I meant to do that. The worst thing I could do right now was give away that I wasn't in complete control. And to be honest, I didn't feel bad for the man who called me 'Mudblood' only 15 minutes prior.

Of course, that single sentence from me caused the gathered Wizengamot to explode yet again. But not all of the outrage was against me.

"He can't do that!"

"He's perfectly within his rights as Lord of the House."

"He's killed one of the Houses of the Sacred 28!"

"And he can do it again. Do you want to test him?"

"So we're just supposed to sit back while he destroys our society?!"

"You're vastly overstating the amount of power he has. He's only Lord to five Houses. Four, now."

"Fi-… Four! It's unprecedented!"

"No, it's not. Vassalage has been an institution since the time of Camelot. Wasn't your House a Vassal of House Black at one point, Lord Rosier?"

"He was raised by Muggles! Giving him such power will ruin our way of life!"

"He's still pure of blood. Purer than you, at that. He's the child of two full-blooded Blacks. If you ask me, his nature will prevail over nurture."

"Can we afford to take that chance?!"

As the exchange went on and on, I looked at Edward, asking a question with my eyes, "Any chance we could slip out of here unnoticed?"

The responding look in Edward's eyes and the smirk on his face told me he was laughing at me inside.

Thankfully, Amelia's voice rang out over the courtroom's din, "Order! A decision has been reached. I see no reason for us to continue here. If you wish to keep arguing about the 'future of our society', do it on your own time!"

With that, the more level-headed and reasonable Wizengamot members began to filter their way out of the courtroom. Some stayed to argue. And a few even began to make their way down to meet with me. I shot a pleading look at Edward, hoping for some avenue of escape from even more politics today.

Edward shook his head, still smirking, "You'll have to talk to them at some point."

The first Pure-Blood to reach me was a woman who I was sure would soon haunt my dreams and nightmares. Valentina Zabini approached me with a sultry smirk on her painted lips and swaying hips that reminded me of a predator. Her tight, full-length dress had a slit in the side that revealed a long, slender leg and an almost scandalous amount of her hip.

She didn't say anything when she arrived, simply smiling a smile that made my pants tighten and handing me something.

"What's-… Why did you even bring this to a trial?" I was more than a little dumbfounded by the object Valentina gave me.

"You never know when you'll need an impromptu resume. You'll owl me, won't you, darling?" She purred, running hot fingers that trailed fire down my cheek and chin before turning and strutting away. My eyes couldn't look anywhere but her hips and derriere as she left.

The object Valentina had gifted me was a photograph. A Wizarding photograph, to be more precise. A Wizarding photograph with herself as the subject. The Valentina in the photo winked at me from between her own legs, leaning down to hug her ankles and demonstrate how flexible she was. I couldn't help but gulp as I took in the lewd scene. Oh my…

I absently nodded my way through the next few Pure-Bloods who came up to introduce themselves, pasting a polite smile on my face to hide the fact that my mind was still very much on Valentina's photo. Only after a familiar name was mentioned did my attention return to the present.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Parkinson," I smiled warily, unsure of how this meeting was going to go. "Thank you for taking the time to come greet me. House-… Well, I suppose House Flint is no more. But House Yaxley and House Malfoy have not yet made themselves available to me."

Lady Parkinson was a beautifully fair-skinned woman with an upturned nose and a surprisingly friendly smile. Her features were much less traditionally aristocratic than I'd expected, leaning instead toward a more common, relatable beauty. Still, there was no hiding the intelligence behind those eyes.

She nodded, "I could not pretend to speak for Lady Yaxley. A terrible bore of a woman, that one. But I'm sure Narcissa will just kick herself for missing this opportunity. She does fall under your banner in two ways, after all. From House Malfoy and House Black. It's just a shame she's still 'in mourning'."

I could practically hear the air quotes in her words, "I've already met her actually. During the World Cup. But I must agree. I'm sure my aunt would not wish to miss my introduction to Pure-Blood Society."

"Yes, she will be ecstatic to discover she has gained a new nephew and a new Lord at the same time," Lady Parkinson hid a small smile.

Already tired from a long day, I tried to keep the conversation moving forward, "Did you have something you wished to discuss, Lady Parkinson? Or were you just coming up to introduce yourself to the new Head of your Household?"

"Please, call me Phoebe," She said, her smile warm and inviting. "But yes, I did have something I wished to discuss. Preferably in public."

"Not private?" I asked, slightly surprised. "Usually people request the opposite, don't they?"

"They do," Phoebe nodded. "But I want everyone eavesdropping to know what I have to declare. Walk with me, Milord?"

"So long as you drop the 'Milord' business," I agreed. "Feel free to call me Atlas."

"I'll keep that in mind for the future. But right now, it is simply not appropriate for our conversation."

Phoebe and I began our exit from the courtroom. People certainly noticed as we did. I was glad for the excuse to leave. If I waited for everyone to finish their business with me, I would've been there for the rest of the day. Edward and Tonks followed us at a respectful distance. Apparently, Amelia felt it was prudent to maintain a guard over me for the time being.

Phoebe didn't bother whispering or anything of the like, "Milord. I come to you today with a topic important to both of our Houses. I come to you today to swear Vassalage. Though technically unnecessary since you are already the Head of House Parkinson, I would like to make our future relationship official."

"I see… Any particular reason you're being so cooperative? The former House Flint certainly wasn't. And I very much doubt House Yaxley will be. House Malfoy is currently headed by a relative of mine so I can understand if they end up agreeing to my rule. But House Parkinson? I'm afraid I have to ask you to explain a bit more."

"Of course, Milord. House Parkinson's situation is as simple as it is dire. We do not possess the strength to stand alone within the Dark Faction. Already, other noble Houses are circling as if they smell blood in the water. As such, I've decided that my daughter's life and mine would be much safer and more comfortable under your banner."

"Would you mind giving me the names of those who hound you?" I raised an inquiring eyebrow. "I'm sure my solicitor won't mind looking for avenues of retaliation that are open to you."

"You're too kind, Milord," Phoebe gracefully deflected. "Perhaps at a later date. But that option does not change my desire to tie myself to you and your Houses."

"Well, I won't stop you if that's what you want. But I should warn you that I'm still very new to all of the politics of my position," I sighed after a few moments of thought, fiddling with the heir ring that now sat on my finger.

The corners of Phoebe's lips twitched, "To be frank, Milord, that's what I'm counting on. Though, if you desire, my daughter may be able to tutor you on the intricacies of Pure-Blood society. I believe she's a student of yours."

She sighed overdramatically, "Ahh~ How romantically ironic. A student tutoring her teacher. She's much closer to your age than an old lady like me. I'm sure you'll get along together ~very well~"

"Alright, nope. None of that now," I hurriedly cut her off to Phoebe's visible amusement. "There's no need to try and set your daughter up with me for protection, Phoebe. Or at all for that matter. Though, if there was, I have to say that you'd have just as much of a chance as her. You're anything but an 'old lady'."

Phoebe tittered behind a hand, "Is that so, Milord? Well, I am now your Vassal. Anytime you feel the craving for more… ~mature~ advice, I shall heed your call~"

"Right," I nodded stiffly. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, Phoebe. We'll be in touch."

I excused myself, trying not to let on how tempted I was to take up that offer of 'advice'. Especially from a woman who had just sworn herself and her whole House to me. I left her there, still tittering behind her hand while I practically power-walked away. I didn't have to look back at Edward and Tonks to know they were smirking at me.

My strides didn't slow for anything until we were safely enclosed in the elevator. Once there, I relaxed, energy suddenly leaving my body to slump against one of the elevator's walls.

"Merlin, I really need to delegate this side of my life to someone else…"

"What about Lady Parkinson?" Edward suggested 'helpfully'.

"Very funny."

"It's a valid suggestion. She's sworn her loyalty to you and she knows the political battlefield as well as anyone else does. Other than perhaps Narcissa but you'll have to wait until you meet her again to find out where her loyalties lie."

"I'll… I'll think about it."

Thankfully, they were able to see how drained I was from the trial and all of the politics surrounding it. Edward and Tonks let me rest while they talked softly to each other. By the time I arrived back at the Castle with only Tonks still with me, I'd managed to recover at least some of my enthusiasm for life. The System notifications that followed the trial helped with that somewhat.

< +3 to Speech, +5 to Persuasion, +5 to Perception, +10 to Negotiation, +12 to Notoriety, +15 to Influence >

< Speech 37+3=40/100, Persuasion 30+5=35/100, Perception 28+5=33/100, Negotiation 9+10=19/100, Notoriety 15+12=27/100, Influence 13+15=28/100 >

The increases were entirely focused on Social skills but that was to be expected. I hadn't cast so much as a single spell since entering the courtroom. Though… shouldn't verbal combat count toward increasing my Combat Skill? That was left as an absent curiosity since the System didn't seem to agree.

Dinner should have been starting when I returned to Hogwarts. I didn't go straight to the Great Hall though, instead visiting my quarters first to recharge a bit more. There, I found Bella waiting to lavish me with attention as always.

"Atlas!" She greeted me with a wide smile. "How'd it go? I mean, I know you won. There's no way you wouldn't! And if you did lose, I would already be storming the Ministry. Think they can convict my baby boy, do they? I'll gut them and hang them up by their entrails!"

A sigh and a pat on the head were thankfully enough to silence Bella's runaway train of thought, "It went fine, Bella. Yes, I won. No need for you to do anything like overthrowing the Ministry… Not just yet anyway. Give me a second here. I need to sit down in a chair that doesn't have chains on it."

"Of course, Atlas! Sit, sit! Here, I'll even give you a massage to help loosen your stress," Bella offered, already moving into position before I'd even agreed.

"Thanks," I sighed as Bella's nimble fingers went to work. "I guess a massage couldn't hurt anything."

"I'll just wait outside," Tonks excused herself.

I waved her off, all but melting into Bella's touch. Her fingers whispered over my shoulders and neck, finding knot after knot for her to untie through my skin.

"So how was your day… Bella?" I still wasn't entirely comfortable calling her 'mother' or 'mom'. Especially with the deviant mother-son relationship we seemed to be developing.

"Oh, you know," She said casually. "Just preparing contingency plans in case you were found guilty for some reason. I'm up to number 35 at this point. Most of the differences between the plans just relate to various methods of completely justified slaughter."

My eyes drifted closed as I absently replied, "That's nice. Glad to hear you had fun without me."

"So much fun!" Bella agreed, way too perky to be talking about murdering most, if not all, of the Ministry. "Oh! And Cissy sent you a letter! You were busy so I replied for you. I can't wait to introduce you to your aunt!"

"Sounds good to me. Can I leave you in charge of organizing that meeting?"

I felt Bella shudder through her fingers, "Ooooh~ Atlas trusts Mommy~… You can count on me! I wouldn't dream of letting my baby boy down again!"

"I know I can," I said, still not opening my eyes to acknowledge my mother's obsession.

Bella's massage would have lulled me to sleep if I didn't know I should at least make an appearance at dinner. And that was not even considering how hungry I was. So I stood abruptly with a sigh, pretending not to hear Bella's whine or feel her lingering touch.

"I should get going. I'll be back soon enough but Septima deserves to hear the good news," I paused. "And Albus, I guess. Heather and Hermione too… Luna and Gabrielle… I feel like this is going to become a whole process of telling everyone about my trial."

Bella giggled at my exasperation, "Okay, baby boy. Have fun. I'll arrange a meeting with Cissy. Oh! And Andromeda! It'll be like a family reunion! How fun!"

"Hopefully, you'll be able to join us in public soon. Edward and I will be pressing the Ministry to reopen your case. And Sirius' for that matter. His will probably be easier because he's wholly innocent. But Edward is confident he can get you off as well with time served."

She simply smiled at my reassurance, "I know, Atlas. You're a good boy. The best. I trust you. Go on now, break the news, and bring all my lovely daughters-in-law back to me."

I rolled my eyes as I left, "Not married yet."

I found Tonks leaning against the wall outside my room and together we made our way down to the Great Hall. Dinner should have been just about over by now and I braced myself. There was no way our entrance wouldn't attract attention. Tonks obviously thought the same because she tried to hurry me inside through the open doors unnoticed.

That effort was almost immediately doomed to fail. No matter what route we took, we'd have to walk past at least one of the House tables. I decided to just bite the bullet and walk past the Gryffindor table so I could break the news to Heather and Hermione first.

Excited chatter swirled around me, quickly infecting the rest of the Great Hall as I made my way to my temporary ward and her best friend. Once there, I bent down to break the news, "I won."

As soon as I said that, Heather grew a mischievous grin across her face, "We know."

I blinked, "What? How?"

"The… whole Castle kind of had front-row seats to your trial," Hermione sheepishly explained.

I blinked again and Heather cut back in, "Ask the Weasley twins. They're the ones who made that possible."

My attention shifted over the Gryffindor to land on the mentioned clones. They stood, giving me synchronized, dramatic bows, "Milord."

"Right… I kind of want to see how you managed that, boys. Sounds impressive," I honestly praised them both. "In the meantime, I'm willing to field questions anyone has about the trial and everything that was revealed through it. Might as well get this over with now that it's still fresh in everyone's minds."

There was a clamor of students trying to ask the first question. Not just from the Gryffindor table but the other three as well. Even some of the visiting students got in on it. Eventually, though, one voice won out over all of the others, imposing silence in the Great Hall through sheer boldness as everyone waited for my answer with bated breath.

"Since you're technically the Lord of my House now, does that mean I can call you 'Daddy'?" Pansy Parkinson asked with an 'innocent' smile that reminded me of her mother.

I sighed. I was right. This was going to be a whole process…

IIIII

"The stars are quite beautiful tonight."

"They always are…"

"Hello, Aurora," I greeted, still not turning to look away from the night sky.

I heard and felt her sit next to me at the edge of the Astronomy Tower, brushing her arm against mine, "Hello, Atlas. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"No, you're not. I don't particularly want to be alone. It's just been a long day and I couldn't sleep. So much will be changing thanks to everything that happened to me today."

"Ah, yes. Your true heritage. Severus was very conflicted about that reveal. On the one hand, you won him a tidy sum of money. On the other, he did not get along with your father at all."

"And how do you feel about it? The idea that I might have been hiding as a Muggle-born all this time?" I asked, looking at her for the first time.

Aurora stayed focused on the stars and the moon, showing me her elegant profile beneath their light. Her darker skin seemed to shimmer in the low light as if glitter infused her whole being. Or as if she was a reflection of the very sky she stared up at. Her hair, twisted and braided into locks, was tucked behind the ear I could see. As I watched her, she shrugged off her heavy outer robe and cast a warming charm on herself.

"It hasn't made me look forward to our date this Yule any less," Aurora answered circumspectly.

I chuckled under my breath, "That's certainly reassuring."

The silence we lapsed into after that was eventually broken by her next question, "Do you want to talk about it…?"

"What's there to talk about?" I sighed.

Aurora hummed, "Hmm… Hold on. I know just what will get you to open up."

I turned a curious eye back to her as she rummaged through the pockets of her discarded robe. She found what she was looking for and turned back to me to present what looked to be a hand-rolled cigarette.

"I didn't know you smoked, Aurora."

She scoffed with a smile, "Atlas. We work and live at a school with a whole section dedicated to growing and harvesting herbs and another section dedicated to brewing mind, body, and sometimes even reality-altering 'potions'."

When she put it that way… "Yeah, I suppose the Wizarding world is much more liberal than the Muggle world when it comes to drugs."

"I wouldn't say 'liberal'," Aurora hedged. "More 'stuck in the past' as with everything else. Thanks to magic and differing politics, the Wizarding world never saw the same push for the War on Drugs and prohibition that the Muggle world did. That doesn't mean they're entirely accepted by the Wizarding public but they're certainly less taboo. Think of it as closer to 19th-century medicinals with cocaine or opium as the main ingredient."

"Or the original recipe for Coca-Cola?"

"Exactly."

"And what's in this cigarette?" I asked a bit nervously. "I'll freely admit to being out of my depth when it comes to this."

Aurora smiled, "I'd be happy to introduce you to the wonderfully illicit world of Wizarding herbs. This particular 'spliff' — that's the correct terminology, by the way — is a little special blend from Pomona's special stash. I believe she's been experimenting with a Smokeleaf strain crossbred with Dittany to cut the harshness, Alihotsy for potency, and Lavender for taste."

I was still slightly skeptical, "And Pomona's given it her seal of approval?"

"More than that," Aurora laughed. "She says it's her favorite strain in recent memory."

I sighed, "Alright. I'll give it a try."

Aurora cheered, "Yay! That a boy! Here. Slowly at first."

She lit the 'spliff' with the tip of her wand and handed it over to me. Cautiously, I brought it to my lips. Floral smoke drifted into my mouth as I inhaled. For some reason, my brain told me to try and swallow the smoke. Aurora giggled as I was sent into burping coughs.

"Just breathe normally, Atlas," She advised, taking the spliff from me and demonstrating.

As she exhaled a cloud of smoke, I found myself mesmerized. A buzz settled over my mind and body until it felt like my whole world was vibrating to its own unique song. Giggles bubbled up in my chest, something my mind absently attributed to the Alihotsy. I felt myself relax in a way I never had before. Aurora passed the spliff back and on my next inhale, it felt as if all my worries gathered in my lungs and left with the lavender-scented smoke.

"Better?" Aurora giggled.

"Strange and new," I corrected.

"And how do you feel about everything that happened today now?"

"For some reason… All of my worries suddenly seem so insignificant."

"That's because they are. You were so focused on doing everything by yourself that you've given yourself anxiety. You're not alone, Atlas. Trust the people who stand with and behind you. Septima, Albus, the rest of the staff, even your students."

We continued passing the spliff back and forth as I absorbed that idea. She was right. Maybe it was because I'd come to be alone under the night sky but I'd tunnel-visioned everyone else out of my mind. I wasn't the only one affected by today's reveal and I wasn't the only one who could do something now that it was out in the open. The future could wait. It really was useless to worry about it all by myself.

When it became clear I wasn't going to say anything more on the subject, Aurora turned the conversation to other things.

She sighed fondly, "You know, it still continues to amaze me how different the sky is here in Scotland."

"As opposed to…?" I asked leadingly.

"Uganda," Aurora answered. "It's much closer to the equator. The stars are almost completely different. And before coming to teach at Hogwarts, I would have never imagined being able to witness my namesake."

I nodded my understanding of that. Anyone who had Aurora as a Professor remembered the nights when the Northern Lights made themselves known. During the late autumn and winter months, a large majority of her classes were devoted to studying them.

"Shame they aren't out tonight," I said.

A soft smile crossed Aurora's face as she stared up at the stars, "It is. But there's still so much to appreciate, even without them. The whole galaxy is laid out before our eyes, painted with magic long forgotten. Every speck means something. Even us, small and self-absorbed as we are, can't help but recognize that we're a part of something so much greater on a night like this."

"Really makes you think…"

"It does. Like cogs in a great machine, every star and nebula and distant galaxy affects us, no matter how far away they all are. And I can't help but remember that we affect them just as much."

"When you put it like that, revealing that I'm a Pure-Blood doesn't seem so consequential."

"But it is. To you. To me. To the Wizarding world as it exists on this small northern island. At the same time, it isn't. The universe hardly noticed. Everything's relative and I can't help but feel the magic in that philosophy."

I watched her out of the corner of my eyes, realizing something, "You do this often, don't you? Smoke Pomona's special stash and watch the stars?"

Aurora laughed freely, "I consider it part of my job description. The study of Astronomy is useless if we don't take the time to appreciate what it all means."

"Yes," I agreed. "I suppose this does help put things into perspective."

"You should join me next time as well. I didn't realize how much better this experience was with someone to talk to," Aurora suggested.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling at the offer, "It's a date."

Aurora wiggled her eyebrows, "Bring Septima and we can have some real fun~"

Rolling my eyes, I flicked the spent spliff at her. She dodged, giggling as it flew off the Astronomy Tower. After calming her laughter, she looked at me, wiggling her eyebrows comically again.

"Hey… Wanna try another…?"