A demonstration of intent

With Alika Greengrass, my godfather's future wife, pacing nervously in the control room, I waited for Sirius to return from the forest. The Board of Trustees had granted me, Neville, Luna, and a few other students special status, so that I could leave Hogwarts at any time, as long as I passed my final exams without fail. And despite the fact that I'd learnt more in a year with the French wizards than I had in the previous four at Hogwarts, I planned to complete my studies, even though the head of the Potter family was unlikely to need a graduation certificate.

 - No sign of them yet? - Horace Slughorn came into the room, grinning at the sight of me. Around the alchemist's neck was the golden pendant of the Time Wizard, which I had given to the old man so that he could teach Potions classes at the school and support the Alliance with his potions and healing skills at the same time.

 I had just opened my mouth to reply to the alchemist when a light flashed in the room and the smoking figures of mercenaries, many of them flaunting fresh bandages and one literally being carried on his shoulders by his comrades, appeared in the centre of the room. The darkness, however, was coming from the godfather who had appeared in the room, surrounded by an aura cloud into which Sirius had clearly poured simply monstrous energy. When Black looked up at me, I flinched, the fury in his eyes glowing red.

 The representative of the mercenary guild came in next, stumbling as his eyes met the dark wizard's.

 - Sirius! - His fiancée clung to the wizard's chest. Slender hands tangled in Bleek's slightly burnt hair. But the girl's caress was doing its job, and the hall gradually grew lighter.

 The mercenaries, urged on by Horatius, left the hall, heading for the improvised infirmary in the cellars, followed by the guild representative, and I turned my back on a scene too personal to take place in front of other people. Gradually, the fierce glint in the godfather's eyes faded, and he released the girl from his embrace, stepping forward.

 - It's no use," he hissed in response to my questioning gaze. - The vampires refused my offer, and while the patriarch and I were talking, they had time to call for help, so we were attacked simultaneously by a group of Eaters and the cave masters themselves.

 - What were the casualties? - Lupin came into the room, clapping his friend on the shoulder.

 - Casualties? - Black grimaced. - All the mages who came with me are wounded, some badly, one dead man we couldn't get out. But we've killed a lot of vampires, too. Before one of the mercenaries we'd been covering the whole fight managed to create a group portkey for us, we'd collapsed the entrance to the vampire caves to a great depth, so it would take a long time to clear the rubble.

 - There are probably still their women in there," Alika said, not letting go of the wizard's hand.

 - No one forced them to attack," Black said, "We came here to settle this peacefully, but if the vampires fought, they got what they deserved.

* * *

 Westminster Abbey was host to an unusual crowd, a fancily dressed crowd, many of them wearing the toilets of Charlemagne or the French Sun King. Glittering jewellery, fancy hairstyles of the ladies and amulets of the gentlemen. Space duplication charms, cast with the help of Flamel himself, to the complete shock of many of the people gathered in the cathedral, ensured complete privacy of the event. The great long-lived alchemist, dressed with emphasised austerity, sat in the front row, and next to him - causing no less shock and whispers of the guests, settled down the French master of dark magic Cimus, who came to the wedding in full ceremonial attire. Lord Bleek and Alika Greengrass's wedding, as opposed to my own, was a political event, so there were many more guests, and the walls of the abbey could hardly accommodate them.

 I grinned and looked around at the people gathered, the empty space around Flamel and Cimus. The guests were divided into several groups: the wizards from the clans that had joined the Old Family Alliance, the few neutral families, and the ministry officials whom Sirius had included in the wedding invitation list with a squeamish grimace to demonstrate the power of his alliance to all interested parties. Aurors were seated separately, joined by the few girls who had managed to escape from the care of their strict parents, who were discussing the changes taking place in the country. Fleur had slipped away at the very beginning of the reception,

 I glanced to my right and found that I'd done the right thing in introducing Neville and Lady Longbottom to Aurelius Cimus's wife. Surrounded by the haze of the protective sphere, they were discussing something in a tight circle, Lady Longbottom listening intently to Arrataia, who was speaking slowly, fanning herself with a fluffy fan. The red-eyed girl, sensing my gaze through all the shields, smiled softly.

 The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, emerged from the group of whispering ministers, surrounded by an entourage of advisers and petty petitioners. Having been assured by his godfather of the Alliance's non-involvement in the Scrimgeour incident, backed up by a hefty donation from all interested parties to St Mungo's, as well as Sirius Black's personal assurances of full support for the Ministry's policies, Fudge had literally come to life and now radiated smugness and confidence at receptions. The Minister's confidence was bolstered by the dramatically increased efficiency of the Auror's Office, whose staff had received Brown's unspoken orders to kill Voldemort's supporters on sight. Almost immediately, order was restored in magical settlements throughout the country, and the fighting spread to the remote Muggle villages where the Eaters continued to train new recruits for blood. The Minister had not received reports that the latest attacks on Muggles had been a collaboration of vampires, werewolves and wizards, and those attacks had cost a lot of blood.

 - My respects, Minister," I bowed politely to the puffy-haired man.

 - Good afternoon, Lord Potter," Fudge's small eyes stared at me intently. For a fraction of an instant I hated this man, who had hidden himself to the last in the cosy illusion of a peaceful England when the countdown to open war had already begun. But the Minister's time had not yet come, there was still about a month to go until the Alliance was ready to take over.

 - What do you think about the further development of the situation in the country? - asked the Minister, when the first showers were over.

 - I think that sooner or later Voldemort," I genuinely enjoyed the Minister's pupils dilating for a moment, "sooner or later Voldemort will die. And only our actions will determine whether there will be colossal, time-delayed sacrifices in the process, or whether everything will happen in the next few years.

 - Do you think the war will end quickly? - The minister raised his eyebrows.

 - I hope so," I replied sincerely, trying not to give in to nastiness.

 The Minister moved on, leisurely answering the greetings of the wizards, and Fleur finally returned to me.

 - Did you miss me? - Light grey eyes of my beloved, literally radiating affectionate warmth, made me forget everything.

 - When you're not around, - the world around me pales, - I answered with a line from some old book, kissing a thin wrist.

 - What were you and Fudge talking about? - Fleur smiled contentedly, taking her hand from mine.

 - He was interested in my opinion on the war," I shrugged. - He's so pleased and self-righteous it's disgusting.

 - If I remember the old papers correctly, Fudge was chosen for his inability to see beyond his nose," my wife grinned, transforming from a charming girl into the daughter of a famous politician. - He didn't believe in the Dark Lord's return until the last moment.

 - He didn't," I grinned, "and he put a lot of good men in the ground for that belief.

 - Think of the good things," a soft, warm hand touched my cheek, and I pressed my hand against it, not wanting to let go.

A slight ripple in the air around us would have told a knowledgeable person that we were covered in a dome of spells against overly curious ears.

 - I'll think about it," I grinned. - I'll think about what's going to happen tonight.

 - And what's going to happen tonight," Fleur's eyes were so sly that I smiled involuntarily.

 - It's... negotiable," I couldn't help but kiss those tantalising lips quickly.

 The sounds of the magical organ Sirius had inexplicably procured echoed through the great hall. I felt as if we'd been thrown centuries back in time, inspired by the ancient walls and the equally ancient music that seemed to come from every direction. The voices of the assembled people fell silent, stifled by the power of the organ, when a wizard priest of the Cullen family, who had long professed the Catholic faith, as opposed to the faith of their ancestors or the de facto atheism of most wizards, stepped up to the central dais, shrouded in silk cloth. Sirius Black, who had completely muted his aura for the solemn occasion, and Remus, who was accompanying him, took on the honourable role of best man and carried the rings on a velvet cushion.

 As the room was packed with wizards, James Cullen did not make the typical wedding speech, but got straight to the point. Accompanied by her father, the Blecks were joined by Alika Greengrass, who caught the eyes of the crowd as much as Fleur. Dressed in a pale blue plain-cut dress, the girl was strikingly different from the dangerous, dark-magic-wielding sorceress she had been before the wedding. The thin golden hoop that intercepted the mane of loose black hair was decorated with runic patterns - one of the pre-wedding gifts of the Bleck family, the girl wore it on herself, showing that the choice of her future husband was made consciously, and not at the insistence of her relatives.

 - Sirius Black," Cullen began. - Say your vows in the face of those assembled and in front of magic.

 The godfather, happier than ever, took Alika Greengrass's palms in his hands.

 - I take you, Alika Greengrass, to be my lawful wedded wife. I promise to be faithful to you every time, to be your support, both in happiness and in sorrow, in sickness and in health. My love will remain with you forever until the end of my days on this earth. Let magic and blood be witnesses to my words!

 My godfather swore not only by magic, but also by blood-the glow that surrounded him at the last words was not the golden white of my wedding, but scarlet, but no less beautiful.

 - I take you, Sirius Black, to be my lawfully wedded husband. - The girl's ringing voice rang out beneath the ancient vaults, her eyes glittering. - I promise to be faithful to you every time, to be your support in both happiness and sorrow, in sickness and in health. My love will remain with you forever until the end of my days on this earth. Let magic and blood be witnesses to my words!

 A tear ran down the cheek of Nymphadora standing next to me - the girl was genuinely happy for her friend. Her mother smiled contentedly, looking at her brother who had finally found his happiness.

 Sirius took the ring from the cushion and slowly placed it on Alika's finger. A second later, a thin gold bezel was on his hand as well. With a wave of his wand, Runes freed himself from the cushion and created a rune circle around the couple, identical to the one in the basement of the Bleck house, using the ancestral magic of the old families.

 - By the power vested in me," the glow around Cullen was a glow of true light magic, not unlike Dumbledore's efforts to be a light wizard. - I now pronounce you husband and wife.

 The Runes circle flashed with white light, hiding the man and woman who had kissed. The werewolf and the priest stepped back from the blazing circle, stepping down to the guests. After a moment, the glow faded, the last reflections of light dripping down the clothes of Sirius and Alika Black, who stood on the dais.

 - Happiness! - Remus shouted, throwing his hand up in the air, an intangible firework exploded from his open palm, exploding from the high ceiling, showering those around him with ghostly sparks.

 - Happiness! - Fleur beside me waved her hand.

 The guests murmured; if it hadn't been for the spells of space duplication, the abbey building would have been glowing from the inside like a fire, but Flamel's and Zimus's spells kept us safely hidden from Muggle view, and the abbey's vaults were a veritable whirlwind of colours, but they were careful to use only those fireworks spells that couldn't damage the ancient vaults of the building.

 With shining eyes, the godfather and his wife descended from the dais, accepting the congratulations first of his closest friends, then of the rest of the guests. However, many of the wizards did not come closer, as the celebration was to continue in a smaller circle in the Bleck house, where the ballroom had already been prepared.

 Here and there the clapping of portkey claps sounded, carrying Alliance members and a few people from neutral families, as well as some of the Aurors to the celebration at the Bleck house. It was normal, given the situation in the country, and no one would have thought to complain to House Bleak for such a blatant display of attitude toward the other factions, but I could see the look of displeasure on Fudge's face at not being invited to the unofficial part of the ceremony.

 - Lord Potter," Flamel said to me as we entered the ballroom, which was the entire first floor of the Bleak House, further expanded by magic. - I suggest you try out a spell I've been working on for the past few years.

 - Space magic? - I asked the alchemist with frank curiosity, because thanks to regular correspondence I had a rough idea of what the wizards hired by the tandem of Flamel and Cimus were doing in Europe now.

 - There's no garden around Bleak House," Flamel grinned, swinging his staff, "but there is a garden around Potter Manor, and it must fall within the boundaries of the Spell of Trust. You are Lord Bleak's godson, and you are Lord Potter at the same time. You will be able to cast a permanent transfer spell between these points in space.

 - Why me?

 - We'll all have to do the spell, but you and Lord Black will have to grant access to the mansion space, otherwise the spell will only work at the edge of the protection spells.

 - Teebie," I snapped my fingers, and the Potter Manor elder of housekeepers appeared before me. - Prepare wine and snacks for the guests, there might be guests in the garden soon.

 The elf disappeared, and Flamel and I, grinning contentedly and crunching our fingers, headed towards Sirius and Aurelius, just as I'd managed to hear over the scrap of conversation processing the godfather.

 - This is going to be interesting," Godfather laughed, putting his arm around Alika's shoulders. - But why now?

 - It will be a perfect demonstration of our strength, - Flamel smiled softly, - as well as a demonstration that there are still people who are concerned about the statute of secrecy and the fate of wizards in case of its violation.

 - That's a reasonable argument," the godfather pulled out his wand.

 Using a voice-amplifying spell, Sirius informed the guests that the guests from France would demonstrate their gift immediately. The four of us stood in a circle, and Flamel handed us each a sheet of parchment.

 - You will only be required to recite the opening bars of the spell," the alchemist's short, trimmed fingernail scraped across the parchment. - This will allow us to begin merging the spaces of the mansions into one without damaging the defences.

 - And not get hit back by the mansion's defences," Cimus grinned.

 - Let's get started," the alchemist said, clenching his staff as he waited for us to review the part of the spell we'd been given.

 The feeling of immense power flooded me. The energy gathered by four of the most powerful wizards in the world rushed into the circle, filling the spell the alchemist and the dark mage had created with their sophisticated minds. Cimus and Flamel, who had clearly worked together in recent years, did not read their creation aloud, most of their actions were done in silence, and only the web of energies before us on the wall became more and more complex and bright, glowing even in the spectrum visible to ordinary vision.

 The dark wizard and the alchemist swung their staffs, outlining a large semicircle that rippled, revealing a garden and a mansion that many of the guests were surprised to recognise as Potter Manor.

 Perplexed exclamations were heard, but the most skilful wizards, who were present in the hall enough, had already made a conclusion that unknown how survived Flamel and his colleague, who was rather little known in England, managed to make a real revolution in magical science.

 - Those who wish to spend time in Potter Manor Park after the ball can go through this portal," Nicholas Flamel grinned, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

 Obeying Sirius Bleck's gesture, the music started, and the first dance belonged to only one couple.

 - My lady," Bleck bowed to his wife, inviting her into the circle.

 - My Lord, - the girl's thin hand seemed even more fragile in the wizard's big hand, a pure and sincere smile shone on Alika's face, the girl looked more beautiful than ever.

 The first dance, traditionally belonging to the hosts of the ball, began. With the quiet clatter of Alika's heels and the rustle of her dress, the couple waltzed to the music of the old, but not lost its charm Strauss. Sirius' face had softened, the crimson light that had appeared after the fight with the Dark Lord had disappeared from his eyes, and he embraced his wife with tenderness, leading her confidently in the dance. And literally beaming with happiness, Alika looked like an angel as never before.

 With the next dance the guests joined the hosts one by one, and new couples joined the circle of dancers every now and then.

 - Mistress of my heart," the high-pitched words rolled off my tongue, so impressed was I by my godfather's wedding, "do this humble mortal the favour of a dance.

 - Gladly," laughed Fleur, as I drew her into the circle of dancers.

 The music, smooth at first, accelerated and soon raged like a storm, drawing more and more people into the dance. Somewhere in the hall, the once clumsy heir to the Longbottoms was gliding along, clasping his precious bride a little more tightly than propriety allowed, the Tsimus waltzing softly, with inhuman grace, and Fleur's father and mother, who had also arrived for the engagement of their allies, moving with precision and confidence. The music, reinforced by the magic of the ancient mansion, seemed to wash away the seal of war from the faces of the gathered wizards, allowing them to forget, at least for a while, that tomorrow, perhaps, many of them would have to go into battle again.

 Finally, the music flowed away from the crowd and Fleur and I went to one of the tables, where there were glasses of champagne and fruit.

 - You only lack wings to be an angel," I said honestly, kissing the girl on the forehead.

 - You say those words to me, my lord," Fleur played the part of the token socialite so authentically that I laughed.

 - This feast is truly a restful one," I said, looking around at the guests. - The only people here are those who are allies of ours, and we don't have to wait for a stab in the back like we did at Hogwarts.

 - Yes," Fleur said. - I felt... uncomfortable in the castle. Even though I was either around you or Professor Flitwick most of the time.

 - Shall we go to the park? - I held out my hand to the girl.

 As we approached the shimmering film of the portal, we stopped for a moment.

 - Let's go," Fleur shouted cheerfully.

 We were already walking among the trees of the park surrounding Potter Manor, and one of the sworn Potter wizards waved at us from the window of the observer's tower.

 - It seems that today the wizards have been given new hope that they will have a place to retreat to if our world is revealed.

 - To do that, we must create the space to which such a portal would lead," Aurelius Cimus' voice murmured softly as he came through the garden after us. His wife was looking around, curious about a house she had never been to before.

 - As I understand it, it is yet to come," I said, pulling Fleur close to me.

 - Nothing ends, Lord Potter," the dark wizard said sadly. - Nothing ends after the war.

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