New Year Gathering Ⅴ

"There we pressed down low like sardines in the landing craft forcing away through storms of bullets onto the beaches of Normandy. In the distance our allies and the HMS Locust (a gunboat) launched thundering bombardments against the sandy beaches-," Eaton recounted the events of D-Day, when he stopped at seeing a figure standing in the doorway.

Everyone frowned having been deeply immersed into the tale, before glancing up in shock. In the doorway with his bar mustache gone and his heart neatly combed without a part in the middle. Barty proudly escorts his wife back to their seats and sits down. "I understand that this is a terrible memory cousin and so I have shown my elder cousin respect. However, I expect the same respect to be shown to our family."

"Aye," Eaton said a bit emotionlessly finding it unbelievable that just on a mere passing disgruntled remark his distant cousin had changed his appearance. Still, it was a blessing in disguise for it made the family feel that much closer together.

Orion loudly coughs and says, "Er, so then what happened?"

Eaton happily resumes the tale of the storming of Normandy and how they were able to retake France, before ultimately defeating the Nazi regime. Still, those like Lucius and Orion actively exchanged pointed glances. It would seem that had acquired a veteran strategist, they would heartily utilize the priceless treasure in their eyes.

By dessert, the conversation had changed to other topics than war such as the children. The family was rather eager to meet the children of Thurman and Harmon because even as squibs, the two brothers had the largest number of children among the Black family members. With Thurman having five children and Harmon having four children!

Abruptly Eaton says, "Now that reminds me," causing them to all glance at the older man in puzzlement. "Er, I have it right here, I'd forgotten all about it."

"What cousin?" Narcissa curiously asks for she just like her husband, Lucius had been thrilled by the tales of the elderly cousin.

Eaton carefully places an old wooden box with the insignia of the Black family crest carved into the wood. "M' dad passed this along to me," he quietly said. "Dad said that twice in the past, we housed Black kin. Once in my great-grandfather's time and the other in my grandfather's time, when two family members took temporary refuge at our family farm. They were direct kin of a cousin by the name of Phineas Nigellus Black."

"Grandfather?" Narcissa exclaimed sharing a puzzled stare with her sister and cousins, Walburga and others, who were all descended from Phineas Nigellus Black, a former Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Dad said that in my great-grandfather's time the sister of cousin Phineas, Iola Black took refuge on the farm with her husband, a muggleborn wizard by the name of Bob Hitchens before departing for America to make a better life for themselves," Eaton explained as his sister, Annis nodded her head having heard the story, and Thurman and Harmon blinked disbelief having though the tale mere fiction.

"Now, Cousin Iola left us a bit of money in gratitude after she left," Eaton calmly replied, "We kept the farm in hard times thanks to that tidy sum. And we are truly are quite grateful for Iola Black that we remember her every Samhain."

The Black family members all smiled in pleasure to see that the old traditions were still being taught and were very much alive in the branches. Lucius lifted his chin proudly and shot Arthur Weasley a pointed glance. Arthur rolled his eyes at the glance from Lucius, who believed that Samhain was of vital wizarding tradition rather than the foolish tradition of Halloween that was now commonly practiced in the wizarding world.

Eaton thoughtfully continues, "However, in my grandfather's time, the nephew of cousin, Iola Black, and the son of cousin, Phineas Nigellus Black sought out refugee with us. The boy's name was Phineas Black much like that of after his father."

Expressions of surprise and shock cross the faces of the Black family members. None of them had ever heard that had been the case. Curious and interested, they all leaned in closer to better listen the rest of the tale.

"It was right strange though," Eaton admitted with a frown. "M' Da always said that my grandfather thought it was right strange cousin, Phineas Black came to stay with us. Barely on the cusp of being a man, still a youth, really."

"To make things even worse, Dad recounted that Cousin Phineas was rather ill when he arrived," Eaton grumbled. "Da was quite vexed that someone so very ill was sent so cruelly away."

Eaton grimly shook his head in displeasure. "They did what they could for him, but Cousin Phineas seemed to be unable to sleep. He constantly seemed to be glancing over his shoulder as if he was being chased."

Raising his eyes to the elder Black family members, Eaton crisply says, "Whenever I heard the tale from Dad, I always thought it was outright cruel for Cousin Phineas so deathly ill and still be expelled from the family. And now that I am here, I have the opportunity to ask. Just what Cousin Phineas do that was so bad that despite being deathly ill he was still cast out from the family to die alone in exile?"

All the family members at the table turn to glance at the eldest members of the family, the four siblings of the previous generation, Pollux, Cassiopeia, Dorea, Marius, and eldest cousin, Arcturus Ⅲ. The four siblings and cousin exchange glances, before Pollux speaks, "I know not the reason why our grandfather exiled our great-uncle. Perchance it is because Grandfather had four children, Sirius Ⅱ, Arcturus Ⅱ, Phineas (Jr.), and Belvina (Burke)."

Pollux frowned his brow in thought. "Yet in retrospect, it is rather puzzling that grandfather never spoke any ill all about Phineas (Jr.) nor our father, Sirius Ⅱ. And father, (Sirius Ⅱ), was not known for speaking well of others." There were knowing glances of agreement from his three siblings and cousin. (For Sirius Ⅱ had been a frigid, emotionless wizard and even more as a father.)