The unknown daughter

Chapter 5: Walburga Black

A fire is burning in a grey living room. Outside, snow falls from the sky and covers everything in a beautiful white. 

Cassiopeia is laying on one couch of the living room, while Corvus is sitting in the chair. Both have a book in their hands. The only sound being heard is the slow crackling of the fire. 

Both Regulus and Sirius straighten up when they see the living room shown on the screen. Confusion swims in their eyes. Of course, they knew that Corvus and Cassiopeia were Sirius' children, but what were they doing in the place their father hated more than anything? 

Orion looks on in boredom, but on the inside he's curious to see what happens. Would he and his wife raise them? He surely hoped not. Still feeling guilty for what happened and is still happening to their sons. His wife disowned his oldest, even though he never agreed to it. After this he would have to seek out Sirius and tell him that he's still the heir and that he hasn't been disowned. He would also have to sit down Walburga. If his grandchildren would end up in their care, he couldn't risk making the same mistakes again.

Walburga, meanwhile, goes incredibly pale once she recognizes the room. Their grandchildren are in the Black home. Would she and her husband raise them? She couldn't! What if she still had no control over her actions?! What if she hurt them like she did her sons?! She couldn't! She wouldn't! She needed to find a cure for whatever it was she had, but this couldn't go on. Not if she is to care for her grandchildren. 

A soft voice interrupts the two reading teens: "Why don't you take a break and eat something, lovelies? It can't be good for you to be sitting on the couch all day."

(Eva Green as Walburga Black)

Cassiopeia looks up at their grandmother, who is looking down on them from a portrait over the fireplace. The two hold eye contact for a second, before the younger one sighs in defeat: "Alright, grandma. We'll take a break to eat something, but we will continue afterwards." "That's all I ask, honey." The soft look in the woman's eyes makes both of the teenagers smile.

Corvus stands up and holds his arm out to his sister: "Well then. We better eat something quickly. I was at a really interesting part and would like to get back as soon as possible." Shaking her head while smiling, the younger sibling lets herself be lead out of the living room.

Stunned silence. Then Sirius points at the screen accusingly: "Whoever that is, she isn't my mother." Regulus nods to his brother's words. Their mother was a screaming banshee, not a soft-spoken grandmother who cares about other's well-beings. But then again. His eyes move back to his mother. Her soft posture, the relaxed features, the loving look in her eyes. This woman isn't the same as before. 

Orion now catches a similar train of thought as his youngest. His eyes glide over his wife, noticing all the differences to her usual appearance. Then he remembers the way she spoke to him before. Carefully, he intertwines their hands, waiting for her to lash out, only for her to press his hand.  

He's out of his seat faster than anyone can react: "We need a break. Anyone immediately related to the Black family will follow me. Euphemia, you and your family too, if you would." Narcissa, Abraxas, Lucius, Walburga, Sirius, Regulus and the Potters leave the Great Hall and move into one of the private rooms. 

The other students and adults use that opportunity to eat, drink and talk about what they have seen so far. 

In the other room, everyone takes a seat. Then Orion looks at his wife: "Explain." That's all it takes for the woman to break down: "That's the problem! I can't explain it! One day, I'm completely alright and the next, I'm suddenly a guest in my own body. I've been in the back of my own mind for the past decade, trying to fight and get out, to get help, but I couldn't. Then we enter the Great Hall and suddenly everything is alright." 

The people in the room exchange worried glances. Even Sirius can't help, but worry. He's never seen his mother like that. She's never as much as shed a tear in all his life. What was happening? 

Narcissa gets up and sits down next to Walburga: "I need you to take a deep breathe and then start from the beginning, okay?" The older woman does as told: "About a decade ago, I've come to school, because Dumbledore asked me here. I was feeling alright in the morning, even though a bit tired, because Regulus had a restless night. After we talked, I went back home and the next morning I woke up and it was as if I wasn't a part of my body anymore. I could see everything, hear everything, but I couldn't control my own actions. I had to watch how I hurt my own children, how I drove them away from me. I wanted to do something. I just- I- I couldn't!" 

A tired sigh from Orion: "That certainly explains it." Abraxas and Fleamont nod and even Regulus seems to have caught on: "And of course, no one would ever use the counter curse. We couldn't have known." Sirius now gets it as well: "The Imperius curse..." 

Walburga looks at her oldest child and then at her youngest, before sinking to her knees infront of her chair: "I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I should have fought harder." "It's alright, mom." The woman just shakes her head: "It's not alright. I could hear your nightmares. I could hear you cry in your room. My hear broke every time and I wanted nothing more than to come and comfort you, but-" "You couldn't. We get it, mom. I promise. I don't mean that we will forget what happened or that it makes all of the nightmares magically disappear, but we know that it wasn't you now. It will be alright." Her youngest interrupts. 

The Lady of the house of Black drags both her children and her husband into a hug: "I'm just so happy, it's over now." Abraxas stands next to his son, while James pats his best mate on the back: "It's not over. If my suspicions are correct, the counter curse only works in the Great Hall. It will break again, once all of the DVD's have been watched. We will have to do the counter curse on you now, to take it of completely." Euphemia continues his sentence: "And it also means, that Dumbledore placed the Imperius on you. I knew we couldn't trust that old man. He's always up to something." 

Orion places a calming hand on his wife's back: "I suggest, we take one step at a time. First, the Imperius must be completely removed. Then we write down what we heard and continue to observe Dumbledore. Write down everything suspicious. We will go to the Aurors after. I'm sure, Moody will have an open ear." 

Nods of agreement from everyone in the room. Then they remove the Imperius curse from Walburga and go back into the Great Hall, after one more family hug. With a new understanding between the Black, the Malfoy and the Potter family, they all get something to eat, before sitting back down in their seats. 

The Malfoys, the Blacks and the Potters have joined forces and Albus Dumbledore should be shaking in his shoes. Because Cunningness, Madness and Creativity have just found a common enemy. 

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Sorry for the long wait, I've been having stomach problems...again. Which is why I'm going to spend most of my time at home and in the hospital. Fun, right? We still haven't found anything so far, but there's two more steps remaining. One is that I will be going into a tunnel like thingy, which is really tight - did I say that I'm claustrophobic, no? So yeah - while having a needle in my arm - I hate needles and tend to faint when having one in my arm. So that's a nightmare. The last step would be cutting my stomach up somewhat so that they can plant cameras in there, to get a better look at the situation. I would be out of commission for a good 7 weeks, which is the time that it would take to heal. 

So, wish me luck.