The Silverthorne Manor rarely hosted meetings of this nature. Its halls were normally filled with warm light, swirling elemental enchantments, and the quiet laughter of an eight-year-old girl discovering her magical lineage. Tonight, however, the atmosphere was different—heavy, guarded, and charged with political undercurrents.
A storm brewed outside, rattling the stained-glass windows. The room chosen for the meeting—a circular study lined with ancient tomes—was private and shielded by Silverthorne wards older than most countries.
At the center of the room stood a polished obsidian table, carved with runes that shimmered faintly. Around it were seated seven powerful figures: Alaric and Elarisse Silverthorne, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Lucius Malfoy, and Narcissa Malfoy.
Tea remained untouched. No one relaxed.
Alaric folded his hands on the table, his silver-white hair catching the blue glow of the runes. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. This matter concerns not only Mavis, but the future of the entire wizarding world."
Snape's eyes narrowed immediately. "This is about the inheritance test, I assume," he said, voice silken but edged. "You've been... cryptic."
Elarisse exchanged a brief glance with her husband before answering. "Cryptic only because the truth needed to be verified. And it has been."
Lucius Malfoy leaned back slightly, elegant and composed. "Given the... impressive nature of Mavis's lineage and abilities, I assume the revelations were significant."
Remus huffed softly. "Significant is one word for it."
Dumbledore steepled his fingers, watching quietly, as though he already knew where this was going.
Alaric took a slow breath. "Among the many lineages revealed—Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Potter, Black, Gaunt, Le Fay, Pendragon, Peverell, Emrys—one detail stood out."
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"
Elarisse spoke calmly. "That Sirius Black is Mavis's magical godfather."
The silence that followed was immediate and explosive.
Even Narcissa, composed as ever, inhaled sharply. Snape stiffened in his seat, jaw tightening. Remus's grip on his own sleeve whitened knuckles. Dumbledore's expression flickered, the faintest shadow crossing his eyes.
Lucius did not visibly react, but the air around him sharpened, analyzing every implication.
Snape was the first to speak, voice low and cold. "Black betrayed the Potters. He is responsible for their deaths. The man deserves Azkaban."
Remus shot him a look of pure disbelief. "Severus, you know Sirius. You know how he was with James. With Lily. With—"
"With hatred for me?" Snape snapped. "Yes. I remember that well."
"This isn't about you," Remus said, voice rising. "It's about the fact that Sirius loved James and Lily like his own blood. And Mavis—Merlin, Severus, Mavis was just a baby. Sirius would have died before harming her."
Elarisse placed a calming hand on Remus's arm. "This is not speculation. The inheritance test revealed his godfather oath. And that oath carries ancient magic."
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Indeed. The rite of magical godparentage binds the godfather's life to the protection of the child. If Sirius Black had betrayed the Potters, he would have died instantly."
Snape went rigid.
Lucius blinked once, processing. "Meaning," he said smoothly, "that the official story is impossible."
"Exactly," Alaric agreed.
A powerful silence filled the room.
Narcissa was the next to speak, her voice soft but firm. "My cousin Sirius may have been reckless. Foolish. Infuriating. But a traitor? Never. Not to James. Not to a child entrusted to him."
Lucius crossed one leg over the other. "The Ministry imprisoned him without trial. Typical incompetence."
Remus let out a breath he'd been holding for years. "I knew it. I knew it. Sirius would never have betrayed them." His voice broke slightly. "He loved that family. He loved Mavis before she was even born."
Snape's eyes darted away. His internal conflict was visible—anger, doubt, old wounds, and something darker. "If what you claim is true," he said stiffly, "then why did he not defend himself? Why did he laugh during his arrest?"
"Shock," Dumbledore murmured. "And trauma. He had just seen James and Lily dead. And he believed that Peter—his friend—had been murdered in front of him. Madness is not always loud, Severus."
Snape looked away. He did not apologize, but the silence spoke volumes.
Alaric leaned forward. "This brings us to the purpose of this meeting. We intend to free Sirius Black."
Snape immediately scowled. "On what grounds?"
"On the grounds," Alaric said evenly, "that he is innocent."
"And," Elarisse added, "that he holds the rightful position as Head of the House of Black."
Narcissa inhaled sharply. Lucius stiffened.
Remus looked stunned. "He... he'd be Lord Black?"
Dumbledore nodded again. "The inheritance test confirms that Sirius remains the active magical head. His imprisonment has prevented him from claiming his title, but he remains the rightful lord."
Snape folded his arms. "And why, exactly, should we care about Black's political position?"
Alaric's eyes hardened. "Because if Sirius becomes Lord Black, Mavis gains the protection of the House of Black. Politically. Legally. Magically."
Elarisse continued, "It makes her almost untouchable in the Wizengamot. It grants her additional ancestral magic protections. And it forms a political shield thick enough to deter any attempt to manipulate her future."
Lucius's eyes gleamed with sudden clarity.
"You want him free, not just for justice, but to stabilize her power," Lucius said slowly.
"To protect her," Alaric corrected. "She is... extraordinary. And that will attract danger. Political. Magical. Dark. Light. All of it."
Elarisse nodded. "Sirius is her rightful godfather. Her protector by oath. And the world will be safer when he stands at her side again."
Lucius exchanged a long look with Narcissa.
Then he turned back to Alaric with a calculating, respectful tilt of his head. "What do you require of me?"
Alaric met his gaze without hesitation. "Two things."
Lucius waited.
"First," Alaric said, "I ask for your assistance in the political arena. Your connections in the Wizengamot, your influence in the Ministry, your ability to sway public opinion—all will be instrumental in orchestrating Sirius Black's release."
Lucius nodded thoughtfully. "I can do that."
"Second," Alaric said, "we ask that you serve as Mavis's political proxy in the Wizengamot until she comes of age."
Snape's eyes widened. Remus stared. Even Dumbledore looked impressed.
Narcissa set a hand on Lucius's arm, quiet encouragement.
Lucius considered the request—deeply, carefully. The storm outside crackled, lightning illuminating his pale features.
Finally, he stood.
"For Mavis Potter-Silverthorne," he said solemnly, "I will do both."
Narcissa nodded in full agreement. "She will reshape this world. Anyone with sense can see it."
Remus smiled faintly. "She already has."
Snape said nothing, but the stiffness in his posture softened. Even he couldn't deny what he'd seen of Mavis—her empathy, her magic, her fierce little heart.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled—not with mischief, but with genuine hope. "Then the path is clear. Lucius, Elarisse, Alaric—you will work from the political front. Severus and I will research legal precedents. Remus will provide testimony and character vouching for Sirius. Also Alaric, ask Amelia Bones, Andromeda Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt to help find more evidence. Together, we may correct one of the greatest injustices of our time."
Alaric rose. "For Mavis."
Elarisse stood beside him. "For justice."
Remus stood next. "For Sirius."
Narcissa. "For family."
Lucius. "For the future."
Snape rose slowly, his expression unreadable. "...For Lily."
Dumbledore, last as always, stood with a quiet, proud smile. "And for the wizarding world."
The storm outside broke in a crack of thunder—but inside the Silverthorne study, something far greater had ignited:
An alliance.
A shield.
A quiet revolution.
All for the child who would one day remake everything.
ns216.73.216.33da2
and then Add to home screen.