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The Black Heir	By : gpsassi Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Voldemort Views: 42493 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters created and owned by JK
Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books,
Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being
made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

AN: Thanks to my reviewers again! I�m glad you liked the last chapter.

I desperately need a beta. If anyone knows
about one, please let me know!

Now, I think my last AN was misinterpreted, Orion will not be losing his
humanity, he�ll just get darker � dark doesn�t mean evil - and according to his
plans he has to become ruthless when interacting with the Death Eaters and
Voldemort, but he�ll still be himself, he won�t be cruel.

As for Karkaroff, he is and remains a dark wizard. The fact that he�s
fleeing doesn�t mean that he turned to the other side, simply that he knows
that Voldemort will want to punish him severely or probably kill him. Not all
dark wizards are Voldemort�s followers but that doesn�t mean that they�re light
or that they�ll turn to the light.

As for Voldemort merging his soul back, notice that he is only merging
his two �active� soul pieces in order to give a body to his oldest soul that is
already out there in the world. It doesn�t indicate anything concerning his
other horcruxes, those souls aren�t �active�, they�re locked in objects and
Voldemort could just keep them that way since he doesn�t want to stop being
immortal, he doesn�t plan on merging them all back.

As for the HPDM pairing, I don�t know yet what will happen between them
but the main pairing is still and will always be HPLV, regardless if Orion and
Draco become more than friends in the future. Orion and Draco are cousins twice
removed, Narcissa is Sirius� cousin, not his sister, therefore a relationship
between them wouldn�t be incestuous. And you have to remember what Sirius told
Orion, that merging the Black bloodline with the Malfoy one again will purify
it. As was explained in previous chapters, dark wizards can only have children
between themselves to maintain their dark blood and magic, they usually marry
distant relatives in order to purify their blood and make it stronger, so the
union between Orion and Draco is greatly desired by the Malfoys and is in fact
one of the strongest for the same reason that Draco is also partly a Black. The
dark wizards don�t see anything wrong with this. Of course that marriages
between siblings doesn�t happen, but they do between cousins. Sirius� parents
for instance were first cousins according to JKR�s Black tree-line.

(Warning: I talk about what happened in book 7, so if you haven�t read
it yet and don�t want me to spoil the plot, skip this note)

About Voldemort and the Deathly Hallows, according to book 7 Voldemort
didn�t know about the DH until he started looking for a wand to defeat Harry�s,
and when he learned about the DH he only seemed to care about the Elder Wand
and didn�t know about the location of the two others or cared to find them. It
wasn�t even explained if he knew what the two other DH were. Therefore I�m
assuming that he doesn�t know about the legend, which makes sense since he was
brought up in a muggle orphanage and he wouldn�t have heard about the wizarding
children�s tale of the Three Brothers. So in my story he won�t know that
they�re real and we�ll have to see if he ever discovers them and what his
reaction might be to them.

Chapter 13 � The link & Occlumency

The following days Orion barely noticed his surroundings. He was still
thinking about all that had happened. Particularly about what Karkaroff had
told him. He already knew that the Deathly Hallows were real but Karkaroff had
said that they were his and that he should seek them. In what way were the
Hallows related to him? Why was it important that he had them? What also
troubled him was that Karkaroff had said that he knew what he was, what his
destiny was. But what did he mean by that? He was Orion Black, nothing more and
nothing else. Karkaroff couldn�t be talking about his Boy Who Lived status,
nobody knew that he had been Harry Potter and therefore he couldn�t be
referring to the destiny that the light wizards wanted Harry Potter to fulfill,
that of killing Voldemort and saving them all if the Dark Lord ever returned.
No, Karkaroff had referred to something else. And Karkaroff had also said that
he had pledged to help him decades ago, how could that be if he wasn�t even
born yet? He didn�t understand. But then he remembered the two spirits of the
Chamber of Whispers, they had said something along the same lines� that he was
the one� The one to do what? What was he supposed to do? They said they had
been waiting for him but that he was something unexpected, something different.
What were they talking about? Could it be possible that Karkaroff knew them and
they had told him something about Orion? He decided to be patient to avoid
getting frustrated by how little he knew about what was going on concerning
himself. Others obviously knew something about him that he didn�t but now that
Karkaroff was gone he couldn�t ask anyone else. He wondered if he should wear
the pendant like Karkaroff had urged him to. He didn�t like the idea of being
portkeyed to who knew where in the least expected moment. Could it be dangerous
for him? But Karkaroff had seemed to truly want to help him and he wouldn�t get
any answers any other way. So he just charmed the pendant to look like a small
black onyx stone and decided to always wear it. He just hoped the portkey would
activate soon. He needed some answers.

When the school learned that Karkaroff had fled rumors ran wild among
the students. Vulcan Vagnarov had quickly assumed the position of Headmaster
and everything turned back to normal but Orion noticed certain disquiet amongst
the teachers. He knew why Karkaroff had left, when Voldemort had gotten
stronger by possessing the girl or whatever he did to her, the Dark Mark had
slowly started to show again and when he obtained his body it was clear that
the Death Eaters would see it darkly etched in their forearms. He wondered
about what the Death Eaters thought about that. He hadn�t had any other vision
so he guessed that Voldemort hadn�t merged back his two soul pieces and
therefore hadn�t contacted his followers yet. He just hoped Karkaroff would
manage to stay away from Voldemort�s clutches long enough to explain himself
without being killed. The poor wizard had helped many and he didn�t deserve to
die under Voldemort�s wand.

The Dueling Tournament had been cancelled since it was to take place the
day after Karkaroff had left and the Headmaster was the one that usually
oversaw the Tournament. As a sign of respect for the former Headmaster, Romulus
Rosier had decided to cancel it and just test the students himself. Orion
didn�t know if he should feel disappointed or relieved. With so many things
happening to him, he was partly glad that he could have that small respite. He
did excellent in his duel against Rosier, though obviously he didn�t win. He
hadn�t used all his powers anyways so he didn�t feel discouraged, and Rosier
had praised him on his control and inventiveness.

A few days later, Orion was seating in the end-of-year feast and was
absent-mindedly poking his food. The only one he had told about Voldemort�s
return had been Lezander but now he wondered if he should tell Calypso as well.
He guessed that she would learn about it when Voldemort summoned the Death
Eaters and her father went to him to become one, but she was his friend and had
always confided in him about what his father and the other purebloods did, even
when her father had asked her not to tell anyone. So he owed her to be honest
with her. He turned around to watch her. She seemed concerned about something
and every once in a while nervously twirled one of her long black locks with
her finger. He leaned closer to her and said in a whisper, �Calypso, why do you
look so concerned? Has something happened?�

Calypso was startled out of her musings but soon smiled warmly at him.
She replied in a low voice, �I don�t know but I think something is going on.
Father has been going out a lot this last week and that�s very unusual for him.
He never does so when the school term hasn�t ended yet. I just wondered if it
has anything to do with what the heads of the dark families were planning at
the beginning of our second school year. And besides the whole thing with the
Chamber of Secrets was never resolved. They never found the girl and the
attacks stopped, but what happened? Did their plan fail? Is that why they�re
meeting again?�

Orion felt Lezander tense besides him and he looked at him. Lezander
seemed uncertain and just gave him a look as if saying that it was his choice
to reveal the matter to Calypso or not.

Orion sighed and quickly cast a muffling spell around the three of them.
Calypso looked up at him in curiosity and he said, �I believe I know what
happened. Karkaroff asked me to meet him the day he left,� Orion saw Lezander
frowning, he hadn�t told him about that, �I�m not sure why he showed it to me
but he bared his left arm and the Dark Mark was completely black and visible.
He implied that it meant that the Dark Lord had returned. I think that what
happened with the girl and the Chamber of Secrets is related to his return. It
would make sense since it was planned by the heads of the dark wizarding
families. I believe we can safely assume that their plan was successful and
that the Dark Lord will be summoning the Death Eaters soon.�

Calypso frowned and asked, �But why did Karkaroff want to speak to you?
And why did he tell you about the Dark Lord�s return? You�re just a student.�

Orion paused, �Oh, he just wanted to ask me about my parseltoungue
ability. He heard about it from Mistress Galatea and was curious. But I don�t
know why he showed me his mark. Maybe to explain why he was fleeing. He must
feel guilty for abandoning the school.�

Calypso nodded. She seemed to believe him but he saw Lezander looking at
him with a frown. Orion mentally sighed. Of course Lezander would suspect, he
knew about the visions and knew that Orion had known about the Dark Lord�s
return before Karkaroff had left.

�It now makes sense that the dark purebloods are meeting,� said Calypso
thoughtfully, �The Death Eaters must have seen their Dark Marks and must be
wondering about it. But I don�t think they have seen the Dark Lord yet. My
father would have told me since he�s going to request to become one and he
promised me to tell me as soon as it happened. I wonder what the Dark Lord is
waiting for?�

Orion replied, �I don�t know but I�m worried about what will happen when
he comes back. We�re very young and you and I wanted to be involved in the war.
I don�t think there�s much we can do if the Dark Lord resumes the war right
away.�

Calypso laughed, �Oh, I won�t be deterred by my age and you shouldn�t
either. I don�t think the Dark Lord will allow me to become a Death Eater, he
never takes ones so young as ourselves, but we can help in many ways. And
besides we have been preparing for the war for a year already. I know you have
been training as well and you�re a very good dueler, Orion. And the war is
bound to last for many years so our time will come. And I don�t think that the
Dark Lord will start the war immediately. Many things have changed since he
left and the light wizards are more powerful than ever. He was always a
brilliant strategist. I think he will bid his time and conceal his return from
the rest of the wizarding world until he�s ready to strike.�

Orion nodded. Yes, that made sense. He would do the same if he was in
the Dark Lord�s position. �You�re right. It would be disadvantageous for him to
let the light wizards know about his return, especially Dumbledore. Dumbledore
would surely tell the Ministry about it and would soon regroup the Order of the
Phoenix. The longest he remains ignorant about the Dark Lord�s return, the
better.� Orion frowned when he remembered something. Dumbledore had Snape and
Snape had the Dark Mark. Had Snape told Dumbledore already about the
reappearance of the Dark Mark and what it implied? Did Dumbledore already know?
And with the whole Chamber of Secrets affair Dumbledore would soon connect the
dots and realize that the Dark Lord was truly back for good.

Calypso saw his frown and asked, �What are you concerned about?�

Orion decided to be honest, �What if Dumbledore already knows?� Calypso
raised her eyebrows and he continued, �Has your father ever told you anything
about Severus Snape?�

Calypso frowned trying to remember if she had ever heard that name
before and replied, �I think he was a Death Eater during the first war, right?�

Orion nodded, �Yes, he was but in his trial he was defended by
Dumbledore. Dumbledore said that he had been spying for him all that time and
Snape was acquitted and went to Hogwarts. He�s currently their Potions Master.
I just wonder about his true loyalties. If he was really Dumbledore�s spy he
would have told him about the Dark Mark and Dumbledore might already suspect
the Dark Lord�s return. That would be very prejudicial to us.�

Calypso nodded her head and said, �That�s true. But we can�t be certain
about Snape�s loyalties. Maybe he was spying on Dumbledore under the Dark Lord�s
orders as well. I don�t think the Dark Lord could so easily be fooled by one of
his Death Eaters. I heard from my father that the Dark Lord was a very powerful
Legilimens and frequently scanned his followers� minds in search for traitors.�

Orion instantly paled. He hadn�t known that about Voldemort! Dear
Merlin, Voldemort would find out that he was the Boy Who Lived in an instant if
he ever decided to see his memories! And Sirius! Sirius couldn�t pretend to be
his follower if he truly didn�t feel that way. Voldemort would kill him as
well!

They kept talking about the Dark Lord and what the war would be like but
Orion barely paid any attention. As soon as the feast was over he quickly told
his friends he had something to do and he intercepted Master Sylvanus Selvans
just as he was leaving the Great Hall. He had heard from some older Hydras that
he taught Occlumency & Legilimency.

The tall blonde wizard looked at him with curiosity, �Yes, my boy? How
can I help you?�

Orion fidgeted. How could he explain his need to learn Occlumency at
such a young age? �Excuse me, Master Selvans. I have heard that you teach
Occlumency & Legilimency and I was wondering in what year we would be
having your class.�

Selvans raised an eyebrow and looked at Orion�s crest on his robes and
then said more relaxed, �Ah, you�re a Hydra. Well, in that case I can tell you
that you�ll be having class with me in your forth year.�

Orion swallowed. That was ages from now! He couldn�t wait that long! He
looked pleadingly into the wizard�s hazel eyes and said, �I�m sorry but I need
to learn it as soon as I can. Could you please help me?�

Selvans frowned, �Why would you need to learn it now? You�re too young
to be concerned about it,� Then he smiled at him, �If you�re so fascinated by
the arts you don�t have to worry, the years will pass by quickly and soon
you�ll be in my class.�

Orion shook his head in desperation and clutched the older wizard�s arm,
�No, you don�t understand! I can�t wait that long! You must help me, please!�
Orion realized that he had disrespectfully grabbed the professor�s arm and soon
released it, �Please forgive, me.� He said softly, bowing his head.

Selvans took Orion�s chin to raise his head and asked with a frown, �Who
are you, boy?�

Orion replied softly, �Orion Black.� He was surprised when he saw a
flash of recognition in Selvans� eyes.

Selvans dropped his hand from Orion�s chin and said with a curt nod,
�I�ll help you. Come into my office tomorrow morning before leaving the school
and I�ll give you some books you can study during the summer. I can offer you
private lessons next term. I won�t ask why you need to learn them now but know
this, you�ll have to give me your full attention and work hard if you want to
master them in such a short period of time. I usually teach it for two years
and it�s not easy. Many don�t have the ability to truly become masters of it.�
Orion nodded and Selvans looked at him contemplatively and said, �If your need
is very urgent I can recommend a tutor for the summer.�

Orion replied gratefully, �Thank you, Master Selvans, for all your help.
I�m interested in having a tutor this summer as well.�

Selvans nodded and replied, �Very well, come tomorrow morning by my
office and I�ll give you his name and contact information, and the books.�

Orion was tightly hugged by Sirius as soon as his feet landed on Saint
Petersburg�s pier.

�Are you alright? Has it happened again?� Sirius asked in a caring and
concerned whisper.

Orion looked up at his father and smiled warmly at him, �No, it hasn�t.�
He knew Sirius had been climbing walls ever since he wrote to him telling him
everything that had happened in the last vision and in the one of his first
year. Sirius had replied extremely concerned but had said that they should best
talk about it personally. So they hadn�t discussed it further in their letters.

They flooed to Black Manor and sat in the parlor drinking butterbeers.

Sirius turned to him and asked sadly, �Why didn�t you tell me before
about your link with Voldemort? Why didn�t you tell me in your first year when
it happened for the first time?�

Orion cringed in guilt. He had detected Sirius� hurt tone of voice and
he regretted not telling him before. He replied in a small soft voice, �I�m
sorry Father, but I know how you feel about the Dark Arts and I thought that�
that you wouldn�t like it that I had a connection to Voldemort�I didn�t know
how you would react-�

Sirius stood up and raised his son from his armchair to embrace him,
�Oh, my little young pup. I�m sorry if my reticence with the Dark Arts made you
believe that I would ever be angry at you for something like that. Your
connection to Voldemort isn�t your fault, but that�s beside the point. It
doesn�t really matter to me that you�re studying the Dark Arts. I don�t care if
you finally become a dark wizard or plan on supporting Voldemort. I only care
for your wellbeing. I will love you and care for you no matter what. You�re the
joy of my life and I want you to be able to come to me with any of your
problems.�

Orion felt his eyes moisten and he clutched his father tighter and
whispered, �Thank you, Father. Your support and understanding means the world
to me.�

Sirius took them to a large couch and they sat together. He grabbed
Orion�s hands and asked him, �You�re certain then that Voldemort is back?�

Orion sighed and replied, �Yes. And you know about my theory that this
time it was another piece of Voldemort�s soul that obtained a body. The soul of
the Sorcerer�s Stone affair is now somewhere hiding and the corporeal Voldemort
is currently looking for him in order to merge so that they can both share a
body. Though I think the merge would be complete and they would be one entity
again.�

Sirius frowned in confusion, �But all this about two pieces of a soul,
it�s very strange. I have never heard that such a thing is possible.�

Orion nodded, �Me neither, but he did it somehow. And the Death Eaters
know he�s back.�

Sirius� eyes snapped to look at him and said in alarm, �How do they
know? Has Voldemort already summoned his Death Eaters?�

�No, I don�t believe he will until he�s complete again. But I..� Orion
paused. How much should he tell his father about what had happened with
Karkaroff? He understood the need to tell him everything about Voldemort but
this was something different. Something he felt deep inside that no one should
know. �Headmaster Karkaroff asked me to see me before he fled. He wanted to ask
me about my parseltongue abilities but the important part is that he revealed
his Dark Mark to me. It had returned and he explained that it meant that the
Dark Lord was alive. And the others Death Eaters will see their marks as well
and know that the Dark Lord will soon be with them.�

Sirius warily sighed, �So there�s no doubt then. The war will begin.�

Orion nodded but then a thought flashed in his mind and he gasped, �By
Merlin, I shouldn�t have told you!�

Sirius looked at him frowning, �Orion, I thought that you understood
that you can trust ��

But Orion quickly interrupted him and said in agitation, �No, you don�t
understand. Voldemort is a Legilimens! If you�re ever in his presence he�ll be
able to see your memories. He�ll see this conversation. He�ll find out that you
know about his soul pieces! He�ll kill you in an instant! By Morgana, what have
I done? I�ve endangered you!�

Sirius� eyes grew wide and he said in a scared voice, �He�ll find out
that you�re Lily�s son from my memories as well. He�ll know that you�re the Boy
Who Lived.�

Orion nodded and said urgently, �Yes. Father, you must learn Occlumency
with me. It�s vital. I have the name of a dark wizard that can teach us. We
should dedicate all our time to learn it as fast as we can.�

Sirius nodded his head, �Very well, I�ll write to the tutor right away.�

Orion looked at him seriously and said, �What are your plans concerning
the war?�

Sirius sighed, �Your link to Voldemort changes everything. We can�t
escape him now and it�s important for you to be in his good books. If he ever
finds out about the link he could cause you great harm. Not just because you
can see into him but because he�ll know you were once Harry Potter. You said in
your letter that you thought Occlumency could help you with the link as well,
but we can�t be sure he�ll never find out anyways. So it�s best that when he
finds out he already regards our family favorably. If he is sure we�re his
loyal supporters he�ll be less likely to harm you.� He paused and warily said,
�I think it�s best for us if I became a Death Eater to prove our family�s
support.�

Orion clutched Sirius� hand and said concerned, �I don�t want you to
sacrifice yourself for me. I don�t think you�re aware of the things you�ll have
to participate in. You�ll have to learn the Dark Arts. You�ll have to cast the
Unforgivables. Are you truly prepared for that?�

Sirius ran a hand through his hair, �I�m aware of that. And please don�t
think that I�m sacrificing myself for you. It�s not your fault and we both know
that it�s the best course of action for me to take. I already know some Dark
Arts spells and my training as an Auror will help me. I have seen the horrors
of war. I�m prepared for it again. I know I�ll have to act my part but I�m a
Black. Voldemort will consider me an asset and I�ll gain Lucius Malfoy�s and
Bellatrix�s support. He will undoubtedly attempt to attack Azkahban to release
the innumerable followers that are currently there. My cousin will suspect me
at first but I think that afterwards she�ll be over joyous that I turned sides.
She�ll be a valuable ally. And Malfoy as well, considering the negotiations
concerning you and Draco. They�re both inner circle Death Eaters and it will be
advantageous for us if I become one as well. I�ll be able to provide you with
information and thus we�ll know if he ever attempts to look for Harry Potter.
There�s no other way. We need to know his plans.�

Orion sadly nodded. He knew it was true. They needed inside information
and they needed to prove that they supported Voldemort but he was concerned for
Sirius� wellbeing. He feared
that Sirius would crack under the pressure and guilt of being a Death Eater.
Voldemort would be sending him to raids. Sirius would probably have to kill
light wizards. He didn�t know if his father was ready for that.

Orion
softly said to him, �You might be forced to battle against the Order of the
Phoenix.�

Sirius
bowed his head and whispered, �I know.� Then he raised his head, �They consider
me a traitor anyways, I don�t think they�ll have much compunction about killing
me. It�s just� I don�t know what I would do if I ever faced Remus. I would
never injure him and I know he wouldn�t attack me, but what will he think when
I tell him that I�ve become a Death Eater?�

Orion
gently grabbed his father�s hand, �I think he�ll understand when you explain to
him that you�re doing it to protect me. He loves you and he knows about my
plans. I believe he already suspects that you�ll be on opposing sides of the
battle field. But he told me he understood my position so I think he�ll
understand yours as well.�

Sirius
nodded his head, �I don�t know when to tell him-�

Orion
interrupted him, �You can only tell him when Voldemort makes his return public.
If you tell him before you�ll be forcing Remus to choose between telling
Dumbledore or keeping your trust. It would be unfair to him. And you cannot
tell him about what we know about Voldemort either, or my visions.�

�Yes, I
know. Don�t worry,� replied Sirius.

Orion sat
back and said, �I suspect Dumbledore might know already and he might be forming
the Order of the Phoenix again,� Sirius looked at him in surprise and Orion
continued, �Snape could�ve told him about his Dark Mark.�

Sirius
snorted and replied nastily, �Snivellus is a traitor. He was and always will be
a Death Eater.� Then he groaned, �Oh Merlin, I�ll have to endure his presence
at the Death Eaters� meetings!�

Orion
sniggered, �Oh, Father. I think it�s about time you buried the hatch.�

Sirius
indignantly replied, �Never! He�s a nasty wizard. Always going around hexing
people and using dark spells.�

Orion
shook his head in amusement, �He hexed you because you cornered the poor man
three to one. And besides you�ll be casting dark spells as well. You have to at
least attempt a truce.� Then he said seriously, �But always keep in mind that
he might be working for Dumbledore. Don�t trust him for a second.�

Sirius
scoffed, �You can rest assured of that. I wouldn�t trust Snivellus as far as I
could throw him.�

Orion
remembered something and widened his eyes and gasped, �Pettigrew. You might
cross paths with Pettigrew.�

Sirius�
face soon turned dark and he fisted his hands. He fiercely spat, �Nothing will
prevent me from killing him the moment I lay eyes on him. That filthy rat will
get what he deserves.�

Orion
said in alarm, �No, Father, you can�t! Voldemort won�t be happy if you do so!
He�ll suspect you. You have to act as a loyal Death Eater!�

Sirius
turned angrily at him, �You ask too much, Orion! I can�t allow the man that
caused your mother�s death to go unpunished!�

Orion
desperately clutched Sirius� robes, �Very well, I understand. But don�t attack
him without first asking for Voldemort�s permission! I don�t think he�ll allow
you to kill him but he�ll surely let you punish him. You just can�t do it on
your own initiative. Voldemort is very strict with his Death Eaters and doesn�t
like it when they act on their own accord.�

Sirius
frowned at him, �How do you know all this?�

Orion
paused. He knew this and much more from all his lately talks with Tom. He was
learning about the dynamics between the Death Eaters and it was both
fascinating and complex. Voldemort truly had them tightly controlled and there
were countless little details to remember about how to ask for favors, how to
address him under different circumstances, how to gain his trust, to name a
few.

�My
friend Calypso Rosier told me about it,� Orion replied calmly.

Sirius
just nodded, �Very well. I�ll listen to you. But I�ll get my revenge no matter
what,� he grunted.

Orion was
satisfied and then changed subjects, �How will you manage to become a Death
Eater?�

Sirius
smirked at him, �Very easy, Lucius has been trying to convince me for a long
time so I just have to tell him that I�ve made up my mind. I guess I should
write to him before the Dark Lord returns to them so that he doesn�t suspect
that I do it out of self-interest but because I truly believe in their cause.
Once Lucius knows that I want to be a follower he�ll inform Voldemort and I�ll
be summoned.�

�Alright,
we�re all set then. I�m going to bed, it has been a long day. Good-night,
Father,� said Orion leaning to kiss him on the cheek.

Sirius
grabbed his hand to prevent him from getting up from the couch and said with a
grin,�You need a name.�

Orion
looked at him as if he were mad, �A name? I already have a name!�

Sirius
laughed, �For your animagus form. I was thinking about FluffyWings,� he said
with a mischievous glint.

Orion
choked and spluttered indignantly, �Certainly not! And I�m not fluffy! I�m a
great menacing black eagle,� he said puffing out his chest.

Sirius
chuckled and ruffled his hair, �What about Blackwing, then?�

Orion
smiled at him, �Yes, I like that. Thank you.�

The
following month the tutor that Selvans had recommended to Orion came to Black
Manor to teach them Occlumency. He was an old patient dark wizard called
Benedictus Beneren. �A dark wizard named Benedictus, oh, the ironies of life!�
Sirius had said in amusement. Orion was grasping the matter quickly since he
also read abundantly about it in the books Selvans had given him, but Sirius
seemed to be having a hard time. Orion even lent him his books but it didn�t
help much. Beneren had only told them that it was to be expected. Not all wizards
could learn it and there wasn�t much that could be done. One was either born
with the ability or wasn�t. Sirius should still practice so that in time he
could be able to somewhat protect his mind but he would never be able to
prevent a mind invasion from a powerful Legilimens. On the other hand, Beneren
said that Orion showed great promise and that if he kept up with his nightly
practices and meditations he would grasp it soon.

Orion
received letters from his friends and the ones that interested him the most
were Calypso�s. She said that the most important Death Eaters had started to
have meetings since they all expected the Dark Lord to turn up in any moment.
They were already joining resources and planning political moves in many of the
Ministries of Magic. Their main objective was to make the politicians skeptic
about the Dark Lord�s possible return. They knew that Dumbledore would be
moving masses as soon as he found out so they had also started a dismerit
campaign against him: convincing ministry officials in high places that
Dumbledore was getting senile, pointing at Ginerva Weasley�s dissppearance and
all the petrifications of muggleborns, indicating his inability to find the
Chamber of Secrets to prevent the attacks and that they never caught the real
perpetrator, to show that Dumbledore wasn�t capable anymore of keeping Hogwarts
safe and that he was getting too old.

He wrote
back asking how she knew so much and she proudly replied that her father was
grooming her to become a Death Eater and that he thought it important to teach
her about their political maneuverings so that she saw how it was done. It was
really fascinating. The Death Eaters were truly very cunning and resourceful.
Oh, he knew that the minor Death Eaters were mostly mindless brutes that liked
bloodshed, but the inner circle Death Eaters and others of important standing
in their circle were truly admirable wizards.

Weeks
later, Orion was absorbed in his Occlumency book while seating in the library
when a sharp pain crossed his forehead. He had barely time to shout for his
father when he felt as if his body was being ripped apart. He screamed with all
his might and his body started to violently convulse as the pain impossibly
intensified. He didn�t understand what was happening but then he saw images
flashing in his mind� He had just finished drinking a potion and he dropped the
vial�his body started to shake but he gritted his teeth and started the
parseltongue ritual incantations�. he saw a great black hooded figure gliding
towards him�.he kept repeating words that he couldn�t discern�. he dropped to
his knees and clutched the earth desperately to prevent his arms from snapping
as his body started to convulse� the black figure entered his body and he
screamed in pain�he felt a great ripping pain all through his body and felt how
it started to change�he started to feel afraid that something had gone wrong�
the pain was too unbearable�.he finally blacked out from the intensity of it.

Orion
took a deep intake of breath and opened his eyes. His body hurt everywhere and
he felt as if he had been trampled over by a herd of hippogriffs. He saw that
he was laying on top of Sirius and that they were both on the library floor.
Sirius had his arms and legs around him, locked with his and he was wheezing
from the strain of restraining Orion.

�I
think�I think Voldemort has just merged back,� said Orion with a rasping voice.

Sirius
released him and gently helped him into a plush chair. He ran his fingers
across Orion�s sweaty forehead and said, �Yes, I thought it could be the case.
Does something hurt? Are you alright?�

Orion
shook his head and then flinched at the pain the movement had caused. Sirius
seeing this immediately called for a house-elf and asked it to bring a cup of
water and some potions from their stock.

After
Orion had taken his potions he lay back on his armchair and said, �It was
different from the other visions. I saw flashes of what happened from his point
of view but I wasn�t inside him. I don�t even want to imagine the pain he must
have gone through if what I felt was just a small sample of it. I think it was
the potion he took that prevented me from experiencing it as if I was truly
him. He also used a parseltongue ritual but I couldn�t make out the words.�
Orion sighed and looked sadly at Sirius, �Will you be going to him soon?�

Sirius
sat in front of him and said, �Most probably. Lucius already believes that I
want to be a follower and you know that he confided in me that they were
expecting the Dark Lord�s return soon. As you know I have been going to some of
the meetings this last month and they�re starting to trust me a little bit
more. I�ll fully have their confidence when the Dark Lord marks me. And I think
it�ll be very soon. No doubt that Lucius will smugly tell him how he managed to
turn the Head of the Black House to the dark side,� he said with a lopsided
grin.

Orion
laughed, �Yes, that would be very much like him.� Then he added with a grin,
�You�re really getting along with him, aren�t you?�

Sirius
huffed, �He has helped me in some business affairs and has told me more about
the Death Eaters and such, but that�s all. He�s still the same cunning and
self-serving Lucius as ever.�

Orion
chuckled, �It�s okay to like him. I truly believe he�s a good man.� Sirius
snorted but Orion continued, �He is a great political strategist and financial
whiz. And I know he loves Draco and believes that what he�s doing is for
Draco�s sake, for his future. I think you and him have more in common than you
know. You�re both doing it all for your sons. He�s just more outwardly cold and
guarded than you, but that�s normal considering he has always been around dark
wizards while you were with light wizards. So you shouldn�t judge him so
harshly.�

Sirius
sighed, �I know. I can tell that he�s trying to get to know me better but I
always get suspicious about his motives. I guess I can be a little more amiable
and open towards him without revealing anything important.�

�Yes, I
think that would be great. Not all dark wizards are bad, you know. You have to
be able to see the goodness in them as well. They deserve the chance,� said
Orion.

Sirius
nodded his head but then grabbed Orion�s hand and said urgently, �We know now
that I don�t have much time before seeing Voldemort. And I haven�t been able to
learn Occlumency. You have been doing great and Beneren said that in a few more
months you�ll be able to protect your mind, but that�s not the case with me and
I don�t have months anyway. There�s only one possible solution.�

Orion
looked up at him frowning and silently urged him to continue.

Sirius
looked into his son�s eyes and said resolutely, �You�ll have to obliviate some
of my memories.�

Orion
jumped from his seat and said, �What? Are you mad? I can�t do that!�

Sirius
calmly replied, �You have learned how to obliviate in your Dark Arts subject,
haven�t you?�

�Yes, but
that�s not-� replied Orion.

Sirius
interrupted him, �Then there�s nothing to worry about. I�m sure you can
manage.�

Orion
sighed and warily replied, �Alright. What memories do you want me to obliviate?�

�Everything
you told me concerning Voldemort�s souls and his link with you.� He hesitated
for a moment and seemed to arm himself with courage and added, �About your
mother and what happened between us.�

Orion�s
eyes widened and he cried, �I can�t let you do that! I can�t take your memories
of her away from you! You loved her!�

Sirius
grabbed his shoulders and said with difficulty, �Yes, I did and I still do, but
it�s something that could endanger you. If he sees one single memory of an
intimate moment between her and me, he�ll know that you�re Harry Potter. You
will also have to erase the memories of the first time we met and how we
discovered that you were my son.�

Orion
shook his head desperately in denial, �No, I won�t. I refuse.� Then he looked
up at his father and said, �And besides, won�t he find it very peculiar that
you have all this gaps in your memory? He�ll suspect something.�

�No, I
have already thought about it. I can easily explain it by saying that it was
part of the effects the Dementors had on me. As you know they feed on happy
memories and in time the memories wither and disappear when they�re feed on for
too long,� replied Sirius.

Orion
broke free from his father and shouted, �I don�t care! I won�t do it! I won�t
take away the memory of my mother from you!�

Sirius
turned angrily to him and said, �You have to! My memories might cause your
death!�

Orion
clutched his father's robes and said tearfully, "Please, I beg you, don't
ask this of me. I can't... I can't be the one responsible for taking away your
last few happy memories of her...your love for her."

Sirius
looked sadly at him but replied with determination, "I'm sorry, son. But
you must do it. There's no other way!"

Orion
halted and his eyes widened. He said excitedly, �Yes, there is! It�s mentioned
in one of my Occlumency books. There�re these magical basins called pensieves
that allow you to store your memories. You take each memory out with your wand,
they�re like silver strands, and you place them in the pensieve. And then you
will have no recollection of that memory! It�s the perfect solution!�

Sirius
frowned in thought, �Yes�pensieves�I think I might have heard about them.� Then
he grinned at Orion, �Excellent! I�ll see where I can get one.�

But Orion
quickly turned sad, �But you won�t remember her anyways. I won�t be able to
talk to you about her, you won�t know about my link or that I�m the Boy Who
Lived. You won�t really know who I am,� he said in a soft voice and a tear
escaped from his eyes.

Sirius
sighed and hugged him, �I�ll know that you�re my son, I�ll know that I love
you. What I�m truly sorry is that you won�t be able to confide in me about what
happens with your link. That would be dangerous. But I can still place the
memories back. Whenever we need to talk about you I can place them back and
remember that you were Harry Potter, that you were Lily�s.� He drew back and
smiled at his son, �So you see, it�s not so bad. We�ll still be able to talk
honestly between us. You just can�t tell me anymore secrets about Voldemort. I don�t
care to end up with my mind looking like a swiss cheese,� he said with a grin.

Orion
gave a small laugh and nodded his head, �Very well. You�re right, it�s the only
solution we have left. You�ll have to put a lot of protection wards on your
pensive just in case someone ever attempts to break into Black Manor.�

Sirius
replied, �An impossible feat, I assure you, but I�ll do it all the same.�

Orion
frowned and said, �But wait, there�s no need for you to be without your
memories most of the time, just take them out before Death Eater meetings.�

Sirius
shook his head, �But we can�t be sure when I�ll meet someone that can use
Legilimency on me.�

Orion
replied convincingly, �Nonsense, there aren�t many that can manage it. Trust
me, there�s no need for you to be without them. Just take them out before
meeting with the purebloods or the Death Eaters and that will be safe enough.�

Sirius
turned thoughtful but then conceded.

Orion
frowned and said worriedly, �What about Remus? He knows about us. And now that
I think about it if Voldemort is a Legilimens it would make sense that
Dumbledore was one as well, considering that he�s just as powerful.�

Sirius
grinned widely at him, �Ah, but werewolves are natural Occlumens.�

Orion�s
eyes widened and he said in awe, �They are?�

Sirius
nodded, �Yes, with their first transformation they acquire many characteristics
of the wolf and one of them are the mind barriers. The vampires are also
natural Occlumens if I�m not mistaken.�

�Wow,
that�s amazing,� said Orion. Vampires as well! Lezander was so lucky! And that
also made him feel safer since Lezander knew about his visions.

Sirius
was searching his robe�s pocket and he took out what seemed to be a small
silver hand mirror. He gave to it Orion and said, �I went to Grimmauld Place to
retrieve this. I want you to take it with you to Durmstrang. It�s a two-way
mirror, I've got the other one of the pair. If you need to speak to me, just
say my name into it; you'll appear in my mirror and I'll be able to talk in
yours. James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions,� he
said smiling forlornly.

They
spent Orion�s thirteenth birthday quietly. Orion didn�t think there was much to
celebrate considering the dark times that were ahead of them and had convinced
Sirius to spend his birthday together at the manor. Sirius had given him a
Firebolt, a brand new broom that had just gone out to the market. And they had
spent the day flying lazily around the estate. To his relief, Orion noticed
that he had gone through a growth spurt and was much taller and Sirius told him
that he already looked like a young man. Orion never looked at himself much in
the mirror so he spotted quickly the changes his body had gone through this
last year. His face was more masculine and had lost the roundness it had
before. His cheeks were more marked and his jaw stronger. His eyes seemed to
have gotten larger and his black hair reached his ears. His shoulders had
broadened a bit and his lean muscles were more accentuated. All in all, Orion
had to admit that he cut an impressive figure.

It was
the day before returning back to Durmstrang for his third year when Orion heard
a crash coming from Sirius� study. He quickly ran to the room and saw that
Sirius had thrown his glass against the fireplace and he was clutching a
newspaper. Sirius seemed livid with anger and Orion slowly approached him.

�Father,
what happened? Are you well?� asked Orion in concern.

Sirius
turned his fierce eyes to him and said with a voice shaking in fury, �He�ll be
at Hogwarts.� And he extended the newspaper to Orion.

Orion
took it and saw that it was an English newspaper, the Daily Prophet. He saw a
large moving picture of the Weasley family that according to he heading had won
some prize and had gone to Egypt to visit their son Bill Weasley. The family
didn�t seem too happy, he could tell that they still suffered greatly because
of the disappearance of their only daughter and he felt a sharp stab of
remorse. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and to try to understand what
his father was so angry about.�Who do you mean?� he asked with a frown.

Sirius
advanced towards him, ripped the Daily Prophet from Orion�s hand and stabbed
his finger at the picture of the youngest Weasley boy. Sirius hissed,
�Pettigrew. See the rat that the boy is holding? It�s Pettigrew. I would
recognize him anywhere. He has a missing toe.�

Orion
looked closer at the picture and saw indeed that Ron Weasley was holding an old
looking rat with a missing toe. He raised his head to look at his father and
said warily, �What are you planning to do?�

Sirius
maniacally laughed, �Go to Hogwarts, of course! I�ll find out where the boy
sleeps and capture Peter and I�ll kill him slowly,� he said viciously.

Orion
looked at his father in alarm and said, �You can�t go to Hogwarts! The
Dementors are still looking for you! And there�s Dumbledore as well!�

But
Sirius didn�t seem concerned about that, �I�ll use my animagus form. They won�t
detect me.�

Orion
urgently grabbed Sirius� arm and said, �No! It�s too dangerous. Let Remus take
care of him. You know that he wrote saying that Dumbledore had hired him as the
Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Just tell him about Pettigrew and let
him capture him!�

Sirius
snapped at him, �No, Peter is mine! Remus won�t exact vengeance, he�ll just
turn him in!�

�But
that�s perfect! He�ll turn Pettigrew to the Aurors and your name will be
cleared!� replied Orion.

Sirius
violently shook his head, �I don�t care about being cleared! I�m going to
become a Death Eater anyway!�

Orion was
getting desperate, �You can kill him or whatever you want to do with him when
you see him at the Death Eaters� gatherings. There�s no reason for you to go to
Hogwarts and risk capture!�

Sirius
laughed again without feeling, �I know Peter. He won�t go back to Voldemort.
He�s too safe being a boy�s pet. If Remus attempts to capture him and fails
he�ll turn into a rat and scamper away. Peter will realize that he has been
discovered and who knows where he�ll go. Maybe he�ll return to Voldemort, maybe
not. I can�t lose this opportunity!�

�Please,
Father. You can�t go to Hogwarts! You must realize this. It isn�t worth it! Let
us plan it better. We can find a better way!� said Orion frantically.

Sirius
looked at Orion and seemed to calm down, �Don�t worry, young pup. Nothing will
happen to me.�

Orion
shook his head and clutched Sirius� shoulders, �No! Listen to me, please,
listen to me. I need you! I can�t worry about if you�re going to be risking
yourself when I�m at Durmstrang. I need to know that you�ll be safe! Please,
promise me that you won�t attempt to capture Pettigrew yet. Promise me that
you�ll wait!�

Sirius
seemed uncertain and conflicted. He just nodded his head. Orion looked at him
suspiciously. He didn�t know if he should believe him. Sirius was very
hot-headed and tended to not think things over when he got impulsive. Orion
heaved a sigh and just hoped that his father wouldn�t break his promise to him.
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The Black Heir