My Cousin Is Getting Married

At 12 Grimmauld Place, it was already daylight when Orion pushed open the door.

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He didn't come back last night.

Last night at the Malfoy family, I talked with Abraxas all night.

On the surface, it was a meeting between two families, but in reality, it was a meeting of the heads of several core Pureblood families in Voldemort's camp to discuss matters.

In this kind of setting, we don't talk about specific matters, we just talk about feelings.

Abraxas the recent situation, saying that the Dark Lord's demands were becoming more numerous and urgent.

Some families have begun to complain privately, but dare not say it openly, saying that Lestrange's group is too radical and will cause trouble sooner or later.

Orion listened and agreed, without saying much.

These signs had been there for a while, but they became more and more obvious over time.

He carefully observed Abraxas's condition.

Last year, Regulus mentioned that the current Patriarch the Malfoy family might not live much longer.

He will not die of old age; his death will be the sign that Voldemort has completely consolidated power.

This means that Voldemort and the Pureblood families will move from cooperation to control.

Orion had his doubts at the time, but he kept those words in mind, and every time they met afterward, he would take a few extra glances at them.

But after watching it so many times, I still can't figure it out.

Abraxas was still the same as before, with gray hair and many wrinkles on his face, but his voice was strong and he was full of energy.

It's been like this for years, nothing's changed.

He was more than ten years older Orion. Appearances don't mean anything. Skilled wizards may look old, but their Magic Power is still profound.

Orion sensed that Abraxas was even more powerful than before, and he could tell that it wasn't a disguise.

If you can't see a problem, it's possible that there wasn't a problem to begin with.

Regulus said "possibly," not "certainly," so let's keep watching.

Pushing open the door and entering the restaurant, I found Walburga already waiting there.

She sat in the second seat, breakfast laid out in front of her, but she didn't touch it.

Seeing Orion enter, her gaze immediately followed him. "You're back?"

Orion simply nodded, said nothing, and went to sit down in his seat.

Kreacher appeared Silencio and placed a steaming breakfast in front of him.

Walburga stared at him. "How did the talks go?"

Orion picked up his knife and fork and cut a piece of fried egg. "It's alright."

"What do you mean by 'alright'?" Walburga pressed. "What's the Malfoy family's attitude? What did that Dark Lord say?"

Orion swallowed his fried egg. "Abraxas said that unity between the two families is of utmost importance; that Dark Lord's cause requires the concerted efforts of all Pureblood families."

Walburga's eyes lit up; she loved hearing that. "That's true," she said, "The Malfoy family have always been pragmatic."

Orion nodded and continued eating.

Walburga then asked, "And what about glory? Has anyone mentioned the glory of our Black family?"

"It was mentioned."

"What did you say?"

"That Dark Lord highly values Black family as the benchmark of Pure-bloods."

Walburga smiled with satisfaction, "That's right, the Black family has always been the leader."

Orion didn't reply.

Walburga rambled on for a few more minutes, Orion listened, nodding occasionally.

Kreacher reappeared, walked over to Orion, bent over, and its long nose almost touched the ground.

Its voice was respectful. "The Master, the young the Master sent a letter last night."

Orion paused for a moment, put down his knife and fork, and took the letter.

Regulus never writes unless there's something to say; the last time he wrote back was about the Belmont family matter.

Why this time?

He heard about what happened a few days ago, and he gave on-site guidance on the Shield Charm, enabling a first-year student to cast a complete barrier on the spot.

For an ordinary junior wizard, having such abilities and doing such a thing would be considered quite a show-off.

But Regulus wouldn't do that without a reason; Orion knew his son, and he always had a reason for everything he did.

He didn't say anything, so Orion didn't ask. Now that a letter has arrived, he'd like to see what it is about.

Walburga, standing nearby, asked, "Reggie wrote a letter? What did he say? Did someone at school act foolishly again? Or did he receive some honor this time?"

Orion opened the letter, glanced at it, and saw that the contents were very short.

Regulus wanted a mature Whomping Willow, listing several locations, for the same reason as with the Mandrake, hoping to get it done before Christmas.

Orion raised an eyebrow slightly.

The Whomping Willow).

He knew this thing was rare and extremely difficult to obtain.

But if Regulus says it's necessary, then it's necessary, and it's worth the price, no matter how expensive.

He folded the letter and handed it back to Kreacher: "Go."

Kreacher took the letter, bowed deeply, and disappeared silently.

"What did Reggie say? Did Slughorn give him another point? Or did he do something remarkable again?" Walburga asked impatiently.

Orion glanced at her. "He said Slughorn gave him extra House Points."

Walburga's face broke into a smile, "I knew it! Reggie must be outstanding in Slytherin! Which of those Pureblood families can compare to him?"

Orion nodded without saying a word.

"Didn't he say anything else? Like, who provoked him again? Or who did he reprimand again?" Walburga added.

Orion shook his head. "No."

Walburga muttered, "This child, he never writes to me, he only writes to you. As his mother, I have to ask someone else to tell me everything..."

Orion didn't respond.

Don't you know why I haven't written to you?

After finishing breakfast, he stood up and walked towards his Study, with Walburga still nagging behind him.

The restaurant door closed, and the world fell silent.

Orion walked to his desk, sat down, and leaned back in his chair; he was actually a little tired.

As I get older, even though I still have enough energy and don't feel unwell after staying up all night, I just feel that I've reached an age where I should be more careful and can't do whatever I want like I did when I was younger.

He wanted to live a few more years, to see how far Regulus could go, and to see how high his son could take the Black family.

The letter I just read was simple in content, but its meaning was clear.

Regulus says that the Whomping Willow complement the Mandrake.

Severing Charm.

Orion's breath hitched for a moment when he thought of the spell.

He had witnessed its power; in the Study, Regulus had made him suffer for quite some time in his second form.

Regulus later said that was only the minimum power.

The spell developed by a twelve-year-old child is as powerful as the Killing Curse, and its applications are even more extensive.

What does this mean?

This means that Regulus's understanding of Magic has gone beyond the scope of what an ordinary wizard should have.

It's beyond just being talented; it's a qualitative difference.

Orion thought of himself when he was young.

Back then, he was considered excellent at Hogwarts, but he was far inferior to Regulus now.

He couldn't help but wonder, did Dumbledore was young?

He didn't know that Dumbledore's youth was a very long time ago for him.

What about Voldemort?

Does he possess a spell like Regulus at the same age?

Orion was also unaware.

But he knew one thing: Regulus deserved his full support.

Three thousand Galleon of Mandrake were exchanged for the Severing Charm. Now Regulus says he needs the Whomping Willow to complement the Severing Charm.

No doubt about it, we must support it.

Orion leaned back in his chair, running through the place names in his mind.

Bulgarian Magical Reserve, Romanian Dragon Sanctuary, a manor in Southern France, and deep in the German Black Forest.

As long as there's a place, he can get his hands on it.

If money can solve a problem, spend it; if money can't, exchange it for something; if exchange isn't possible, then...

Orion didn't think further; that was a last resort, but if it really came down to it, there was no point in hesitating.

It's worth it for Regulus.

He sat up straight, took out a parchment, and began to write a letter.

Regulus:

I have learned that they will be able to obtain it.

After finishing writing, he thought for a moment and added a few more sentences.

Andromeda's wedding, dated October 21st.

Location: Provence, Wisteria Manor Luberon Mountains, France (Map attached).

Perhaps you'd like to know.

He folded the letter and called Kreacher.

Kreacher appeared silently. "The Master."

"Send this letter to Regulus."

Kreacher accepted it with both hands, bowed, and disappeared.

Orion leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

After a while, he opened his eyes, took out the list of Europe Magic protected areas from the drawer, and turned to the page on Bulgaria.

I started to think about it.

When Regulus received the reply at Hogwarts, it was lunchtime.

The owl dropped the letter into the plate in front of him.

Perhaps realizing its delivery was off-target and it hadn't left any treats, it simply flew away.

Regulus shook off the food scraps, opened the letter, and glanced at it.

The first line is as expected; Father never hesitates on such matters.

He looked down and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Andromeda, his cousin, hadn't been seen for almost two years.

She was the one who had the least contact with him among his three cousins, but she was also the kindest to him.

Before the start of first grade, Andromeda said something to him in Grimmauld Place.

"Don't let compromise turn into surrender, don't let this family devour you. You have your own heart, remember it."

Later, as she was leaving, she said one more thing.

"If one day you need help, real help, you can contact me. I'll be in France."

Last Christmas, Regulus had Kreacher deliver a key to the Gringotts in Paris to her.

Of his three cousins, Andromeda the one he cared about the most.

He was related to Narcissa by blood, but more often than not, she was an ally and a bond within the family.

He cared about Andromeda, not because of blood ties or social standing, but because of her frankness, courage, and persistence in pursuing her own path.

Unlike Sirius, Andromeda did not rebel against his family through confrontation and defiance.

She simply chose her path calmly and then accepted the consequences.

She offered advice and made promises; she is a trustworthy person.

She's married now.

Regulus looked at the line of text, then at the rudimentary map.

The map was drawn very roughly, with only a few lines and circles.

But Regulus looked at those lines, a place came to mind.

In the Luberon Mountains, at the foot of the mountains, next to a lavender field, stands a stone house covered in vines.

He can find it.

He folded the letter, put it in his pocket, and it was time to eat.