A Death in the Family, Leave Request

A Wednesday in mid-February, in the Great Hall, breakfast time.

A flock of owls poured in through the domed windows right on time, hundreds of wings flapping loudly, creating a rustling sound in the hall.

Letters, packages, newspapers, feathers—all fell from the ceiling, each with its own aim.

Some were thrown directly into the Master's plate, while others hit the head of the little wizard at the next table.

A large Eagle Owl broke in from the outer edge of the flock of owls, its wingspan wide, its flight steady, its trajectory graceful, a stark contrast to the wobbly barn owls around it.

It landed in front of Regulus, one claw gripping the edge of the table, the other extended and held upright, waiting for him to retrieve the letter. The Black family's owl was a large Eagle Owl used in winter, capable of withstanding the winds and snows of the Scottish Highlands.

With thick breast feathers, golden eyes, and a reserved gaze, it landed on the Slytherin table, exuding an air of authority that surpassed that of most of the young wizards seated there.

A black envelope was tied to its paw, sealed with the Black family's wax seal, featuring the Twin Stars and Sirius on a silver background, with a circle of Latin inscriptions around the edge.

Regulus paused for a moment when he saw the color of the envelope and the specifications of the heraldic embossing.

A black envelope, a formal family notification.

Black envelopes with full wax seals are only used for occasions such as weddings, funerals, family meetings, and major decisions.

Something came up at home.

He put down his Tableware and took the letter.

The Eagle Owl shook its wings, turned around on the spot, and took off from the table. Its wings brushed past Avery's head, and Avery shrank his neck, cursing under his breath.

The envelope was opened; Orion's handwriting, dark blue ink, brief.

Pollux Black passed away this morning. His funeral is scheduled for this afternoon. We will meet at Grimmauld Place and proceed together.

After reading it, Regulus folded the letter and put it into the inner pocket of his robe.

Nothing much happened.

Pollux Black, Walburga's father and maternal grandfather.

To be honest, he and this old man didn't have much interaction.

I remember seeing him a few times, all when I was very young, around four or five years old, at family gatherings. He was an elderly man with white hair sitting far away. He was tall, thin, serious, and silent, holding a wine glass. Each time he came, he just sat there, not moving much and not saying much.

He would occasionally exchange a few words with Orion, but he would only nod at Walburga and pay him little attention, let alone the younger ones.

They're not even acquaintances, let alone family.

But in the Black family, Pollux held a very high position.

The succession of the Black family patriarch follows the line of Arcturus III, Arcturus passed it on to Orion, Orion is the current Patriarch. Although Pollux is not on this line, he is the second most important decision-maker in the Black family after the Patriarch.

Pollux orchestrated several of the Black family's most important marriage arrangements.

He was the one who arranged the marriage between Cygnus III and Druella Roxier, thus linking the Roxier family's thorn emblem with the Black family's twin Sirius.

The two Sacred Twenty-Eight were thus bound by blood ties.

He was also involved in the engagement between Narcissa and Lucius.

The marriage between the Black and Malfoy families was orchestrated by Borrock, Pollux handled all the details from negotiation to finalization. Looking at the current outcome, Lucius and Narcissa have a good relationship and will be happy after marriage. This arrangement wasn't purely a political marriage; at least the old man wasn't just using family members as tools.

Of course, there were also some who weren't so great, like Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange.

Whether Bellatrix chose them herself or Pollux arranged it, the pair was rather incongruous—two lunatics together, pushing each other in an even more insane direction.

In the first few years after Orion took over as Patriarch, Pollux made almost all the major decisions for the Black family.

Arcturus III passed the throne to Orion and then largely withdrew from the government. Orion was young at the time, in his twenties, capable and decisive, but lacked experience.

He knew the direction, but how to get there, how to deal with dozens of Pureblood families, how to establish a presence in Wizengamot, and how to maintain the family's independence while dealing with the Ministry of Magic —all of these required time to learn.

Pollux managed to stay afloat during that period.

He handled most of Orion's external affairs, maintained the Black family's operation within the Pure-blood Circle, and bought time for the young Patriarch to grow.

Once Orion has truly established himself, is able to make sound judgments independently, can hold his own against the old fox at the negotiating table, and can ensure the Black family's interests are protected in every decision, Pollux will step down.

He withdrew cleanly, without clinging to power or dragging things out. He handed over what needed to be handed over and let go of what needed to be let go, and from then on, he only offered his opinion when asked. Black, who had worked behind the scenes his entire life, had a daughter and two sons, accomplished a great deal, and now he is dead.

Born in 1912 and died in 1974, he was 62 years old, which is not short for Muggle, but too early for a wizard.

Dumbledore ninety and still traveling the world; it's normal for most wizards to live to be one hundred and twenty or thirty.

Pollux didn't live to the age he was supposed to live, and the cause of his death wasn't mentioned in the letter, so Regulus didn't think much of it.

Pureblood families, having dealt with Dark Arts for years, suffer far greater physical and spiritual deterioration than ordinary wizards.

Coupled with decades of high-pressure work and the resulting mental exhaustion, sixty-two years old is early, but not unexpected.

Regulus put down his knife and fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, stood up, and said, "Something came up at home, so I'm taking the day off."

Avery was stuffing toast into his mouth, nodding vaguely. Hermes glanced at him but didn't ask anything. Alex put down his fork, looking somewhat worried, but didn't ask either.

He left the Slytherin table and glanced towards the Gryffindor.

Sirius also received the letter.

The same black envelope, already opened, sat beside the plate, the letter paper folded crookedly.

Sirius was stuffing bacon into his mouth, his expression unchanged, his eyes not even looking at the letter; he was just eating.

James Potter sidled up beside him, nudged him with his shoulder, leaned in to look at the letter, half a sausage dangling from his mouth, and mumbled something.

Sirius glanced at him sideways, still chewing, shook his head, and casually folded the letter and stuffed it into his robe pocket.

Then he looked up, past the row of heads at the Gryffindor table, and his gaze met Regulus's.

He just stared at Regulus, still chewing mechanically, his gray eyes blank, seemingly looking at nothing, trying to express anything. He chewed that piece of bacon for ages without swallowing, his cheeks bulging, making him look like a dog ruminating.

Regulus waited a while.

Sirius was still chewing away, his mouth moving slightly, his gaze unfocused, staring in his direction, but it didn't seem like he was actually looking at him; his left eye was glazed over, and his right eye was blank.

Regulus didn't wait any longer and left.

After leaving the Great Hall, we walked down into the underground Corridor.

Professor Slughorn's office is next to the Potions Classroom, and he's usually already there at this time.

The door was ajar, Regulus knocked twice.

"Come in, come in," the professor's voice came from inside, full of energy for the first time of the morning. "Ah, Regulus, good morning." Pushing open the door, the office was warm and cozy, with the fireplace burning brightly.

Slughorn sat behind his desk, a plate of golden Pineapple Candied Fruit neatly arranged in front of him. The air was thick with the sweet aroma, as if a jar of honey had been spilled.

The professor, holding a piece in his hand and about to put it in his mouth, saw him enter, his eyes lit up, and he reached out his other hand to beckon. He wiped his fingertips with a handkerchief, smiling broadly as he pushed the piece towards the plate, "Want one? Madam Azuli's handiwork, from the best Candied Fruit shop in Diagon Alley, a special selection."

Regulus politely but firmly declined. "Thank you, Professor, but I just finished eating."

"That's perfect, dessert time."

"7:50, Professor."

There is no time limit for desserts.

The professor, with an air of self-righteousness, picked up the piece of candy again, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction. "Hmm, perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, the texture is superb, are you sure you don't want to come?"

I ate Pineapple Candied Fruit first thing in the morning.

Seeing the professor chewing happily, Regulus swallowed his refusal and got straight to the point.

"Professor, I'm here to ask for leave."

Slughorn chewed on Candied Fruit, raising an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Pollux Black, my maternal grandfather, passed away this morning."

The professor stopped chewing halfway through his candied Candied Fruit.

His expression didn't change much; the smile hadn't completely faded, but it froze on his face. Then he swallowed the Candied Fruit in his mouth and wiped his fingertips a couple more times with a handkerchief.

He looked at Regulus, his expression now serious, his eyebrows furrowed. "Pollux is gone?"

Regulus nodded.

Slughorn leaned back, his gaze passing over Regulus and landing on a faded photograph on the wall. He remained silent for a long while.

The professor knew his maternal grandfather, which was not surprising. Regulus remained silent and waited quietly.

After a moment, Slughorn placed the handkerchief on the table, looked away, and his expression returned to normal.

His voice carried the unique sentimentality of an old man reminiscing about the past. "Your maternal grandfather was a man of great discretion in his actions."

Among the Pure-blood Circle I know, some are shrewd but shallow, some are profound but rigid, but Pollux has both and still manages to make people feel comfortable.

Everyone who deals with him, whether they like him or fear him, admits one thing: his conditions are always reasonable, and he always keeps his promises. A slight smile appeared on his lips, as if he were recalling a specific scene, but he quickly suppressed it.

"One year, around the late 1950s, Wizengamot wanted to amend a law concerning the protection of Magical Creatures. This involved the industrial interests of several families, Pure-bloods were in a huge uproar. No one was willing to give in, and it looked like things were about to break down. Pollux stepped in, talking to each family one by one, persuading them one by one, and finally came up with a solution."

Each party made a small concession, and each party preserved its core interests. The bill was passed, and everyone's face was saved.

After the vote that day, several of the family representatives who had argued the most were chatting in the Corridor. Someone said, "Pollux is a formidable man." The professor looked at Regulus, his tone more earnest. "Your maternal grandfather was a truly capable man, Regulus."

"Pollux played a huge part in getting the Black family to where it is today, before you young people were even born." Then he sighed, resuming his usual smooth tone, pulled a blank leave slip from the drawer, picked up a quill pen, and wrote as he spoke, "Leave approved. I'll write down today's classes and homework for you; just make them up when you get back."

Sign your name and push it over.

"My condolences, Regulus. Be careful."

Regulus took the leave slip and nodded politely. "Thank you, Professor."

He turned and walked towards the door, and the professor added behind him, "Give my regards to your mother, and tell her that Pollux was a remarkable man."

Regulus stopped and glanced back at the professor.

Slughorn had already picked up another piece of Candied Fruit, but instead of putting it in his mouth, he held it in his hand, looking out the window with an empty expression on his round, chubby face.

Regulus opened the door and went out.