Ascendancy - Book I of the 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰

Prologue

Paris, 1928

The rain fell in gusts in the streets of the capital. There was not a cat in sight, not even a rat. The cobblestones were oozing with icy water, the sky was rumbling, steady and threatening. A raven had landed on the gutter of a building. Its feathers seemed too heavy to fly; the weather had caught it unawares. When he tried to shake himself off, a jet-colored remige fell. Gorged with water, it twirled in the air, incessantly destabilized by the unsightly drops. The black eyes of the bird watched it fall.

The deserted alley welcomed her with benevolence. As she came dangerously close to the ground, a loud "crack" pushed her a few centimeters further. After a few twirls, she landed quietly on the stone. In front of her, black polished shoes. She had hardly landed when the man took hold of her tip and lifted her. The umbrella protected her from the deluge. He raised it towards the sky, his pupils scrutinizing its details with attention. His facial muscles tensed, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Yes, it was her. Her color was far too deep to come from a mere bird. His gaze changed direction. It fell on the building and the small figure which had planted itself there and waited.

"You can come down" he said. "It's me."

The echo repeated his words several times. Any stranger would have thought he was talking to himself, but Regulus Black didn't care. The raven understood. He slowly revealed his wings, like an eagle preparing for the hunt, and suddenly flew away. His jet feathers turned into a thick black smoke, his body was mixed with it and his head drowned in it. The process was quick. The ebony vortex lengthened as it plunged into the void. A foot landed where the feather had landed moments before. The solid build of a young man took shape. A subtle smile stretched his lips and he looked into the eyes of his younger brother.

"I thought you were going to leave me here for several more years."

They embraced, patting each other on the back as was their custom. The umbrella in the middle didn't seem to bother them. They hadn't seen each other for months. Regulus had had to stay in London to support Fawley against Spencer-Moon's attacks, the latter wanting to take his place as Minister of Magic. Arcturus, on the other hand, had settled the final affairs of the divorce. Except that his situation had become slightly more delicate in recent weeks.

"Did you manage to get anything out of Vinda?"

"With difficulty, but yes. The fact that Grindelwald knew we were coming was a big help."

His tone was serene, but Regulus was not foolish enough to believe that his older brother felt nothing. He had loved Vinda like crazy during their first years of marriage. The fact that their union had been arranged had not slowed him down in his passion. She, on the other hand, had had other plans. When she joined Grindelwald, Arcturus let his rage explode. He had tried to find her, but the dark mage was on the move, and Europe was large. With no news of her, melancholy had eventually covered his anger and Vinda Rosier had turned into a mere memory. Until she reappeared from nowhere and asked for a divorce.

"He's the one who matters now. Pretend she didn't exist."

His jaw tightened, but he didn't answer. The two brothers went into an alley. Regulus' sole stepped on a water-soaked newspaper that still read "GRINDELWALD RETURNS TO POWER IN EUROPE". The watered-down ink had once read "Two hundred muggles killed at a sports meet in Germany". As the Black elders moved forward, the signs multiplied. Poorly pasted on the stone walls, some called for peace, others for the total eradication of non-magics. Arcturus looked away and concentrated on the road ahead. Regulus hadn't even noticed them. They came to an avenue where a few passers-by were running from the rain, a dog was barking, and an owl with its leg torn off was hobbling along the sidewalk. Blood was flowing from its wound. Arcturus lifted his wand in pity. His brother had continued on his way indifferently.