Ascendancy - Book I of the 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔠𝔨 𝔖𝔢𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰

X. 21st December 1931 - the list

Nott Manor, Devonshire

Teignous hated his parents' manor. Sure, it was where he'd grown up, where he'd learned his first bit of magic before he'd even received his letter to Hogwarts, where he and his brother had made their jokes about their mother... but that didn't stop Teignous from hating the house. He didn't know what was wrong. Maybe the stones were too dark. Or the windows, which were too high, giving the impression that they were staring at you. Too many dead plants, trees that were centuries old. Even the air smelled musty, the smell of the past was in your face. Coming here was like diving into a pool of history. Except that it was a boring, flat history. Old. Like this Manor.

"I've known you happier than this," his brother charia'd him.

He gave an ironic laugh that was meant to sound like Cornelius when he laughed at his own jokes. The two brothers passed through the imposing iron gate and entered the main path. A sad and bland path.

"I won't be able to go to Mother's next tea party," he announced on the way.

"Really, why not?"

"It's Elena's birthday."

Cornelius stopped abruptly, his eyes full of innuendo.

"Why are you still doing this? Why don't you let her go in peace? She's dead, Teignous, she's not..."

"...coming back, I know, you've told me that a hundred times. But Gilna needs this."

His brother sighed. He wanted to say something but stopped, for fear of regretting his words. There was no point in saying anything more. He just hoped that one day they would get over the loss of their only daughter and move on. Even if it was hard.

"It will also allow us to see Harfang again," Teignous justified.

Cordelius resumed his walk, happy to see his brother change the subject slightly.

"I haven't seen him for a long time. He must be a handsome young man by now."

"Yes, he's very charming. He has inherited his mother's beauty, she has Velan blood."

"Velan but dumb as a post," Cordelius muttered.

Teignous did not hear his remark, but he was certainly thinking the same thing. You'd have to be a fool not to believe your son just because his ideology favoured muggles. This family would lose themselves by doing this, for sure, but the first thing they would see go was Harfang. He had said it himself: as soon as he came of age, he would leave home. Teignous had put enough money in his safe to last him for several years, until he found a decent job.

"Hurry up, Mother will be angry if we're late," commented the elder.

Teignous sighed in exasperation. These teas were beginning to get on his nerves. He didn't see any point to it, either. His mother never had anything new to say. She lived alone in her Manor and the only neighbours had left last year. A pain for her, since she could no longer comment on their every move.

When they entered, the house elf took their coats and pointed with a feverish wave of her hand to the door of the living room. Their mother was already waiting for them there, hot tea on the coffee table and a newspaper in her lap. She was so engrossed in her reading that she did not hear her two sons arrive.

"Mother! It's us!"

"Oh !" she gasped.

She put a hand on her heart, frightened and relieved to see them at last.

"What are you reading that's so interesting?" asked Cornelius as he sat down in the chair opposite.

"Grindelwald doesn't stop anymore. He killed ten muggles in the Netherlands. It's only a matter of time before he reaches England."