Chapter 134: The Fight for Silver
"So, my dear viewers! Today we have another incredible duel! Our champion, who yesterday, with the help of an illusion, admittedly an extremely convincing one, managed to defeat the bronze medalist of the adult group, challenges the silver medalist today!"
I stood on the platform, with the Frenchman opposite me. His gaze showed no hint that he considered me an easy opponent. Unlike my previous opponent, he clearly had no intention of giving me a chance at victory. Well, never mind; I could seize that chance with my teeth.
"Will our young champion once again achieve what was once deemed nearly impossible? Will he win? Yesterday, he declared that he still had trump cards up his sleeve. Will we see those trump cards today, or will his opponent not let the young champion show them?"
I sighed.
"So..."
The judge began reading the rules, which we had all heard before, and soon his wand shot upward.
"...fight!"
I immediately created a shield in front of me to block the stone shrapnel, while I sent a pair of Stunning Spells at my opponent, with a bone-breaking spell hidden beneath them. But my opponent didn't even bother figuring out what I'd sent and simply raised a powerful shield that those spells couldn't penetrate.
I had to create a new shield, duck slightly, and send a fire arrow at my opponent, which broke through his shield, with an air needle hidden behind it. But my opponent easily defended himself from the needle, which he could have seen only at the last moment. He immediately sent several large earthen stones in my direction, which I deflected with another shield.
Several lightning spells, with a water needle spell hidden beneath them, and at last, I reached him...
Not bad. The water needle merely pierced his left arm, so in essence, it wouldn't change anything, but on the other hand, now I wasn't doing it for nothing...
"Fuck..."
A literal wall of fire that covered the entire platform rushed toward me, and the worst part was that the tournament system didn't consider it a mass spell, since it stayed within the platform's bounds. I had to raise a similar wall of water, which turned to steam upon colliding with the fire wall. And I decided to use that very steam...
But I wasn't the only one. My opponent also wanted to do that, and he was stronger, which meant he could channel more energy...
A short pulse of magic destroyed the spell he intended to use, and since we were still hidden from each other, I tried to strike the opponent at random with Thor's hammer, a grand name for a spell that simply summons lightning from the sky, but...
The flaring shield showed me that my opponent was ready for that too, so I had nothing left but to wait for the blow, which would have to come from...
I was literally thrown off the platform.
"Stop!"
The judge stopped the duel, and I rose from the ground, fortunately having landed softly enough, thanks to the mentors who had taught me and Summer, and to Summer, who had unlocked Aura.
"Black, condition?"
"Normal."
Good, onto the platform.
I was brought back to the platform.
"Draco Black has left the platform. Victory is awarded to Alar Rize."
The judge delivered his verdict, and I nodded in understanding, while the stands exploded in applause.
"Boy, you weren't bad... but just so you understand, I could have taken you out faster. I was simply giving you a chance to show yourself."
"Thank you."
Of course, I wanted to clench my fists and shout that I didn't need such handouts, but that was my childish self speaking, while my rational side told me that I had truly been given a great gift, because the duel had taught me quite a lot.
"It was a priceless experience."
"I am glad you understand that."
The Frenchman's lips curved into a mocking smile. I raised an eyebrow, as if asking whether he was trying to provoke me, but he didn't respond to my silent question. We simply turned away from each other and left the platform.
*** Evening. ***
"So, the tournament has come to an end. Mother, what are our revenues?"
Hearing my question, Cissy smiled with satisfaction.
"Quite impressive. You were right to advise us to hire a couple of cooks from good restaurants. Of course, they couldn't compare to professionals from the magical world, but their food was significantly cheaper, and the taste was good too... In short, that alone will be enough to buy provisions for our district for almost three months in advance."
"Good..."
I nodded with satisfaction.
"...what about the souvenirs?"
This time Bella answered me.
"Everything is good there too. Small statuettes of the champions and other notable fighters from the tournament sold wonderfully. Considering that they were small, and as you suggested, not detailed, using just enough distinguishing features to identify each participant without any problem..."
Bella quickly flipped through a couple of pages in her notebook.
"...there'll be more than enough for hospital potions, with a large reserve to spare. I never thought people would buy that kind of nonsense with such excitement. And the statuette will most likely just sit on a shelf in some far corner..."
"Gran?"
"Well, the fast food business also went well... many people wanted to buy something to drink or snack on right in the stands. The revenues are quite impressive, though competitors did try to cut into our niche. But we've built up a financial reserve. I suppose it can either be put toward existing projects or used to start something new."
I frowned thoughtfully.
There were many options, and we needed money everywhere. No matter how much money we poured in, there was always something lacking.
"We'll think about it. For now, it's not urgent, so we can decide what to do with that money later. What about the broadcasts?"
"Well, you should know that we weren't alone in this, but with your idea for broadcasts in restaurants, we reached agreements with several establishments, and they've already paid us a handsome sum."
I sighed.
"I'm curious. Are you doing this on purpose?"
"Hm?"
All three representatives of the House of Black looked at me with slight surprise.
"Well, why use all these vague words that don't say anything but just hint at the amount? Can't you just tell us how much we earned?"
"And that, grandson, is so you'll read the report instead of making us go through it all again."
Bella and Cissy nodded at their aunt's words. They both call her Mother.
"There is, however, one question that..."
Cissy grimaced almost imperceptibly.
"...still needs to be resolved."
"Yes? And what is it?"
I looked at Mom in surprise.
"Yesterday, Amelia Bones came to the hospital. She is pregnant."
I closed my eyes.
"And? No, I can guess what that means, but I'd like to know how it happened and what the girl herself wants."
"Well, according to her, it was all by mutual consent. She was able to trace the influence of potions and mental techniques afterwards. It's just that she and Sirius had a little too much, and she forgot about the charms, and she doesn't have any potions at home."
"Wait, but..."
Bella was slightly shocked.
"...after prison, Siri has problems with that... doesn't he?"
"Well, it wasn't that bleak there, but you're right. Without a potion, he shouldn't have been able to conceive an heir, so there's only one explanation... magic."
"Magic or not, what does Amelia herself want? Don't misunderstand me, but Sirius is quite the dog and quite the idiot. He won't do anything about it himself. It would be far more like him to run from responsibility."
I looked thoughtfully at the ceiling.
"I agree, and Amelia herself doesn't know exactly what she wants. She came here in a panic to prevent a pregnancy, but she's already pregnant... it all happened very quickly, so she thanked me for the diagnosis and left."
"Hm..."
I rubbed the bridge of my nose.
"Then here's how it is. If she wants Sirius as her husband, we'll present him to her on a platter. He made a mess, so let him clean it up. And if he refuses, then either we cast him out of the House completely, with severance from the House's magic..."
Walburga went pale. After all, though she did not communicate with Sirius, he was her son, and she did not wish that fate on him.
"...or he signs a marriage contract with Amelia."
"Draco, maybe there's no need?"
"Gran, do you see some other way out of this?"
"No..."
She shook her head.
"...not with Sirius, but he is still my son. Perhaps we can simply provide full support for the girl and child?"
I sighed.
"Gran..."
"Draco, he is my son... no matter how I feel about him, he is my flesh and blood. I won't be able to do THAT to him."
"Fine... IF you can persuade Amelia to accept something like that, then there will be no claims against Sirius THIS time..."
"If this happens again, we'll sever him from the House's magic."
"Good..."
That, in fact, settled the Sirius issue, and we continued discussing our income and where that money could be invested.
*** The Next Day. ***
"All right, one more time..."
I stared at him in confusion. I hadn't expected him to come to me personally.
"I am asking you, as the future head of the House and the one who currently manages it from the shadows, to begin negotiations with Amelia Bones about our marriage."
I blinked.
"And how did you come to this idea? More precisely, who pushed you toward it?"
"Do you think I'm a complete idiot?"
Judging by how quickly he looked away, he saw in my eyes exactly what I thought of him. And what he saw clearly didn't please him. But he couldn't object, because since his release, he truly had behaved like an idiot. And his behavior hadn't changed even when Harry started talking to him and practically moved in.
"Cissy..."
Sirius sighed.
"...she told me that Amelia went to St. Mungo's after that night. And that she's pregnant. I... you know, I thought that was already it... that I was infertile. And now... she's pregnant... with my child..."
He looked at me, and in his gaze I saw the same doglike devotion he only showed when looking at Harry. Fuck, if only he felt that way about the House. But for some reason, that feeling never awakened in him.
"And as whom do you want me to begin negotiations?"
"Um... as the future Lord?"
"Sirius, let's be frank. You weren't cast out of the House only because Walburga requested it. I was still too young then to influence anything, but I remember perfectly well what arguments the House's female triumvirate had."
Sirius frowned.
"You betrayed the House when you ran away after school..."
"I didn't betray anyone!"
"You did."
I pressed him.
"James also..."
"James didn't sever ties with his parents!"
I cut Sirius off mid-word.
"I studied the files on your gang of underage Marauders. James did not break ties with his parents. Yes, he rebelled. Yes, he openly took a Muggle-born as his wife, which his parents opposed, since by that time, they had already chosen him a bride from the correct family. But despite his open rebellion, he continued communicating with his parents. You..."
I shook my head.
"You spat in the face of the House, your mother..."
"In short, you must understand that back then, you spat on everything."
"But Mother was on the Dark Lord's side... You simply do not know what kind of monster he was!"
"I know!"
I interrupted Sirius, who had said everything he wanted to say and was now clenching his fists and baring his teeth slightly.
"They hid nothing from me. I don't condemn the side you chose to fight on. For that matter, no one condemns it. What is condemned is that you betrayed your family by forgetting your roots. Now look me in the eye and tell me how I'm supposed to negotiate your marriage."
Sirius stubbornly fixed his gaze on the floor. A faint rustle, barely audible, let me know that someone was in the hidden niche behind my back. Most likely it was Mother or Grandmother, or perhaps all three of them had climbed in there...
"Sirius?"
"As the future Lord Black."
"So that is how it is?"
He raised his eyes to mine, and while they were full of contradictions, there was something there that gave me hope that this dog had finally understood that the House must not be abandoned.
"Yes..."
"Good."
I nodded to him, letting him know that the conversation was over, and Sirius left, while I turned toward the hidden niche.
"Come out. We will discuss exactly what to do with this situation..."
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