Chapter Text
Hogwarts October 27th, 1889
It was late in the evening, through the window the moon cast a sullen glow through the stairwell. Eleazar Fig's boots clicked against the stone steps to Headmaster Black's office. He was relaxing in his quarters, enjoying a cuppa when he received an urgent owl from the Headmaster to meet with him. The Headmaster has been more emotional, irascible and difficult these past few months. More than his usual abrupt disposition with his staff. This has raised alarm with Eleazar as he has not seen his old friend this troubled in quite some time. With the urgency he read from the note he received, an uneasiness formed in the pit of his stomach. As he raises his hand to knock on the solid oak door, he can hear the sound of pacing footsteps beyond the ajar entrance.
Before Eleazar has the opportunity to knock, the Headmaster snaps, “Come in Fig.” With a slight creak, the door is pushed open and he steps into the Headmaster’s office.
“Good evening Phineas, what matters must you discuss with me at this hour of the night?”
Black takes a deep breath, “Do you remember all those years ago, the promise you made to me after our seventh year?”
Eleazar gives a curt nod to Phineas. When Black finally meets his eyes, Eleazar can see the tension in the fine lines he has tried to hide on his face. A small twitch to the left side of Black’s mouth forms into a half smile. “Of course, being my oldest friend you would never forget such a promise made to me.”
“Her magic has made itself known then?” says Eleazar.
“Yes, yes it has.” Black shakes his head and takes a seat at his desk while taking a sip of his firewhisky. He nods to the credenza in the corner, offering Eleazar to make his own drink.
Eleazar walks to the cabinet, takes out the canister containing firewhisky, and pours himself a drink. Sitting in the black wingback velvet chair across from Black’s desk, he takes a sip of his firewhisky, already prepared for the request he knows is coming. As the whisky hits the back of his throat he breathes in through his nose and thinks of Miriam and how they always longed for a daughter of their own but it was never in the cards for them.
“When did you find out she would be coming to Hogwarts?” Eleazar asks finally.
“A letter from the Ministry arrived this morning notifying me we would be receiving a new student of the age 16 to begin in her 5th year. At first, I thought it was just a coincidence but then the name in the letter made me certain.” answered Phineas.
“She seems to have come into her magic very late in her age. How is this even possible? Have you contacted her mother about any early signs of -”
“Absolutely not!” snaps Phineas as he slammed his glass of firewhisky on the desk, sloshing it onto the Ministry letter. Dropping his head into his hands, he thinks back to his younger self and the decisions he made that lead up to this moment.
“Toujours Pur.” scoffs Black as he lifts his head and meets Eleazar's eyes with a sadness he has not seen in his friend in many years. “I loved her. I truly believed I loved her, but when you are born into a family such as mine there are certain expectations you must adhere to. Having a child out of wedlock at the age of seventeen is not one of them and for that child to be a halfblood is another.”
“I was there Phineas, I remember. And I will tell you the same now as I did then. You had a choice to make. And I have not always agreed with the choice you made, but I have stood by you and kept your secret all these years,” responds Eleazar. “I made you a promise my friend and I intend to hold to that.”
Eleazar can still remember the day his best friend came to him after they had graduated Hogwarts. Phineas came to him in a fit of hysteria and panic that he had conceived a child with his secret affair, a muggle woman named Lilith. Phineas being born into the Noble House of Black always had expectations put on him from a young age, so in an act of rebellion he befriended a muggle woman he met in London during his summer break of sixth year. Eleazar knew of Lilith through their final year at Hogwarts together and assisted Black with seeing her in secret over the holiday. Fig perpetually knew this love affair could never last for his dear friend, though he had hoped it would at least conclude for them in an amenable manner. Where they could depart from each other as dear friends since Phineas was inevitably engaged to Ursula Flint since childhood. Ursula to anyone who knew her, has always been a horrid woman. The Black family name held a prestige of its own. Ursula's cold and calculated personality made her a perfect fit to continue on the line. She made her excitement for not only the name but the fortune that inevitably came with it well known.
This is what drove Phineas to enlist his only genuine friend in making sure the wizarding world never knew of his illegitimate child. Lilith, along with their daughter would be safe abroad away from London and the Black family. Eleazar knew this day would come as the Black family’s magical signature is far too strong to not manifest itself in Phineas’ daughter, but he unfailingly thought it would be at the age of eleven and not sixteen. This is why it came as a surprise to him that she will be attending Hogwarts under her father’s administration. They both held their breath four years ago when her eleventh birthday came and went without a Ministry letter notifying them of her attendance. To start Hogwarts as a fifth year? No one had ever known a student to start Hogwarts at such a delayed age. Eleazar knows he promised to protect his friend's secret, but nothing prepared him for the coming request.
“Eleazar, I need you to retrieve my daughter from Nice in France and house her in your home till the start of the coming school year.” Black stated finally.
“Phineas, what about this school year? May I remind you that I am still a Professor here first and have students to teach!” Eleazar exclaims. “Miriam will be traveling abroad with her research for the foreseeable months and will not be at the cottage to host her.”
“That is why I am relieving you of your post till the start of the following school year. I have notified the Ministry already stating you will be traveling for research on my behalf.” Black speaks like this is a verdict, leaving no room for negotiation in his tone.
Eleazar looks at his friend in disbelief because he is wise to the fact that teaching the next wizarding generation is his greatest passion. He takes a deep drink of the firewhiskey resting in his palm and looks around the Headmaster’s office. Fig notes the moving portraits of past headmasters, the Black family, and portraits from Phineas’ Slytherin days. He knows he will not find any portraits of them together in their younger years as their friendship was kept secret along with Lilth. Slytherins don’t sully themselves with the likes of Gryffindors, at least not in the public eye.
Fig sits up straight and looks the Headmaster in the eye, “So it is decided then? I don’t get a say in the matter, I presume of course your word is always the last, eh Black?” Spits Fig with an edge to his voice that isn’t naturally there.
The Headmaster's face softens, “Fig, please. This is my daughter, my first born. There is nobody I would trust more with her life than you. As well as her education.”
“So I am to teach her as well? To develop her magic prior to her starting fifth year in September?” asks Eleazar, resigned to the request and remembering the promise he made to his friend all those years ago.
“We can’t have a Black starting the school year without any magical knowledge now can we?” Phineas asks with a cock to his right eyebrow. Fig lets out an audible snort and laughs at his friend's constant need to uphold his family’s reputation in the magical world.
“I am to assume that she will not be known as your daughter while attending Hogwarts with you as Headmaster?” Fig, already knowing the answer and being resigned to the fact that this is information that cannot get out to the students, professors, or the Ministry. The Black family would be caught up in a public scandal if that was to make the Prophet headlines.
“She must not know that I am her father. This is pertinent to her attending under my administration Fig.” Phineas takes a thoughtful pause and continues, “But I would be lying if I said that I do not wish to see her succeed as successfully as all Black family members do while attending Hogwarts.”
“I will not tell her, my dear friend. You know your secret is always safe with me.”
“Then it is settled, you will retrieve my daughter from the Nice countryside in two days. I have arranged for a carriage to take you tomorrow evening.” Phineas stands from his desk and reaches to take Fig’s empty tumbler from his hand, a sign the conversation has come to an end.
Eleazar stands and begins to straighten his robes to head back to his quarters and begin packing for his journey. As he begins to make his exit he turns back to his friend and asks the question that has been burning in his mind “What is your daughter’s name Phineas? You never told me after we sent Lilith away.”
The Headmaster goes rigid and turns slightly to face his friend. With a stoic look on his face, Phineas speaks his daughter’s name for the first time since her birth, “Alowyn. Alowyn Black.”