Chapter 16 – Combing Through Centuries
It was close to midnight, and I was stuck in the North Tower, and it was too late by now to leave. If anyone found me wandering the corridors at this hour, I would be in great trouble, probably experiencing pain beyond imagination, so I decided to spend my night here. Luckily it wasn't so bad. Even without any lamps or candles, I had magic at my call and could continue reading while holding my brightly shining wand above the pages. The books that Draco borrowed for me turned out to be precisely what I needed. Especially the one that was without a clear cover and seemed to be a hand-written codex.
It had an extensive list of known Parselmouths, born with the gift of being able to talk with snakes. Unsurprisingly, they all carried the blood and name of the Gaunt family. Even better, it had bloodlines traced from the early medieval ages right up to the end of the XIXth century. That was not all because what was even more fascinating was the fact it recorded those who were married OUT of the Gaunts.
"Their names were expunged from the family records and forced to abandon them, and they were forbidden to mention their heritage to anyone," I murmured, writing their names down to try and find their new identities later on and connect them to other possible families that are still among us. "No family can maintain 100% purity, can it? It is just not possible." I chuckled as I learned quickly enough from my Father that being pure meant nothing when put under scrutiny.
Take HIM, for example... our current leader... our 'Minister,' was not even 'pure.' But... it was best not to think about it; I don't know how strong he is for real, but Father was sure he could know if someone was talking about HIM. Well, it was not my place to start criticizing and pointing out the hypocrisy, especially if I wanted to remain amongst the living. After reading the books through multiple times, I ended up with a list of twelve names. Twelve members of the Family of Gaunt who were sent away married into other wizarding families because of something they did or because they were the worst of all; squibs.
After I got my name from Draco's books, I cross-referenced it with Quincy's, and to my surprise, one name showed up on both lists. They were, by the dates, a few centuries apart but had the exact same name. Coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe it was a signal between the families? A silent agreement? The Blacks took in an outcast from the Gaunts, and later on, from that same line, someone special was born, being sent back to them? Maybe... or I was just looking into it too deeply. Whatever the case may have been, I circled the name, and I was going to first look into that specific line. See if they had an offshoot branch or something that I can track down.
My thoughts were full of elaborate stories, how members of the illustrious, old but essential dead family may still live on, with members not even knowing about it. I wonder... how much HE knows about it? Did HE ever look it up? Did HE ever bring it up? Or did HE let it go completely? I remember Father spoke about it once... and... it was weird. I don't remember when it happened, but as I fell asleep, lying on the bed made of cushions, I slipped back in time for a few years. I was back in my Father's study, learning about ancient families and the old lore of our world.
"Does HE know about it?" My voice asked, but it was as if I looked on from the sides, observing my Father and me, having a discussion in his study.
"Of course!" He smiled, looking at me. "But not as much as us!" He smirked. Wait... did he smirk? Really... But it was not time to reminisce about it as my dream continued without waiting for me.
"How can that be? That does not make sense, Father!"