Chapter Two, Goblins and Allies

The following day the mismatched family followed through with their plans. One half was taking the kids to Gringotts to get Laufey checked over from the attack, and for Freyr to become Blood-Adopted by Regulus and become Freyr Tyr Caolan Black, a Scion to House Black; whereas the other half (Arcturus, Melania, Dorea and Cassiopeia) were meeting with Arcturus siblings: Regulus and Lycoris, and his cousin (Cassiopeia, Dorea and Pollux's brother): Marius Black, who had responded to the owl and agreed to meet them. They were also meeting Lord Aengus, Lady Aisling Lynch and Heir Aidan Lynch, and Lord Áki, Lady Alda Pekkanen and Heir Tyr Pekkanen.

***

~ Potter Manor ~

"Is everyone ready?" Fleamont asked, looking over at the two Black brothers - Sirius and Regulus - who were holding their children (soon-to-be son in Regulus's case) in their arms as they babbled to each other, to his brother Charlus who was explaining things to Petunia and finally to his wife Euphemia who placed her dark hand over his giving it a comforting squeeze easing his worry that was rolling within him, and representing that they were the embodiment of Yin-Yang on exterior as well as magic (the Potters had dark grey magical affinity due to their Peverell ancestry; whereas, the Moretti family were on the lighter grey spectrum of magical affinity than the Potters which was his wife's maiden family).

"We're ready." Charlus stated. "Where are Caoimhe and Ármann?" He was confused, knowing they had wanted to attend before going to Castle Black to meet their extended family later that afternoon, when they received word from Arcturus.
"Oh, I forgot!" Petunia muttered apologetically. "Mother and Father, apologise but they had been called into work and were dropped close to their work by Bobby early this morning."
"No matter." Euphemia waved off, her Italian accent still as thick as ever, as she straightened a bow in Laufey's hair, earning a beaming smile as she curled closer to her Dada Padfoot. "Right, let's go." She said, clapping her hands together before she Floo'd with her husband to the Potter Account Manager Xeng's office at Gringotts - where they would be joined by Rurx the Black Account Manager - they were soon followed by Sirius with Laufey, Regulus with Freyr, and finally Charlus with Petunia.

As Sirius and Regulus stepped out of the ornate fireplace indulgent smiles took over their faces, their eyes alight with love as both Laufey and Freyr giggled and clapped their hands in excitement at the motion through the Floo Network.
"Well," Account Manager Xeng drawled, amusement, coating his tone as he took in the two babies. "It's not every day we see babies who love the Floo Network."
"Yes James hated it." Fleamont laughed, smiling lovingly at the pair.
"What can we do for you Lord and Lady Potter, Master Potter, Lord Black and Master Black?" Xeng and Rurx inquired, after all the correct greetings had been uttered.

"First, we'd like Laufey to be checked over by your Head Healer Klugia, if you'd be so kind." Fleamont explained, taking lead on their meeting today. "To make sure nothing untoward happened when Lily and James created the Ritual that protected her. Also, the reason why Rurx was contacted is because Regulus would like to Blood-Adopt Petunia's son Freyr. Freyr, much like Lily and Laufey has magic despite Petunia and her parents being Squibs descended from the Lynch family of Ireland and the Pekkanen family of Iceland. Regulus is also courting Petunia."
"I take it they have Lord Black's acceptance and/or support for both such occurrences?" Rurx asked, raising an eyebrow at Sirius who was bouncing Laufey gently on his knee.
"They have." Sirius agreed. "A Trust Vault should already be available for Freyr, I made it a few days ago."

"Very well." The goblin agreed. "And the vault is now operational and will be keyed to the young Master once the potion has been taken. If Master Regulus and Miss Petunia could sign these, they will be his new documentation and birth certificate for the Ministry, and his name will automatically be updated on the Hogwarts Registry." Rurx stated, pushing over the documentation and birth certificate over to Regulus and Petunia along with a Blood Quill which is the only time such an object is allowed and only within the confines of Gringotts for occurrences like these.

Once everything had been filled out, Monty passed Regulus the potion which already had the blood within, allowing him to administer the potion to his son. The change was instantaneous, almost at once Freyr's blonde locks changed into the jet black curls of the Blacks, his face took on the mix characteristics of both Petunia and Regulus (Freyr had his mother's nose and lips while his father's cheekbones and chin), and finally his eyes became a stunning blue-silver colour; completely washing away any trait of Vernon Dursley.
"Wow." Petunia whispered, staring at her beautiful son who she now shared with a man who treated her - and Freyr - like they deserved and who she was slowly coming to love.

"Dada. Mama." Freyr beamed clapping his hands excitedly, causing Regulus to take a sharp intake of breath before a beaming, tearful smile overtook his features as he kissed Freyr's - now - jet black locks lovingly. Laufey, who had been calmed down by her grandmother after the prick to her finger for her own test, looked at her cousin curiously, her head tilted to the side cutely.
"Dada Pa'foo', Frey?" She asked Sirius curiously, pointing to Freyr, her young mind not able to make the correlation just yet.

"That's still Freyr, baby, don't worry." Sirius assured her, kissing her curly dark locks. At his cousin's voice Freyr turned to look at Laufey as a beaming smile overtook his features reaching out for her.
"Lay!" He exclaimed happily, hand reaching for her, which after a moment, a beaming smile overtook Laufey's own face as she clasped his hand. Recognising his voice as her mind made the link between his new look and the cousin she knew. While the babies were bonding and Rurx was filing the documents and birth certificate in the correct places and supplying Regulus with Freyr's Trust Vault, Monty and Mia turned to their own Account Manager for the results of Laufey's test.

"I want this abomination removed from my granddaughter immediately!" Fleamont demanded, once the results had been explained to him, his wife and brother. Their strong emotions and magic filling the air attracted Sirius, Regulus and Petunia's attention who were angry and horrified and confused, respectively.
"Of course Lord Potter." Xeng agreed, summoning Head Healer Klugia immediately. While they waited for her arrival he - with their permission- sent part of the parchment, or at least a copy, to Madam Bones to inform her of what Voldemort had created which meant he was still very much alive.

"We'll wait here." Charlus told his brother, sister-in-law and Sirius who would be going to the Healing rooms with Laufey, and gestured to himself, Regulus, Petunia and Freyr. "And I'll get started on looking over our investments and making new ones."
"I'll do the same, Sirius. Just concentrate on your daughter." Regulus assured his brother.
"Thank you." Fleamont and Sirius sighed with relief as they - and Mia - followed after the goblin.

***

~ Castle Black ~

While half of the family were at Gringotts waiting for Laufey's scar to be cleansed by Goblin-Healer Klugia, the rest were making up with their brother/cousin after not seeing him in decades - despite all of them looking for him until their parents put a stop to it and punished them.
"I'm so sorry brother, Rea and I wished we had fought harder." Cassiopeia cried to her little brother, who had his arms wrapped around her and their little sister Dorea.
"There's nothing you or Rea could have done, Cassie." Marius assured them, falling back into the use of their childhood nicknames, as they healed from the pain their parents, aunt and uncle had inflicted upon them at such young ages. "They had made up their minds."

After a lasting, tight, three-way hug, none of them really wanting to let go of each other but did so in the end, Marius turned to his three eager and hesitant cousins and found he neither harboured any ill-will to them like he didn't to his sisters.
"Why the long faces?" He joked, getting wet laughs from them before Lycoris flew into her cousin's arms sobbing into his chest much like Cassiopeia and Dorea did. "Come now Ly, no tears. I don't harbour any ill-will towards you, that belongs to both our parents and my older brother who treated me like shit when he found out."

"If it's any consolation none of us like him either. Especially as he forced Arcturus and Melania to wed their son, Orion, to his harpy of a daughter Walburga." Regulus commented dryly, getting choked laughs from everyone. "Only good thing to come from that marriage is Sirius and my namesake Regulus."
"Ah yes. I remember Artie's owl saying something about Sirius's daughter Laufey Potter-Black needing protection? And Regulus II has a Blood-Adopted son who is actually Laufey's cousin through her mother? Oh my, can this family get any more complicated?" He joked.

"Try being married into the family." Melania said jokingly. "I'm Melania, Artie's wife but I was a MacMillan." She introduced herself, holding out her hand. Immediately, Marius grasped the hand pressing a kiss to the back of it as if he had never left the society at eleven years old.
"Charmed. Artie is a lucky man." Marius stated.

"Oh, don't worry, I make sure he knows it quite regularly." Melania stated mischievously, eliciting more laughter and successfully lifting the mood within Castle Black and allowing its occupants to clean themselves up before their guests arrived.
"Now, what do we need to do?" Marius asked.
"Protect our family." Arcturus said simply. "Both leaders of the light and dark factions are determined to end our family one way or the other and are run by Half-bloods who think and claim they're better than anyone. But most importantly they are determined to end Laufey's life one way or the other.

So I am uniting all of our family, which now includes the family we're linked to via Laufey as she's the Heiress of our family. I'll also get in contact with Cygnus' middle and youngest daughters and remind them of where their loyalties actually lie and get them back into the fold despite their husbands." Arcturus explained the plan clearly for his cousin.
"Alright. So who is it we're meeting then?" Marius asked curiously, accepting the black coffee Melania passed him. "Isn't that Sirius's job? As Lord Black?"

"It is but my grandson is in Gringotts getting Laufey checked over by the Goblin Healers. Despite the knowledge we have at having three Healers within our family - not to mention the obscure magic the Potter brothers and Cassiopeia knows - the Goblins magic is different then ours and will be able to tell if there's any negative effects she suffered when her parents were murdered and protected her from the Killing Curse which rebounded upon the caster, Tom Riddle."
"They cast an Ancient Blood Magick Ritual?" Marius asked stunned.
"They did." Dorea confirmed.

"Okay so who is it we're meeting?" Marius asked once more.
"Lord Aengus Lynch and his wife Aisling and their Heir Aidan Lynch, Purebloods from Ireland, and are related to Laufey through her maternal Grandmother who's a Squib. Also, Lord Áki Pekkanen, his wife Lady Alda and their Heir Tyr Pekkanen, Purebloods from Iceland and who are related to Laufey through her maternal Grandfather."
"Don't forget cousin, later this afternoon, Mia will be contacting her brother Lord Moretti from Italy, and her maternal family in Zimbabwe, and the Zabini family who married into her family via her aunt." Dorea reminded him.

"Well, I pity the fool who will try and go against us with three other countries backing." Regulus and Marius laughed, just as the wards signalled that someone had arrived both via Portkey and the Floo Network.  It was at that moment when Kreacher - who had been promoted to Head House-elf - saw the two families into the parlour where the Blacks had taken tea.
"Good afternoon Lord Aengus, Lady Aisling and Heir Aidan Lynch. And good afternoon to you Lord Áki Pekkanen, Lady Alda and Heir Tyr Pekkanen." Melania, as hostess, greeted. "Thank you all for coming."
"Good afternoon Dowager Black, no thanks are needed as we are all family through our connected grandchild, are we not?" Lady Aisling said with a thick Irish accent.

"Very well said, Lady Lynch." Lord Áki stated in a thick baritone voice. "I think it is time the British Ministry and these faux Lords of the Light and Dark factions are brought to heel, don't you?" He asked rhetorically.
"Indeed it is." Regulus agreed, a malicious grin playing across his lips.
"Especially Albus Dumbledore." Lady Aisling and Lady Alda said simultaneously.
"That man knows no bounds and has tried to meddle in things that are not under his or even the British Ministry's jurisdiction." Heir Tyr agreed with his mother and Lady Aisling.

For the rest of the afternoon the mismatched family planned to not only meet up with the other half of their family (especially Laufey and Freyr) but most especially; they planned the downfall of any who would bring their family harm. After all; family above all else was their joint motto and their responsibility. And no one would see them coming.

Robert Downey Junior as Marius Black.

Mark Wahlberg as Regulus Black I.

Winona Horowitz as Lycoris Black.

Mark Gatiss as Lord Áki Pekkanen.

Jane Levy as Lady Alda Pekkanen.

Ethan Cutkosky as Heir Tyr Pekkanen.

Liam Neeson as Lord Aengus Lynch.

Sarah Bolger as Lady Aisling Lynch.

Johnathan Rhys Meyers as Heir Aidan Lynch.