POV: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Few can handle one high office. Even fewer can handle two such roles. It is all the more astonishing, then, how Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore managed three extremely high-ranking posts simultaneously. It's no small thing: besides being the Headmaster of one of the eleven great schools of magic, he was the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot — the Supreme Judge of Magical Britain. And for the last three years, he had also been the President of the International Confederation of Wizards.
All this took a great deal of time from the no-longer-young Master of Magic, but the opportunities afforded by these three posts, partially interdependent, were colossal. Beyond these offices, Albus Dumbledore possessed many other, more valuable assets, the chief among them being personal power and people. Loyal people, simple debtors, those dependent on his person, and many others.
Thus, it was hardly surprising that, by some strange twist, Walburga Black's official will ended up in Albus Dumbledore's hands. What was truly surprising was that it had reached Dumbledore's hands only years after Walburga Black's death.
He immediately appreciated the elegant, devilish ambiguity of the will. Not at once, but he understood perfectly the motive of the late Iron Lady of the House of Black. A cold calculation wishing to preserve the legacy in the young hands of her grand-nephew, and a weak but stubborn spark of maternal hope, leaving a loophole for her own son. Should he be freed, Sirius Black could preempt his nephew and claim the headship of the family.
Dumbledore quickly guessed why the dying Black had left such a loophole. Beyond the stated reason, she likely feared Lucius and, consequently, the absorption of the Black legacy by the House of Malfoy. Therefore, she wove a thin, almost invisible thread of hope into the will — a loophole for her eldest son. For Sirius Black. Should he, against all odds, be free before Arcturus Malfoy officially assumed the rights of the family head... then Sirius, as the eldest son and thus the direct heir, would inherit everything. Interesting, how was he supposed to be freed legally, without outside help?
It was only unclear whether this was purely a calculated move, tied to her fears, or if maternal feelings had also played a part. Dumbledore still doubted it; it was too subtle a feeling to discern the truth after Walburga Black's own death.
"Love and calculation in one vial. How rarely they coexist. And what a bitter potion they make." Dumbledore thought. From these thoughts, tiny wrinkles gathered at the corners of the Great Wizard's eyes, but not from a smile. He had "brewed" this bitter mixture too many times to smile at the thought.
"How interestingly fate is arranged," Dumbledore mused, slowly tracing a finger over the elegant handwriting. "Just a week ago, this parchment came into my hands through one of my... less official contacts at the Ministry. And ever since, it has not given me peace."
Albus Dumbledore was always busy, but he managed to navigate not only between his duties but also between personal matters. Unfortunately, the will had come to him only at the end of summer, when his schedule was once again compressed by the new school year.
For some, the first year; for the principal figure in this will, the third.
He had read the will's text many times, each time noting the hidden legalese between the lines, pondering his next steps.
Walburga Black had not merely disposed of property. She had woven a web — complex and strong, but with one deliberately left flaw. She had named Arcturus Malfoy as her heir. Although in any case, he would have easily become the heir, considering the laws of succession in Magical Britain.
For now, the Hogwarts student was the closest living and free pure-blood male wizard with more than half the blood of this family. Arcturus-Corvus Armand Malfoy fit these criteria best. A young and talented boy, half-Black through his mother, but he was only thirteen.
And yet, he perfectly fit within these bounds, and no one but him could lead the House of Black, for there was the will and the ancient, monumental laws, written and unwritten, that would not allow anyone else to lead the nearly extinct House of Black.
Even if the will had named someone else, Arcturus Malfoy could have contested that decision and overridden the will, having absolute legal and traditional precedence. Even despite any will. There were no direct heirs — or rather, there was one, but he currently sat in Azkaban.
And so it seemed the perfect candidate was even named in the will, so no one could utter a word against it. In the future, he could lead the family, continue it, and preserve its wealth. It was all the more amusing, then, how from his first year, this boy had always slipped from Dumbledore's view. And now his name was cropping up everywhere.
Starting with the suddenly surfaced Marauder's Map, ending with the kidnapping that everyone chattered about even a month after the incident. And most importantly, this will, which had surfaced precisely because of all this turmoil. Surfaced for Dumbledore, because the Headmaster had become interested in learning more about this Hogwarts student, and it turned out he should have paid closer attention to Lucius Malfoy's heir sooner.
For the same reason, Albus had missed an excellent opportunity to gain leverage over Lucius. The elimination of the Unsworths could have provided Dumbledore with several extra cards against Lord Malfoy. But the loss was not great, for Albus Dumbledore had never considered Lucius a true enemy — too lightweight an opponent, only just beginning to become a serious hindrance and a full-fledged player. At most, Lucius Malfoy was capable of causing inconveniences, nominally leading the conservative faction. But were he gone, another suitable figure would be found. The old Lords simply preferred to lean on the richest among them and spared themselves enmity. After all, there were so few of them left after the terrible magical illnesses — not without traces of Malefica — that so conveniently decimated precisely that stratum of society... for the last thirty years. For this, Dumbledore only thanked Tom.
Another rereading of the Black will forced the Headmaster to recall the one who had once fiercely fought the Death Eaters, despite his surname and his family's motto. And now, this man sat in Azkaban. For many years, he had been considered one of the most terrible criminals in Britain, not only for killing twelve Muggles and Peter Pettigrew, his friend, but also for betraying his friends, the Order, and their side. He had joined Lord Voldemort — or at least, so the whole world believed. But not Dumbledore.
Dumbledore had learned the truth long ago. Not immediately, but he had learned it. Right after the Dark Lord's fall, he had even believed in Sirius's betrayal; the facts spoke for themselves, as did Sirius's confession at the trial. One mustn't forget what family curse plagued the house that once terrified all Magical Europe with its descendants.
But much remained unclear about that night. The charges against Sirius had been so neat and convenient… and what could be done? He had confessed to his deeds, so the matter had to be shelved. The Headmaster was then consumed by far more monumental tasks: stabilizing Magical Britain, cleaning up the aftermath of the civil war, both in Britain and in the International Confederation of Wizards.
One mustn't forget the neutralization of the surviving Death Eaters through the Order of the Phoenix, and all those trials where dozens of wizards could be sent to Azkaban in a day with minimal evidence.
And all this was against the backdrop of the main task in the postwar period — the "division of spoils," or, as Dumbledore liked to put it, the "division of the fruits of victory." Thanks to Albus Dumbledore and the remnants of the Order of the Phoenix being the victors, much, if not everything, went to the Headmaster himself and his allies.
Just consider the position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, which he obtained just a year later. Those on the losing side who didn't end up in Azkaban lost everything, paid a heavy price, and agreed to anything, afraid to raise their heads high for many years after the defeat.
So, there was neither time nor desire to interrogate a traitor. He had shelved it, and when he became Chief Warlock, he managed to visit Sirius together with the Minister of Magic, Millicent Bagnold, who, by the way, was still the Minister.
"I remember she became Minister at the peak of the civil war, in 1980. Although officially, she was elected only after Tom's fall."
Soon, within a month, she would cede her place to a far less competent, but more pliable and without a clear position or iron grip: Cornelius Fudge.
It was then that the two of them learned the whole truth. The truth about who the real traitor and supporter of Lord Voldemort was. It was Peter Pettigrew himself, killed by Sirius Black on the day of Tom's fall.
The cunning of Sirius and James, who decided to make the Secret-Keeper the one no one would suspect, played a cruel trick on them. Everyone except Sirius who knew the true Secret-Keeper died that night. Peter, with his betrayal, not only killed James and Lily, leaving Harry an orphan, but also framed Sirius with his act. He had sided with the Dark Lord. Black told everything, for he wished only one thing: that at least a year after his imprisonment, the world would learn the truth.
Back then, the Minister even decided that if this were true, Veritaserum could refute the charges, freeing and clearing Sirius's name of all those killings.
But Black, considering himself guilty of his friend's and Lily's deaths even after a full year spent in the Dementors' embrace in a damp, dark cell, told everything to the end. He confessed that, upon discovering the betrayal, in a fit of blind rage characteristic of his cursed family, he pursued Pettigrew. When he caught up, he hurled a dark, destructive spell of such power that it wiped half a street off the face of the earth along with Pettigrew… and a dozen unsuspecting Muggles.
Dumbledore listened then, and the puzzle pieces fell into place. The charges against Sirius were true. He had killed Muggles, and he had killed Pettigrew. But the motive… the motive was not service to the Dark Lord. The motive was revenge for the betrayal of his best friends. In the eyes of the law, this was no justification. But in Dumbledore's eyes… it changed everything. Yet, this was not reflected in Albus's subsequent actions.
Dumbledore and Millicent Bagnold decided to keep the truth secret. The world continued to believe Sirius a traitor, and Sirius himself would hardly have learned of it, sitting in Azkaban.
Because, in any case, this did not absolve Sirius of guilt, even if the motive was different. Yes, Dumbledore and the Minister could have exonerated him, considering that the opposing faction was so weakened and timid that at that moment, Dumbledore, his allies, and the Minister could have passed any necessary laws, and there was no counterbalance. And Sirius had fought on their side, a weighty reason to pardon him or even pin all the killings on the dead Pettigrew and free Black.
But that did not happen, and people did not learn the truth.
There were many reasons for this. Sirius… Sirius was a problematic, rebellious member of the Order. A young man who hated his family with all his soul but inherited their fiery temper and inability to submit was no longer needed. He "kicked," not understanding that for the greater good, sometimes one must step into the mud and sacrifice the individual. The effort would not have been worth it.
The entire Black family, as Dumbledore saw it, suffered from this fatal flaw — they heeded only the voice of tradition and rage, not the voice of reason. Leaving Sirius's case as it was then seemed… a rational decision. He was guilty of murder. As for the truth… the main motive for hiding the information was that if the truth emerged — that Black had not betrayed the Order of the Phoenix and had not sided with the Dark Lord — then the remaining Blacks could pull Sirius out, justifying the Muggle deaths as collateral damage on the path of justice. After all, back then, many Muggles died accidentally… even at the hands of Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix.
After all, the Blacks themselves had remained neutral and had not lost the remnants of their influence, despite the sons of the house fighting on different fronts. At least, that's how Albus justified it to himself.
The Minister and Dumbledore decided it was time to put an end to the fading House of Black. More so Dumbledore, who managed to convince the Minister. Because, try as one might, nothing good could be made of the Blacks. Not then, when Orion and Walburga Black were alive.
Too many eyes were watching the proceedings, too many questions would have arisen about Dumbledore's role and the true circumstances of that night. It would have been too risky. The verdict of "mad traitor from a dark house, sentenced for life" was… convenient.
At another time, with different circumstances, it could have been blamed on temporary insanity, the effect of the Black family curse, or simply pinned everything on the dead traitor. But back then, in the chaos immediately after Voldemort's fall, a high-profile trial was needed, scapegoats were needed for society to believe in victory and justice. Sirius, with his fiery reputation and surname, was perfect for this role, as was his cousin and many other representatives of the Sacred Twenty-Eight.
In the end, he and the minister agreed. They seemed to have put a final end to the Blacks.
"The world changes quickly and inexorably…" — a thought suddenly arose from these memories. With age, the Headmaster understood this better. Even in his youth, the Blacks seemed a pinnacle unattainable to anyone else. Masters of fate, a house above all others. The true kings of Magical Britain, whose power and influence were so immense they could crown themselves…
Fortunately, victory in the First Global Wizarding War came at a tremendous cost not only to the Union of Soviet Magical States but also to the Blacks, who always threw themselves into the heart of the war.
The Blacks managed to change much in the war started by his old friend, and later enemy, known to all as Gellert Grindelwald. The war began half a century ago, and the Blacks, then near their peak, lost those family members whose very existence instilled terror in all enemies and allies. Those monsters capable of crushing hundreds of wizards... Those whom even Dumbledore had feared in his time. Now little remained of the Blacks, and Dumbledore had only grown stronger and more influential. Everything comes to an end…
That is why Dumbledore did everything for the greater good. That is why he did not regret that in his fight against Tom, he had used a false prophecy as bait… created an entire legend, deceiving all of Britain and Tom. It was necessary to defeat the maddened Tom. This goal justified the means, even if the means were others' lives and broken destinies.
Did he regret the fate of the Longbottoms or the deaths of James and Lily? The fate of that merry quartet of "Marauders," for whom he sometimes felt almost paternal warmth? He certainly allowed himself fleeting sadness but immediately chased it away. It was all for the sake of peace. For the future that he, Albus Dumbledore, considered the best possible.
When he decided to deceive Tom with a false prophecy, he knew it would be so. Even when he offered the Fidelius Charm protection… he knew the outcome would be the same.
Even if the Secret-Keeper had not been a traitor but Albus himself or Sirius, the charm would not have saved the Potters for long. Tom Riddle, better known to others as Lord Voldemort, was too powerful and obsessed. In time, he would have found a way to breach the Fidelius… Albus himself knew of such methods, so Tom, too, would have eventually reached the Potters.
But James and his friends blindly trusted the Headmaster, never doubting his words about the Fidelius's strength and absolute protection with the only flaw being the Secret-Keeper. Had he told them about the trap plan, they would have balked.
"But Lily was smart… perceptive Lily, she understood everything," Dumbledore recalled, smiling and realizing he grew more sentimental with the years. Her Muggle-born origin did not in the least deprive her of that very perceptiveness which her husband and friends so lacked.
Back then, she understood and accepted the words that the Fidelius was only a temporary reprieve, and so she herself implored Dumbledore to cast an ancient blood protection, creating a magical trap of unprecedented complexity and power for her. She was willing to become its core, willing to sacrifice her life so that Albus could create a trap capable of killing Tom if necessary.
Yes, she was smarter than both heirs — Potter and Black — the Headmaster admitted to himself with a touch of bitterness. That is why he always supported Muggle-borns and fought against the system of ancient families, which had grown terribly outdated and overreached in their power. Well, perhaps also because Muggle-borns, accepting the Headmaster's infallibility from childhood, never doubted his words — but about this truth, the Headmaster of Hogwarts tried not to dwell. The only thing that went off-plan was the timing. Dumbledore had set the trap for the future, but the traitor helped topple Tom much earlier.
In the end, Dumbledore did not regret not taking the Secret-Keeper role upon himself. Then the Blacks, the most influential of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, would not have been left without an heir.
But that was until now. Until the moment Albus saw the will.
"It would be foolish not to use such an opportunity," thought Dumbledore, finally surfacing from his reverie, and this thought was utterly devoid of emotion and recent sentimentality, but full of practicality.
Sirius could become a tool who, thanks to the loophole in the will, could soon leave Azkaban and become the head of an ancient and influential house. And that was not only an additional vote in the Wizengamot but also the enormous wealth and knowledge still held by the Blacks.
The task was difficult even for him — Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Headmaster of Hogwarts, holder of the Order of Merlin, First Class, and other accolades. Even for the most powerful wizard in Britain, the most skilled politician. And it all boiled down to time.
That is why, as soon as the sealed parchment fell into Albus Dumbledore's hands, he began to quietly, almost imperceptibly, pull strings. He needed to get into Azkaban and speak with the one everyone believed guilty. Then he would finally understand if he could manage everything to obtain a loyal person for the role of head of the most ancient and noble House of Black. True, the nearly extinct house now represented not even a shadow of its former greatness… but a faint silhouette.
The reason Albus still hesitated about whether to go through with all this was time alone. He had a complex plan. Requiring the subtlest manipulations at the Ministry, the creation of false evidence, and much more. But it was feasible. He needed to accuse a dead supporter of the Dark Lord, the long-dead Pettigrew, of betrayal and the murder of twelve Muggles.
And it had to be done quickly. Very quickly. Because in four months, Arcturus Malfoy would turn fourteen. On his birthday, he could officially assume the rights as head of the House of Black, closing Walburga's loophole forever.
If Dumbledore did nothing, Lucius would likely not rush. But as soon as Dumbledor achieved a case review… or rather, a hint of it appeared, then on his birthday, the Blacks as a house would re-enter the game.
Something inside suggested to Dumbledore that he would not only lose possible acquisitions, but the world would also get a new head of the darkest house of wizards in the person of Arcturus Malfoy-Black. For Dumbledore, and for Britain as a whole, this would not be a good thing. And it wasn't even about Lucius Malfoy gaining even more power and wealth… it was something else. This disquieted the Transfiguration Master due to a stirring intuition, and it frightened the old wizard far more.
Dumbledore definitely needed a free Sirius Black. He needed a living, legitimate head of the ancient house who would owe him everything. But could he extract and exonerate Black within four months? For now, he at least needed to see the Azkaban prisoner. Yes, to assess what remained of Sirius Black after so many years in the Dementors' embrace. Not to free him immediately, but at least to understand whether it was worth expending so much effort and time for an unknown result.