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melodymidway · 8 days ago

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The Hitchens Family

This post is dedicated to Esther and Miranda Hitchens, the daughters of Bob Hitchens and Iola Black. It also contains quite a few headcanons about Beauxbatons and the Black family.

Julius and Phineas Hearst, as well as the Elysians, belong to @helenadurazzo

Cygnus Black, Ella Max, and their four children: Sirius, Phineas Nigellus, Elladora, Iola

Don't mind Phineas Nigellus's Picrew, I tried to make it as similar to his HL look as possible, lol

Iola Black was the daughter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, which automatically meant much drama and trouble for the entirety of her life. The youngest child of Cygnus Black and Ella Max, born in 1851, she had no memory of her father, who died mere months after her birth in some reckless adventure of his. Neither did she know her brother Sirius, whose seemingly innocent cold turned into a full-fledged fever and took his life when the boy was barely eight. However, Iola grew under the watchful eyes of her grandparents, mother, Aunt Misapinoa and Uncle Arcturus, who later became her stepfather.

The marriage of Cygnus and Ella took place when both were very young, and was a part of a deal between the Black and the Travers families. As there was no Travers bride of the suitable age, the choice fell on the daughter of a Travers lady, who had married a Max. The union was entirely loveless, but produced four children. Ella's particular favourites were Sirius and Elladora, yet she didn't quite like Phineas Nigellus and cared little for Iola. Cygnus's death brought her no despair, save for the one of losing the position of an heir's wife; however, the fate of her eldest son scarred her for life.

Several years later, Ella married her deceased husband's younger brother Arcturus, whom she liked way more and who allowed her to remain in the Black family circle and wield some influence. It caused considerable indignation among the Blacks, as Arcturus was supposed to establish new connections with his eventual marriage. In 1860, they had a son, Rasalas, yet Ella never loved any of her living children as much as she did the ghost of her dear Sirius, with only Elladora coming close.

Rasalas was the only sibling Iola was genuinely fond of, and she often helped to nurse and educate him. Phineas Nigellus and Elladora were too cold and haughty for her taste, and out of her three Blishwick cousins, she only liked the youngest, Hadrian. Like the vast majority of the Blacks, Iola became a student of the Slytherin House. However, her best friend was a Ravenclaw by the name of Walter Ellington. Some even expected them to wed eventually, yet their friendship was entirely platonic, and Walter soon announced his engagement to Lorna Lovegood.

Iola was aware that her mother placed all her hopes of a successful match on her, as she liked keeping Elladora near too much to encourage her to join another family. At first, she tried to avoid matchmaking at all costs, claiming to be occupied with her career in Healing and Potion-making, as well as making lengthy visits as far from her relatives as possible. Yet, she couldn't hide forever, so she began to consider potential suitors. Those who pleased her family inevitably disgusted Iola, and those she could hope to like turned out taken or weren't interested or were of too lowly an origin for the pride of the House of Black.

One day, Iola ended up attending a muggle ball with Walter as her partner, as the Ellingtons were among the families that didn't reject such invitations out of arrogance and sense of superiority. There, she accidentally stumbled upon a crying child. Iola loved children and was rather skilled in dealing with them, so she was able to soothe the boy, Hugh Hitchens, with relative ease. It was how she ended up meeting his father.

Robert Hitchens, or simply Bob, was a well-to-do landowner of a noble lineage, being the grandson of a baron on his mother's side. Being the only child of a good family and having lost his father quite early, he managed the affairs of his estate, which was located near Bath, as well as the surrounding land. To aid his ailing mother and make the house less gloomy, he took a wife, who gave birth to Hugh. However, both of the women soon left him, his mother dying of a disease and his wife not surviving a carriage accident.

Iola was charmed by him and his son since that very first meeting and seeked new opportunities to cross paths in the months to come. Various events allowed them to spend much time together, and they fell in love, deciding to get married. Bob, an intelligent and courteous man, was determined to ask for her family's blessing, yet Iola dissuaded him, knowing that it would end very badly. She left the Black residence discreetly and without any regrets. Her suitcase contained only her most precious possessions, including a golden crown with stars and onyxes, her uncle's present. Bob searched for a perfect ring for Iola meticulously and eventually found one with an intricate crest, believing she would love it. Iola was flabbergasted to recognise it as the Black family crest. The ring turned out to be an heirloom, previously in possession of Apollonia Black and considered long lost.

Only Rasalas, the Ellingtons, Hadrian, and Noctua Gaunt, a good acquaintance of Iola's with whom she shared many grievances about their families, were present on the wedding on the bride's side, though Rasalas did so secretly as not to face repercussions. Phineas Nigellus, officially the head of the Black family after the death of his grandfather Licorus, personally disowned Iola and burned her portrait off the family tapestry, passionately renouncing her as his sister. Ella was completely disappointed, saying that instead of heirs, Iola's children would be pathetic Half-Bloods by the whim of their thoughtless mother. Elladora proposed to cut off the heads of Iola's husband and any children they would have, the practice she often used on the old house-elves.

Together, Bob and Iola had two daughters: Esther Emma Hicthens, born on September 1st, 1880, and Miranda Hannah Hitchens, born on June 7th, 1886. The first names were chosen by Iola and continued the star thematic of the Black family while Bob picked the middle names to honour his mother. His own name alluded to his mother's maiden name, Robinson. Emma was the lady's first name, and Hannah was the name she had wished to give her daughter, the one she never ended up having. The girls were affectionately called Essie and Mira by their family and friends.

Esther looked like a Black through and through, with her grey eyes and black wavy hair that was, fortunately, more manageable than her mother's unruly curls. Miranda's appearance mirrored her father's, her hair being straight and brown, and her eyes likewise brown. Hugh's features and clear blue eyes gave him a stronger resemblance to his mother's family. His hair was also a lighter shade of brown than Bob's and Mira's.

The relationship between Hugh and his father's second family proved that it was, in fact, possible for one man's children by different wives to get along. Iola treated Bob's son as though he were her own, and was warmly respected in return. The children never perceived each other as only half-siblings. Hugh was fond of his sisters and, having inherited his father's kindness and good humour, often indulged their games and antics. Thanks to the input of his stepmother, whom he grew used to call mother, Hugh knew quite a lot about the wizarding world. Being particularly interested in art and photography, he was fascinated by the moving portraits and pictures Iola got him.

In 1888, Iola's favourite brother Rasalas got married to Marthe Auclair, the younger sister of Maurice Auclair. The Auclair business had previously experienced a crisis, which forced the head of the family to arrange a match between his heir and Adele Lefebvre, the daughter of a less prominent but wealthy family, to get financial support and provide political standing to the Lefebvres in return. Marthe's marriage into one of the most prestigious British pureblood families was believed to be a blessing which would recover the reputation of the Auclairs completely. Rasalas, not quite as progressive and enthusiastic about the non-magical population as his sister, as well as mindful of his image, didn't invite Iola and her family to the wedding. While Iola understood his reasons and, frankly, didn't much wish to see her relatives and sister-in-law Ursula Flint (who, in her opinion, was almost as unpleasant as Phineas Nigellus), she couldn't help feeling offended and hurt.

Rasalas Black and his daughter by Marthe Auclair, Alcyone Black

Bob and Iola's marriage was very happy, but rather short. In 1889, Bob went to a different town on business and was unlucky enough to encounter the Gaunts, who resided there. Fond of torturing Muggles for the fun of it, the heavily prejudiced family made Bob their new target. He was hit with the Cruciatus Curse multiple times, and his cries for help were so horrible that Ominis Gaunt begged his relatives to show the man mercy. The next spell Bob received after the boy's words was Avada Kedavra, for the only mercy the Gaunts were capable of was death.

Iola, worried about her husband's long absence, came to the town herself and found his body. Though the Muggle doctors stated that he must have taken a bad fall and had brain hemorrhage, the witch knew what the death by the Killing Curse looked like and put two and two together quickly. Moreover, Noctua herself came to apologise for her family's actions and offer her sincere condolences, briefly meeting both of Iola's girls during her visit. It was the last time the two of them had seen each other, for Noctua soon departed to the Slytherin Scriptorium and never returned. Another loss that quite shook Iola, though it happened a few years later, was that of her cousin Hadrian Blishwick. He was an Auror and perished in the same battle where his colleague, Aesop Sharp, got his injury.

The news of Bob's untimely demise shook the family badly. Hugh, only seventeen, was forced to take over his father's work. Usually quite open to communication, he closed off and hardly ever left the estate for some time, even losing his enthusiasm for the things he had previously loved. Iola didn't tell him the truth about Bob's death, fearing that he would come to loathe magic, as well as not wishing to add another burden on his shoulders. Esther, a girl of nine at that time, was utterly devastated, for she adored her father. She was the only person whom Iola told about the magical nature of Bob's passing, without any details. Mira was only three and preserved few memories of Bob.

Phineas Nigellus thought that Iola would crawl back to the Black residence after the death of her husband due to not having anything to live on. Needless to say, Iola never did. Unlike Hugh, she didn't lock herself away in her grief, but applied for a more active job at St. Mungo's instead of selling potions from home in order not go mad within four walls. She also preserved her place as the mistress of the house, doing her best to help her stepson.

Since Iola was now often away, Hugh looked after the girls, playing an almost paternal role in Miranda's upbringing. Esther was often put under Rasalas and Marthe's guidance in France, as Iola wanted to prepare her for the future while also placing her in safety. Hearing how particularly anti-Muggle Hogwarts became during Phineas Nigellus's time as the Headmaster (the appointment Iola had once laughed at and called absolutely idiotic), she decided to send Essie and her friend to Beauxbatons.

Said friend, Wilhelmina Dallimore, whom Esther tended to call Mina, came from a neighbouring family, was discovered to be a Muggleborn witch at some point of their acquaintance, and thus taken under Iola's wing. The girls were close as children, and going to the same school in a different country made them only closer.

Mina Dallimore

Potions and Alchemy were always considered to be the main specialisation of Beauxbatons, which suited Esther perfectly. Having watched her mother make brews and learned many a particular, she was curious about these sciences since her very childhood. She also excelled in Herbology and was good at Transfiguration. Still, it was Alchemy that she felt particularly passionate about. The subject was compulsory at Beauxbatons, and Esther learned everything she could about the experiments with genuine fascination. In particular, Spagyric, the plant alchemy, piqued her interest, especially since there were few studies on it, undeservedly so. As Nicolas Flamel was the benefactor of Beauxbatons, he sometimes gave lectures on Alchemy there, and Essie attended them all.

Beauxbatons was usually associated with elegance, which was an accurate description, yet few of the outsiders cared to remember that such an appearance was created by strict order and discipline. A student's looks must be neat, and their manners refined and pleasing. The freshmen even had special classes dedicated to the rules of conduct in the wizarding society, as well as the traditions of various beings. Beauxbatons also paid a lot of attention to the classical aspects of education, particularly music and languages. Most of its students were well-versed in dancing, Esther being one of them and enjoying the process very much. She also took singing lessons, and her naturally lovely voice helped her become quite good at it.

In addition, the grounds of Beauxbatons were famous for their organised lawns and labyrinths of shrubberies, as well as enormous flower beds. Roses were the particular pride of the academy, and Essie even took a couple of them with her, charming them so that they preserved their beauty. She really liked her school despite some of its faults.

As Esther often said, Beauxbatons wasn't only about the duels of wands, but also the duels of words. The French Academy of Magic had an insane competition due to the huge amount of students from various countries, and many did their best to fight for their place under the sun. Some chose to do so with hard work and patience, as did Esther, others attempted flattery, certain individuals gladly made their rivals trip to promote their own chances. Esther quickly learned that if she wished to achieve something and stand out, she must prepare to be always vigilant. Though she and Mina made some good friends, particularly Bernadette Auclair, the daughter of Maurice and Adele whom Esther also knew since childhood, as well as their other roommate Carmen Reyes, there were way less friendly students in their year. Renard Tremblay, the cousin of Falco and Clarisse Tremblay, was a prominent example. Coming from a noble French family, he felt superior to the non-Pureblood girls and happened to mock them, not without receiving a hex in return.

Beauxbatons taught Esther equanimity, restraint, and shrewdness. It wasn't too hard a lesson since her demeanour was naturally calm, and she possessed innate intelligence. Essie even jokingly claimed that she was lucky not to inherit the Black fierceness, which sometimes turned into madness. She preferred to take things slow, disliking rush and abrupt change. Though she was unfailingly polite and kind, with all the gentleness of the world reserved for her loved ones, some considered her unfeeling due to her self-control and mostly rational approach. In addition, her sense of humour could be quite wry and biting. Esther had a pet, or rather, she took one of her mother's pets with her to school. Being allergic to owl feathers, Iola used her ravens, Huginn and Munnin, for communication. Since Essie inherited her allergy, she made Munnin, her favourite of the two, her own familiar.

In contrast to Esther, Mina was outspoken and quite reckless, seeking excitement rather than peace. She quickly became very fond of flying and Quidditch, playing in school matches as a Chaser and even dragging Essie along to a professional one. Nowhere near as enthusiastic about Potions and Alchemy as her best friend, Mina still sometimes kept her company during her practices and witnessed quite a few of her experiments. During one of them, her intervention actually saved Esther from harm. Mina pushed her friend away from the explosion, sustaining mild burns herself, much to Essie's horror. After this accident, she developed the habit of automatically conjuring a shield the second something seemed suspicious.

Esther and Wilhelmina studied at Beauxbatons for four years. Since the number of children who were willing to enter it exceeded the school's capabilities, the management decided to only accept those who belonged there by birth and couldn't be transferred closer to their place of residence. Two English girls, whose place was, by default, at Hogwarts, were on the top of their chopping list. Esther made sure Professor Weasley was contacted rather than the Headmaster, knowing that they wouldn't be accepted otherwise, and Matilda took great pleasure in welcoming Phineas Nigellus's Half-Blood niece and her Muggleborn friend at Hogwarts for their fifth year behind his back.

The witches were introduced to the Headmaster on the first day of the studies. Phineas Nigellus first wondered if Mina was a relative of the Weasleys, with her red hair and freckles, but quickly forgot about her when Esther was announced. Not unexpectedly, Professor Weasley received a lecture about letting such unworthy individuals into the school, which ended with a warning to Esther: should she make one wrong movement, she would be expelled. Such behaviour confirmed all of her mother's snide remarks on the Blacks, and Essie found herself heartily disliking the Headmaster. Alas, she would have many more reasons to loathe him in the future.

During the sorting ceremony, Mina became a student of the Gryffindor House. However, this option was immediately excluded for Esther, seeing as she was too careful and cautious to be a lion. Having briefly considered Ravenclaw, the Hat hesitated between Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Essie would have preferred the latter, as the former was famous for Pureblood supremacy that she didn't want to deal with, yet the decision was made in favour of the snakes.

Surprisingly, most of the Slytherins in her year were quite friendly. Essie co-lived pleasantly with her roommates, growing particularly close to Violet McDowell. Being the Slytherin Prefect of their year, Violet helped her a lot with her transfer troubles. She encouraged a slightly competitive friendship between Imelda and Mina since both were great flyers, all while using her purely Hufflepuff compassion to help Nerida and Grace in their respective quests. Esther also rather liked Sebastian and eagerly accepted his invitation to the Crossed Wands, however, his dark inclinations eventually led them to go separate ways.

As for adapting and meeting more people, Essie received eager help from Basil and Farrah Ellington, the latter more than the former, as they knew each other since childhood due to the friendship their parents shared. Esther also bonded with Garreth Weasley over their shared passion for Potions, and with Natsai Onai over their transferring experience. She would also grow closer to Georgiana with time, and the two would work together on the projects connected to Healing.

Still, her payment for having nice classmates was the simultaneous existence of an extremely nasty one. Cantankerus Nott was obsessed with blood purity and family lineages, so he immediately classified Esther's family situation as "dirty Muggle blood spoiling such an impeccable Black heritage" and caused unrest on multiple occasions. For instance, he once closed Esther in the Owlery, all while being fully aware of her allergy to owl feathers. One day, Cantankerus would create a list of noble Pureblood families, known as the Sacred Twenty-Eight. However, his choice of them wouldn't be entirely impartial. For instance, Georgiana Wotton and Phineas Hearst wouldn't find their surnames there due to being in conflict with Nott.

Given Esther's enmity with the Headmaster, her cold head was still very much needed. Ever since their distasteful first meeting, she decided to preserve her place at Hogwarts by being quiet, respectful, and mindful of the rules. She put a lot of effort into her studies and paid particular attention to Potions and Herbology. Professor Garlick quickly warmed to her, appreciating her help in the greenhouses; Professor Sharp wasn't against letting her practise her brews in his classroom, with their comfortable silence sometimes interrupted by small conversations.

The absence of Alchemy baffled and upset her immensely, and she tried to compensate it with books and new experiments, eventually collaborating with Julius Hearst to get a sufficient number of students to be able to take Alchemy as an elective course. The eventual list included the two of them, Stanley Midway, Garreth Weasley, Cressida Blume, Georgiana Wotton, Zsuzsi Shröder, and Adelaide Oakes. Professor Sharp was selected to give Alchemy lessons, and he wasn't very fond of the prospect, but with time, the so-called Alchemy Club grew on him. The students also became united among themselves. Esther received the nickname 'Lady Alchemist'. Her friendship with Julius strengthened, and his brother even believed they were a couple.

Esther's newly-found balance was destined to be ruined rapidly, though. At some point, she happened to get caught in the crossfire of a fight against the goblins, which led to her closer acquaintance with Phineas Hearst. While Essie did well at DADA, she wasn't an extremely talented dueller and could hardly stand her ground in a serious battle. Phineas proposed her to join him on his trainings, and Esther came to aid him in his researches, especially since she knew quite a bit about the goblins. Yet, the activities she found herself involved in often differed from what was allowed, so she did her best to stay unnoticed. It didn't prevent Phineas Nigellus from voicing his often ridiculous suspicions. For instance, he even claimed that Esther's loyalty to Hogwarts was just an act, and she was, in fact, helping the goblins. Essie couldn't quite understand if he genuinely believed it was so, or simply wanted to damage her reputation.

In spite of all the issues Esther had to face, Hogwarts granted her an unexpected ally. He was watching her intently ever since she first entered the Great Hall, and upon looking at him more closely, Essie recognised the boy she had met and briefly talked to during one of her visits to the Diagon Alley. When she got lost on one of her first days at school, he offered her help and introduced himself as Phineas Black. Esther was suspicious about his intentions at first, believing that he only meant to mock her, yet Phineas was completely sincere.

He was a year older than her and the only one of Phineas Nigellus Black's five children who didn't believe in the Pureblood supremacy. Thus, he didn't consider developing a good relationship with his Half-Blood cousin, whom he was very curious about, below his dignity. Esther was surprised at how easily they got along, and how quickly she began to feel the sort of intimacy that very few inspired with him. However, they had to be discreet about their friendship, as Phineas Nigellus was very likely to do everything to prevent it. Arcturus, Phineas's younger brother, noticed their interactions and tried to dissuade Phineas from ever talking to Esther again. Still, young Arcturus loved his brother enough not to report his every step to their father.

Phineas Nigellus Black, Ursula Flint and their five children: Sirius, Phineas, Arcturus, Belvina, Cygnus

Phineas had an imaginary scale of his siblings' awfulness. Arcturus was the least problematic of them, followed closely by Sirius, who had already graduated. He was often irritated by Phineas Nigellus, but not due to his glaringly unfair conduct as the Headmaster, but because he was overbearingly controlling and tended to ruin the fun Sirius was trying to have. Belvina and Cygnus were almost equally spoiled, having inherited all the arrogance and pompousness of their parents. Belvina was particularly attached to her father and proud of his position as the Headmaster. In the future, she would name one of her sons Nigellus. Cygnus's own behaviour greatly resembled that of his descendant, Draco Malfoy. His prejudice and disdain would reach their peak in his horrible treatment of his son Marius, who would be born a squib.

Phineas played in the Slytherin Quidditch team as a Seeker and was furious at Phineas Nigellus for banning Quidditch. However, his attempts to persuade his father to lift the ban alongside Imelda were fruitless. Still, even though Phineas was no favourite son of his, Phineas Nigellus proposed to make him a Captain the following year, when the students' restlessness forced him to let the season happen. The Headmaster saw no problem with using his position to give his children more influence. For instance, he had pushed Sirius to become a Prefect, though he was clearly not qualified for it. Phineas refused with indignation, defending Imelda's right to be the Captain. She was a good friend of his, and he admired her drive and enthusiasm to bring victory to their team. Esther had little fondness for flying, but she sometimes accompanied her friends to the Pitch, pleased to see a blooming friendship between Phineas and Mina that would eventually turn into something more.

Though Phineas was done enough with his family not to mind being disowned, Essie resorted to various tricks to undermine their closeness in the eyes of their fellow Slytherins to avoid consequences. For example, she used the identical names of her cousin and friend to her advantage and made it seem like she always referred to Phineas Hearst. Among her trusted fellows, Essie could call him Finn, a nickname that would soon get glued to him. She also enjoyed addressing him as her cousin since she grew up with no cousins, her father being an only child, and so treasured their bond very much.

On the summer after her fifth year, Esther invited Phineas to visit her family's estate. He gladly accepted, telling his parents that he would go to a friend's place. Iola embraced her nephew with all of her characteristic warmth; Hugh found an intriguing interlocutor who was extremely interested in the Muggle world; Mira made him her playmate. It was easily the most carefree summer in Phineas Black's life.

Another bond that changed Esther's life quite a bit was the one she formed with Ominis Gaunt. Their relationship had a rocky beginning due to Sebastian inviting Esther to the Undercroft without Ominis's permission, but they soon got along and gravitated towards each other in an almost unconscious way, going from exchanging small comments to getting engaged in long conversations. They had the same values and beliefs; Ominis loved the sound of Esther's voice. From the very first months of their acquaintance, they started developing feelings for each other.

By the end of Essie's first term at Hogwarts, the two of them were already close enough to open up quite a lot to each other. It was when Esther spoke about her father and his early death. Ominis was horrified when the few particulars she knew gave him a clear understanding that the murder had been committed by his own relatives. He confessed his guess immediately and tried to beg for her forgiveness, but Esther, though shocked and pained, insisted that he was in no way responsible for the crime and had even attempted to help. She needed time to process the truth, but she never held Ominis accountable and proceeded with their communication as before.

During her winter holidays, Esther convinced her mother to reveal everything to Hugh and Mira. Hugh wasn't a revengeful sort and knew he could hardly oppose the wizards, but he was rather offended by the former concealment of truth. He asked if any measures had been taken to punish the guilty. Iola's answer was that she had made an attempt, yet the Ministry was unwilling to anger such an influential Pureblood family as the Gaunts.

Ominis told Esther many stories of his Aunt Noctua. His genuine attachment to her made Essie quite curious about the witch, who reminded her of her own mother. In the Scriptorium, she had a chance to meet Noctua's ghost and interact with her. Only then did she learn about the friendship between Iola and Noctua and remember her own short encounter with the latter. In the end, Esther overheard the ghost telling Ominis that she thought the two of them would make a great couple.

While the Headmaster only meant to mock in that particular case, he soon began to consider the possibility of Ominis and Esther being together in truth. What fed his disagreeable conclusion were the quite transparent hints of one observant Cantankerus Nott, whom he even summoned to his office to question. Upon receiving all the confirmation he needed, Phineas Nigellus contacted the Gaunts, who in turn gave Ominis a violent lashing out, threatening to subject Esther to her father's fate if he didn't break up with her.

Their relationship officially began during the second term of their fifth year. When it came to the Christmas ball during their sixth year, Esther attended it with Basil Ellington, considering it a safe option since she needed cover while Basil didn't want to invite anyone after his breakup with Georgiana Wotton. Still, she managed to steal a dance with Ominis when Phineas Nigellus was sufficiently drunk, and Cantankerus had a tiny accident, organised by their friends.

While they were secretive about their relationship, with only the trusted friends knowing and their dates being very private, the situations that could make an onlooker suspicious did happen. For instance, Ominis once defended Esther against the Headmaster's accusations, automatically squeezing her hand in process. Phineas Nigellus didn't like it and made a scathing comment about the Gaunts never letting him take a mere Half-Blood for a wife.

As hard as Ominis and Esther tried to find a solution, their options were few. They were yet schoolchildren, both dependant on their families, so running away and living separately was out of their reach, and frankly, too early and abrupt for Essie's sensibility. Staying with the Hitchens family was also considered uncertain since they could be opposed to it, given Bob's story, even if her and Ominis's romance resembled Iola's quite a bit. Still, she feared that should the Gaunts find them, their wrath would be unleashed on her mother and siblings, and she must protect them at all costs.

It was what eventually convinced Esther that what she had with Ominis for more than a year at that point had to be put to an end. The circumstances forced a difficult and painful breakup on them. While Esther was pretty good at putting a brave face, she still went to Phineas, Mina, and Julius for comfort. She also tried to soothe herself by repeating that it was the most optimal thing they could do, but she wasn't quite able to keep herself from tearing up as she did that.

Even though Esther did her best to keep her feelings to herself and insisted that new assignments would make a good distraction and lift her spirits, she did snap at Cantankerus, who made a nasty comment about her and Ominis within her hearing. Though her attack was only verbal, she had the misfortune to be overheard by Phineas Nigellus, who wasted no time in assigning her detentions. Professor Sharp, who was also present, suggested that Esther serve them in his classroom in an attempt to give her a less bothersome task at least, since the situation was as unfair as could be, but the Headmaster insisted that she clean the dusty rooms. In one of such rooms, Esther stumbled upon the Mirror of Erised, where she saw herself and Ominis as adults, with two girls that could only be their daughters.

It was in such troubled times that Hugh announced his engagement, albeit sorry that when he found his happiness, his sister lost hers. His fiancée, Saraswati Byrne, whom everyone called Sara, was the only daughter of Suscrita Shah. Much like her mother, Sara attended Cambridge under the disguise of a gentleman, reversing her name to call herself Aras Byrne. However, unlike her maternal family, she studied literature instead of astronomy. Being particularly fond of poetry and knowledgeable about languages, Sara worked as a translator and was glad to find an equally creative husband, with whom she could move in the circles of their fellow talented individuals and build a loving family.

Hugh Hitchens and Saraswati Byrne

They got married in the summer of 1898, with Sara's aunt Satyavati Shah and Phineas Black among the many guests. They would soon have two children: Sullivan, born in 1899 and given the middle name Robert, as well as Hillary, born in 1902. Surprisingly, Hillary would one day become the mother of Myrtle Warren, a Muggleborn witch who, much like her great-grandfather Bob, would become the victim of the Gaunts, or rather, their descendant Tom Riddle.

Though Iola said that the estate had a new mistress, therefore she and the girls must move out to let Hugh and Sara build their lives as they saw fit, Hugh insisted that they stay at least for some time, especially since he and his wife would go to their honeymoon. Iola, Esther and Miranda liked Sara very well, and the former took up teaching her daughter-in-law how to manage a household. It was to Sara that Esther often went for advice while in doubt.

They didn't have to wait too long for another drama to occur, though. Phineas Black, freshly graduated from Hogwarts, started working in the Ministry of Magic, as his family wanted. However, it was soon discovered that he had chosen the Muggle Liaison Office of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, which enraged his father. Still, Phineas Nigellus held hope that his second son could yet be influenced and transferred to a more respectable position. It lasted until young Phineas began to publicly support Muggle rights. Such behaviour, in the eyes of the Blacks, warranted disinheritance.

Esther was on her seventh year when it happened. She found out from the Daily Prophet, along with a letter from her cousin that came with it. Determined to help Phineas, she and Mira immediately contacted Hugh, asking to let him stay in the estate at least before he found himself his own accomodation. Hugh was amenable, and Iola basically adopted her nephew, treating him as a son. Phineas Nigellus, furious as he was, accused Esther of twisting Phineas's beliefs and demanded that she not aid him in any way, which she chose to ignore, as controlling her life outside of school was nowhere near his rights or obligations.

Esther's last year at Hogwarts brought her reconciliation with Ominis, as they valued each other's friendship too much to part ways completely. They would keep in touch after graduation as well. The time before her finals was spent on preparation and musings about her future. Esther initially entertained the thought of becoming an Unspeakable, but the prospect of joining the Centre for Alchemical Studies in Egypt outweighed the previous plan. Since entrance control was required in the centre, Esther undertook the preparations with utmost diligence, agreeing with Professors Sharp and Garlick to act more like their apprentice than a regular student during her last year.

Professor Garlick treated her more as a friend than an apprentice; they called each other by their first names in unofficial settings and promised to keep a correspondence. Her closer interactions with Professor Sharp let Esther discover more about him and his past, which made her appreciate him even more, a feeling that was completely mutual. Her attachments made it quite difficult for her leave Hogwarts, the school she once had to get used to because of unfavourable circumstances but eventually grew to love.

Esther's graduation was notable for Iola's presence and thus her first meeting with Phineas Nigellus in two decades. Unlike her daughter, Iola had no reservations against calling her brother out in a harsh and mocking manner. Moreover, Phineas Nigellus noticed the ring with the Black family crest on her finger, accused her of stealing it, and wanted to take it away from her, believing that it belonged to his line. Only Esther's intervention saved the party from a scandal.

That summer, Iola decided to move out of the estate at last, and Phineas found them a nice house on the Diagon Alley. He didn't live there for long, though, as he soon got married and relocated to Hogsmeade, where Mina worked as an assistant at Spintwitches. As passionate as she was about Quidditch, Mina had no aspirations to play professionally, but Georgiana Wotton's tales of wood for brooms made her very interested in their crafting. She would eventually get a job in a company that produced brooms. Upon their marriage, Phineas changed his surname to Dallimore, and his name to Finn, as his full name reminded him too much of his father.

Esther enjoyed herself in Egypt, diving deep into her researches. There, she met Ryder Prewett, Leander's older brother and the second son of the Prewett family, who worked in the local branch of Gringotts as a Curse-Breaker. They became friends, and Esther joined his Curse-Breaking group for her alchemic practices, helping them with the tasks connected to her field of study. Eventually, they tried to have a romantic relationship, but for all its shine and cheer comparing to the secrecy and calmness of her and Ominis's romance, it didn't last long. Perhaps Esther intentionally didn't let it be long since she had an unpleasant experience with the Purebloods of such rank and waited for the time when his family would forbid their union. Ryder didn't take the breakup well and was angry at Esther for a while. Ironically, he would one day marry Violet McDowell, her close friend, and they would be able to have a good-natured communication once again.

Returning to little Mira, the girl began her education at Hogwarts when her older sister was on her sixth year. She had none of Esther's natural tranquility, being way more spirited but no less cunning, so she entered the school with all the drive and boisterousness of many a Black, Iola among them. While Mira had no Beauxbatons to teach her the intricacies of social ties, she was forced to learn them at Hogwarts, and very quickly. Though the Sorting Hat seriously considered Gryffindor for her, Miranda eventually ended up in Slytherin, greeted eagerly by her sister and cousin but not by her classmates. Where luck had smiled upon Esther, it didn't spare much for Mira, as the snakes of her year were mostly convinced Purebloods. Belvina Black was the absolute worst of them.

Since their very first days at school, Belvina proved that she was nothing like her brother and sneered at Miranda constantly, calling her a filthy Half-Blood. Never the one to tolerate such attitude, Mira declared war and used every trick to make Belvina's life miserable in return. Their shared dormitory gave much room for action on both sides. While Mira adored being in the centre of attention and gathering people around herself, she didn't succeed with the Slytherins, as they either supported Belvina or kept quiet in order not to be bullied.

There was one Slytherin who remained unfazed by Belvina's threats, though. Valerian Lovegood, Basil and Farrah's cousin, was a rare snake among the eagles of his family, notable for minding his own business in his perfectly acceptable loneliness and only watching the people around with mild curiosity at best and annoyance at worst. Despite their obvious differences in temperament, Mira decided to approach him, and they made a great pair of friends.

The students from other houses joined in, forming a united circle. Caitlin Sparks, a Hufflepuff who came from a huge family, brought all the kindness of her House and much fun; Severn Macmillan from Ravenclaw, the heir of the Macmillans, was the most collected and witty person of their company; Demetria Weasley, mostly called Demie, was way more well-behaved than her brother Garreth, and her cuteness masked her fierce protectiveness of her friends.

Valerian Lovegood, Mira Hitchens, Caitlin Sparks, Severn Macmillan, Demie Weasley

Mira was a skilled flyer and played for the Slytherin Quidditch team as a Beater. Her favourite subjects were DADA and Beasts, for she was a more talented dueller comparing to Esther, and the creatures, particularly big and epic ones, fascinated her. However, all the gift for Potion-making ended up in Iola's and Esther's hands, with nothing left for Miranda. She also intentionally ignored Astronomy due to the associations with the Blacks. She was disgusted by the vast majority of them no less than Essie, yet she couldn't conceal it as well.

Some were surprised that Gryffindor hadn't been chosen for Mira in the end, as she was considerably more inclined to the fire element. Even her Patronus was a Fire Dwelling Salamander. Meanwhile Esther loved water and could swim very well, so her own charm took the form of a seagull.

Sometime on the second term of their fourth year, the Slytherins were going down the staircase after the Charms class to attend Herbology a few floors below. Belvina, deep in her inner plotting, accidentally tripped and fell all the way down. Her first instinct was to cover her embarrassment and accuse Miranda of pushing her. When the news reached Phineas Nigellus, he summoned Mira and the other students to his office, all while Belvina lay in the Hospital Wing with a sprained ankle and some bruises. She decided to go along with her lies, as it allowed her to save face and get rid of Miranda simultaneously. The witnesses repeated her version of the story, some eagerly and others fearfully, with the only exception of Valerian, who had walked right near Mira at the time of the accident and tried to give truthful testimony, but to no avail. The Headmaster saw his chance to cause trouble, and did just it.

Miranda was supposed to be expelled, and Valerian, as he was Pureblood, to be given detention for slander. As soon as it was known, Mirabel Garlick wrote a letter to inform Esther. Iola was abroad at that time, and there wasn't much time, which meant that Essie had to resolve the problem on her own.

Though it happened in the middle of her own school year, she was in London, as the Centre for Alchemical Studies was temporarily closed down due to an accident. Esther's acquaintance from Beauxbatons who also entered Alchemy trainings, Odile Perrot, blew up her experiment and sustained serious injuries. As she came from a high-ranking Pureblood family, her parents demanded an investigation. Odile was an overconfident and assertive witch who cared more about people's intelligence rather than blood status, which allowed her and Esther to form an alliance. Essie was concerned about her well-being, yet she couldn't write to the Perrots, as they wouldn't approve of their daughter's association with a Half-Blood.

Esther was very exasperated at first, thinking that her sister had really done something that warranted expulsion. However, when Mira explained the situation, her sister believed her and was resolved to prove her innocence. Professor Sharp helped her revise the school rules, and the information about a student in danger of expulsion having a right for a trial was found.

Of course, Phineas Nigellus denied Esther's request and dismissed her almost instantly. Still, Mira pointed out that they were no less Slytherin than he was, and so could use their connections to achieve their goals, as it was, apparently, the only force the Headmaster would bow to. That gave Esther an idea to contact Walter Ellington, who was not only a family friend, but also a member of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. Mira's close friends also wrote to their parents. Quite a decent group was collected at Hogwarts afterwards, and if Phineas Nigellus didn't want to anger the influential families, he had to comply.

Miranda was given a small portion of Veritaserum and spoke the truth, which removed all the accusations from her, and Valerian's detention was transferred to Belvina. This case caused the questioning of Phineas Nigellus's methods in general, and though many Purebloods would have liked for him to stay where he was, the majority made a decision to fire him from his position as the Headmaster.

Such news could evoke nothing less than a huge celebration. Only the Slytherins from the highest families were upset to lose a professor who always judged in their favour. As Phineas Nigellus held other Houses in varying degrees of contempt, to say nothing about the non-Purebloods, a large number of people was gladdened by his resignation, his own son among them. Mira and her friends had their own feast with butterbeer; Esther joined the professors and drank her vine with the sensation of unexpected triumph.

Matilda Weasley became the headmistress of Hogwarts and remained in that position up to 1925, when Armando Dippet took the lead. She was determined to restore Muggle Studies, a subject Phineas Nigellus had cancelled and replaced with Magical Theory. Esther advised the her as to the perfect candidate. In the end, Finn Dallimore became a professor, much like his father, yet the subject he was passionate about was nothing Phineas Nigellus could ever approve of.

Esther returned to her researches and wrote an article that caught the attention of the wizarding community. For the first time in a while, Alchemy was actively talked about, and a fair number of students wanted to take the class on their sixth and seventh years. Right after graduating from the Centre for Alchemical Studies, Esther received an offer of a job at Hogwarts, with the promise of being able to proceed with her scientific studies. She consented, especially since Hogwarts and its surroundings housed some of her favourite people in the world.

Needless to say, a disaster interrupted it all. Belvina never forgot the slight to her family and, disgusted by Esther being made a professor, decided to take her revenge. Her fury made her bolder, so simple humiliation or resignation was no longer satisfactory for her. Instead, Belvina came up with a complex plan.

It wasn't only Mira's willingness to take up Alchemy to please and support her sister, or Finn's steady and comforting presence on her side, or Mina's cheerful suggestions for pastimes, or Mirabel's sweet smiles that made Esther's time at Hogwarts special, though. Close as they were during her time at school and afterwards, with all her esteem for him, she hardly ever entertained the thought of romancing Professor Aesop Sharp. Yet, as the time passed, something in their dynamic shifted. Their easy conversations, mutual assignments, and readiness to help each other gained a tender undertone. Esther's new job threw them together again, closely and constantly, placing them on equal ground and finally making them drop the formalities. Before they knew it, Esther bitterly regretted the impossibility of dancing with her former professor on a ball, and none of Aesop's new assistants understood him and their tasks anywhere near as well as Esther had done.

Esther enjoyed teaching, especially since she had few classes and could concentrate on her scientific activities, yet her profession had its drawbacks. One of her seventh-year students, Barron Bletchley, was intent on flirting with her and winning her favour. Though Esther did her best to gently dissuade the young man, he continued approaching her. Aesop didn't like it in the slightest and was harsher to Barron during his own lessons.

When the traditional ball descended upon Hogwarts in the end of the first term, Esther finally had proper fun with no Phineas Nigellus around to spoil it. It was only slightly dampened by her meeting a past admirer of her mother's, one of the Headmistress's guests, who called her Iola and expressed his regret about the lady's marriage to a Muggle. Still, Esther danced a lot, particularly with her cousin, and drank her favourite wine freely. Mira was also enjoying herself immensely. She had borrowed her mother's Black crown for the occasion, not due to any fondness for her maternal family but rather to rub it in Belvina's face.

Esther and Aesop circled around each other the entire evening. After their duties were completed, they were walking to the dungeons together. Their conversation took an unexpected turn, and in one of the dark empty corridors, they shared a passionate kiss. However, Aesop left immediately after breaking it, feeling ashamed and believing it to be the result of alcohol. Esther wasn't impressed by this decision, confronting him afterwards and saying that she had been nowhere near unwilling, in case he hadn't noticed. Aesop proposed her to meet at Hogsmeade after the winter holidays to talk, giving them time to think about it.

Though she and Cygnus meticulously ignored their disowned brother, Belvina pretended to want to mend their relationship. She and Finn met in his personal rooms for tea, which gave her an opportunity to study the protective spells that the professors used and find a way to enter Esther's own rooms, as she wanted to make the attack completely unexpected. She did succeed, stunning and immobilising Esther before casting multiple Crucio curses on her. It was when Aesop came to collect her, and Belvina, scared due to being discovered, accidentally dropped the spells, which allowed Esther to finally scream from the immense pain that hit her with full force. Belvina panicked and didn't manage to find a quick way to escape, so she was caught when Aesop broke into the room.

Finn overheard the noise and came out of his quarters, only to witness Aesop, face pale and angry, with a faint Esther in his arms and Belvina dangling in the air helplessly from the sheer power of his wandless magic. He was left to deal with his sister while the Potions professor went straight to St. Mungo's. Iola and Julius were on a shift at that time. Hearing about her daughter's state sent Iola into hysterics, as she was acutely reminded of the way her husband had died. She insisted on taking care of Esther herself, especially since the latter spent quite a bit of time unconscious and trapped in her agony. Julius used all his knowledge and skill to save his dearest friend.

The Healers feared that the amount of Crucio Esther had received would result in permanent damage and make her suffer chronic pain, something Aesop in particular found horrific and triggering due to having lived through a similar experience. Still, much to the relief of Essie's family and friends, Iola's capable treatment minimised the risks. Anytime Aesop came for a visit, Mira went with him, staying at her sister's side as much as she could. Iola took notice of the Potions professor's constant presence and worry, deciding to have a serious conversation with him.

When she found out, Mira was livid, pouncing on Belvina and actually tearing some of her hair out by the time they were forcibly separated. Belvina faced a trial that ended with her expulsion and sending to Azkaban, as she was already a legal adult at that time. A few years later, her family got her out and married her off to Herbert Burke.

Esther gradually recovered and returned to work. She and Aesop talked and made a decision to try to have a relationship. Some people gossiped about the inappropriate age gap and expressed their discomfort or disapproval, as did Nerida Roberts, Esther's former roommate. Still, it was the first romance of Esther's that proceeded relatively smoothly, and in 1904, she happily changed her name to Esther Sharp. Two years later, she achieved phenomenal success in her Spagyric experiments, managing to find a way to revive some plants that had previously been considered extinct. They were proven to be safe to use in potions, which opened many new paths in fighting the diseases and even some curses. It was one of her inventions that finally healed Aesop's leg. Knowing her to be a passionate dancer, he promised her to make up for all the dances they missed.

Ominis managed to move on and fall in love for the second time in his life as well. His beloved, Evangeline Elysian, was also a Half-Blood, and the one raised by her Muggle mother no less. Yet, Ominis was now an adult and independent man who could get and protect a house of his own, separately from the family that had as good as disinherited him, so this relationship faced considerably less obstacles comparing to the one he had shared with Esther. Upon their marriage, Ominis and Evangeline had two daughters, Leila and Gilda, born in 1910 and 1916 respectively. Leila had the middle name Cornelia in honour of Evangeline's mother while Gilda was named after Noctua Gaunt.

They continued teaching at Hogwarts, sometimes staying in Aesop's house near the sea. In 1909 and 1913 respectively, their sons, Castor Hadrian Sharp and Aramis Nathaniel Sharp, were born. Following the tradition of her own family, Esther chose the first names, weaving star theme, Greek mythology and even Herbology in Castor while honouring a French region where she lived and grew so much as a person in Aramis. Aesop named his sons after his late Auror partner and good friend, as well as his father. Thus, Esther never got the two daughters she had seen in the Mirror of Erised, yet as her notion of happiness changed, it caused her no distress.

Since Esther and Ominis maintained a friendly relationship, the former was made Leila's godmother. Feeling no bitterness due to their past, they were more than capable of being genuinely fond of each other's children. Said children, particularly Castor and Leila, also spent much time together.

Still, the Gaunts, namely Ominis's brother Marvolo, searched for his family. Marvolo's intention was to kill his non-Pureblood sister-in-law and nieces, as well as to potentially rob Ominis's house, since the descendants of Salazar Slytherin were sinking further and further into poverty. Esther was drinking tea with Evangeline, having agreed to babysit the girls for the evening, when the attack eventually did happen. To find out the location of the house, Marvolo had used Imperius on Sebastian.

While Ominis and Evangeline tried to make Marvolo leave peacefully, Esther discreetly apparated Leila and Gilda to her own house. When she returned, Marvolo was nowhere to be seen, but Evangeline lay dead on the ground, and Ominis was seemingly unconscious, a wound in his head bleeding dangerously. The Aurors arrived shortly afterwards, summoned by Sebastian the minute he had come to his senses, and the Healers took Ominis to St. Mungo's. In her horror and pain, Esther couldn't help thinking that if she had married Ominis, she would have been the one murdered.

Castor and Aramis Sharp, Leila and Gilda Elysian

While Ominis recovered, Esther took care of the girls, and Leila departed for her first year at Hogwarts alongside Castor under her guidance. When he was out of St. Mungo's at last, Ominis chose an even more secluded and protected house to keep his daughters as safe as he could.

Sebastian felt immensely guilty about Evangeline's death and tried to perform a dark ritual to return her back. The ritual involved a human sacrifice, and Sebastian chose to murder a Muggle. The man turned out to be Ross Livingstone, the brother of his classmate Hamish. Once his crime was discovered, Sebastian was sentenced to several years of Azkaban.

While Mira behaved in a bolder way comparing to Esther, there was no other situation that could result in her expulsion, and so she graduated from Hogwarts without any problems. As she wasn't opposed to danger in her career and was very fond of creatures, she decided to become a Dragonologist. The head of the MacFusty clan that took responsibility for the population of the Hebridean Blacks for centuries hired her to help him, as his own children, save for one son, all chose different jobs and left home. So, Mira moved to the Hebrides, and Valerian followed her, as their friendship had long since taken a more romantic turn. Despite her usual yearning for big company, Mira found a pleasing occupation and good friends on the islands, while Valerian was thankful for their calmness and quietness.

In 1913, Mira gave birth to their only son, Blaze Lovegood, a name she adored due to its association with dragons and Valerian agreed to rather begrudgingly. While the boy looked a lot like his father, his temper was very reminiscent to his mother's, and so Blaze eventually entered Gryffindor. Both of his cousins were Slytherins, and he often invited Aramis to the lion's table, as the latter was quite exasperated by his roommates.

Later in his life, Blaze would have three children, two daughters and a son. The eldest of his daughters, Elmira, named after his mother, would marry into the McKinnon family and become the mother of Marlene and Mason, dying alongside the majority of her family in a Death Eater attack. The younger daughter, Ottilie, would end up with Martin MacFusty, becoming the part of the family that her father and grandparents so loved. The son, Xenophillus, would publish his own newspaper and live a quiet life, only caring for his wife, Pandora McNully, and daughter, Luna, until the former's untimely demise.

Coming from the family of five children, Finn wanted a similarly big bunch of his own ones. Mina wasn't extremely excited about the idea, as she was very immersed in her job as a broom maker, so she limited the number to three at most. In 1903, Agnes Esther Dallimore was born, named after her godmother. She was closely followed by her brother Alan, born in 1905. As they were still young and two children were enough responsibility, Finn and Mina took a break. Only in 1919 did they have another daughter, little Antonia.

Agnes and Alan, both determined and ambitious, ended up in Slytherin like their father; Antonia took more after her mother and joined Gryffindor. Agnes had a relationship with Ogden McKay while her brother dated Violet Baudelaire, a romance that would eventually come to nothing. Antonia was the target of quite a few attacks from the pureblood supremacists, particularly Thelma Fawley. Yet, she had undying optimism and drive, which helped her move forward.

Blaze Lovegood; Agnes, Alan, Antonia Dallimore

The friends of Valerian and Mira, Severn Macmillan and Caitlin Sparks, also got married. They had three children: Melania, born in 1906, Shannon, born in 1915, and Nyle, born in 1931. Much to Mira's unpleasant surprise, Melania expressed a desire to be betrothed to Arcturus Black III, eventually becoming the mother of Lucretia and Orion, as well as the grandmother of Sirius and Regulus. Being much saner and way less set in the Pureblood ways comparing to her in-laws, Melania was one of Sirius's favourite relatives. Shannon was briefly considered as a potential husband for Reina Rosier, but it didn't happen due to her engagement to a Carrow, much to his relief. Still, he continued his family's lineage, being the ancestor of Ernie Macmillan. Nyle married Georgiana Baudelaire, and they had two daughters, Alice and Kathleen, the latter named after his mother.

Melania, Shannon, Nyle Macmillan

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