Just Not Cut Out for Torture (HP - Drarry)

Chapter 5: The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black

Since the last chapter was so short (and this one is too - that's the trouble with experimental/alternative POV)... here's another for ya. I was going to make you all wait... but I hate that as a reader so... haha. Do let me know what you think of the somewhat odd POV. I had a blast writing this chapter and the last, and *I* think they're fabulous, myself... but I would like to hear from my readers. (Don't worry - we'll get back to regular POVs next... We'll even hear from Harry next time)

Black House POV

The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black had been dozing. It had been many years since it had had a proper Master. Many years since it had had anyone at all. Anyone but Kreacher, who was only a house-elf. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black didn't think much of house-elves. They were there; they were necessary. Much as the air was there, and necessary, to its Masters, but not often considered. Just...there. And Kreacher was only one house-elf. There had been days, long passed, when the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black had had many house-elves. But those days – full of glittering parties and the shadowy velvet of Dark Magic – were long gone. There was Dark Magic, still. It lay thick over every surface, an invisible shroud. It seeped into the cracks, oozed through the pores. It was built into the bones of the house, the blood of the wards. But without a Master it lay quiescent, dozing.

Until now. Now there was a Master in the House. Not a True Master – not yet. But soon. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black shuddered awake. It blinked not-quite-eyes and roused not-quite-bones. It opened not-quite-ears, and listened. And the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black got its first surprise.

There was not one Master in the House. No. There were two.

The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black paused, considering. There had not been two Masters for a very long time. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black reconsidered. It was not used to reconsidering, but made allowances in this case. Two True Masters were very rare indeed. Two potential Masters, less so. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black needed to know more. It needed to know which case it was dealing with, so it could decide how best to proceed.

So the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black opened all of its not-quite-eyes. It opened all of its not-quite-ears. And it settled in to wait.

After several hours of observation, the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black had learned many things. And yet none of those things was helpful. Well, Kreacher's monologue had reminded it of Mistresses Narcissa Malfoy nee Black and Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black activated the Dark protection artifacts and modified the wards. It armed the traps and tied them into the wards. This done, the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black returned to contemplating the problem of the potential Masters.

The question of which Master would be most suited to be a True Master was more nuanced than Kreacher supposed. The house-elf, having a limited house-elf perspective on things, saw only that one potential Master was a pure-blood (though only half-Black), and one was merely a half-blood (and not a Black at all). Thus, he supposed the pure-blood to be the most suited, and didn't consider the matter further. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black knew better. Blood – its pure-bloodedness and Blackness – didn't matter so much as the house elf supposed. It was a factor, yes. But not the most important one. No, thought the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black smugly, it was, in balance, not that important at all. More important, in the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black's view, was strength: raw magical strength and the strength of will to back it up.

Neither of the potential masters lacked magical strength. Master Malfoy-Black's was more controlled, pulsing with quiet strength, content as a cat in a sunbeam. Master Potter's was stronger but wild, prone to lashing out in unpredictable bursts, crackling in the air around him like a stalking lion. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black wasn't certain which would be better suited to being a True Master Black. This uncertainty irked it, but many hours of concentration and thought yielded no more certainty. Both potential Masters were fragile, skirting the edge of emotional instability. Both buried their weaknesses behind masks; both were nearing their breaking point. But, try as it might, the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black was unable to predict which would break under the strain of becoming a True Master, and which would flourish.

The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black was forced to conclude that the test was inconclusive. This was distressing. But the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, unlike the house-elf, Kreacher, was patient. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black could watch. It could listen.It could observe. Most importantly, the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black could wait