"Power is a shadow on the wall... A very small man can cast a very large shadow." — George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones (Varys)
It was August in London, 1962. The populace had to deal with difficult weather that year; the snowy roads and frequent rains reminded London of its unforgiving climate. Muggles continued with their jobs, shivering as they shovelled the snow aside. In the Wizarding World, however, witches and wizards simply walked atop the snow, and the carriages seemed not to mind the weather either.
Everyone in the Black family had travelled to the Grand Manor a week prior. The ladies of the house were busy with the decoration of the ballroom for the upcoming party. Of course, the house-elves were the labourers, while the ladies merely commanded them to decorate according to their tastes.
The ballroom could accommodate more than two hundred people without feeling crowded. As there were plenty of private rooms, the extended Black family began arriving early for the ceremony. Before the birthday of the newest member, the Black family alone numbered fifty members.
The guest list had been prepared by Arcturus Black, along with Melania. Cygnus and Druella stayed in one room, while Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa were given a room of their own. Orion's family of four occupied another suite.
Regulus was rather annoyed at being treated like a doll by the ladies. He was passed to someone new almost every five minutes. They would pinch his cheeks and rub his soft toes, causing him to give the offender an annoyed look—which only made them laugh along with everyone else.
Luckily, his grandfather arrived and swooped him up. No one dared go near that old man. Saved by the grumpy member of the family—hooray for him!
Orion and Walburga reviewed the list made by the Head of the House and added their own friends. They could not exclude anyone from Arcturus's list, as those names belonged to prominent members of the wizarding community. Thus, the list was finalised just before the birthday.
Regulus was dressed flamboyantly for the occasion. He wore a white Acromantula silk shirt with a custom-made Glaistig robe as a jacket. His trousers were dragon hide, meticulously prepared for a child's wear, and his shoes were crafted from a type of snakeskin that was a rare find, even in the magical world. Regulus felt comfortable in them, feeling no pinching or cold while wearing them.
The rest of the Black family was adorned with jewels and robes of rare materials that were difficult to purchase, regardless of wealth. Guests started arriving in the morning and were accompanied to a waiting room filled with various sorts of entertainment, discussions, and a lively bunch of chattering witches. The Heads of the Pureblood Houses were escorted to a different room, far more luxurious than the waiting area, where they had much to discuss regarding the state of the Wizarding World.
Everything was meticulously organised by the elves according to each individual's needs, with Kreacher overseeing them. The Black family was busy welcoming and socialising. Regulus was left with his cousins and Sirius. He observed the people in the room, registering everything, knowing this kind of socialising would be useful for his future endeavours.
Regulus POV
Kreacher announced a name as I sat in Bellatrix's lap. She had been talking non-stop with girls her age, as they would all start attending Hogwarts the following month. She also stole glances at several boys who looked a year or so older than her, whispering into her friends' ears. They giggled and annoyed me. I looked at Sirius, who was nearing three; he was still a nosy brat who ran around spilling condiments on our guests.
There was a separate elf assigned to him to prevent such tragedies. He ran, tripped, and fell, face plummeting toward the floor. Just as he was about to make contact with the ground, the elf caught him mid-air. The scene I had eagerly expected was prevented, leaving me disappointed. However, he received a scolding from Walburga, which provided me with a bit of comfort.
I saw my grandfather, Arcturus, coming this way. If I latched onto him, I could meet the several Heads of Families residing in the separate room. It would be much better than this noisy bunch. As Grandfather came near, I babbled and threw my arms towards him. It was honestly a bit embarrassing for me, but hey—I had to escape this group of little ladies.
Arcturus noticed his grandson flailing towards him and said, "Oh! The little man of the day wants to be with his grandpa? Come here, boy!"
He intended to say it in a soft tone, but with his gruff voice, it did not come out quite as gentle as he thought. Still, he scooped Regulus up and moved to the other room.
…
I heard voices as I neared the room.
"…are strictly forbidden to…"
"Stop it, Malfoy! Such rules do not bind us…"
As my grandpa entered with me, the voices stopped arguing, and everyone in the room turned their heads towards me.
The room was dimmer than the previous one. The chairs appeared comfortable and were arranged in a huge circle. In the middle of the circle lay a round table made from very old yew wood. Yew is quite rare, often used in wands; yew wands choose strong, sometimes dark individuals and are known for granting power over life and death, wielded by heroes and villains alike.
I was amazed by the structure of the room, but I did not have the time or luxury to observe it fully. There were twenty-eight chairs laid out, surrounding the table. More than ten of those chairs were occupied by old men and a single middle-aged man.
"Arcturus, is that your grandson? Merlin! Look at that, he is observing everything, isn't he?" exclaimed an old man dressed in a comfortable green velvet suit. He bore the emblem of a tree and deer antlers on his chest. He was Damian Greengrass, grandfather of Daphne Greengrass, who would be born years later.
"He is a curious lad. He observes and takes in everything. Sometimes, I see him looking at parchment as if he knows how to read! Hahaha!" replied Arcturus in a joyous tone.
Regulus gave his grandfather a peculiar look and laughed innocently, as if trying to avoid suspicion from the other old men observing him.