Chapter 1: Prologue
The past nine years of my life have been incredibly transformative. Since my soul was placed in this new world at the age of fourteen, I have experienced a whirlwind of growth and success. Now, at nineteen, I find myself as the Lord of House Gaunt, a position that carries both responsibility and privilege.
During this time, I also found love in the form of Nymphadora Tonks. She is a remarkable and spirited woman, and our connection blossomed after she experienced a heartbreak with a Hufflepuff student. I was there to console her, and our bond grew stronger as we spent more time together. Nymphadora shared her secret of being a metamorphmagus with me, although I had already known. However, it was not her abilities that drew me to her, but rather her potential as a potential heiress to the Black family. Over time, I also fell deeply in love with her as a person.
Being a Slytherin has provided me with valuable connections and friendships. Among them was Phineas Flint, the older brother of Marcus Flint. Unfortunately, he discovered my plans to make Nymphadora the heir to the Black family and intended to interfere, seeking to gain wealth for himself. I could not tolerate his betrayal.
In my sixth year, I took advantage of Phineas' routine of enjoying wine during baths in the prefects' shower. With the help of my personal house elf, I added a draught of living death to his wine, causing him to drown in the pool after my house elf pushed him in. The incident was believed to be a suicide by the school, and it made headlines for a short period of time. Though I felt guilt at his funeral, I suppressed those emotions using occlumency, a skill I had learned through a fascinating story.
On my way to the Ministry to obtain my heir ring, I encountered Lucius Malfoy, who had provided me with numerous books on dark arts and mind arts. I coerced him into helping me under the threat of Voldemort's continued existence. Though I never discovered why he complied, I didn't have the luxury of time to investigate further.
The heir's ring, resembling Voldemort's but with a silver band, was a significant acquisition. I knew the location of Voldemort's ring, but I wasn't certain if I could overcome the defensive spells protecting it. To be on the side of caution, I decided to secure my own heir ring.
Using my influence, I managed to pass a law in the Ministry. This law stated that if the lord of a noble house were imprisoned indefinitely, they would be considered ineligible to lead the house, and a new head would be chosen according to their will, if any. Exploiting this, I kidnapped a worker, assumed his identity using polyjuice potion, and manipulated the will of Sirius Black. Unfortunately, his desire to leave everything to Harry was disheartening, but Nymphadora would inherit instead.
I also manipulated the Lestrange will, ensuring that Nymphadora received their fortune. To cover my tracks, I staged an incident where the worker appeared to have hit his head while drunk, leaving him with bottles of fire whiskey in an alley. I had already confirmed with the Ministry that Andromeda had not been truly disowned; only the tapestry was burned. Arcturus Black remained the head of the house. Prior to the will hearing, I had already arranged a betrothal with Andromeda Tonks, allowing me to have control over both the Black and Lestrange fortunes through Nymphadora.
I have also achieved significant wealth through dueling, joining at the age of fifteen and becoming the champion for four consecutive years. I faced many skilled fighters, some battles proving easier than others. One particular fight nearly ended in defeat, but my use of transfiguration in dueling garnered considerable fame.
Rita Skeeter posed a potential problem, as my connection to the dark lord was no secret. To deter her, I threatened to expose her as an illegal animagus, which would result in her imprisonment in Azkaban. Speaking of animagus, I myself became one, taking the form of a black panther, which also became my patronus.
Upon graduating, I officially achieved mastery in transfiguration, defense against the dark arts, potions, and charms. Additionally, I became a master of mind arts, which greatly facilitated my endeavors. After mastering these disciplines, I delved into the dark arts, using occlumency to suppress any dark thoughts, while my patronus provided further protection.
I successfully destroyed four of the seven horcruxes: the Slytherin locket, Hufflepuff cup, Gaunt ring, and Ravenclaw's diadem, employing the killing curse. To ensure secrecy, I made Nymphadora and Andromeda swear oaths to never reveal any information. Andromeda, being the regent at the time, was particularly bound by this oath.
I must admit that I also took the life of my father. It was a relatively simple act, using the Petrificus Totalus spell on him before burying him alive. Afterward, I claimed my lordship.
"Good old days," I muttered to myself, lost in reminiscence.
"What are you reminiscing about?" Nymphadora asked as she put on her earrings.
"Just how clingy you used to be when we first started dating," I replied.
"And you loved every second of it," Nymphadora grinned at me.
"That I did," I agreed, embracing her from behind. "Why don't we head to the ball? We wouldn't want to be late."
With that, we set off for the ball, ready to enjoy the evening together.
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Author's note:
This is the non-AU version of the fic. I didn't want to write another Hogwarts arc, so I gave a brief summary of what happened to the MC in the past 7 years at Hogwarts. The story will continue from here onwards to the Deathly Hallows.