Daphne returned to the country in the final week of the holiday, and the first thing she decided to do was visit me, saying, "I have missed you." Daphne murmured while squeezing the life out of me with the hug she was giving me.
"I have missed you too, Daph but would you allow me to breathe?" I said I was trying to make her let me go, but it seemed to have the opposite effect, as she squeezed harder while shaking her head. "Nuh-uh, I need to recharge after so much time away from my handsome fiancé."
She didn't release me until her mother came to my aid, pulling Daphne off of me, "Daphne dear, you have to let him breathe. Are you forgetting that you got him a present?" I got to breathe for a moment before her mother started to smother me.
Daphne came back after retrieving a bag to find her mother trapping me in a hug while smothering my face with her bosom, "Mother! What do you think you are doing to my fiancé?" Daphne said pulling me free before stuffing a gift-wrapped box into my hands.
"You didn't need to get me anything." I said before immediately getting cut off by Daphne, "Shut up and open it. It's your late birthday gift since I missed it." Daphne's words reminded me that my birthday had passed while I was organising the first parts of the war.
"Oh, that's right. I had forgotten about my birthday." Daphne stared at me as if I had grown a second head, "How could you have forgotten your birthday? Didn't Wulburga or Lord Black host a party for you?"
"No, I was busy preparing over the entire holiday. I have sent an owl to one of Arcturus' old contacts in France." I said to Daphne which seemed to sour her mother's mood who cut into the conversation, "Is your source of information reliable, Dumbledore was the one who told the country that he died."
"I saw him with my own eyes, I even fought him along with the Potter twins, before he fled from us. He was a wraith-like existence that seemed to parasitize Quirrell." I replied to Elisabeth's question with an answer that shocked her.
"I have started my preparations to make sure that if he does come back, his forces will be limited in number and strength. I have also been trying to find out exactly how he had been able to survive even without a body." I continued after seeing her horrified face when she processed the information I had told her.
"What are we going to do should he come back? He will surely try to eliminate those who are opposing him or even dare to try." Was her shaken response as she shook with fear, " Those times were bad, people died every day without warning. You were not sure if you were next or if it was someone you knew."
At that moment our happy reunion was ruined by Kreacher appearing with a letter in his hands. "Master, this letter just arrived addressed to you." I approached and took the letter briefly looking at the calligraphy of the handwriting on the front before opening it with magic.
Dear Heir Black, it is with great regret that I inform you that my father passed a few years ago in his sleep. However, he did say that if the Rose's ever bloomed, I should aid whoever asked to the best of my abilities. I am unsure of what help you require however my daughter shall be attending a duelling competition in Rouen in 5 days should you wish to discuss these matters.
I await your reply,
Roger Delacour.
"Kreacher, Would you ask Arcturus if he is feeling fit and able for a trip to a duelling competition in France?" I say to the House elf before passing the letter to my fiancé to read while her mother peeked over her shoulder. While they were busy with the letter I started to pack some light clothing into a carry bag ready to leave when needed while also cleaning up some of the mess my letter writing had left behind.
You may ask why there was such a large mess from writing some letters, well it wasn't 'some' letters it was a sizable amount of letters to many different people who I am contacting to use or ally with before everything goes down the drain.
I had sent letters to people who make various potions to buy up a large bulk of wiggenweld and other useful potions while also keeping the amount to a low enough level to not raise too many eyebrows. I sent letters to herbologists and magizooligists across the globe in search of bulk ingredients or useful combat items such as mandrakes or poisons.
This honestly has been a lot of hassle since my hand has cramped many times due to the amount of writing I was doing however I thought it would be worth it when the war started and I could just sit back and enjoy my engagement with Daphne while old no nose lost the war due to my preparations.
After everything was cleared and packed, Arcturus entered the room looking much better than a few weeks ago. "What is this about a duelling competition, Erik?" He asked while leaning on his cane with his body still slightly weakened.
"I have received a reply from the Delacour's and I'm going to meet the current Lord at this duelling competition where his daughter is taking part. I have no interest in defeating a bunch of kids." I clarify for him before adding, "The competition takes place in Rouen in 5 days, which means we need to acquire an official international portkey from the ministry to get there."
Lord Black had a small pause to think whether or not he would be fit enough to travel to Rouen via portkey before nodding and vocalising, "I shall accompany you to this meeting, 5 days is more than enough for me to finish recovering my strength and I would like to meet my old friend again. But I am a bit confused when you said you don't want to defeat kids, any daughter he would have had would be about Walburga's age by now."
I nod solemnly before speaking, "That you would be correct about, however, Pierre Delacour sadly passed a few years ago." I pause to see sadness mar his face before continuing, "He passed peacefully. We shall be meeting his son, Roger Delacour, and his daughter."
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Sorry that there has been such a considerable delay in the chapters, I have been struggling with health problems which has affected my life. Don't worry I will not be dying any time soon (Hopefully) and should be returning to daily uploads. I have also created a 'Buy-Me-A-Coffee' so that I can post polls and other comments so that I do not have to interrupt the flow of the paragraphs like I am now. I shall post all the polls and posts for free as I do not feel like my writing is good enough to charge for however the option is there to support me should anyone be willing to spare anything. (I am not in desperate need for money so do no feel pressured in anyway to support if you do not want to.) The link is coff.ee/TheGreatestWall