"For a matter that has recently occurred, I, Regulus Black, would like to publicly clarify certain facts."
After Minister Fudge agreed to everything and signed it into law, Regulus Black held a press conference with him.
Reporters from The Daily Prophet and several smaller publications were present. As Regulus glanced over the crowd, he even spotted Luna Lovegood's father—Xenophilius Lovegood, the contrarian editor known for stirring controversy.
The man had slightly crossed eyes and cotton-candy-like white hair puffed over his shoulders. The tassel on his hat hung straight down in front of his nose, and he wore a dazzling, lemon-yellow robe that was almost blinding. Around his neck hung a gold chain with a strange symbol—resembling a triangular eye—that shimmered under the lights.
That gold chain, in fact, held significant meaning. It revealed Xenophilius as someone who believed in the existence of the Deathly Hallows. And it was thanks to him that Harry Potter would one day learn the legend of the Hallows and come to identify the Elder Wand, the Invisibility Cloak, and the Resurrection Stone.
Of course, knowing that both the Cloak and the Stone were already in his possession gave Regulus Black a sense of destiny.
"My cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, became pregnant of her own volition. It had nothing to do with anyone else. I ask that you all have faith in the integrity of the Azkaban guards and the strict protocols of the Auror Department."
Regulus Black began his statement with the premise that Bellatrix's pregnancy was entirely voluntary, distancing both the Ministry and the Aurors from any scandal. This first sentence alone earned approving nods from both Minister Fudge and the head of the Auror Department. With that, the scandal that had dragged on for over half a year was no longer their burden, and a collective sigh of relief swept through them.
"She has been imprisoned in Azkaban for over a decade. Her mental state is far from well. But that's her own doing—a punishment for her past crimes. Unlike those who joined the Death Eaters out of confusion or fear, she was different. She admired that man deeply and mimicked his cruelty, malice, and madness. It was his personal influence that changed her—and so many other witches and wizards. Those with differing views were often hurt or even killed."
Regulus first mentioned her mental instability to evoke some sympathy. After all, which Azkaban prisoner is in sound mind? Dementors feed on joy night after night—many wizards had already taken their own lives, unable to endure the torment.
Only Sirius would treat this punishment as some kind of enjoyment—no, as a form of self-punishment. But who's to say he didn't turn into that big dumb dog to escape it all? Maybe he didn't.
Of course, Regulus had no intention of dumping the entire blame onto his cousin. Even as he criticized her for being different from the other Death Eaters—relishing in evil—he made sure to point out that it was someone else's influence that shaped her. The cruelty, malice, and madness? All learned from that man.
Regulus thumped his chest and solemnly declared that he was one of those who had been attacked simply for having a different viewpoint.
"But regardless of everything, she is still my family. I can't ignore that blood tie. So I went to visit her in Azkaban—and also my foolish brother, even though he's always been hostile toward the Black family."
With teary eyes, Regulus showed deep familial devotion. Whether it was his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange or his foolish brother Sirius Black—they were all family. Blood over everything. No matter if they were Death Eaters or anything else, family ties justified visiting them.
At the same time, he made sure to emphasize Sirius's resentment toward the family—laying the groundwork for reopening his case.
"I found that she was already broken—at least mentally. Just a hollow shell. No emotions. No soul."
At this point, Regulus choked up slightly. After all, most wizarding families knew what Azkaban did to people.
"So when I condemned her for all her past atrocities, and for the disgrace she had brought upon the Black family, she herself proposed making one final contribution to the family."
Now everyone's attention was locked in—he was getting to the climax.
All eyes in the room were fixed on Regulus Black, filled with anticipation. Even those trying to stay composed couldn't fully hide it. Their eyes, their ears, their entire focus was centered on him.
"She asked to have a child. A child untainted by darkness. A truly pure newborn. If Bellatrix Lestrange's life had reached a dead end, then this child would be able to start fresh—with the chance to live a very different and brilliant life."
It was essential to clearly distinguish the child's identity. This child was a completely separate being from the mother, untainted, without fault.
And clearly, the audience understood what Regulus meant. Nods of agreement spread throughout the room.
A child is innocent—especially a newborn.
"To make such a contribution naturally comes at a high price — namely, the life of the child's mother. This child will be the continuation of the mother's life, inheriting all of her strengths, including, of course, her gender."
That was the key point! Everyone present refocused their attention, and Regulus Black felt like he was being targeted by a barrage of laser-like stares.
Especially when he mentioned, "this child will inherit all of the mother's strengths," the audience practically lit up with flashes — it was dazzling!
Wasn't this a bit over the top? Were they not even considering the possibility that Regulus Black might be lying?
"Therefore, this child has nothing to do with any man and has no blood relation to Bellatrix Lestrange's current husband. She is solely the daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange and, thus, only a member of the Black family."
Was he implying that this was achieved through some kind of bloodline-based method? Even if the child only shares the mother's blood, she would still be a pure-blood descendant — unquestionably qualified to become a witch.
"That concludes the public statement I wished to make today. Bellatrix Lestrange's pregnancy was her own choice. The child has been born — a healthy baby girl named Jupiter Black."
The moment Regulus Black finished announcing the child's name, he released a powerful wave of magical pressure. The system skill "Fear Illusion" was unleashed without warning. No one present could have anticipated that Regulus Black would react in this way — an overwhelming wave of terror swept through the room.
This curse-type skill, which would normally send people fleeing, was somewhat weakened due to being cast wandlessly and silently. Even so, it still evoked the feeling of facing a dragon — like being crushed by draconic might — sending chills down everyone's spines.
In that moment, those who had planned to uncover the method used to impregnate the witch, those seeking to carve out benefits from the Black family, all abandoned their selfish intentions. It became clear that the Black family didn't rely on just one method — they clearly possessed many others. As expected of a family steeped in dark magic with a long and storied history, who knew how many such methods they had hidden?
But soon, someone came to a startling realization: Regulus Black hadn't revealed anything at all! He hadn't shared a single detail about how the witch was impregnated — whether it was through spells, potions, or something else entirely. Not even a hint.
This man was a trap — a huge one — just waiting for the curious to fall in.
Regulus Black looked at the shifting expressions below him, fully aware that he couldn't keep this secret forever. Rather than be schemed against, it was better to put it up for sale openly.
"I know that some families also have female members in Azkaban. The Black family can provide assistance — but not out of charity. I'm willing to exchange this help for equivalent benefits."
With that, several family representatives in the audience had already begun contemplating how to coax more information out of the Black family, ideally persuading them into some kind of cooperation.
Cornelius Fudge had been frozen for quite a while — he never expected a press briefing to turn into a negotiation over interests.
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