As Arcturus Black joined Antonio and Edmund Bones, the trio realised that a lot of attention in the hall had shifted towards them. And it should not have been surprising.
And there were two reasons for it.
First of all, both Antonio and Edmund were the two men on whom the focus was going to be in the Wizengamot session. Antonio for him being formally inducted and Edmund because of his hearing. And also because he had killed a few death eaters.
But the second reason was more significant at the current moment. The Bones family and the Black family represented the two extreme ideologies of Wizarding Britain. They were two poles apart on an ideological chart. The Light faction and the Dark faction. One a bit liberal and open for certain changes to the wizarding tradition and the other completely conservative, traditionalist and rigid.
It was not that the two families were enemies or averse to each other. But they, especially the Lords of the two families, had rarely interacted with each other, particularly in public. They had remained civil with each other. That was it.
But now, Lord Black approaching and joining Edmund Bones in what looked like a casual conversation was a significant thing. It was certain to draw attention from all sides. They were sure to wonder if it was some kind of signalling on the part of both families.
Was it an indication towards some new alliance? Were the tides shifting? Given the circumstances surrounding them, if it really happened, it would not come as an immense shock. A lot of people were considering their ideologies and standing against the backdrop of the rise of the death eaters.
The fact that Arcturus Black and his faction had voted in support of Antonio Olario, and Bellatrix Black being sighted a few times with Lord Olario, was another factor. And was Lord Olario going to be the thread holder of these new shiftings?
"How are you doing, Lord Black?" Edmund questioned as Arcturus joined them.
"Absolutely fine," Arcturus said with a beaming smile.
"It seems," he continued, his eyes gazing around him, "that we have quite the attention of this hall."
"Haha!!" Edmund chuckled. "That is to be. That is to be."
He did not say more, but both of them clearly understood the dynamics of what was happening. They were seasoned politicians. And though Edmund himself was a bit curious and confused and was wondering what could be the reason for Arcturus' approach, he did not let anything show on his face.
"What was it that had you in such a good mood?" Arcturus repeated his question.
"Lord Olario's formal induction," Edmund explained. "I was telling him a few things from my experience."
"Ah!" Arcturus responded and turned towards Antonio. "Congratulations, Lord Olario. Lord Bones might have told you how big and significant this moment is going to be."
"It is the second time we are meeting each other," he added in a whisper. "You have achieved so much in such a short time."
"Lord Black," Antonio smiled in response. "Indeed, it is only the second time. Hopefully we will have more interactions in the future."
"Thank you for the congratulations," he added, "and also the suggestion that led to me becoming a Lord of the Wizengamot."
Arcturus smiled, remembering their first meeting in Hogsmeade where he had suggested the idea of honour duels.
"I may take some credit for the suggestion," Arcturus said. "But ultimately it was you who had to wield the wand and secure the lordship. I merely pointed in the right direction."
"And knowing the correct direction is as important as walking in that direction," Antonio interjected quickly.
Arcturus merely chuckled at this.
The trio continued to chat for the remainder of the time. It was all casual. No mention of politics, Death Eaters, or anything happening around them.
Even the deaths of the two Death Eaters, the current buzz in the entire country, were masterfully avoided. After a few minutes of conversation, Arcturus excused himself and went to join his own faction.
"What do you think, Lord Olario?" Edmund asked as soon as Arcturus was out of hearing range.
Antonio understood what Lord Bones was trying to ask. He shook his head.
"It is hard to say," he said. "Previously he offered me unconditional support and even suggested the idea for acquiring this lordship."
"But," he continued with a sigh, "I doubt Lord Black is a man who offers so much without expecting something in return."
"You think correctly," Edmund nodded with a contemplating face.
Arcturus, though not a bad or evil man, was no great or kind man either. It was not in his nature to grant anything to anyone for free. He was a politician through and through, and Edmund was fully aware of this.
"Lord Bones," Antonio questioned, "do you think Lord Black would help us in our plan to impeach the Minister of Magic, Harold Minchum?"
Edmund looked thoughtful and contemplative for a moment.
"Given the current scenario and how he has been leaning towards us, I would not say it is impossible," Edmund replied. "But even if he wished to, it would still be quite difficult for him."
"With Lord Charlus Potter, it is a different scenario. Both our factions operate on similar ideologies and thought processes. An alliance between us is quite likely. It would also be easy for us to come to terms regarding the name of the new Minister of Magic."
"But with Lord Black, it is not easy," he continued. "Our ideologies are different. Even if we come to some agreements, it would be almost impossible to select one person as Minister."
"Their faction would want one of theirs, and our faction would want one of ours. Not easy for anyone to compromise."
Antonio nodded. His thoughts were on similar lines. But the reason he had put forward this question was for a different purpose.
He had wanted to gauge Edmund's reaction about a possible alliance with Arcturus. And Antonio was happy to learn that Edmund was not completely opposed. He was only worried about the obstacles in forming such an alliance.
"What if a compromise could be reached?" Antonio questioned.
Edmund was about to answer when a sudden stillness took over the hall. A certain man had just entered, and all attention shifted towards him. Albus Dumbledore. Following behind Dumbledore was another old man.
Antonio too looked in that direction, and Dumbledore was staring directly into his eyes. Their gazes collided. Dumbledore gave a small smile as he continued to walk. And he was walking towards Antonio.
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