There was no one in the dormitory when Altair, dressed in black robes, stepped out of his room and made his way into the dungeon.
His footsteps echoed on the stone floor and stairs as he ascended into the castle, traversing the silent corridors towards the Astronomy Tower.
Everyone was either in the Great Hall or the Duelling Hall, taking their meal or competing in the Slytherin Squad Cup Trials. It was the second day, and tonight the four Slytherin Squads would be finalised.
He was about to enter the tower when he heard someone running through the corridors. Turning, he saw his dearest Aurelia, also dressed in black, weaving through the castle as fast as she could.
She halted when she caught sight of him, and her eyes grew a little misty.
He had not emerged from his trunk the entire day, and it was clear she had been very worried about him.
Altair smiled and offered his hand, and she hurried over to take it, squeezing it gently.
"How are you feeling now?" she asked softly.
"I am fine. Did you pass the trials?"
"Yes. I am in the squad with Gemma, Damien, and Cordelia."
"Good. That's the best squad you could have hoped for."
Aurelia smiled faintly and nodded.
Though she was deeply saddened by what had happened to Luna, she was relieved to see Altair so much improved. He was back to his usual self: calm, composed, and tactful.
The two made their way up the tower in silence and found Andromeda and Nymphadora already waiting, both similarly attired in black robes.
Their Head of House looked grief-stricken, having lost her best friend yesterday, but she still managed the faintest of smiles when she saw them.
Nymphadora, on the other hand, was immensely relieved to see Altair walking and looking well. Although his eyes were slightly dim, with traces of sadness quite discernible, it was clear he was not in poor health.
She wished to greet him, to speak with him, but now was not the time. They had a funeral to attend.
Aurelia did not wish to hold Andromeda's hand, so it was the young Black who did. The lady's daughter took her other hand, and then she apparated out of Hogwarts with them, close to the Lovegood Cottage, into a clearing where a lone and tall Weeping Willow stood.
There were people waiting for them, all dressed in black, with magical orbs of golden light floating overhead.
Luna stood beside her father, and her gaze instantly met Altair's, who gave her a gentle smile.
The Heir of the Black Family quietly went over and stood beside his mother. Aurelia did the same, joining Draco and her parents a little way off.
A few other witches and wizards were present, but only those who were relatives or close friends of Pandora and Xenophilius.
Andromeda's Muggle-born husband had wisely chosen not to attend. Then again, he was not close to anyone present tonight.
No words of condolence were offered at first. The four of them were the last to arrive, and now that they were present, the ceremony commenced.
Xenophilius and his first cousin, Lucius, who was his closest male relative, stepped forward and dug the grave with their wands, right under the shade of the Weeping Willow.
It was not merely a grave, but a tomb with stairs, fashioned from white marble that had been carefully arranged. Great care went into its construction, and both took their time until they were satisfied.
Once it was finished, the deceased's husband entered the tomb, layered it with protective charms, lined the sides with yew panels, and carved his wife's name, including her maiden name, on the wall nearest the tree.
After him, the deceased's female relatives, led by Luna, entered the tomb and placed enchanted moonstones and lapis lazuli into niches in the wood, adorning it.
At last, the yew casket bearing Pandora's body was brought over by her husband.
All of the deceased's relatives and friends drew their wands and cast the Levitation Charm, and Luna, now standing beside Altair, grasped his hand as he guided the casket into the tomb.
The marble lid was then used to seal the tomb forever, and as the adults secured the enchantments and seals, Altair squeezed Luna's hand and silently comforted her.
Soil was then used to cover the tomb, and Altaira, Narcissa, and Andromeda layered the grave with grass and thick woody vines, magically extended from the roots of the Weeping Willow.
Finally, Xenophilius set a gravestone into the tree's trunk. It was small, and only bore the deceased's name, her maiden name, and her dates of birth and death.
Luna tugged Altair forward and asked him to carve a message for her mother on her behalf.
He smiled, gently handed her his wand, and held her hand as they engraved a heart into the tree beside the gravestone. Inside it, she left a brief message:
"Love you, Mummy. Always ~ Luna Asteria Lovegood."
Altair also left a few words beneath the gravestone, something that came straight from his heart:
"Amor. Sacrificium. Immortalitas."
When they stepped back, the others moved forward and left their own words in memory of the late witch.
Later, they emerged from the shade of the tree, facing the grave. The magical orbs were extinguished, and those with wands raised them above their heads, casting "Lumos".
Wand-tips aglow, they stood in silence for the next thirty-three minutes, paying their last respects to Pandora Dorea Lovegood, née Potter, daughter of Dorea Augusta Black and Charlus Septimus Potter, wife of Xenophilius Orion Lovegood, and mother to Luna Asteria Lovegood.
Once the ceremony concluded, the attendees finally stepped forward to offer condolences to Xenophilius and Luna. The little girl merely listened, not letting go of Altair's hand.
Some were curious to see how close she was to the Heir of the Black Family, who was only her third cousin, but no one thought much of it. Pandora and Altaira were second cousins and best friends, so it made sense that their children would be close as well.
Luna at last released his hand when Aurelia and the Malfoys came over.
The two girls shared a long, silent embrace, and then Narcissa gently cupped Luna's face and kissed her forehead.
Draco seemed overwhelmed by it all, looking deeply unsettled and sad.
It was not the first funeral he had attended, but it was the first where the deceased was young and had left behind a child close to his own age. As for the time he has attended the funeral of Altair's father, he was way too young to understand anything.
He could not even imagine himself in Luna's place, and the mere thought of losing either of his parents suffocated him.
When everyone had finished offering condolences, Altair presented Luna with something that surprised even his mother.
It was a necklace of goblin silver, the pendant shaped like a Harpy Eagle with wings spread, and a vivid, velvety blue sapphire set in its breast.
Altair helped Luna put it on, and instantly, beautiful lights shimmered around her, making her smile.
He then gently patted her head, smiling, and before leaving, greeted Draco, Narcissa, Lucius, Xenophilius, and of course his mother, who admonished him not to pull any more foolish stunts in Quidditch as he had done the previous day.
As soon as Andromeda took him and Aurelia back to Hogwarts, the others began to take their leave as well, and within a minute, only Xenophilius and Luna remained by Pandora's grave.
The man smiled when his daughter took his hand, and he drew a deep breath, unwilling to shed more tears before her.
"Do you like the gift he gave you?" he asked softly, and Luna clutched the pendant and gazed at it.
"Yes."
"May I see it?"
"Of course, Papa…" she replied innocently, watching him kneel and examine the necklace.
When his eyes widened in surprise, she tilted her head in curiosity, but he did not tell her what he had discovered.
"Wear it at all times, Luna. It will protect you from things you can see, and even from things you cannot."
"Yes, Papa…"
"Let's go. Your Aunt Narcissa brought us some soup."
"I don't want to go back there… I want to stay here…" she whispered, and the man closed his eyes in sorrow.
"Your Mummy would be sad if she knew you skipped your meal and did not sleep early."
Luna wanted to ask if the dead could feel sadness, but she remained quiet and followed him back to the cottage.
Her body trembled at the sight of it, but she bravely entered her home and obediently ate the delicious soup.
Elsewhere, Altair and Aurelia walked silently through the castle, heading for the dungeons and their dormitory.
"That necklace is special, isn't it?" the little Miss Malfoy could not help but ask, and Altair nodded.
"Very."
Aurelia did not press further, but there was something she wished to know.
"What happened to you yesterday?"
He frowned at her question, then closed his eyes and sighed.
"I wanted to save her from going into deep shock, so I subconsciously took half her pain away. I don't have an answer for how I managed it, but that's what happened."
Aurelia felt a pang of jealousy, but then felt ashamed for it. She lowered her head and squeezed his hand, smiling when he lifted it and kissed her knuckles.
When they returned to the dormitory, it was crowded, and everyone fell silent at the sight of Altair.
"So, who won the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff match?" he asked, and soon there were smiles, and then Felix Selwyn informed him what had happened.
Hufflepuff had secured an overwhelming win against Ravenclaw: 200–70, all thanks to Cedric, who caught the Snitch in time.
Now, the Badgers were second on the table by a good margin.
They had a total of 380 points.
Gryffindor was third with 240 points.
Ravenclaw was fourth with just 160 points.
Slytherin's position at the top of the table was secure.
They had a total of 580 points. The difference was monumental, and their house seemed set to secure the Quidditch Cup this year despite only playing two games.
"Looks like Gryffindor isn't going to get any House Cup points from Quidditch this year," Altair said playfully, and his housemates laughed and echoed the sentiment.
They chatted for a while as Altair learnt about the four squads that had been assembled by Slytherin, and they were among the finest.
The whole house was focused on the Quadrivium and Geminus Cups and had unanimously decided to leave the Primus Cup for him, expressing their complete faith in his abilities. Of course, most only did it to curry his and his family's favour.
"We are housemates, but I expect to see each one of you give your all, even if we are up against each other. No holding back, no free passes. You must all duel to the best of your abilities. Understood?"
"Yes!"
"How's progress in the Potion Brewing Expo and the Arithmancy Logic Bee?" he asked, looking at the Seventh and Sixth Years.
"We're winning it!" The Potion Group seemed confident, but the other group looked a little downcast.
"Ravenclaw?" Altair asked, smiling, and watched them nod.
"Tell me we're at least coming second."
"Of course!" Darius smiled, and they were all relieved that Altair was not upset.
"If we lose to someone better, that's fine, but a loss to someone weaker is unacceptable."
They all nodded, promising to give their best, and then Altair excused himself and retired to his room.
After midnight, he exited the dormitory and quietly made his way to Salazar's Solar, and even though Cho and Aurelia tried to follow him, they could not find him at all once he entered the dark corridor.
They tried again and again, and each time, they found themselves back at the main corridor where their dormitory was located.
It was a maze, a powerful and eerie maze, and neither wanted to step into that cold darkness again.
Disheartened, the two girls finally retired to their room and eventually fell asleep. However, they promised themselves to complain to Altair about all the secrets he was keeping.
Unlike Cho, Aurelia knew exactly who Altair's ancestor was, but she too wanted to see Salazar's Portrait and see if he had left behind anything interesting.