R.O.B. 37

"Black Veil, Blacker Cell"

Quest progress: Advanced

Josh begins to formally initiate an inquiry into Sirius Black's legal status.

•Letters to Lord Arcturus Black and Andromeda Tonks drafted via Gringotts.

System: Josh is attemping a legal route to complete.

System Evaluation: "Chances of success high. Chances of this route being anywhere near as the alternatives low."

Optional Trigger (court method): Active

Next step: Wait for Arcturus response / prep legal support.

Quest completion rate: 20%

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joshua Myrddin did what any responsible fourteen-year-old heir with three active investigations, 4 heir rings, and one very personal grudge against magical institutional decay would do at 7:45 in the morning.

He went to breakfast.

Not the Leaky Cauldron. He had standards. And a functioning palate.

Instead, he slipped down a narrow, fog-glazed alley off the Diagon curve, into a café hidden behind illusion-charmed brick and warded against unwanted eyes. The chairs adjusted posture based on your mood. The air smelled of cinnamon, espresso, and quiet rebellion.

The proprietor, a first-generation magical, had trained in Paris and baked like a grudge kept warm. Her partner, a second-gen wizard who ran the counter with the precision of a potions master curing dragon pox, served each plate like it might detonate.

Josh respected that.

He ordered a double espresso, a chocolate croissant that flaked like enchanted parchment, and a slice of sharp cheddar quiche so rich, so unapologetically flavorful, it could've sparked a constitutional crisis in half the Isles.

One bite in, he sighed. Two bites later, he glanced at a nearby table where a pair of elderly wizards were politely enduring a plate of grey sausage, beans, excessive rashers of arguably decent looking bacon, and stewed tomatoes. Then, with the tone of someone filing a formal complaint to the cosmos, he muttered:

"Five continents worth of conquered spice, and that's still what you think breakfast should taste like?"

They didn't hear him. Their taste buds had probably already died years previously.

Josh raised his cup in salute.

"To imperial ambition," he murmured. "You took the world, and still needed someone else to do the cooking."

The espresso was brilliant. The croissant nearly made him forgive magical Britain for existing.

And if he was about to dig up a sealed will, pry open Black family politics, and drag Dumbledore's secrets into the daylight?

He was damn well doing it on a full stomach.

Today was going to be a long one.

---

🌀 [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]

Quest Update: "Black Veil, Blacker Cell"

> External response event triggered.

Incoming correspondence: high priority.

Timestamp: 08:03 AM

> "When the wheels of justice turn too slowly, give them a push. Or grease them with Greek fire."

---

🦉 The window above the café's warded corner cracked open on its own, just a hair, and a small owl dipped through like it had done this a hundred times before.

It landed on Josh's table, elegant, silent, and burdened only with a single envelope sealed in gold-black wax.

Josh didn't need to see the crest.

House Black had answered.

....

To: Joshua Emrys Myrddin

Heir of the Myrddin Line

Recognized Blood of Peverell and Kinsman to House Black

From: Lord Arcturus O. Black

Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black

(Retired, not irrelevant)

---

Heir Myrddin,

I must admit, receiving not one but two letters in a day, both delivered by Gringotts, was enough to make me check the calendar. I wasn't aware I had any kin left who weren't dead, disowned, or imprisoned for daring to think with both sides of their brain.

Your name was a surprise. Your request, more so.

I have long suspected the boy, Harry, was being kept in the dark. And while I wouldn't presume to speak on behalf of House Potter, I would remind any who ask that the Evans line was not without merit, and that Dorea's blood still runs in the boy's veins.

He is family, in every way that matters. And I don't take kindly to seeing family buried in ignorance.

As for Andromeda, let us be clear. Her name was removed by someone who lacked the authority to make such a decision. I never signed off on her exile. Which means, by ancient magical law, she never truly left. She simply distanced herself. Sensibly.

If she accepts your proposal for legal counsel, I'll endorse it.

As for Sirius... I wondered more than once. I didn't pay enough attention. Now the Ministry may learn that silence isn't the same as surrender.

I suggest you prepare your case thoroughly. If you plan to carve a legal path through the rot of the Wizengamot, you'll need teeth sharper than theirs and allies willing to bite.

You'll have my signature, should you need it.

Arcturus O. Black

Lord of House Black

Still alive. Still dangerous.

---

P.S. You and your grandfather Percival are welcome at Black Manor, should you desire a more private discussion. It's been a long time since the old bloodlines sat at the same table, and longer still since I trusted anyone to speak sense across one.

Bring wine. I'll bring the family ghosts.

P.P.S. The owl is reliable. Send your reply with it, and I'll know to make room at the table.

---

As Josh penned a response, another owl flew into the café and landed in front of him.

.....

Tonks & Tonks Magical Law

Diagon Alley Annex, Office 4B

(Look for the discreet door between the cursed mirror shop and the apothecary that still smells like dragon bile)

May 2, 1991

To: Heir Joshua Emrys Myrddin

Via Gringotts Certified Owl Delivery

Subject: Informal Legal Conference Regarding the Matter of Sirius Orion Black

Heir Myrddin,

We were recently contacted via Gringotts correspondence regarding your inquiry into the status of Sirius O. Black and the potential irregularities surrounding his detention. After speaking with Lord Arcturus, we understand you've taken a vested interest in this case and may be considering a formal challenge through legal channels.

As such, Tonks & Tonks would like to extend an invitation for an informal consultation at your earliest convenience. While this is not a binding engagement, it would give us an opportunity to discuss strategy, evaluate your evidence, and determine whether House Tonks will act as primary counsel moving forward.

We propose a private meeting at our Diagon Alley office today at 3:00 p.m. The door is discreet, the tea is passable, and the wards will admit you via magical signature of your heir ring.

Feel free to bring any relevant documents, questions, or quietly dangerous intentions.

We also encourage you to bring your grandfather if he's available. It's been some time since I've shared a table with Percival, and even longer since I saw someone with the Myrddin name raise hell in court.

Respectfully,

Andromeda Tonks

Senior Partner

Tonks & Tonks Magical Law

Wife. Mother. Still legally terrifying.

---

Looks like I was right. It's going to be a long day.

---

Diagon Alley – Tonks and Tonks Magical Law, Office 4B

May 2, 1991 – 2:57 p.m.

The green door shimmered as Percival and Joshua Emrys Myrddin approached, cobbled wardlines flowing like lazy river current over its threshold. Only the magically fluent could sense it—the kind of security that required legacy permissions, not passwords.

Percival knocked twice. The air tightened. A third knock answered from within. The door swung open.

Inside was cool parchment-scented air, dark walnut shelves, and the understated precision of a legal firm that didn't need gold trim to command respect.

Andromeda Tonks stood as they entered, wand holstered but eyes sharp. Her robes were crisp charcoal with enchanted trim—formal, but practical. Every inch a witch who had fought systems, not just spells.

"Lord Myrddin. Heir Myrddin," she greeted evenly.

Percival raised a brow. "Formality's not necessary, Andromeda. Not today. Just Percival and Joshua."

A pause. His voice lowered as he removed his gloves with practiced ease.

"Titles are for people afraid of being seen without them," he added. "And I doubt you or I qualify."

Joshua smirked behind his eyes. It was always fascinating watching his grandfather slip out of power like a cloak—and still command the entire room.

Andromeda dipped her head. "Of course. Old habits."

Ted Tonks entered a moment later, sleeves rolled up, tray of tea and scones floating ahead of him with casual precision. He grinned.

"Afternoon. Tea's hot. Scones are imported. No guarantees one of them won't hex your tongue."

Percival accepted a cup without missing a beat. "If it does, I'll transfigure the culprit into a biscuit."

They settled in.

Joshua leaned forward, expression earnest. "Before we begin the formal arrangements, I should acknowledge something you likely already discovered: Gringotts still recognizes you as a member of House Black."

Andromeda gave a short nod. "I had our firm verify it against the deep bloodline ledgers. Magical law recognizes removal only by the sitting Head of House. My mother was never Lord Black. Her theatrics didn't change my blood."

Percival sipped his tea. "You always had more sense than the rest of your generation. Sirius included."

Andromeda's face didn't shift, but her voice turned quieter. "I've had correspondence from Arcturus. Apparently… he never signed off. And he doesn't intend to start now."

She reached into her satchel and pulled a folded note, parchment lined with the unmistakable shimmer of Black family magic. "He said, and I quote: 'Just because your mother was a psychotic bitch doesn't mean you're not still family. I regret letting her scream louder than my silence.'"

Ted gave a low whistle. "That's about as sentimental as he gets."

Joshua leaned back. "Sounds like the Blacks are waking up."

Andromeda nodded slowly. "And this time, they're not planning to stay silent."

Percival glanced over his cup. "Then we plan accordingly. Sirius's case won't be easy. But I'd wager the Wizengamot isn't ready for what's coming."

Ted grinned. "Good. Let's be unready together."

---

Tonks & Tonks Magical Law – Private Meeting Room

May 2, 1991 – 3:18 p.m.

Josh set his tea aside, expression calm.

"We need to take this slow."

Andromeda looked up, her brow slightly furrowed.

"Not indefinitely," Josh clarified, "but enough to get our evidence lined up properly. The last thing we want is to move too fast and give someone an excuse to bury this under procedure."

Ted exchanged a glance with his wife. "You think it'll get covered up?"

"I think it already has," Josh said. "The Ministry didn't just misplace Sirius Black. They shelved him. Quietly. And I don't believe for a second it was an accident."

Percival made a thoughtful sound. "If you're right, this is bigger than a wrongful imprisonment."

Josh nodded. "Which is why I want to bring in Amelia Bones. Carefully. She's sharp, old-school competent, and she still owes you from the '79 Curse Repeal, right?"

Percival nodded once. "She'll listen."

"And she has the authority to quietly check Ministry trial archives," Josh continued. "If there's no record—no file, no Wizengamot vote, no sentencing—then we've got proof Sirius was never tried."

Andromeda sat back. "That's not just negligence. That's illegal."

"It's also leverage," Josh said. He pulled a folded parchment from his inside coat pocket and laid it on the table. "This came from Gringotts. I requested a cross-department verification on legal channels tied to House Black. They found no record of a trial. No summons. Just a detainment order filed under sealed war-time emergency law. No advocate. No appeal. Just silence."

Ted swore softly under his breath.

"Sirius Black has been in Azkaban nearly ten years," Josh said, evenly. "And he never even stood in front of a judge."

No one spoke.

Then Percival, quietly: "We proceed. Discreetly, but thoroughly. Get what we need. Build the case. Then we bring it down on their heads."

Josh gave a thin smile. "Agreed."

Later that same day

📘 "So You Got a Letter…"

Quest Log Update – System Notification

Objective: Create a guide for First-Gens, Second-Gens, and magical orphans about the wizarding world.

Bonus: Get it reviewed by credible legal and magical professionals before publication.

Progress: 78% Complete

• Manuscript finalized

• Tonks & Tonks Legal reviewed for accuracy

• Publishing rights secured through Myrddin stake in Flourish and Blotts

• Distribution channels prepared

System Evaluation:

> "This quest was meant to take three months, not three hours and a warpath through bureaucracy. Did you sleep, author-boy?"

"Reward pending, caffeine tolerance recalibrating."

Rewards Upon Completion:

• 3500 EXP

• Author's Prestige Bonus

• Multiverse Stream Tab (Chat Add-On Unlocked)

---

"Alright," Josh said, flipping the final proof shut with a crisp snap. "One year of frustration, two days of chaos, and seventeen cups of espresso later, and we are done."

Ted Tonks looked over the stacked pages. "You've really been writing this since last summer?"

Josh nodded. "Bits and pieces. Notes, rants, diagrams on the back of chocolate frog cards. Started properly when I met a kid who thought Accio was short for 'Accident.' Spent the last two days pulling it together."

Andromeda tilted her head. "You didn't sleep, did you?"

"Define sleep."

"More than two hours."

"Then no."

Percival chuckled from where he stood near the enchanted window. "In fairness, the boy's been writing drafts longer than the Ministry's updated anything for first-gens."

Josh stretched. "Hogwarts has how many centuries of history and still doesn't include a map of Diagon Alley with the welcome letter. Someone had to do it."

Ted flipped through the title page and smirked at the dedication.

> "So You Got a Letter: A Guide for the First, the Forgotten, and the Fed-Up"

Compiled by Joshua Emrys Myrddin, Heir of House Myrddin. Fact-checked by Tonks & Tonks Magical Law.

"You're sure about the subtitle?" Andromeda asked, amused.

"It tested well with the test readers," Josh replied.

"Who were the test readers?"

"Me. And my mirror."

Percival hummed in approval. "Flourish and Blotts will move it to press this week. Free distribution copies by owl to all orphan-tagged and first-generation students. You've got the stake to make it happen."

Andromeda leaned back, tapping her quill against the parchment. "For all the fire you've thrown at the Ministry lately, you've just handed them a solution they should've had decades ago."

Josh shrugged. "If you're going to criticize something, offer a better option. Then copyright it and make sure no one can screw it up."

[System Notification: Achievement Unlocked — "Public Education Reform, But Make It Stylish"]

> "Now fix the History of Magic syllabus. Seriously. Binns is still teaching the Goblin Rebellions like they're breaking news."

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