Illusory § Order of the Phoenix

III. THE FOURTH FLOOR

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The home of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black was a jarring sight. Antares thought their home would have been grander, considering they were one of the most prestigious pureblood families in wizarding Britain. He didn't like that it was so cramped. The hallways were too narrow. The width only fits one pair of shoulders at a time, and Merlin forbid you were claustrophobic. It had all the detailing of a pureblood family: ornate furniture, gilded wallpaper, and even that ghastly troll-foot umbrella stand in the entryway.

Besides Sirius, the paintings were the most welcoming. Antares supposed it was because the portraits recognized either his name or his blood. He could only try to sympathize with the oil-painted witches and wizards that vied for his attention, not wanting them to yell and rouse the one portrait he had yet to greet.

Walburga Black, or as Sirius liked to call her, the horrible old hag, hung in the hallway on the ground floor. The curtains that covered her had been eaten away and stained with dust, one of the only things left untouched after Molly Weasley began to restore some of the rooms to full use. Antares had managed to avoid her portrait these last few days. When awake, Walburga's screaming penetrated every room of the house. However, Grimmauld Place was now full of people, namely Nymphadora Tonks, and it was becoming exceedingly difficult to do. He knew that if he were to face the portrait, he would most likely end up yelling at her as Sirius had.

Antares remembered how Sirius spoke of his childhood. Of how harshly Walburga treated him with her impossible expectations and constant disapproval. It seemed silly to him that something that happened to Sirius at age 11 defined the rest of his life. Antares once accidentally crushed an olive python egg with his foot back in the forests of his home and swore off snakes out of guilt. Ironic, considering he got sorted into Slytherin the very same year.

It didn't bother Antares, the stares. It was only natural, he guessed. He was a pureblood and a Slytherin. He spent seven years surrounded by blood supremacy highborn mania. By all accounts, he should have aligned with Voldemort and his followers. The longer he stayed with The Order, the more Antares began to doubt his usefulness. He was willing to help, it's what his mother would have wanted, but he also knew why Dumbledore asked for him. And despite showing up, he couldn't give the old coot what he wanted.

Antares, and the entire Kelly family, are descended from an ancient line of seers who migrated to Australia. In total, there were nine families. The heads of these families, four of them seers, form what is known as The Circle of Augers- dubbed The Circle. Not everyone in The Circle is born a seer. The last Kelly that did was Antares' granduncle, Edward Kelly, who ascended over 60 years ago.

It was clear that Dumbledore didn't realize what he was asking for. Directly participating in the war was against the accords Antares swore when he ascended. Seers renounced their involvement in any war after the families came close to being culled centuries ago. Due to what others called an unfair advantage, those born within The Nine Families were highly sought—after as either weapons or hostages. However, after careful consideration and many hours spent debating with the other families, Antares was sent as a representative.