『For as long as I have been alive, our family has been very assured in their fears, in which there are none. Though the family has become small, our strength still lingers. But fear is something everyone holds, and it is a lie to say we do not have even one.

I know one day, such words will be forgotten, that one day, these things will be erased and mistakes will be made. But I would like to hope, if just for this...』

The man appeared out of nowhere, a few yards away from a street that contained several rather shabby-looking offices, a pub, and an overflowing dumpster. For a second he stood quite still, looking between the smaller and less imposing buildings before walking briskly towards an old red telephone box, which was missing several panes of glass and stood before a heavily graffitied wall. He stepped inside, folding himself in and closed the door. He held the receiver above his shoulder, thin fingers expertly dancing around the numbers two, four, another four, two...

The dial whirred smoothly back into place, a cool female voice sounded inside the telephone box, not from the receiver in his hand, but as loudly and plainly as though an invisible woman were standing right beside him.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Aries Shafiq, I am here to discuss business that the Minister wished to proceed himself."

"Thank you," said the cool female voice. "Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes."

There was a click and a rattle, and he watched as something slid out of the metal chute where return coins usually appeared. He picked it up swiftly, barely glancing at the square silver badge with Aries Shafiq, Minister of Magic Appointment on it; pinning the badge to the collar of his coat while the female voice spoke again.

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

The floor of the telephone box shuddered, sinking him slowly into the ground. Aries watched dispassionately as the pavement rose up past the glass windows of the telephone box until darkness closed over his head. Then he could see nothing at all, only hearing a dull grinding noise as the telephone box made its way down through the earth. After about a minute a chink of golden light illuminated his feet, and, widening, rose up his body until it hit him in the face. His eyes narrowed agitatedly against the light before blinking, face smoothing out into calm.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day," said the woman's voice.

The door of the telephone box sprang open and he stepped out of it, now standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enormous heavenly notice board. The walls on each side were paneled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireplaces set into them. Every few seconds a witch or wizard would emerge from one of the left-hand fireplaces with a soft whoosh while on the right-hand side, short queues of wizards were forming before each fireplace, waiting to depart.

Halfway down the hall was a fountain. A group of gold statues, larger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circular pool. Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around this wizard were a beautiful witch with her wand extended elegantly out, a centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. The last three were gazing adoringly up at the witch and wizard. Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of the two wands, the point of the centaurs arrow, the tip of the goblins hat, and each of the house-elves ears, so that the tinkling hiss of the water was added to the pops and cracks of Apparators and the clatter of footsteps as hundreds of witches and wizards, most of whom were wearing glum, early morning looks, strode towards a set of golden gates at the far end of the hall. (1)

Aries immediately joined the throng, winding his way between the Ministry workers, some of whom were carrying tottering piles of parchment, others battered briefcases, and still others reading the Daily Prophet as they walked. He did not give a second look to the fountain where silver Sickles and bronze Knuts glinted up at him from the bottom of the pool.

He easily slid out of the stream of Ministry employees heading for the golden gates, toward a desk on the left, over which hung a sign saying SECURITY. A badly shaven wizard in peacock-blue robes looked up as he approached and put down his Daily Prophet.

Aries did not utter a word while the wizard drawled out in a bored tone, "Step over here." Gesturing towards a long and golden rod, thin and flexible as a car aerial, and passed it up and down once Aires was close enough, from front and back.

"Wand," grunted the security guard, putting down the golden instrument and holding out his hand. Grey eyes flickered tensely before settling into a cool look of indifference as he producterred his wand. The wizard dropped it onto a strange brass instrument, which looked like a set of scales with only one dish. It began to vibrate. A narrow strip of parchment came speeding out of a slit in the base. The wizard tore this off and read the writing upon it.

"Nine inches, apple wood, dragon heartstring, been in use twenty four years. That correct?"

"Yes," Said he.

"I keep this," said the wizard, impaling the slip of parchment on a small bras spike. "You get this back," he added, thrusting the wand at Aries. He inclined his head minutely, stowing his wand beneath his coat and started walking from the desk and back into the stream of wizards and witches walking through the golden gates. Through the gates into the smaller hall beyond, where at least twenty lifts stood behind wrought golden grilles, he joined the crowd around one of them. With a great jangling and clattering a lift descended; the golden grille slid back and he moved inside it with the rest of the crowd. He found himself settled to the corner of the walls, several witches and wizards gazing curiously at the dark wool coat and pressed black trousers with pointed shoes he wore. The grilles slid shut with a crash and the lift ascended slowly, chains rattling all the while, while the same cool female voice he had heard from the telephone box rang out again.

"Level seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and Ludicrous Patents Office."

The lift doors opened and Aries caught a glimpse of an untidy-looking corridor, with various posters of Quidditch teams tacked lopsidly on the walls while one of the wizards in the lift, who was carrying an armful of broomsticks, extricated himself with difficulty and disappeared down the corridor. The doors closed. The lift juddered upward again, and the woman's voice spoke once more; on and on for each floor that the lift stilled upon and opened its doors for, leading a witch or wizard out until finally it was just Aries. Level two went and passed, only seeing a corridor lined with doors before finally the lift ascended to the first level.

"Level one, Minister of Magic and Support Staff."

Aries stepped out of the lift. The golden grilles clanged shut behind him. He glided passed gleaming wooden door after gleaming wooden door, each bearing a small plaque with the owner's name and occupation upon it. There was no bustling or talk or swift footsteps here; the purple carpeted corridors as hushed as though the Muffliato charm had been cast over the entire place.

He turned a corner, halfway along the next corridor he emerged upon a shining mahogany door; a gleaming nameplate with Minister of Magic printed upon it, caused a spike to pulse through his chest like a coiled snake. He touched the doorknob, a sharp warmth settling underneath his palm before he twisted his arm lightly, the door stretching open. Aries stepped into the office and closed the door behind him.

Gray wallpaper dulled against the purple carpet and shelves marched along the wall in a way that seemed propped and untouched. A single oak desk was directed to the middle of the room, neatly displayed with trinkets of ink bottles, small figurines, and a towering stack tittering precariously over the corner. In the chair sat the Minister of Magic, an odd looking man with rumpled gray hair, wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a bottle-green pinstriped suit and scarlet tie. A lime-green bowler hat was settled on a stand behind him, along with a black cloak. Standing next to the man was a more finely dressed woman with her hair slicked back into a wide bun: black pressed vest with a white blouse peeking out from underneath, pencil straight skirt that clinched around her knees, and pointed black flats. Her expression was one of indifference and cool collective eyes.

Cornelius Fudge smiled brightly and stood, "Mister Shafiq! Come in, come in. Sit down please," he waved a hand to one of the leather chairs faced on either end of the desk pointed inwards. Aries smiled in polite greeting, eyes fastening upon the Minister once he was seated. Fudge hitched the trousers of his suit and sat down.

"You had asked for a personal favor Mister Shafiq, as a long unknown line of what had been the Slytherin lineage. Why, I didn't even think there was any lines that existed so closely to Slytherin anymore to be able to procure the vault. Aside from distant lines, it is not much to actually take the title. But you, why I hadn't truly believed it until I had Miss Allison here check with the Goblins and then the previous homing of your family. But it seemed before the second war had truly started, the family had left completely out of seas. Yet here you are..." Fudge trailed off, astonished. "Back again in British Wizarding society, and all because of the Girl Who Lived! A marriage contract... that is a big thing, you know?"

"I understand that it seemed sudden Minister, but after the debacle of Miss Potter that I had heard from the Daily Prophet, I had decided to return." replied Aries. Fudge nodded as if in understanding, "The Potter line had once been a proud family, very much were they a great one and yet here is all the family has come to. Almost extinct and on the verge of social collapse because of the poor delusions of Miss Potter whom has already lost so much."

Fudge eyed Aries quietly before leaning forwards, fingers lacing underneath his chin. "You believe that she can be swayed to the truth by this? A marriage contract to the Slytherin line?"

"She needs a steady hand to show what is right and not, what is real and not. I wish to only see her well again and for the Potter family to be once more part of society, proper and well." Aries shook his head, eyebrows pinching upwards. "What better way than to a husband that will be there for her, to support her well being? As myself of the Slytherin line and herself growing up in the Gryffindor house, I do know the animosity that seems legendary of Hogwarts and understand... That trust will take time. But she will first need to take that step with me, to face that trust eventually."

A noise of agreement rumbled from Fudge's throat. Aries did not look away. The man then smiled at Aries while the woman next to him dipped her head silently in understanding and as if propelled forward by a silent que, she moved to the wide stack of what Aries had thought to be parchment but on closer inspection were thin folders. Her finger trailed down the spine before freezing a quarter of the way down suddenly. Producing a wand, she swirled it in a tight circle and a single folder flew, sliding into her waiting hand. She slid a tiny brooch from her sleeve that, with a quick swirl, grew into a black pointed quill. Both were laid out in front of Aires, while the woman, in succession, tapped the folder which suddenly flicked open and filled with parchment.

Harriet Lily Potter

Blood Status: Half-blood

Family: Potter family, currently living with relatives who live in the Muggle World, Ministry inspectors have confirmed.

Security Status: The Girl Who Lived, Black Heir, fifth year Hogwarts student and currently attending.

Marriage Contract: Undecided, Aries Shafiq of the Slytherin line.

"Undecided... Well, I suppose this is your blessing Minister?" Aries asked, peering up to the man across from him.

Fudge inclined his head with a light smile, "As you will Mister Shafiq,"

Aries picked up the quill and placed the point of the quill on the parchment and wrote. His name appeared on the parchment in what appeared to be shining red ink. At the same time, the words had appeared on the back of Aries' right hand, cut into his skin as though traced there by a scalpel. Aries stared at the shining cut, the skin healing over again, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before.

"Allison," Fudge said.

She grasped the quill and closed the file that immediately thinned out and emptied.

"Put that away, won't you? It won't finish processing until the next week."

Allison left the office without another word, tucking the folder underneath her arm and shrinking the quill down into its previous form, clipping it to the inside of her sleeve collar. The halls were quite deserted; she walked slowly up the corridor then, when she had turned the corner and was sure neither the Minister nor the other wizard would hear her turned into a run.

『I will give only a single warning. For the unlucky few that live underneath my blood, potent enough to allow access to my vaults, to come across this chamber and my rooms... Then please understand it is not to be ashamed to wish to live, to survive, in any means necessary. It is simply human nature.

My brother had forgotten.

He had reminded me.』

The woman appeared, tucked into a narrow dark alleyway. For a second she stood quite still, knees bent stiffly from her landing, the thin Manila folder tucked underneath her arm; then recognizing the wide street, she shifted the file closer towards her heart and started walking briskly down the side street.

The lane was bordered on the right with high blank walls, neatly manicured trees peeking over; while on the left was a wide open street that was mostly barren aside from the late day revelers that passed her. Her flats clicked against the pavement as she marched. She turned right, into a wide driveway that led off into a lane. The high trees curving with them, running off into the distance beyond the pair of impressive wrought-iron gates barring her way. She did not break step as she raised her wand, the gates clicking open and shutting behind her.

Yew hedges took over the road to a handsome home growing at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the downstairs paned windows. Gravel crackled underneath her feet and she sped towards the front door, which swung inward at her approach. A young brunette visibly stood to the side, welcoming her. She did not spare him a glance. The hallway was large, generously lit, and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the wooden floorboards. Plants and wings and eyes of animals of pale portraits on the walls followed her as she strode past. She halted at a heavy wooden door leading into the next room, hesitating for the space of a heartbeat, then turned the bronze handle.

The drawing room was no longer that, but a wide and long office with an grande mahogany executive desk drawn to sit in front of a window. The room's furniture had been pushed inelegantly around the room. Illuminated only by the drawn curtains and if wished, the handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a carved box.

She lingered for a moment on the threshold, her eyes drawn upwards to the single figure of the room. He was seated directly behind the desk, so that it was slightly difficult at first, to make out more than his silhouette. As she drew nearer however, his face shone through: a slender, dark haired, and pale skinned man only known to her as Moriarty.

"Jane Allison, news?" said he, indicating the seats too far apart in the room to be properly of use. Eyes followed the woman as she strode forwards, producing a thin and short wand from the inside of her vest jacket. She stood in front of the desk, tapping the glowing tip of her wand down; the Manila folder flipping open, parchment paper whooshing suddenly into existence, and it was to him that the contents were bared to. His eyes fastened upon the parchment with such an intensity that she stiffened, apparently fearful of the scorching ferocity of his gaze even when not directed at her.

After a moment or two, his lips curved into a sharp smile, showing off teeth that glinted strangely against the afternoon light. Jane did not smile. His gaze wandered upwards, and he seemed to be lost in thought. A small noise of comprehension filled out from his throat before dark eyes slid back to the parchment lying on the table. His fingers followed the black ink that twisted from one side to the other.

Harriet Lily Potter

Blood Status: Half-blood

Family: Potter family, currently living with relatives who live in the Muggle World, Ministry inspectors have confirmed.

Security Status: The Girl Who Lived, Black Heir, fifth year Hogwarts student and currently attending.

Marriage Contract: In progress, Aries Shafiq of the Slytherin line, seen over by Minister Cornelius Fudge.

A square photo was tucked on the bottom corner, a young woman shifted before smiling tentatively back at him. Black curls of hair pulled over her shoulder, bangs framing around her pale face, and bright green eyes crinkled behind wire frames.

He flipped the page over.

Aries Keid Shafiq

Family: Shafiq-Black, currently only living heir to the Shafiq family.

Security Status: Slytherin Line claimed, recently returned from Spain.

Marriage Contract: In progress, Harriet Lily Potter, seen over by Minister Cornelius Fudge.

A square photo was similarly tucked on the bottom corner: a broad shouldered and thin man stared back at Moriarty, a very polite smile flashing. Long brunette hair settled inches around the man's shoulders, grey eyes staring coolly underneath arched brows. Moriarty didn't take a single moment to waste before he snatched the photo up, ripping through the middle.

"Stupid man," said Moriarty, flinging the paper scraps into the air. "Very stupid."

The confetti pieces fell onto the table.

Moriarty eyed Jane whom stood silently. "Good." He went on, "Very good. And this had only just occurred, not even fifteen minutes ago. Why, you practically bolted from the Minister's eyes and came straight here like a good dog! Very good." He slammed his hands over the desk suddenly, Jane flinching as he stood. He began to chortle in laughter, which then turned into loud guffaws as he jumped over the desk, "Time to go to Diagon Alley, Allison!" He strode towards the fireplace, opened the wooden box, took a pinch of glittering powder in his hand, and threw the powder into the fireplace. With a roar, a fire sprouted up from nothing, shades of green licking up high into the air, higher than Moriarty.

『He had forgotten and it is because of him that I remembered there is always something to fear.

The Moriarty family made sure of this.

I pray that you will never have to face them, and I know that these hopes are perhaps unreasonable, to demand that you never seek vengeance or clues as to why.

But this is not a bloodfued.

This is human against monster.

And the monster has lived far longer than we can or ever will.

To face them is to face Death, I assure you there is no winning.

If you head this warning as it is, then I shall give you at the very least the most important rule to abide by.

The rule my brother learned in death.

If there is something they have chosen, have some form of care towards, do not hurt or take or destroy that something.

Where a human may have enough mercy, they do not.

Imagine the worst thing possible that can be done to a person. Have it? Good. Then forget it, because I assure you they will think of much worse.

So do understand that this will always be a battle and war that won't be won, so run, if you ever meet them. Run as fast and as far as able. Run even when there is no more land or sea to go across. Perhaps, maybe then...

With wishes and hopes, Salazar Slytherin...』

(1) Ministry of Magic: most of this part was gleamed over from Harry Potter though I tried to switch things around a little, though I might have failed terribly.