To Bow with Pride

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Warnings: Frequently changing POV. Many characters' ages are different from canon (ie. Lucetia is in her mid 30s. Younger Blacks' age gaps aren't as wide as in the canon and will be revealed in chapter 2.) And Blacks being Blacks (aka Walburga's A+ parenting)

There will be no pairing for Harry with any of the Blacks.

If you're reading this fic hoping to see romantic Harry/Bellatrix or Harry/Narcissa or Harry/any Black, unfortunately you will be disappointed.

A/N: Many thanks to Ninfea for beta'ing. (Edited April 2014)

Chapter 1.

Lucretia Prewett sighed as she put down a silver necklace adorned with bright jewels. It was a grand summer solstice reunion of the noble and most ancient house of Black, so she needed to choose carefully. The caliber of the gifts showed who held the most power and wealth among the family members. It was always an unspoken competition among the Blacks, showing each other who had the most wealth to give priceless gifts.

Well, thank Merlin we don't have as many people as the Weasleys or I would have to spend my whole fortune on this event buying gifts for hundreds of brats. No wonder the Weasleys are poor.

Lucretia eyed a delicate golden ring. It was gorgeous, though no one in the family would be suited for it. Perhaps she could get it for Cassi. Lucretia looked around to find her daughter, noticing her small head gazing at an emerald jewel pin with yearning. She stifled a laugh at how Cassi desperately feigned indifference, though her eyes kept drifting back to the pin.

"Cassi, do you think your cousin Bellatrix will like this?" asked Lucretia, holding a ring in the air for Cassi to see. Cassi walked over toward her, all the while glancing back as if to make sure the pin wouldn't disappear into thin air. Lucretia handed the ring to her. Cassi inspected the ring with doubtful expression on her face.

"I don't think cousin Bellatrix appreciates beauty when she sees one. Perhaps Narcissa or Andromeda will. Bellatrix likes Dark artifacts or books about Dark curses rather than pretty jewels. She only likes jewels if they have some nasty hex or curse she could use." Cassi shivered.

Lucretia knew Cassi didn't like Bellatrix. It may have been because of the age difference, although Lucretia suspected it was Bellatrix's penchant for viciousness.

"Would you pick out appropriate presents for your cousins while I go ask the shopkeeper something?"

Cassi's face darkened, no doubt wondering how in the world she was going to find the right present for Bellatrix. But her face soon brightened. "We have to go to Zonko's if we want to find suitable presents for Sirius and Andromeda," she exclaimed. Lucretia mentally sighed as she noted to herself to warn Sirius and Andromeda not to corrupt her daughter. Those two pranksters were far too eager to recruit their little cousin to join forces to play tricks on the family.

Lucretia made sure Cassi was engrossed in her mission and went to the counter to pay for the pin Cassi was pining for. It would be her secret gift, she smiled as she tucked the pin into her purse.

"Cassi," Lucretia called, beckoning Cassi over.

"I can't find any Dark ornaments or beautiful trinkets that would satisfy cousin Bellatrix or Narcissa," grumbled Cassi, throwing a look over her shoulder to see if the pin was still there. But Lucretia couldn't let her find out too soon.

"Then we'll have to go to other shops to see," said Lucretia, guiding her daughter out the store, smiling to herself at Cassi's grumpy demeanor.

Diagon Alley wasn't too crowded as it usually was on a week before the start of the school. The ambience was cheerful, nonetheless, with people chattering in the streets and children admiring a newly released broom in front of glass wall.

"Are we going to Zonko's?" asked Cassi, jumping up and down with excitement. Lucretia nodded as they passed several shops. Unlike other Blacks, she didn't mind her daughter behaving in such way.

The Alley was filled with excited families shopping for school supplies for the upcoming school year. Lucretia realised that she would be joining the crowd in a year. Oh how the time flew by, she thought and brushed her daughter's hair back.

Suddenly, a store window beside them shattered.

Lucretia immediately hugged Cassi close, reaching for her wand. Her heart thrummed against her ear with panic. Was that an accident or an attack? On Lucretia's left, boxes in front of the store exploded. She quickly cast a shield charm to block any fragments coming towards them. This was not an accident.

People began to scream and run to other side of the Alley, seeking protection. Spells splayed the air. Lucretia ducked as a blazing red curse shot towards one of the shops nearby, burning the door of the shop behind her. She frantically looked around. Where were they coming from?

Lucretia urgently whispered, "Cassi, we need to get out of here. Do you think you could run, so we can get to a safe place to Apparate?" Cassi nodded shakily, gulping nervously. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucretia saw a hooded figure lifting its arm to shoot another curse. Another figure aimed at the sky and shouted, "MORSMORDRE!"

Green mist shot into the air and exploded into … the Dark Mark.

Ominous greenish smoke illuminated in the sky, forming a shape of a skull with a serpent protruding from its mouth. The surrounding clouds were dark grey as if the skull was emitting poisonous fumes that polluted everything.

High pitched screams erupted everywhere as people recognised the Dark Lord's symbol and pandemonium ensued. People were scrambling to seek shelter, some trying to keep their families close by tightly holding their hands.

Lucretia clenched her teeth in anger. Death Eater raids. She knew there were occasional raids by Death Eaters but she didn't expect them to raid a busy, guarded place such as Diagon Alley. She mustered up the energy to cast a strong shield charm around them. Then Lucretia dashed out, heading for a corner to hide, gripping Cassi's hand tightly, slipping on small fingers clammy with fear.

Everything was eerily quiet.

Lucretia held her daughter's hand tightly. She whipped her head around to see if there were attackers nearby. The surrounding was quiet. She tried to subdue her erratic breathing to hear any noise. She heard a whimper coming from below. Cassi looked up at her with frightened eyes.

"Mummy?"

"Shh." Lucretia put a finger on her mouth curling her other arm around her daughter's back firmly. Lucretia shifted her feet nervously, wincing as tiny particles of concrete crackled beneath her shoes. She couldn't risk any noise bringing danger to her child.

There was a rustling behind her. She whirled around, pointing her wand in the direction where the sound came from. She had to get out of the Alley. Judging by their movements, Death Eaters were not too keen on actually attacking people, but only wanting to strike fear into every witch and wizard's heart. But she didn't want to risk it. She needed to Apparate or Floo back to the Black estate, safely behind the protective wards. But how? She tried to calm her thundering heart to concentrate on Apparating, and instead of the usual twisting feeling of Apparition she stumbled into the stone wall as she failed to Disapparate. Lucretia mentally cursed as she balanced herself. The Death Eaters had prepared wards, hemming in the busy crowd in the Alley.

Another sound.

This time, the sound was much nearer. She could feel sweat forming on her back from anxiety and panic. Cassi trembled against her hand.

She leaned on the brick wall, closing her eyes as she counted three. One.

Lucretia grasped her wand tightly, her hold on the wand slick with sweat. Two. She went through the spells and curses she would cast. She had to hold the figures back until they were behind the Anti-Disapparition wards. Three.

She pulled Cassi behind her as she fired a curse around the corner. The masked figure quickly ducked, raising a shield. She shot another curse at the other masked person hiding behind the barrel. The barrel exploded. The man rolled aside, hastily shooting a body-binding spell at her as soon as he sat up. Lucretia blocked the spell with its counter. Slashing her wand in a large arc-like motion, she sent a curse in wide range to hit both figures. She hastily brushed the hair from her face, wiping the sweat forming around her eyes. She was tiring quickly. The constant shield charm around her daughter was draining her.

Perhaps the Death Eaters didn't recognise her yet because of the distance. She wasn't a Death Eater herself, but it was widely assumed every Black either sided with the Dark or at least didn't go against it. And the influence of their family had should have ensured their safe passage anywhere in the Wizarding World.

She couldn't make out if they were aiming to injure or kill, or just stun. If that were the case, there must be at least someone in this raid who recognised her as a Black, so should she let them near? But was she so sure? It seemed almost everyone either successfully evacuated before the Anti-Apparition ward came up or hid in the houses along the Alley. She should have Apparated immediately. Lucretia inwardly cursed at herself for being too taken aback. Did the Death Eaters think she was some Order member because she didn't Apparate away and stayed in Diagon Alley to fight them?

Lucretia swirled around to avoid another curse coming towards her. She desperately jabbed her wand to Stun both figures and get her daughter away from here. Lucretia growled, exasperated, as the two easily blocked the Stunners. She couldn't prolong this any longer. It would only be to her disadvantage. Should she just shout to tell them she was a Black? Then, she felt another figure approaching from behind.

No!

She mentally screamed as the two in front of her fired curses. She whirled around, exposing her back to them as she embraced Cassi to block any curses that may come from the figure behind Cassi. Lucretia wrenched her eyes close.

"Protego!"

The figure yelled, and Lucretia felt a powerful shield buzz behind her, protecting — her and Cassi. Alarmed, she lifted her head, only to see the figure send multiples of spells, several of them Lucretia had never seen, taking down the two masked figures before she could even marvel at such skill.

She didn't dare let Cassi go. Lucretia firmly held her daughter close and listened as the figure walked over to the attackers, murmuring binding spells.

"Mummy? Mummy, are you okay?" Cassi asked in a tentative voice.

Lucretia nodded, tensing as their savior strode over to them.

"Are you injured?" The question was laced with genuine concern.

The voice was surprisingly young. From the fluidity of his movement and the radiance of the magic, she assumed the stranger would be at least thirty years of age to have possessed such experience and skill. He was immediately beside them, crouching down to meet their eyes. Lucretia raised her head to appraise the figure. He was wearing a plain, black robe. Indeed, the man was very young, possibly in his early twenties, or even younger than that. His raven hair was tousled wildly by the tense attack – or maybe it was just the way it was, as he kept running one hand through it in agitation. The most brilliant green eyes she had ever seen darted between her and her daughter.

"Are you alright?" he asked again. "I could take you to St. Mungo's …" he faltered, eyes widening for a moment. He abruptly embraced Lucretia and Cassi close, holding them protectively as a shield dome formed around them, just as curses rained down on them. Maintaining the glowing dome around Lucretia and Cassi, the man quickly drew his wand out and stormed away in the direction the curses came from. The man's magic surrounded him in its fierce intensity.

The man easily deflected the curses aimed at him, sending offensive spells at the Death Eater like a natural reflex. As the man progressed toward his assailants without faltering, smoothly blocking the curses, the Death Eater began to panic, frantically shooting curses in succession. His dueling style was not that of an Auror, she observed. Maybe a mixture of Auror and some other forms. Surely a duelist of this caliber would not have gone unnoticed had he been trained in Britain. Lucretia frowned as she recalled no name she had heard that would match the description of the man. Who was he?

One spell headed towards Lucretia and Cassi, as the first Death Eater was joined by another, no doubt trying to divert the focus of the formidable young man. The man snarled in anger as he waved his wand in a complex movement. Then another shield, this time red and net-shaped, fizzed and sparked around them, absorbing the intended curse. Lucretia's eyes widened at the magic.

Absorption shield, she thought, awed. She eyed the man with both caution and admiration as he advanced towards his target. The two Death Eaters who had been firing curses at Lucretia and Cassi from the beginning scrambled, searching something in their robes. One of them rushed to the two body-bound figures on the ground. Lucretia felt the air shift as the wards went down. The Death Eaters disappeared from the alley using Portkeys.

Lucretia saw the man sigh in frustration, running a hand through his hair. She bent down to dry the tear streaks on Cassi's face and pat her cheeks comfortingly, and stood up, straightening the wrinkles on her robes. The man was still on guard, as if expecting to have another attack that would aim them. He muttered an incantation under his breath and the wand on his hand spun around. Then after a moment, the wand came to rest. Seeing that, the man visibly relaxed.

"Thank you," said Lucretia, and felt herself truly mean it. She looked down to see if Cassi was alright, whose face was white from shock and fear. She squeezed her daughter's hand to reassure her.

"I am Lucretia Prewett, née Black, and this is my daughter Cassiopeia. We owe you our lives, Mister …" inquired Lucretia.

"Carrow. Harry Carrow."

Carrow?

Lucretia pursed her lips as she rummaged through the Wizarding family names in her head. It took her some time to remember what she knew about the Carrows. I haven't heard about the Carrows for quite a while.

The Carrows were well-known for their privacy. They weren't as politically active as the Blacks or the Malfoys. They also didn't expand their economic or political influence through marriages as much as Blacks did. Lucretia was often surprised at the number of pureblood families the Blacks were related to, by blood or by marriage. However, the Carrows were not one of them. On the other hand, they were known for producing talented scholars.

Hm. She appraised the man before her. The man had fine features, and decent enough manners to put himself at risk to rescue a woman and her child. This man was righteous and honest. His green eyes were trusting, perhaps far too trusting in Lucretia's opinion. Naïve people cannot endure this cruel world, she thought bitterly. But then, when she recalled the keen eyes, powerful and determined demeanor, she believed this man wasn't that callow. Besides, Cassi seemed to like him, and Lucretia trusted children's intuition. Or at least her daughter's intuition.

And the power and knowledge of spells he possessed. She could feel her eyes gleam. He would be a great asset and an ally in these times of fear. If he could be trusted, he might be a good mentor to her.

"I would like to thank you properly," she smiled earnestly. "The Blacks do not express their gratitude to their savior this poorly."

"No, no," the man waved his hands frantically. "I didn't protect you just to get some reward. Anyone would have done it if I didn't."

Indeed, Lucretia mentally rolled her eyes. She doubted it. They're just too busy saving their own arses, she sneered.

"It would be considered rude if you keep insist on refusing a gesture of gratitude from people who owe it to you," she chided, raising her eyebrow to make the man feel uncomfortable. "Come with us to the Black manor."

She could not let him go so easily. This was her chance to make acquaintance with the man and establish an alliance. She trusted her own judgment and her child's. But in the unlikely event that they were both wrong about the man, the Black Manor would still be more advantageous ground for her with her relatives and the wards present.

"I, I —" he stammered, eyes wandering frantically as if looking for a way out. He didn't look as half distressed as when he was battling the Death Eater. Then he slumped, sighing. "I would like that very much," he said, smiling helplessly at them.

"Cassi, why don't you hold his hand so he could Side-Along Apparate with us?" she encouraged, nudging Cassi's shoulder towards the man. She pictured the Black Manor in her head to Apparate. It was only when she felt the familiar feeling of Apparition twisting her stomach that she remembered she didn't finish buying the presents. Oh well, she mentally shrugged. I'm bringing a much better present anyway.