Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Roses and Lovers ❯ February 28th, 1974 ( Chapter 3 )

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February 28th, 1974

 

“Matthias, how could you?”

 

It was a desperate tone that Theopolis never took. He knew of Hilarion and Stephanos' following Lord Voldemort, and he was proud of them. But Matthias - Matthias was another case. He was his father's first son by his first wife, some woman named Arianne Eldridge, or something, and he was completely faithful to Voldemort's beliefs, but he did not become a Knight of Walpurgis.

 

The eldest Carvel brother stared long and hard at his three half-brothers, each born with alabaster hair that each had grown at different lengths, his dark brown gaze unwavering even as his father and stepmother entered, Broderick Carvel holding such an expression of hatred that Matthias had to flinch, even if just a little, and Evangeline Carvel was behind her, her high cheekbones and almond-set eyes dead set on Matthias.

 

Theopolis repeated, “How could you?”

 

Matthias was defiant: “Father never became a Knight of Walpurgis, and he supports the Dark Lord's views much like I do. Why can I not follow in his footsteps?”

 

Evangeline's voice was terrifyingly low and quiet. “Our Lord has trusting faith in Broderick. However, our Lord does not trust you. My son, he needs proof of your loyalty.”

 

The answer came out before Matthias could stop himself - “You are not my mother!”

 

Theopolis glared, ready to slap Matthias in the face: “You will treat her with respect, nonetheless!”

 

Stephanos stood, gazing at his half-brother with a cold, hard stare. “We have told our Lord that he has no need to doubt you, Matthias, but he wants to Mark you. Will you not give your Lord that pleasure? So that he may not doubt you as he has doubted several?”

 

“You will be put beneath the Crucio,” Hilarion continued, obviously not pleased with Matthias. He respected him, yes, for being the eldest as well as for being his father's heir, but he felt that this was a very stupid decision.

 

Broderick Carvel was silent throughout; he sat regally upon a chair in the family room, its arms high as well as its back making him look even more like a patriarch of an old, Dark, Pureblooded family that dated back to Salazar Slytherin's time. He contemplated his son's actions, and analyzed them. He never thought that his son would have it in him; he was musing as he crossed his legs and set his crossed palms on them. They were rough, and calloused, he noticed, due to perhaps all of the `combat' that their Lord always had him in. His dark, black eyes looked at his eldest son critically.

 

He reminded him so much of Arianne Eldridge that it was not even funny.

 

However, his faith was not with Eldridge, nor was his love. They were now to his Lord, and to Evangeline. He rested his arms on the very arms of the chair, and began tapping his fingers immediately. The other five occupants of the room turned to him expectantly: Matthias was gazing at him, hopeful that he would be on his eldest son's side; his twins Hilarion and Theopolis, along with Stephanos, were staring at him placidly, as if they would turn their backs to the family if he agreed to Matthias's stupid pleas; and Evangeline, well. Evangeline was a completely different matter, for her eyes and face withheld no expression whatsoever. Broderick was so very proud of his wife, of her ability to stay calm in the strangest, sometimes most dangerous, of situations.

 

His voice no higher than a whisper, he began speaking: “I did not become a Knight of Walpurgis, but I supported our Lord faithfully through wars and such. Before Lucius Malfoy and the Averys, it had always been the Carvel patriarchs who had been his right hand. I had served him personally. However, since he owed my family a debt, he agreed to it that if I did not become Marked a Knight of Walpurgis, three of my sons would be named so at birth.” He looked pointedly at Matthias, a hard look in his black eyes. “Arianne protested to your naming as a Knight of Walpurgis, and therefore, since Evangeline herself, formerly of the Jernigan family, is a Death Eater, my three sons by her were named Death Eaters at birth. What you wish to do with your life is your problem and not mine, and it is surely not the Carvel family's problem, either, for that matter.”

 

Formally, he drew his wand and raised it toward his eldest son, who recognized the ritual his father was going to use. Broderick's voice was devoid of any emotion as he recited fluently in Latin the words to a ritual that his own father had taught to him long ago, should the matter ever arise:

 

“Absit omen. You, who are not worthy to bare the Carvel name, I remove you for thus. Causa justia. Causa morum. Causa culpa. Ecce homo! Behold he who is no longer worthy - I had once given him name of heir and son, yet he defies. Ecce homo! Behold he who is not of my name, nor of my blood.”

 

Matthias dropped to his knees the instant Broderick said `blood,' and all of his magic relating to the special talents of the Carvel family were stripped of him. Broderick sneered at him, waved his hand, and at an instant, the door of Carvel Manor opened. He snapped, and two house-elves took Matthias away.

 

He was no longer Matthias Carvel. Matthias No-Name, yes. Matthias No-Legacy, definitely. Matthias No-Family, of course.

 

Hilarion did not pity him. Theopolis felt nothing but anger. Stephanos was content. The three brothers waved their wands.

 

A yellow carnation flew out of Hilarion's wand.

 

A cypress came out of Theopolis' wand.

 

Two flowers came out of Stephanos' wand: Begonia, and achillea millefolium.

 

And that was the last day that the name `Matthias' was spoken in the Carvel household.