Chapter 165 Ella's Death
On the second day of Christmas, everyone got up very late. The Slytherin common room was much quieter than the previous days. People were chatting casually, interrupted by yawns from time to time.
There were still 9 days of vacation before the first day of school on January 4.
Before Christmas, almost everyone was just playing. Now, they began to find that there were only ten days left. Little wizards could be seen everywhere in the common room burying their heads in writing.
Sherin did finish his homework. After all, most professors gave him some preferential treatment because of his warrior status. Even the ghost professor Binns rarely congratulated Sherin on the victory of his first project in class, which surprised other little wizards. Sherin was probably the first student whose name was remembered by Professor Binns in recent decades.
Although there was no homework, Sherin and Draco had to leave Hogwarts. There was bad news from home-grandmother Druella Black passed away.
Under the arrangement of Lucius, Sherin and Draco went to Druella's small house with Floo powder that day.
Xielin was not a heartless person. Although he didn't spend much time with his grandmother, she loved him sincerely. Every Christmas and birthday, she would give him gifts. During Xielin's short stay at her house, the old lady prepared delicious food for him every day. She was always worried that Xielin's eyesight would be bad if he often immersed himself in books, so she bought Xielin expensive eye-replenishing potions.
However, Druella died of old age. Before she died, the house elves had brought Lucius and his wife to her. Although she didn't see her most beloved grandson for the last time, she didn't go to the world of the dead alone. Xielin, who had lived two lives, was not heartbroken about her departure, but he was also a little depressed and sad.
Xielin stayed at his grandmother's house for two days. During that time, he and Draco helped Lucius and his wife receive relatives and friends who came to pay their respects.
Although the Black family has declined, that refers to the paternal bloodline. As the largest pure-blood family in the wizarding world, the generation of grandfather Cygnus Black actually has many cousins, and their bloodline is still being passed down. For example, Mr. Crouch and his two sisters, their mother is Charlize Black of the Black family.
In other words, Mr. Crouch and Sherin's grandfather are cousins. They are all well-known figures in the political world and need to be received with caution.
In fact, the same is true for Mr. Arthur Weasley, who is also Cygnus Black's cousin, but the Weasley family has been expelled from the family because they are called "pure-blood traitors" and will not be invited to attend the funeral.
There is another guest, although she was not invited and had been expelled from the family, but she still came.
Sherin's second aunt-Andromeda Tonks.
Ironically, she is obviously Druella's biological daughter, but her arrival is not welcome at all. Narcissa didn't say a word to her. She just pursed her lips and stared at her indifferently, but her shaking hands betrayed her inner excitement. After all, she still took into account the sisterly affection and could not make up her mind to drive her second sister out.
Druella has three daughters - Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa. The three sisters have a very good relationship. This can be seen from the fact that Aunt Bella, who is Voldemort's most fanatical follower in the original book, is willing to conceal from Voldemort the fact that she and Snape have concluded a magic contract for Narcissa.
Unfortunately, this sincere sisterly relationship became fragmented after Andromeda fell in love with a Muggle wizard and got married. Andromeda was expelled from the family, and the two sisters and Andromeda also cut off all contact.
Since his father, mother, and Draco were unwilling to pay attention to this aunt, Sherin had no choice but to come forward. First of all, Sherin's name is loud enough. Although he is a generation younger, no one present dared to accuse him casually.
Moreover, the reason for Schelling to come forward can be said to be legitimate. Regardless of who the other party is and what his identity is, she came to express condolences with good intentions. Such a snub to her can be said to be contrary to the upbringing of the nobility. At the same time, Schelling's actions fell into the eyes of some people in the political circle, and could also be interpreted as Schelling's attitude towards the pure-blood concept.
Schelling knew that he had offended the Ghost Society and Walpurgis. Now he didn't care whether he would offend more enemies of the pure-blood extremists. On the contrary, if he showed his attitude to the public appropriately, he could also gain the moderates in the pure-blood family and let them know that in this wizarding world, in addition to the two extremes of pure-blood supremacy and pure-blood traitors, there is actually a third possibility.
Pure-blood moderates have always existed, and their power is not small. For example, Crouch and Greengrass are good examples. What they lack is actually a representative figure who can serve as a facade.
The pure-blood supremacists have Voldemort, and the pro-Muggle faction has Dumbledore. In comparison, before Schelling appeared, Crouch, the representative of the moderate faction, was probably a little short of the mark. Now, Schelling is trying to show his flag and become the representative of the pure-blood neutral faction. He has the reputation and potential.
Don't doubt it. During this period when Dumbledore was already old and Voldemort was missing, the edge shown by Schelling was enough to shine in the world.
Andromeda was moved to tears by Sherin's gentle comfort, and she just kept repeating "good child, good child". To be honest, she mustered up great courage to come here. She had already prepared herself to be kicked out, laughed at, looked down upon, and even insulted. However, she did not expect to be received and comforted by one of her descendants. This moved her so much that she could not say a complete sentence.
In addition to the branch of the Black family, there were also people from the Rochiel family where Druella came from. Ivan Rochiel, the last blood of the Rochiel family, was killed by Moody, who was an Auror at the time, because he participated in the Death Eaters. But the Rochiel family actually originated from France, and the French branch is the core of the Rochiel family.
In France, Rochiel is one of the 12 holy blood families with the longest history, and it ranks in the upper middle, at least in the second echelon, because some members of the family were implicated in the Battle of Grindelwald, otherwise it would be enough to challenge the existence of the Monroe family.
On the afternoon of the second day after the funeral, Druella was officially buried.
Just after the funeral ceremony, a well-dressed middle-aged male wizard came to Sherin, who was a will handling specialist sent by the Ministry of Magic's Law Enforcement Department. He read out Druella's will in front of Sherin's family.
According to the statement in the will, Druella passed all her inheritance, including the treasury of Gringotts, this small house, the house elf Sasha, various valuable antiques, etc., to Sherin, her most precious grandson. Sherin signed his name on a series of magic contracts and registered the name "Ella's Cottage" for this small house with the Ministry of Magic to commemorate Druella.
After everything was completed, Sherin originally planned to leave with his parents and Draco, but he didn't expect to be stopped by an old witch with shrewd eyes, thick and long eyebrows, and short black hair.
Xielin remembered that he had seen this well-dressed lady on the first day he came to Ella's cottage, but strangely, he didn't know her name - Xielin was very dedicated to entertaining every guest who came to pay his respects. He had read every guest list, and with his memory, it was even more impossible for him to make mistakes or forget anything.
To Xielin's surprise, Lucius just nodded to the old witch and told Xielin to stay and return to Malfoy Manor after the matter was over.
The old witch introduced herself as Aunt Vida, a distant relative of Druella's mother's family in France, a branch of the Rochiel family. She was wanted in France for committing a crime and fled to England. She was taken in by Druella and received a lot of help from her.
Xielin suddenly realized and thought of a name that had long been forgotten by everyone - the old woman in front of him was an amazing person!
Vida Rochiel
She is the right-hand man of the first Dark Lord Grindelwald, and holds a high position among the saints with a great reputation. How much Grindelwald trusts her can be seen from the fact that she was assigned to manage Grindelwald's divination skull.
"Sherin, you don't mind me calling you that, right? You can call me aunt, it's more intimate." With Vida's eyes, she had already seen the faint black magic aura in Sherin, and it also included the Rochiel family black magic that she was familiar with.
"Aunt," Xie Lin knew the identity of the person in front of him, and knew that she was a very smart and powerful person, so he did not dare to slack off, "Hello, is there anything Xie Lin can help you with?"
Vida smiled calmly and said, "I knew it when I saw you. You are a smart little guy. I like you very much, because talking to people like you can save a lot of effort. Let me put it this way, I have heard from others that you are Druella's most beloved grandson. I have received a lot of favors from her in the past, so I hope to do something for you to repay her-"
These words did not surprise Xie Lin. With Xie Lin's reputation, no one would believe that he was a fool. Moreover, from the will just read, everyone can see that Xie Lin is Druella's most beloved grandson.
Vida's next words were different. Her eyes suddenly became very sharp, "I have a question to ask you. Have you learned the family magic of our Rochelle family?"