Harry Potter: The True Lord

Bellatrix took several deep breaths and a few moments to calm her raging nerves and regain her composure, while Arcturus waited patiently.

"What do you intend by telling me all this?" Bellatrix questioned with narrowed eyes. She knew if the Black Lord was sharing such information, he must have something specific in mind.

"Lord Olario," Arcturus mumbled, and Bellatrix had an inkling of where this was going. "What kind of man is he?"

"I do not really know him," Bellatrix mumbled after a few moments. "It is true that I have not known him for more than a few days."

"I have met him thrice in these few days," she continued. "Even so, he is a decent man. He seems to have great manners and upbringing."

"And most importantly, he is powerful," she added with a glint in her eyes.

"How powerful?" Arcturus asked with narrowed eyes.

"That I do not know. I could not even force him to become serious," she replied with a shake of her head. "But for the entire time I duelled with him, he was not even serious. It was like he was amused and taking a leisurely walk."

"He countered my spells as if he were dealing with a child," she said. "I may not be sure, but I believe that he has the strength to rival some of the finest wizards of our world. And if he were lacking in anything, then it would only be experience."

"Oh!" Arcturus mumbled. He had known that Antonio was a powerful wizard. The way he had dealt with Rodolphus Lestrange had made it obvious. But to toy with Bellatrix was something he had not expected. Bellatrix was not Rodolphus.

She was a powerful witch and had commendable command over Black family magic. And to receive such high praise from Bellatrix, who was herself obsessed with power, was something he could not ignore.

"Why this interest in Lord Olario?" Bellatrix questioned.

Arcturus did not answer immediately, remaining quiet for some time as if contemplating something.

"Do you have any feelings for Lord Olario?" he asked bluntly.

Bellatrix forced herself to stop the blush creeping onto her face as she replied dryly, "Why would you ask something like this?"

Arcturus shook his head, "You do not understand, Bellatrix. Neither do your parents understand the dynamics of politics, especially in dangerous times like these."

"What Lord Olario revealed to the world yesterday would make him a hot commodity in all of Wizarding Britain. He does not have a reputation in our society. He is not a member of any political camp, and apart from his opinion on Muggle-born which he gave in response to Lucius' questions, which in itself was a well-balanced opinion, we know nothing of his ideology."

"People will flock to him and try to establish relations with him and draw him into their camp. They would search for any previous relation with the Olario family or Antonio Olario himself," he said. "I am sure, as we speak, there must be a few lords who would have already started contemplating sending their daughters towards him."

Bellatrix did not understand why, but she felt a small lump forming in her throat. The last sentence from Arcturus had made her really uncomfortable.

Arcturus sighed as his eyes softened, "Look, Bellatrix."

"You might resist Rodolphus Lestrange, and let me assume that you succeed in your endeavour, though the chances are slim. Then what? Sooner or later, you will have to accept someone. If not Lestrange, then some other fool."

"And the chances that your father finds a good match for you do not seem very high to me," he said. "So, why not look yourself?"

He continued, "I would not have suggested anything to you, but now, with Lord Olario suddenly coming into the picture, a lot of things change."

"Look," he said. "I am not saying that you have to marry him, but what I am asking is that you should try and learn more about him."

"As you said, he is a decent man and a powerful wizard. If you two are compatible enough, then it will benefit all."

"You will have a fine husband, and I can look up to someone if the Black family falls into decline or crisis," he finished as he stared at Bellatrix.

"You have grown beyond your status obsession," Bellatrix commented after a few moments of silence.

Arcturus shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "I will not make you believe that I have suddenly changed and have started to view every person or every family as being of equal status."

"But I am pragmatic enough to know that in the end, what matters more than blood purity or the status of one family is magical power. And Antonio Olario has that in abundance."

"Besides," he added. "The families who could actually rival us in our status are only three."

"And technically, each of the three has an eligible bachelor, but I doubt you could spend even a few moments in their company."

Bellatrix scoffed, "I hate Lucius, but the other two hate me more than I hate them."

Arcturus smiled but did not say anything. If you did not get it, the other two they were talking about were James Potter, heir to the Potter family, and Frank Longbottom, heir to the Longbottom family.

"What about my suggestion?" he asked.

"I will try to know more about him," Bellatrix mumbled slowly, and Arcturus was pleased to hear this as a grin spread over his lips.

"I should leave," Bellatrix said as she got up to leave the study. The moment she turned, the blush she had been forcing away from her face crept onto her cheeks, turning them red. A small smile spread over her face as she left the room with quick steps.

She was unaware that Arcturus had not been oblivious to the reactions going on in her mind. He had spotted the very subtle blush on her face when he had proposed that idea.

"It seems I am finally going to have a competent member in my family," he mumbled to himself.

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