Sirius POV
The long table in Potter Manor's great hall groaned under the weight of silver pitchers and platters of food Tilly was adamant they needed but no one touched. They weren't here for food they were here for news. Every seat around the table was filled with old names, new names, families who once would've sneered at each other across Ministry benches now sat shoulder to shoulder, their eyes trained on me.
Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. Arthur and Molly Weasley with Bill and Charlie at their side. Amelia Bones, sharp as a blade, her monocle glinting. Andromeda, Ted, and Dora Tonks, Dora already fidgeting in her chair. Amos and his wife from the Diggorys. Serena Zabini, serene and calculating. Xenophilius Lovegood, dreamy-eyed but intent. Cyrus and Laurel Greengrass, dignified and cautious. Jean-Luc and Apolline Delacour, with Fleur sitting quietly between them, her silver-blonde hair catching the torchlight.
Even the Grangers, had come... Muggles sitting at a table full of magicals. May wonders never cease.
I stood at the head, fingers splayed across the carved wood as I let the silence stretch.
"Voldemort is gone," I said at last. "Every shard of him burned out of existence. You've all heard the whispers, some of you have felt it. The Dark Marks gone from arms, the tether of his madness has finally been broken. That war is finished."
A ripple passed through the families some of them relieved, some suspicious, but all of them were waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I straightened up and said. "But this isn't about Voldemort. This is about what comes after. Do we stay here, rebuilding on ruins? Waiting for the next would-be tyrant to crawl out of the shadows. Or do we step into something older, something greater, something built before any of us had names?"
I let the words hang, then leaned forward, my voice dropping into the weight of a vow when I uttered the one word that would change everything for them. "Atlantis."
The name itself made the air hum. The torches flared, and more than one witch or wizard shifted in their seat.
"A city that was the heart of magical civilization before our histories were even carved into runes," I said. "Atlantis is our beacon, a fortress and a home. It called to the Potters through multiple family lines coming together in Hyacinth, it called to me, and I've seen it with my own eyes. It still breathes. The magic there is alive and it's waiting for us."
Narcissa's voice broke the quiet first. "L'amour familial est toujours pur," she said, her chin high, her tone measured. "Our family motto, before it was twisted by blood-purists. Atlantis offers us that again. It offers us our families preserved, not corrupted by the filth that twist what shouldn't ever be twisted."
Lucius inclined his head. "Legacy and security. A future for Draco that isn't chained to a crumbling Ministry or a twisted manipulator."
Arthur Weasley leaned forward, eyes wide. "And how would Muggle-borns fare in such a place? My son's best friend is one. I won't see a world built where she's left behind."
I looked straight at the Grangers as I answered. "Atlantis isn't about blood. It's about magic, about going back to our roots. It's a beacon, and it calls to all who carry it. Everyone has as much claim to its halls as any Black, Potter, or Malfoy."
Amelia Bones tapped the table. "You'll need governance. A charter, laws, defense. If you think I'm letting my niece grow up in a city without order..."
"You'll help write it," I cut in. "You, me, all of us, there will be no more dictators and no more shadow dictators pulling the strings. It will be a council of families, not to mention Atlantis already has a government system that we can adapt to our needs."
Andromeda folded her arms. "You'll need healers, potion masters, ingredients and teachers."
Ted nodded. "Schools, Sirius. We can't just abandon the kids education."
"Then we build it, but our ancestors have thought of that already in the form of a repository." I said simply. "We can use it along with what we have learned ourselves. Together we can do this."
Serena Zabini tilted her head, her dark eyes taking on a calculating gleam. "And what about our wealth, trade routes, political and social standing?"
"There will be no bribes, and no bought titles, but there will be other settlements we can trade with." I said. "However, contribution will matter more than names. Our goal here is to rebuild what was lost, to reclaim our lineage and all that entails. We have a chance to rebuild our world on our own terms."
Xenophilius all but glowed. "The stars have been calling louder since the Basilisk died. My Luna hears it too. It's destiny."
Cyrus Greengrass cleared his throat. "What of bloodlines, Sirius? What of heritage?"
"Heritage," I said carefully, "is preserved by survival. What good is a name on a headstone?"
Salvador Delacour finally spoke, his accent smooth but sharp. "France will notice. Beauxbatons will notice. The ICW will notice. Atlantis cannot be hidden forever. What assurances do we have that we are not walking into exile?"
"Exile?" I scoffed. "Atlantis is not exile, it is ascension. Not to mention we will be far away from the ministries reach before any of them even notice we are gone. Let's not forget that if they ever even manage to get close enough to us to see what we've built, what we've rebuilt they'll come to us. Better they come as guests than masters and by then they won't even remember who we are. We will have become their ancestors by then."
Apolline's voice was softer, her hand on Fleur's shoulder. "And our children, what about their safety?"
"Atlantis was built to endure," I said. "Its wards have outlasted empires. I certainly don't plan on messing with them. It should be even safer than Hogwarts wards."
Fleur's voice was quiet, but it carried a weight to it that couldn't be ignored. "I want to see the stars."
The air in the room rippled with Fleur's words. Some of the adults smiled at her childlike wonder, others looked startled to have their own desires stated so plainly. But I saw it in their eyes, the hunger, the hope and it was catching.
I slammed my hand against the table, not in anger, but with finality. "I won't force anyone. This is a choice. But if you come with us, if you choose this, then we go together. No one will left behind. So if you're coming, then go pack. Take everything, because we won't be coming back."
Amelia's monocle flashed. "Then draft your charter, Lord Black. If you mean this, prove it in ink."
"It's already done," I said.
The meeting broke into murmurs and rustling cloaks, but the air felt changed. This wasn't just a dream or a theory anymore. It had begun.
As the families filed out, I caught Lucius's sleeve and pulled him aside. His brows arched, but he followed me into the shadow of the hall.
"I need him," I said in a low voice. "Severus that is. His skill with potions, his calculative mind, and we both know there's only one way he'll trust us is if Lily asks him herself. Otherwise he'll hem and haw while bristling about, he might even tell Dumbles and that's the last thing we need happening."
Lucius's gaze sharpened. "You mean to have her portrait ask him?"
"Yes." My jaw tightened. "I want you to bring him here. That way we can let him speak to her. He do just about anything for her... Not that I like taking advantage of the poor sod like that, but we gotta do what we gotta do."
Lucius studied me for a long moment, then inclined his head. "I'll make sure he comes. He doesn't admit it often, but he owes her more than he lets on. I've only heard him admit it to himself once when he was drunk off his rocker."
I exhaled, the weight of the day finally pressing down on me. "Good. Then maybe, just maybe we'll have every piece we need by the end of this."