"Your son was there as a guest of the House of Black," Sirius began, "albeit through the Malfoy family line. It was no more than my Heir's duty to see to his safety."
"And I would counter that no such responsibility existed for the Head of the House of Potter." Nott rejoined.
Sirius was surprised Nott had countered with that. He'd hoped Nott's abhorrence to recognise Harry's Potter status had been a sign that he wouldn't be pushed into doing so.
"The Head of the House of Potter was the target of the attack." Sirius said firmly. "As he was the reason your Heir was endangered…"
"It is hardly the fault of the House of Potter that my Heir was endangered because someone attempted to kidnap Lord Potter." Nott interrupted. "The only one who endangered my Heir is the one who decided to attack; Lord Potter did nothing but defend my son. Regardless of your son's power, the shield he established and maintained could have caused magical exhaustion at risk to his life if the attack had lasted long enough; we both know it."
Sirius stared at him hard. Nott was determined to have the life debt acknowledged; that much was clear. The question was why?
He sipped his coffee, inhaling the rich aroma and letting the familiarity of it soothe him. "Let's say for a moment that as the Regent of the House of Potter, I was inclined to accept such a debt exists between the Houses, what would you propose as settlement?"
Nott sat back and brushed imaginary lint from his robes. "The Weasley Heir is in service to repay the life debt incurred in the saving of the Weasley girl. I would not consider a lesser proposition since I am certain that I value my only son as much as the Weasleys value their only daughter."
It was extremely difficult to keep his shock from showing. "You wish to swear your Heir into the service of the House of Potter?" Why, why, why would Nott want to do that?
"I'd prefer to swear him to the service of the House of Black but you made a valid point about the duty of a host." Nott said with a sly look over his cup.
Oh Merlin, Nott was good. Sirius had to admire the man's Slytherin talents. If questioned by his pureblood allies, Nott could legitimately claim he had been pushed by Sirius into accepting the debt was between Potter and Nott.
Sirius wanted to pace but pacing would give away his unease and so he reached instead for the Battenberg cake Kreacher had left. He took a bite and thought over Nott's insistence and his proposal.
Nott had declared a position of neutrality between the Houses of Black and Nott with the détente. It could argue with Voldemort when he returned that neither he nor his son could raise a wand against Harry or Sirius. But it wouldn't stop Voldemort from demanding Nott's son be Marked as Nott was himself; from demanding that in all other respects the House of Nott side with Voldemort. True neutrality was something that Voldemort would not countenance from a man branded as his follower.
But if Nott Junior was sworn to service in the House of Potter, he could not be sworn to the service of Voldemort. Theodore Nott would be placed firmly on the side of the Light. And done under the guise of the life debt and honour, it would make it hard for anyone to argue with.
Was Nott protecting his son from Voldemort?
It seemed unlikely yet Sirius couldn't shake the feeling he'd deduced Nott's motives correctly. And yet he couldn't also dismiss the possibility that Nott was using his opportunity to place his son as a spy close to Harry.
"Answer me something truthfully, Benjamin, and I might consider taking you seriously." Sirius said slowly and ignored how Nott stiffened almost imperceptibly at the challenge. "Why do you want this life debt acknowledged so much?"
"It's what Theodore wants." Nott said simply.
Sirius's eyebrows shot up.
Nott picked up his cup. "Theodore's politics are much more closely aligned to Lord Potter's than mine."
"Most Heads would be encouraging their Heirs to follow their agenda not a rival one." Sirius said carefully.
For a long moment, Nott remained silent, regarding Sirius intently.
"Do you remember Sebastian?" Nott asked eventually. "My brother's son? When Christian and his wife died of Dragon Pox, I took Sebastian in as my own and he was a wonderful Heir. Sebastian was perfect in every way; a wonderful boy. He was devoted to my agenda and a devoted supporter of the Heir of Slytherin. When Riddle needed a sacrifice for some wretched ritual, Sebastian offered himself. Eighteen years old and he died for the cause that I had indoctrinated him into believing." His dark eyes met Sirius's.
Sirius was at a loss how to respond.
"Riddle arranged my marriage to my ill-fated Sophia to compensate me for my loss, so I could replace one Heir with another as though he had sacrificed a puppy not a person; as though one human life was simply interchangeable with another." Nott continued in the same measured tone, his words lacking the bitter edge that Sirius might have expected to hear. "I cannot even regret his pitiful and monstrous thinking because otherwise I would not have Theo. This son I raised to think for himself; to question and challenge, and come to his own conclusions. I will not sacrifice another son to Thomas Marvolo Riddle especially one who does not want anything to do with him."
"I'm almost surprised that you still want anything to do with him yourself." Sirius murmured, absorbing Nott's strikingly honest confession.
Nott harrumphed. "I know your Grandfather taught you to take responsibility for the decisions you make. I made my decision and I will live with the consequences of it. Tom was once a very charismatic and powerful wizard and I was once young and foolish and swayed to his side with promises of something new and revolutionary. At the time he made me feel excited for the future, and not foolish at all but proud and powerful to be accepted to stand by his side." He raised his cup. "I'm certain the Heirs of the Potter alliance might have felt something similar when they decided to rashly declare their fealty to your son."
Sirius shot him a ferocious look. "I think there's rather a substantial difference myself."
"Your son has a very different vision for our world, and given the power at his disposal, one hopes a very different nature." Nott agreed calmly. He allowed a small smirk at Sirius's questioning glance. "He called the family magic of the entire Potter alliance," he raised a hand when Sirius went to deny it, "and please do not insult my intelligence. No alliance could have coordinated so perfectly; he did it alone." He rearranged his robes. "You didn't really think that it was our détente alone that brought Wilkes and Selwyn to your door? That prompts Gibbon and Adams to approach you now?"
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