Sirius Black refused to break eye contact with his mother, who sat straight-back and proud in her study, surrounded by the history and memorabilia of the noble and pure Black family.
If he had his way, everything in the God forsaken house would be burned.
"So you think you have friends in high places, boy?"
He was not unused to the cold tone nor the almost common nickname she bestowed on him from the minute he was sorted into Gryffindor. Directly referencing his friends, however, was a new thing.
And one that made him feel slightly sick at the two worlds colliding.
"You truly think that is the right path, boy? Following scum into a war they can't possibly win?" a large smile fell upon her usually passive face, followed by a small giggle. It grew, mutating into a true cackle, as it mocked the 16 year old in front of her. The laughter stopped as suddenly as it started, as she rose, her willowy figure shrouded in emerald silk emulated power and mastery as she strode towards him, the silk whispering against the still air.
"You want to know what it'll be like?" It was a soft, hissy voice that reminded Sirius heavily of a reptile "When you go against us, boy?"
"I beg to know" his wand was in his hand ready for the hag's attack. She merely watched him as though he were only an only mildly interesting insect.
"Crucio"
He attempted not to scream, refusing to give the thing the satisfaction. Yet the screams that radiated from him seemed barely human, nor controlled. The pain ripped through his body, as though each skin cell were on fire. Everything burned, from his senses to the parts of his body he wasn't aware could hurt. And it wouldn't stop. The flames licked and licked, destroying any amount of control he struggled to have.
As it stopped, so suddenly that it shocked him, he noted the beast leaning over him, a look of pleasure and contentment in her normally dead grey eyes.
"Pick up that twig, boy, not that it did you much good"
He hadn't realised he was on the floor, nor knew how he dropped his wand as he gathered it before standing face to face with his most hated of people.
"Bow to my power" she sneered "bow and I'll forget this whole thing, boy, without spite"
Sirius gave her a sadistic smile, before gathering saliva and spitting into the noble face of Walburga Black.
"You are spite come to life, dear mother"
Raising her hand, she wiped the spit from her face staring at it on her hand for a moment.
"You've dug your own grave, son" she gave him an identical smile to his own "Avada-"
"Stupify!"
In the nick of time, Walburga Black landed static on the floor, her wand landing next to her useless and pathetic
His laugh ran through the house, a short bark of merciless pleasure at his mother, pathetic and small on the floor, still with anger embedded upon her face.
"What have you done?"
Regulas Black stared at the scene before him. His mother paralysed on the floor whilst his brother white and shaking over her body with an insane smile.
"Ah, my darling brother"
"I heard a crash"
"Not me then? You must have exceptionally selective hearing, brother mine"
Regulas ignored him and ran to his mother's side, looking over her for any permanent damage.
"Nothing serious-"
"Unfortunately"
It sickened him, seeing his brother truly care for the woman who made Sirius's life a living hell.
"You've had your side chosen for you brother. And you will lose everything because of it"
With that, Sirius Orion Black, formally heir to the Noble and Pure House of Black, left his prison for the past 16 years, and embarked to the salvation of James Potter's guest room.