The Philosopher's Stone ft. Andrew Black
Hi everyone. SO this is the first chapter of my first Harry Potter story, with my OC, the son of Sirius Black, Andrew. I've seen so many of these stories but they were always about daughters, so I thought I'd have a go at writing one where he had a son. I hope you like it and if you did then please review.
Chapter One
Gone midnight, November 1st, 1981
The knocking at the door was persistent, despite it being the middle of the night. Andromeda Tonks hesitantly opened the front door of her home, wand behind her back, and her husband but a few feet away. They lived far away from the nearest Muggle village. Perhaps one had become stranded and was seeking help. But this did not allow her to loosen her grip on her wand. She opened the door and near-silhouetted by the dark sky, she saw the slouched, and some how deflated, form of her cousin, Sirius Black.
'What the – Sirius! It's the middle of the night!' She hadn't seen her cousin in a fair few years, since her wedding to Ted, but here he was now, dark circles around eyes that seemed to have been crying not too long ago, and a reckless air about him. The man in his early twenties looked at his cousin with heavy eyes, as if burdened with something great.
'Take him.' Sirius said bluntly and soon her arms were heavy as Sirius passed his year old son to her, who was fast asleep. 'Take him, I'll be back for him, I promise, but just look after him…I need- I need to do something. I'll be back!' Sirius ran down the garden path, looking back only once before Apparating with a loud crack, and Andromeda was left standing in her doorway in her dressing gown, holding the now squirming body of her year old second cousin. She looked down and saw the dark hair, the small nose and the eyes rolling beneath the lids, hiding their colour. She slowly turned back in doors to find Ted standing in the hallway, his wand out as their eight-year-old daughter peered around the corner, more discrete than the bright pink hair she'd recently favored.
'Who was it 'Meda?' ' Ted asked, lowering his wand once he saw the small boy in his wife's arms. 'Was that Sirius?'
'It-it was…he just left. He said he'd be back, but he left us with –.' She looked back down at her cousin's son as the boy's eyes slowly opened and took in his surroundings sleepily. His eyes were a light blue, unlike his father's grey eyes. The child glanced up at her before yawning loudly and drifting back off. This was her cousin. This was Andrew Black.
Morning came and Sirius didn't return, although neither Andromeda, Ted nor Nymphadora noticed the passing of time as Andrew, or Andy as he only responded to, kept them busy, running, hiding, crying for his missing father and throwing a tantrum until Dora managed to calm him down by growing a duck's beak much to his amusement. Hours passed and it wasn't until there was persistent knocking upon their door again that they found out what had happened to Sirius Black.
'I am so sorry to be the barer of such awful news, my dear Andromeda.' Professor Dumbledore said gravely, once he had finished explaining what had only recently transpired. Sirius had been apprehended and was already on his way to Azkaban as they sat there, Ted looking serious, Andromeda sighing heavily and Nymphadora at their feet happily reading Andy the story of Babbity Rabbity, neither of the children understanding what the adults seemed so upset over. The twinkle in Professor Dumbledore's eyes moved to the small dark haired boy at his cousin's feet, happily laughing and clapping as Dora read him the story.
'Do you wish to keep the boy here? I am sure I can find him lodgings some place else if you felt uncomfortable with him.' Dumbledore offered. Andromeda shook her head quickly and lifted the one year old from the rug onto her knee.
'No. He stays here.' She spoke as she smoothed down the boy's hair. 'I don't care what Sirius did. He lost his mother only months ago, and now his father. He's not losing anymore family. He stays with us.'
*****HP*****
10 years later
'And the crowd goes wild! Tonks scores the winning goal!' A bubbly, purple haired teenage witch laughed as her younger cousin scowled upon his second-hand broom as she flew around the large and quiet garden where their match had taken place, the first to twenty points won by throwing a deflated Muggle football through a gap between tree branches. He had lost by a mere four points.
'Give over, Dora.' The dark haired boy called as his cousin rolled her broom through the air with glee. He was skinny, but built sturdy, he just had yet to grow into the form, as he was ever so slightly shorter than most eleven year olds.
'Aw is ickle Andy a sore loser today?' His cousin, Nymphadora Tonks, either known by Dora or preferably Tonks, ruffled the black hair of her young cousin before they moved their Cleansweep's to the ground. 'Looks like you owe me some Bertie Bott's, dear cousin.' Dora laughed as she draped an arm over his shoulders as they left their brooms in the shed before moving into the kitchen of their cottage home. As they gulped down several liters of Pumpkin juice, a dark haired woman moved from the sitting room into the kitchen, her hand rooting around in her purse for a slip of parchment. She was a tall, slim witch with dark hair and kind eyes.
'About time you two came in, I was going to call.' Said Andromeda Tonks. 'Are you both ready?' The two eagerly nodded, having waited to travel to Diagon Alley for a while ever since an acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had appeared, tied to the leg of a rather grouchy barn owl, addressed to Andy, after years of waiting and watching Dora come back ever summer with amazing stories of secret passageways and the giant squid in the lake.
Dora left her glass on the kitchen counter and moved to grab her wand from the sideboard, but tripped over her own two feet, swiping the glass off the counter and taking and few pieces down with her.
'Oh Dora.' Andromeda sighed as her daughter's hair turned as red as her face in embarrassment before cracking up with laughter alongside her young cousin. Andy helped her up as Andromeda swiped her wand and repairs were made instantly.
'Go grab some Floo Powder then,' Andromeda spoke as the two raced into the large fireplace within the family kitchen. The three of them were travelling whilst Ted Tonks would be meeting them there, to take Dora to the Ministry to begin filing forms on sighing up to the Auror department. Dora went first, taking a small sample of the glittering powder from an old flowerpot besides the grade and stepped into the cool green flames. She threw the powder down and called out 'Diagon Alley!' and disappeared with a shriek and a pop.
'You next, Andy.' Andromeda gently patted the back of her cousin's son as he stepped into the fireplace, calling out a following 'Diagon Alley!'. With a pop, he zoomed past many blurred fireplaces, trying to avoid the soot that landed in his eyes as he zoomed closer to the fireplace designated at the top of the alley beside the Leaky Cauldron. With a burst of green flames and another pop, Andy was thrown through the air and landed on his backside in the alley where Dora was leaning against a wall, laughing at his entrance.
'Nice one Andy, real smooth entrance.' Dora grinned as Andy smiled sheepishly.
'As soon as I can Apparate I'm never going to use Floo Powder again.' Andy said as he rubbed his lower back. Dora just grinned and disappeared with a pop, before appearing just behind him with another pop, making him jump from his skin, despite being aware of his cousin's pranks.
'Until then, I'm going to annoy as much as possible.' Dora grinned and wrapped an arm around Andy as he rolled his eyes. With another pop, Andromeda Tonks appeared besides them, this time they both jumped high as Andromeda gave them a small grin, the one she had passed onto her daughter.
'Come on, we're all meeting up in Flourish and Blotts.' The two raced their way to the bookstore, weaving in the crowds, Andromeda shouting at them to slow down and behave.
'You're losing this time, Nymphadora!' Andy chortled out happily as he beat his cousin in the race. The door to the bookstore was right in front until somebody dressed in black robes walked in front of him and he collided with the small gathering, their purchases spilling across the cobblestone street, as he landed on the floor for a second time.
'Ouch!' Andy cried. 'Sorry-!' He spoke before the people turned around, showing a man and woman with white blonde hair looked down at him on the floor, a boy around Andy's age with the same hair looked down, and seemed to sneer at him.
'I- sorry,' Andy began to apologize again until a hand appeared and hauled him back up.
'Nice one, are you trying to become a bludger or something-?' Dora laughed before she saw whom her cousin had run into. The family of blondes seemed to look all the more disgusted upon arrival of Andromeda, who froze at the sight of them, before harshly tugging the children into the store, without another look back.
'There you are! I was wondering where-' A tall man by the name of Ted Tonks beamed happily as his family appeared in the store. 'Andromeda?' Ted asked as he saw how pale his wife had become. Andromeda waved her hand before taking out the piece of piece of parchment with Andy's equipment list on.
'Dora, help him find his books.' She passed the sheet to her daughter who took her cousin off in search of the Standard Book of Spells Grade 1.
'Who were those people?' Andy asked as he browsed through a book full of rather warty looking wizards.
'I think…I think that really snobby lady was Mum's sister.' Andy nearly dropped the book her was holding, which impatiently snapped at him to be careful.
'Wait…she couldn't be related to Aunty 'Meda. I've never seen anyone so uptight, I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to run into them.' He always had called Ted and Andromeda 'aunt' and 'uncle', despite their relation only being as cousins.
'No, it wasn't that. They haven't seen Mum in years.' Dora said as she pulled out a copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scarmander. 'There the sort who are all for Pure-Blood mania, you know?' Andy caught on instantly and stuck his tongue out. 'That was one, the other sister is in Azkaban with…well, you know…' Dora trailed off as Andy hid his face, all to aware of the relative he shared who resided in Azkaban. He didn't enjoy talking about his father if he could help it.
'Yeah, I know. But seriously, they're rude because she married Uncle Ted? I don't get why they're so against Muggle-borns, or even simple Muggles for that matter.' Andy said as he pulled out another book, not seeing the title and opening it to a random page where the force of a thousand hurricanes began to blow from the book, blowing out the candles and throwing the pair of them across the shop floor and into a display of How To Avoid Magical Accidents by Doris Heatherfeather.
'Not again!" Andromeda cried out as the two smiled sheepishly up from the fallen display of books as the manager behind the desk looked ready to cry.
Once they had paid for the schoolbooks and apologized a thousand times over to the manager, Ted and Dora headed out of the Alley as the departed for the Ministry of Magic.
'Good luck, Dora.' Andy smiled and held out several old Bertie Bott's from the bottom corner of his Muggle jeans. She grinned and took the beans, tripping over an old Wizard's overly long beard in the process, who threatened her with a Bat Bogey Hex before they separated.
'Come on, we'll get the rest of your stuff, and an ice cream if we have time.' Andromeda smiled at her cousin before they went inside Madame Malkin's robes shop, where an old plump witch led him to a stool as pins and fabric zoomed over and began to place themselves. After that they headed into the Apothecary, where jars of pickled things and bumpy, slimy toads sat perched on toadstools. After that Andy managed to convince Andromeda to let him spend his remaining pocket money in Zonko's, where he purchased several Dungbombs and a new Ever-Bashing Boomerang, after his last one had chased a passing Muggle through the country lanes where they lived. Andromeda had promised to skin him alive if that ever happened again.
The last place to visit was Olivanders, the place that Andy had been looking forward to the most. As they made their way up the cobbled street towards the store, a giant of a man and a small skinny black haired boy left the store, a cage carrying a sleeping snowy owl under his arm.
'Ello Andromeda!' the giant of a man boomed and Andy realized this must be Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper Dora had told him about, who tended to the grounds and had stopped her and her Hufflepuff friends heading into the forest on a dare more than once.
'Hello Hagrid.' Andromeda and Hagrid exchanged pleasantries, Andy saw the boy with Hagrid looking shy and fiddling with the bars of his owl's cage.
'Um, hello.' Andy said timidly. 'Are you going to Hogwarts this year too?' The boy nodded and looked up from the cage with a small smile on his face.
'Yeah, I've just been to get my wand.' He showed the highly polished stick of wood with glee as several gold and red sparks shot from the tip.
'Cool. I'll see you there. I'm Andy Black.' Andy held his hand out slowly. Somehow the boy seemed rather familiar. Several wizard children had been dragged away from him after learning his name more than once and he waited for it to happen again, but the boy shook his hand.
'I'm Harry Potter.' He said shyly before shaking Andy's hand, as his eyes blue eyes went wide.
'Really? As in the legend of Harry Potter? Oh, sorry.' He said as he saw how embarrassed Harry became at the mention of his story.
'It's alright, I'm just getting used to it. I never even knew I was a wizard until Hagrid here came along.' Hagrid beamed down and patted Harry's head.
'Makin' friends already, Harry? Come on then, time for a bite to eat, see you later, Andromeda.'
'Bye.' Harry said and Andy smiled and waved back, relived to know he wouldn't be alone at Hogwarts, as Dora had left at the start of summer. The bell to the shop tinkled as Andromeda and Andy stepped inside the dark and musty room. He couldn't really remember the day when Dora had gotten her wand, all he could remember was a flowerpot flying across the room and breaking a window. That was even before she picked the want up too.
An aged wizard with silver hair came up from behind the desk and smiled.
'Young Mr. Andrew Black. Yes, I wondered when you would be coming.' Olivander got straight to it, pulling box after box of wands off the shelves and displaying them across the desk for Andy to choose.
'Pick which ever you like, Mister Black.' Olivander spoke in a hoarse whisper. Andy hovered his hand over several before picking a pale brown wand up from a box and it tingled in his hand.
'Give it a wave, boy.' Olivander said and Andy gave the wand a quick swish, before jets of flames shot from the end and melted the candles upon the candelabra above their heads.
'Most defiantly not.' Olivander grabbed the wand and moved it out of their reach. Again, Andy's hand was hovering over the selection of wands before settling upon one with a fine handle that seemed to have small stars and planets he had only seen in Dora's Astronomy books engraved on the handle. He gave it a wave and several small blue birds shot from the end with a bang like a cannon. Mr. Olivander clapped happily.
'Yes. Just perfect. Oak, on tail hair from a very energetic Unicorn. 12 inches, very good for charms. A very nice selection.' Mr. Olivander smiled happily as he packaged up the wand and Andromeda paid the seven galleons for it before they headed towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor where Andromeda told him a story of her time at Hogwarts when somebody had stocked the caretaker's office with a thousand Dungbombs, before being threatened to be hung up by their toes.
'I don't want you doing anything like that thought, whilst you attend.' She said as they made their way through a Caramel Hazelnut ice cream each. 'You're there to learn, Merlin knows I had enough letter's home about Nymphadora.' She said but Andy was sure he saw her smile uplift in a small smile.
So that was chapter one. I'm hoping to get a really good response on this before I decide to think about the next chapter so please let me know what you thing and I'll write up the next chapter. Thanks a bunch for reading! :)