Map. Check. Dungbombs. Check. Broom. Check. Books. Nah.
With that, Sirius took one last look around his room. While part of him wished he could take his posters with him, the Permanent Sticking Charms prevented him and, more importantly, his mother from ever taking them off the wall. After taking some time to reflect on all of his good memories, which wasn't longer than a few moments, he left the room with his trunk and descended the stairwell.
The house was eerily still, with the only movements coming from the paintings that watched Sirius' every step. The plan was simple: he would go to the family room and Floo to the Potters' house. He had waited until everyone else was gone before he made his escape. His father was away on business, and his brother was spending the day with those Death Eater wannabes. And his mother was…
"Sirius."
"Mother! What the bloody hell are you doing here?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Watch your tongue, Sirius! You have been so quiet the last few days, I knew you were plotting something to disgrace this family yet again."
"Oh, so when I do something, I'm disgracing the family, and when I'm doing nothing, I'm plotting on disgracing the family."
"Where are you going, boy?"
"Out," Sirius stated as he inched his way to the fireplace.
She glanced from Sirius to the fireplace. "You're running, aren't you? To those blood traitors?"
"So what if I am? You'll finally be rid of your biggest disappointment, you old hag."
Her gaze immediately snapped back to Sirius. "Don't you dare speak to me like that! I am your mother!"
"I know! You've reminded me of that sad fact every time you've disapproved of my life. When I put up my posters. When I got sorted into Gryffindor. When I took Muggle Studies. Every time, you remind me that you're my mother, as if that matters," Sirius ranted as he paced through the family room.
"It does, Sirius! You have disgraced everything this family stands for. You disgrace our ways, our traditions. I am your mother, and you will honor my wishes!"
"What wishes? To kill Muggles? Torture Muggle-borns? Kiss Voldemort's pasty, pure-blood-loving arse?"
She sighed. "Where did I go wrong with you? Regulus has never acted out like this."
"Of course. Perfect little Reg. Well, at least it'll be just the three of you soon enough."
"You are not leaving this house, Sirius! I forbid it!"
"I don't give a damn!" Sirius bellowed as he slammed his fist on the nearby mantel.
"Do you have no respect? Even those pitiful Muggles learn to respect their mothers."
"Like you know anything about Muggles," Sirius scoffed.
"I at least know they learn respect—something you have never managed to do, you ungrateful child."
"I know respect. You just never did anything to earn mine."
"I do not need to earn your respect! You will listen to what I have to say! You will honor your mother!"
"And if I don't?"
Her lips curled into a twisted smile. "It seems you are in need of another dose of the Cruciatus Curse."
"No thanks. I think I'll pass."
"Then you will listen to your mother and go back to your room."
"Actually, I'm gonna go with option number three," Sirius snarled as he pulled out his wand.
She pulled out her own wand. "You dare pull you wand against your mother?"
"You're not worth it. That…" Sirius pointed towards the family tapestry, "on the other hand, is."
And with that, Sirius sent a curse directly towards the tapestry. His mother tried to reflect it, but she wasn't quick enough. The curse struck the wall and the room erupted in smoke. After the smoke had dissipated, part of Sirius' name was missing on the tapestry.
"What did you do, Sirius?"
"Something I should have done a long time ago."
"You defaced the tapestry! That heirloom has been in the family for generations, you fool!"
"Careful, you might give yourself a heart attack. Well, if you have a heart, that is," Sirius took a moment to laugh at his own joke. "I did nothing you wouldn't have done the moment I got out of here. Because that's what you do, right? Blast us deserters off the wall?"
"Is that what you want? Disownment? To lose everything?"
" 'Lose everything'. I have nothing," Sirius chuckled darkly.
"Nothing! You call the clothes on your back nothing? The food on your plate, the blood in your veins; those are nothing to you?"
"Nothing is worth dealing with all of this. I'm outta here."
"You step into that fireplace, and there's no coming back."
"You promise?"
"I forbid you!"
"That's a shame, since I'm going," said Sirius as he approached the fireplace.
"Don't you dare…" threatened his mother, raising her wand.
"Oh, I dare. The Potters'!" Sirius announced after he threw in the Floo powder and his trunk.
"You dare turn your back on your own mother!"
"What are you talking about?" Sirius pointed to the tapestry. "I may not be as talented at blasting away family members as you, but the point stands. I'm no longer part of the family. I am no longer your son. You are no longer my mother."
"You think that solves anything?"
"Yes, I do. You think I'm a disgrace to this family; a disgrace to you. That I'm unbecoming of a Black. That I ignore your wishes. But now, it'll be just you, father, and Reg. The perfect little pure-blood family. No Sirius to screw things up for you. No Sirius to corrupt little Reg. No Sirius to disobey mommy dearest. You wanted me to change, so I'm making the change that gives you everything you have ever wanted," uttered Sirius as he stepped into the fireplace.
Soon, Sirius found himself standing in the Potters' den covered in soot. As he brushed himself off, his best friend, James Potter, ran in with a worried expression.
"Padfoot! What took you so long? Did everything go all right? I saw your trunk, but you weren't here. I moved it to your new room. My parents are worried sick. We thought something had happened. I thought you said everything would go smoothly!" rambled James.
"Calm down, Prongs. Everything's all right," Sirius chuckled as he put his hand on James' shoulder.
"Okay, okay. So, what took so long?"
Sirius smirked.
"I was honoring my mother."
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Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Challenge: The Ten Commandments Competition
Word Count: 1,070
Beta Reader: LaughableBlackStorm