Introduction Chapter One
She felt it in her heart the instant it happened, James and Lily had been killed. Her little Harry was hurt and her promise to her nephew and his wife to look after Harry until Black was ready. James knew that even though Black was like a brother he was not ready to be a father yet. She called for her elf to say she was leaving and to ready a nursery next to her room immediately. She was also honoring a promise to her beloved older brother to watch over the family and guide them as James was still young if anything would happen to them.
The elegant older woman moved with a grace and power that few women had but was not uncommon in her family. She looked and moved and looked a witch less than half her age, which made her a force not to be trifled with. As she appeared on the darkened street she witnessed the argument of Minerva and Albus with little Harry in his arms.
"So Albus you will not even head the words of your most trusted. I suspected as much since you are here. I will be taking my nephew sir." She stated as she glared to the young upstart in her mind. He was not even a first year when she her self left Hogwarts.
"Lady Sigrid, what are doing here? Excuse me, I am sorry for your loss." Albus quickly composed himself he had not known that James was close to any relatives, he had remaining as he also did not know any living Potters were still alive. "I did not realize he had any living relatives."
"You mean you did not realize he had living male relatives or were not aware that it takes two people to have a baby there by creating an infinite number of relatives that he could have gone to or, let me stop there. I will be taking my nephew now, Albus Wolfric Brian Dumbledore you are in violation of James and Lily's will." She moved taking Harry from the arms of the old man. Albus did also notice that she had her wand out the moment she arrived.
"Albus, how could you. You knew how much she could not trust her sister. Severus even told you of their childhood and the time he spent with the Evans family when they took him in." Minerva began to chastise the old wizard.
"The blood protection of Lily's sacrifice will mean that he is safe here from those that would harm him. I would hope that she loves him and take him as her own."
"You're a fool Albus, women never forget, but then that is something you would never truly understand." Minerva stared at him.
"Harry will grow up loved and happy, with the family he needs to face the challenges that the future will bring Albus. I am no fool, I know that he is not gone as you also suspect. That bigoted mother of his pressured that fool grandson of mine. I did not trust her but my son thought she was the one for him. I know my family sir, just because we did not agree with you and others who have a narrow-minded view of magic we were labeled as Dark. I am a Potter my family has been the champion for the freedom of Magic and Magical beings since before you or I were born. I know best how to raise a Potter child, my parents and my late brother and his wife entrusted me with the family lore and guardianship till James was ready. Now James and Lily are gone so that leaves me to teach him." She looked down at her, little one, running her fingers over the fresh scar on his forehead.
"Please reconsider the protections can only be through that of the mother's family." Albus pleaded.
"There you are wrong again my young man. I as well as others helped and laid in place protections upon Harry or did you not know. That is right, Albus, they did not trust you completely but they also knew you were not telling them everything. That prophecy, oh yes we knew about that. We also knew, James and Lily, were in your childhood home when they left the Manor to go into hiding. There is more to Harry's protection than just Lily's sacrifice." She glared at Albus who had the knowledge to admit when he had been beaten.
"Minerva, please bring yourself and my beautiful grand-daughter to my home later. I hear she already bears a great resemblance to my mother." She stated placing her hand on her arm. "He loved you very much my girl only I and his father knew of your romance. We approved greatly and encouraged him to keep you hidden and safe. He obviously did not tell you we knew, I am sorry for not coming to you sooner but I too thought this act would keep you both safe."
"We will be there, for lunch if that is not a problem." Minerva stated to her.
"That would be lovely I will see you both then." She gently embraced the woman.
The formidable woman turned and left with hardly a pop of the street.
"Minerva I am sorry." Is all Albus could think to say handing her the light put-outer? "Hagrid I shall see you back at Hogwarts." With that he turned and disappeared as he walked into the shadows of the street.
"Go Hagrid I will return the lights once you have gone." She told Him.
"Yes Professor." Hagrid started the motorbike and was off.
Minerva Mcgonagall began the re-lighting process thinking of all she lost in this war. A husband before they could even begin a family, brother who left behind four children and a man she never thought she could love the father of her beautiful girl. The little five-year-old was very smart and observant and knew that she could not speak of her father to anyone but her mother. Well this will be a nice change for her daughter too. She will have a family. Minerva finished the re-lighting then turned and with a pop returned to those waiting arms.
The same elegant woman now found herself in a muggle area, of London an hour later. It was an alley of a small shopping area. There she spotted her prey, a large black dog, hunting through the trash in search of its own prey. She walked into the alley, "Sirius Black, do not ignore me!" She commanded.
The large black dog transformed into wizard, "My Lady I almost have him. He will pay for what he did." He cried out to her.
"Listen to me you over grown child, and just what do think will happen? That he will come quietly. He is his servant, not your former friend. He betrayed not just you but many others. Oh, what will happen to Harry, do you know that old fool was going to leave him with his Lily's sister. You let that happen. He would never have allowed you to see Harry you stupid boy." She chastised the Auror.
"Albus would not do that to me. He wouldn't." Sirius stopped in his tracks. He thought to himself that once he captured Peter he would claim Harry to bring up as a true marauder. Lady Sigrid stopped him before he could move further.
"He had no, intention of telling anyone about Harry's location for him to grow up in home where he would not be reminded of his new fame. He would not even have allowed you to visit in fear that you might be followed. Dumbledore maybe powerful Sirius but his plan was an open book that anyone could read if they got past the grief of the moment." She walked over to him placing a hand on his shoulder.
"What of young Sarah, had you not thought of her. You go into this fight underestimating your foe do not make the same mistake twice. You also know that they are blaming you for the death of James and Lily." She told him.
"It is my fault." Sirius spoke only to be cut off. "NO you fool! They blame you as their secret keeper that you are a servant of his. You did not wonder why that fool old man was so instant that Hagrid takes him from you. He does not know who to trust, he his letting his brain dictate foolish moves. You're coming with me now." She took him by the ear and squeezed to remind him as she apparated them to Auror Headquarters in the Ministry of Magic.
"Amelia Bones please, as she told the receptionist." She kept her firm grip on the distraught young man. As a stern looking woman came out of her office everyone had no doubt that Amelia Bones meant business?
"Black, what the bloody hell is going." She spoke confronting one of her best.
"Madame, I believe we need to get him questioned immediately in regards to James and Lily Potter. You might also want to call in the Longbottoms young Frank and his wife Alice. They can have Augusta come and watch little Neville." Knowing Frank and Alice had both worked with James and Sirius as Aurors.
"Lady Malfoy should I call in Lucius and his wife as well." She questioned.
"I believe you should, but it is your choice Madame." She answered.
"Come along Sirius lets get this mess cleared up and quickly before Crouch gets wind of this." That was all the motivation Sirius seemed to need. "Hey Shack, thank Merlin you're here to."
The group disappeared in to one of the side rooms it seemed only minutes later before Lucius and Narcissa had shown up with an Auror escort. Narcissa was holding little Draco tightly anticipating the likely reasons for their appearance at the Ministry. At the same moment the Longbottoms also had arrived.
"Grandmother, I hate to think you are the reason I am here." He stated to her. He knew instantly he made a huge error by the new look on his Matriarch's face. Her hand flew to his cheek with force that Lucius did realize she still had then her moved to his ear and her other hand cast silencing bubble over them. The movement had been so fast it left no guesses that she had inherited the Potter quickness. Lady Malfoy twisted Lucius's ear while sending a Stinging Hex through her hand.
"You have the gall to come and speak to me in that manor! You are the poorest excuse for grandson! You followed a madman who destroyed your family and you were to stupid notice and in love with your new power and prestige. Your stupid bint of mother died because she failed him, did you know that. You Lucius were never to have an heir, she was to gain control of the Malfoy fortune and turn it over to him. You think your father, one of St. Mungos and England's leading Healers just died suddenly from a curable form of, Dragon Pox, with a cure and treatment he himself improved? What of your other children, Dorian and Dahlia as well. You're a fool and you will pay for your own foolishness." She released him from her grasp and cancelled the spell. As Lucius looked around and saw that many Aurors and other officials smiled at as disgrace. Narcissa had look of pure murder on her face; she handed Draco over Lady Malfoy.
"Cissy, I .." was all he got out. The slap was so resounding that it echoed in the waiting area as Lucius stumble backward into Sirius of all people. "My babies are gone because of you! I hope you rot in hell! Madame Bones I wish to offer testimony against my sister Bellatrix Black Lestrange." Shacklebolt escorted her and Madame Bones escorted Narcissa into the room they just left.
"Cissy" Lucius pleaded. As he watched his wife leave and not even turn around as he called.
"She is a Black, come along Lucius lets get you away from these eyes." Sirius did not know what drove him to be nice perhaps it was the look of realization that he was responsible for his own children's death and that look is one his eyes had seen on himself just hours ago.
"Why did I not see? How could I have been so blind to her?" Looking down at the floor. "I do not even remember mourning their loss. I remember I was so happy when they were born." Sirius did not know what to say to the man. He hated him for reasons he could not think of at that moment. He had been evil whilst serving willingly to a madman who was out to destroy and nothing more.
"I do love them you know, I have loved her for as long I as can remember. Black you have to promise me that you look after them. My Cissy and Draco as head of the Black family I beg of you to make sure they are cared for. I will not be surviving this Black, I know I will pay for my crimes now. Cissy and my grandmother will want nothing less for the betrayal to my family. I would have paid off whom ever necessary to get out of here before, but now I have nothing."
"I wish I could offer you comfort because I know how you're feeling at this moment Lucius. I felt the same way when I came upon the events a Godric's Hollow. I also know that you are a cold-blooded killer, but somehow at one time you were a loving father to two beautiful children, and I remember two beautiful children who loved their father. I could see that even if you were blind to it. I will do as you ask of me, but I should not tell you this but I am going to. Cissy is pregnant." Sirius told him his arms crossed over his chest as lean against the wall watching his enemy falls apart before his is eyes.
They both turned as Madame Bones, Shacklebolt and Dawlish entered to take his statements. Sirius left the room to find his family. Entering the waiting area he spotted the beautiful 6'2" Sarah Flynn former Hogwart's student and now a member of the Canadian Ministry Auror Corps. He walked straight towards her while her smile quickly turned to that scary frown she used on him when he was her practice Dummy.
"Sirius what do you think you were doing." She scolded him. Sarah then embraced him, her taller frame collapsing onto him as she wept for her lost friend, Lily.
"Where is Cissy and Lady Malfoy." Sirius asked and not even consciously remembering he was using her nick name they shared as children.
"They went back to Crimson Hall. They just brought in the Lestranges plus some one they did not expect Crouch Jr. He has been pleading with Alastor Moody of is innocence, since he apprenticed under him when he joined the corps. Lets go see Harry." With that they headed off to see Harry.
End
Introduction Chapter One