Hi everyone here's the next side series of WDWGFH, I'll be posting a timeline soon to help connect everything. Just know this first chapter takes place soon after Sirius's trial. This will be a series of interactions between Sirius and House Black throughout the main timeline of WDWGFH.
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
The wards at the Black Estate on the Isle of Skye shone beneath the waning moon, the nearly full sight of it sending a shiver down Sirius's spine. Pushing aside his worry for Remus's recovery, he passed between the wards, ignoring the electric tingle of them recognizing his Black blood and status as heir. Making his way up the long gravel pathway to the ornate double doors of the manor, he noted the flashes of light as bonfires began to ignite along the path, his grandfather was going all out this Samhain. Sea spray danced along the air, the loch of Portree was nearby, and with the power of Samhain in the air, he knew it would be best to get inside quickly, unless he wished to be caught up in nature's dance of the dark.
The double doors swung open at his arrival and he hurried inside the manor, cautiously noting the changes that his grandfather had made since his last time visiting as a child. The Black family rarely used this estate, one of the oldest they owned. It was said it was passed down through the generations from the marriage of the Ara Black II and his marriage to Gráinne Gaunt, whose dowry included the estate. Sirius had paid attention during those family lessons as Ara Black II was a known supporter of muggle integration with wizarding society and tried to get the noble houses of Britain to support him until he was ultimately poisoned by his wife, a Gaunt through and through.
"Sirius," a voice called his name from down the grand hall and following it, Sirius entered his grandfather's solar, startled to see the entirety of the living line of House Black already there.
His great aunt Cassiopeia was lounging in an armchair next to the fireplace, a half-empty martini glass dangling from her hand. Narcissa was sitting across from her parents, Cygnus and Druella who alternated between smirking at the drunken Cassiopeia and glaring at their middle child Andromeda. Smirking himself, Sirius made his way over to Andromeda, nodding his head at Narcissa as he passed her, before stopping and dropping a kiss on Andromeda's cheek. He could hear the not so silent scoff of Cygnus, but he chose to ignore it as Andromeda let out a snort of amusement from a joke from his great aunt Cedrella Weasley nee Black. Even the disowned Black's were gathered there, making him feel rather hopeful for the first time in years for his family's future. Cygnus's father, Pollux was dozing in the corner furthest from his son, a spot of drool dribbling down his cheek. His aunt Lucretia and her husband Ignatius were holding court in the corner of the room with Harfang Longbottom, the son of his late great aunt Callidora.
Raising an eyebrow at Arcturus who sat behind his desk, quiet in the face of his family's antics, Sirius waited for the patriarch to act. Several minutes passed as such, until Arcturus finally stood and made his way out from behind the desk, clearing his throat before addressing the assembled.
"I have called you all here to convene the first meeting for House Black in the last five years. I admit, in the aftermath of the war I was silent, grieving the losses of our house, but now the time has come for House Black to rejoin society and reclaim our strength. As you all can see, my first step in doing so, was aiding in releasing a son of our House and heir to the House from his unlawful imprisonment in Azkaban. My next step is to reach out to our allies, both Light and Dark to ascertain where they stand. Dumbledore and his side have controlled the Wizengamot for too long, even during the war with Voldemort, his sway over our government was strong, perhaps if he hadn't had so much say we could have ended the war sooner…" Arcturus paused as Cygnus began to croak, his toad-like laugh sending a sneer across the patriarch's face, "Do you have something to say Cygnus?"
"Yes," the slightly younger Black stood and narrowed his eyes at his cousin, "You sat back and let it happen. You let Dumbledore seize control of everything, even our heir. We had power in our grasp with the Dark Lord and you did nothing! You let the Ministry take our best and brightest, my daughter, and you did nothing. So why should we listen to you now?"
Arcturus leaned back on his heels, as if hit by Cygnus' words but Sirius saw his grandfather hide a smirk as he narrowed his trademark Black eyes at his cousin. Taking a step forward, Arcturus began to walk around Cygnus, circling him before responding, "Why? Why should you listen to me? I am Lord Black, I am your Patriarch. I am Head of House. Who are you to question me Cygnus? A lesser son of a cadet branch. Everything I have and have not done has been for the benefit of our House, including letting your insane daughter be locked up where she belongs, in Azkaban."
Straightening his back Sirius let his magic out as he felt his grandfather's own power flood the room. The Noble and Most Ancient Magic of House Black was strong with his grandfather and, though he was loathe to admit it when younger, it was strong with him.
"Lord Black is right. You have no room to question him Cyggie," Cassiopeia interjected, her eyes narrowing at her nephew.
"So says the House spinster, and what have you done to better our House Cassiopeia?" Cygnus snarled.
"More than you, you little wart. I'm an accomplished Potions Mistress. All you've done is live off family money and complain about your status," turning to her brother Pollux, she arched an eyebrow at him, "How can you stand to have this embarrassment as your son. Granted his daughters Narcissa and Andromeda have done well for House Black, despite the elder's unfortunate marriage, but he's done nothing."
Snorting at Cassiopeia's accurate assessment of his son, Pollux summoned an elf and ordered a round of drinks made for everyone.
Callidora snickered at the discord between her cousins, grateful that she only had to come to these events every decade or so. Lucretia narrowed her eyes at her father before rolling them and leaning into her husband, she'd need his support in the hours to come if the family was going to continue to sling barbs like children. Narcissa just smirked at her father's verbal smackdown by Cassiopeia, she hadn't had a close relationship with him or her mother since they'd disowned Andy. Being a Weasley, Cedrella was already a Black sheep in the family and so seeing her Patriarch stand up and reem one of her greatest antagonists made her feel pride for the first time in many years for her family.
"As I was saying before I was interrupted, now is the time to move. We won a decisive victory when Sirius was cleared of all charges and Dumbledore was made to look a fool. People are beginning to question him, and we can use that to our advantage. We also have the prestige of having House Le Fey as our open ally, something that hasn't happened since the 1600's. I want to see us embody our family motto, Toujours Pur , Always Pure. We don't let the world see our darkness, our failures, our mistakes, we only let them see our perfection."
"What would you have us do my lord?" Andromeda asked, her eyes crinkling as she thought of how Nymphadora would act when she heard about this.
"Be cunning and sly. I want to know who stands with us, who our allies are, who our enemies are? Who looks to be a friend but is really a viper? This is the time to collect information. Cassiopeia, if you still have your black book now would be the time to teach Narcissa all you've learned. Callidora, Lucretia, I think it's high time that people remember that you are of Black blood, I want to see you moving more in society. Andromeda I want your husband to reach out to his colleagues in the law field and start to curate an army of lawyers for us and our allies," Arcturus continued on outlining his plan, one that he, though he would never admit it, had sought advice on from Morgana, before finally turning and facing Sirius, "And you, my heir, I need you to take your place fully, and stop your infantile mischief and start embracing who you are meant to be."
Sirius nodded immediately, the time for playing on Dumbledore's had passed. The Order of the Phoenix had been a failure during the war, hundreds of lives had been lost, most of them innocent, because Dumbledore's values limited their actions. With Morgana in the picture now and Harry's past with the Dursley's, House Black had to stand united.
"Where do you want me to start?"
Arcturus walked towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder, hesitating before he started talking, "Walburga died in the winter and since then Grimmauld Place has been standing empty. I am gifting it to you to face your demons, gut it, make it into your home. You need to have a place outside Morgana's home."
"You want me to go back?" Sirius was frozen, the thought of returning to Grimmauld Place, the horrors of childhood living within those walls, was horrifying. But with his main demon dead, maybe…maybe he could fight back and turn it into something, more.
"Yes, there is a wealth of knowledge, of power in that townhouse. In addition to our lessons on the lordship, I want you to start reading our grimoires and practicing our family magic." Arcturus held back a snicker at the outraged scoff from Cygnus, who had petitioned for access for the grimoires for years but was denied by both Arcturus and his father.
"It's Dark magic," Sirius responded.
"Is that a problem, boy?"
Looking out among his cousins, Sirius made eye contact with Narcissa and then Andromeda, before responding, "Fine, but only if Cissy and Andy can read them too."
"Done."
The pact made, Sirius watched his family settle into their seats once more, the air in the room felt lighter somehow, as if the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black approved of the trajectory its members were taking and wanted to signal that to them.