Prologue
Sirius stared down at the open coffin, into the pale face of his soulless father lying in it. Inside his heart he felt no grief, unlike those around him. Death was all a mystery to him; as a result he didn't care. He didn't care that someone he was supposed to love was lying in a coffin, no longer breathing or alive with a beating heart. A father is supposed to be an important figure in a child's life, especially a young child. Craven Black was not the father Sirius had dreamed of. He wasn't a father to be cherished or loved. Sirius hated him; there was no other word to describe what he felt.
"Sirius, darling, why don't we sit down now?" his mother said, coming up behind him and taking his delicate hand in her own. He felt helpless in his mother's gaze.
He could not open his mouth to speak. There was nothing inside him to convey. He could not even cry.
Letting his mother lead him out of the wake room, he made himself comfortable on a red plush sofa. In the sitting room, the walls were cream white and meant to be soothing. It didn't help Sirius in the least. The people mingling around took one look at his glittering brown eyes and put on masks of sympathy. They smiled with fake concern. They were really trying to hide the spite. Ever since his eleventh birthday, everyone had been afraid of him, of his mother as well. He was the cause of his father's death. Everyone chose to believe he was at fault, to blame this poor defenseless little boy.
"Your father was a good man, I'm sure you miss him," A woman said, going up to Sirius and taking his hand gingerly. Sirius didn't even know her. He didn't like the look in her eyes.
Another woman came up to him. He knew her. It was his father's young secretary; the one who always gave him chocolate when he went to the office.
She smiled at him. Even though she knew about him, she seemed unafraid. He looked up at her in wonderment. Her smile didn't fade. She sat down next to him on the couch, clutching his hand, rubbing the backs of his bony fingers.
Lowering her head down by his ear, she whispered, "Don't worry about anything from now on. You don't have to love your father, even though he's dead. Don't let it cover you. I know what it's like to lose a father because of what I was. I'm magic too."
Sirius' eyes widened and turned his face to look at her, his breath coming in short gasps. She was...magic too? This had to be a mistake. She had to be kidding him.
But she wasn't. He knew she saw the doubt in his eyes. From her pocket she pulled out a short wand, about 7 inches long. Hiding it between their forms, she muttered,
"Lumos."
A little light erupted from the end of her wand, making the gap between them bright with wand light. Sirius still could not speak.
"Never doubt." She said, and kissed his forehead.
Sirius stared down at the open coffin, into the pale face of his soulless father lying in it. Inside his heart he felt no grief, unlike those around him. Death was all a mystery to him; as a result he didn't care. He didn't care that someone he was supposed to love was lying in a coffin, no longer breathing or alive with a beating heart. A father is supposed to be an important figure in a child's life, especially a young child. Craven Black was not the father Sirius had dreamed of. He wasn't a father to be cherished or loved. Sirius hated him; there was no other word to describe what he felt.
"Sirius, darling, why don't we sit down now?" his mother said, coming up behind him and taking his delicate hand in her own. He felt helpless in his mother's gaze.
He could not open his mouth to speak. There was nothing inside him to convey. He could not even cry.
Letting his mother lead him out of the wake room, he made himself comfortable on a red plush sofa. In the sitting room, the walls were cream white and meant to be soothing. It didn't help Sirius in the least. The people mingling around took one look at his glittering brown eyes and put on masks of sympathy. They smiled with fake concern. They were really trying to hide the spite. Ever since his eleventh birthday, everyone had been afraid of him, of his mother as well. He was the cause of his father's death. Everyone chose to believe he was at fault, to blame this poor defenseless little boy.
"Your father was a good man, I'm sure you miss him," A woman said, going up to Sirius and taking his hand gingerly. Sirius didn't even know her. He didn't like the look in her eyes.
Another woman came up to him. He knew her. It was his father's young secretary; the one who always gave him chocolate when he went to the office.
She smiled at him. Even though she knew about him, she seemed unafraid. He looked up at her in wonderment. Her smile didn't fade. She sat down next to him on the couch, clutching his hand, rubbing the backs of his bony fingers.
Lowering her head down by his ear, she whispered, "Don't worry about anything from now on. You don't have to love your father, even though he's dead. Don't let it cover you. I know what it's like to lose a father because of what I was. I'm magic too."
Sirius' eyes widened and turned his face to look at her, his breath coming in short gasps. She was...magic too? This had to be a mistake. She had to be kidding him.
But she wasn't. He knew she saw the doubt in his eyes. From her pocket she pulled out a short wand, about 7 inches long. Hiding it between their forms, she muttered,
"Lumos."
A little light erupted from the end of her wand, making the gap between them bright with wand light. Sirius still could not speak.
"Never doubt." She said, and kissed his forehead.
