I know you aren't like the rest of your family.

I know you aren't like the rest of your family.

I know you aren't like the rest of your family.

What the bloody hell had that Lupin kid been on about? How was he not like the rest of the Blacks? Same name. Same eyes, posture, stature, predisposition towards those lower than him. Same everything! The boy was just a twat, trying to mess with Sirius' mind. It was probably a joke, or a dare or something.

Yeah, that was it! Sirius bet that it was Potter behind all this, just trying to make Sirius confused. Potter was going down.

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The next morning, Sirius walked down to the Great Hall glumly for breakfast, his hair irreparably messy, staring at the ground to ensure no eye contact.

He sat down at the empty end of the Gryffindor table, grabbing some freshly made toast and smearing a dollop of butter on it. He settled down to eat it, when suddenly he was rudely interrupted.

"Where were you last night? Out with your cousin Bella, torturing innocent people?" said James Potter sneeringly, sitting down next to Sirius for some unknown reason.

"For your information, I wasn't, as I can't stand my cousin, and I was…wait, why should I tell you?" Sirius replied bitterly, yet quietly, in case Bellatrix was listening.

James looked surprised for a moment, thinking that all the Blacks loved each other because of their pure blood. Slip up number one. James regained his composure, and said, "You should tell me because I want to know. What, drowning some poor animal in the Lake?"

Sirius stared at him, wondering how one person could make him so angry in such a short amount of time. Since he had been at Hogwarts, he had not been able to explore the castle much without getting stares, abuse, or the occasional death threat from a Slytherin or a relative, so he had been using the time at night when everyone was sleeping to explore. But, Potter seemed to think he was some kind of sadistic child, and so, he gave Potter what he wanted.

"Actually, yes. I was drowning those things…what are they? Kneazres? Kneazles? In the lake. Yes, it was quite fun. You can join me tonight if you like."

James just stared at him disbelievingly, though he started to edge away a little. "Yeah, right."

Sirius just rolled his eyes, climbed off the bench, and walked off exasperatedly, taking his toast with him. He went and sat at the other end of the table where he was still isolated enough to not have to talk to anyone. James stared back at him in confusion.

About halfway through breakfast, the mail arrived. Out of all the owls arriving, Sirius could only see one carrying a red, steaming envelope. He closed his eyes, and crossed his fingers- he hadn't had word from his parents yet.

He heard the flapping of wings above him, and something being dropped onto the table in front of him. He risked opening one eye, only to see the entire Gryffindor table staring at him, and a smoking red Howler with the Black family crest sitting on the table, ready to blow at any minute.

Sirius knew what it was, once again, because his cousins had informed him. What they hadn't told him, was that if you left a Howler too long, it would explode by itself. So, Sirius left it, waiting for it to simmer out, so he could throw it in the bin without opening it. But it just got redder… and smokier… and larger…

And then suddenly,

"SIRIUS BLACK! IF WE CAN EVEN CALL YOU THAT ANYMORE! HOW IN MERLIN'S NAME COULD YOU DO THAT TO US! GRYFFINDOR! GRYFFINDOR!" the Howler started screaming in Sirius' mother's voice. Sirius stared at in shock. It was smouldering in the air, and yelling at him! The paper was yelling at him!

"…DISGRACING OUR FAMILY NAME LIKE THAT! HOW COULD YOU! WHEN WE GOT THE OWL FROM YOUR COUSIN, SAYING THAT YOU WERE IN THAT DISGUSTING HOUSE, FULL OF MUGGLE-LOVERS AND MUDBLOODS, WE NEARLY MARCHED UP TO THE SCHOOL RIGHT THEN AND THERE!"

At this point the entire school was looking at Sirius. The Gryffindors with resentment, as were Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and most Slytherins were looking on with smirks on their faces, especially, Sirius noticed, his horrible cousin, Bellatrix.

The Howler went on for a while about family loyalty, and various insults towards Gryffindors, Sirius sinking lower and lower into his seat, until it finished with a bang.

"SIRIUS BLACK, YOU ARE COMING HOME THIS INSTANT! WE WILL DEAL WILL THIS WHEN YOU GET HERE! I EXPECT YOU TO BE HOME BY 5 O'CLOCK TONIGHT, I DON'T CARE HOW YOU GET HERE! BUT GET HERE, SOMEHOW, AND IF THAT OLD BAT DUMBLEDORE TRIES TO STOP YOU, DON'T LET HIM! I WILL SEE YOU TONIGHT! YOU ARE A DISGRACE SIRIUS BLACK, A DISGRACE TO OUR FAMILY!"

At this, Sirius nearly crawled under the table in shame. It was one thing to insult the students, and Sirius himself, but the Headmaster? Sirius wanted to just crawl into a hole and never come out. He couldn't face his parents. He shuddered at the thought of it. But he was sure that if he didn't face up to them, the consequences would be even worse.

Sirius risked a look up at the rest of the school. Most of the Slytherins had gone back to their breakfast, as had the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, but the Gryffindors were all still glaring at him, shaking their heads, and whispering under their breath to each other.

He then looked up at the table where the professors were seated, only to see Professor Dumbledore staring at him, an unreadable look flitting across his face. Suddenly Dumbledore rose from his seat at the head of the table and strode over to the far end of the Gryffindor table, head held high, as the rest of the student body stared at him in awe. Professor Dumbledore never left his seat during mealtimes.

He reached Sirius and laid a hand on his shoulder gently. Sirius flinched, and then looked up at the silver-haired man and his prominent half moon glasses in fear. What was the headmaster going to do to him?

"Mr. Black, would you please come with me?" said the headmaster softly, so only Sirius could hear.

Sirius stood up, trembling, and followed the headmaster out of the Great Hall apprehensively, hundreds of curious eyes following them.

All that was running through Sirius' head as he was following the headmaster through various decorated halls, and up and down wooden staircases, was What will happen to me? Has he spoken to my mother? Or worse, my father?

After a short walk, they came to a stone gargoyle. Dumbledore stood in front of it, and said "Banishio!' The gargoyle moved aside, and there was a large space to walk through, into what, Sirius suspected, were the headmasters' quarters.

The Professor led Sirius to a wooden desk, and sat on one side, motioning for Sirius to sit on the other. Sirius sat down, still shaking, and looked at the headmaster fearfully.

"Don't look so scared Mr. Black, I have not brought you here to reprimand you," said Dumbledore warmly, giving the young boy a smile.

"Y- you didn't?" stuttered Sirius, looking at him in confusion.

"Of course not. Now, would you like some Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans?" said Dumbledore, offering a considerably healthier looking Sirius a bag of the lollies.

"No thankyou, sir. If you don't mind me asking, why did you bring me here?"

"Well, I would like to discuss the… letter… that just arrived for you. I, er, heard it from the head table, and was quite worried by what I heard," replied Dumbledore, looking at Sirius almost pitifully.

Sirius hung his head. "I am terribly sorry sir, I am sure that my mother did not mean the things she said, I'm sure she was just angry. You see, she really wanted me to be in Slytherin," he said, stumbling over the lies.

"I understand, Mr Black. But I was more concerned about the fact that you have been asked to report home, to the Black Manor, am I right?"

"Yes, sir," said Sirius glumly.

"And how do you feel about that, Sirius?"

Sirius thought about this question for a moment. His answer could get him into trouble, so he had to choose carefully.

"I am okay with it, sir. I expect my parents just want to… Discuss things with me. Please do not try to stop me from going, Professor," he said, with his head towards the ground, just in case his face gave away the truth.

Dumbledore looked at Sirius in concern, and seemed to think for a while.

After a few moments, the older man sighed, and said "Okay, Mr. Black. You shall go home. But I would like you back as soon as possible. I will send you by Floo Powder, straight after classes."

"Thankyou, sir," said Sirius, looking up at his headmaster in relief, and guilt. He was relieved that the headmaster was not going to attempt to stop him, but was feeling guilty that he had not told the Professor the truth.

"Be careful Mr Black, and report back here after your last class."

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Sirius went through his classes in a daze, barely taking in a thing, apart from the constant taunting from the Potter boy. "Poor Siri, has to go home to his mummy," "Aww poor Black, it's such a shame to lose you dear," were common taunts.

After his last class, a particularly hateful Potions class, Sirius trudged up to the headmaster's office once again, with a shoulder bag full of various books and necessities that he would need.

He told the marble gargoyle the password he had heard earlier that morning, and walked into the Headmasters' quarters, where, sure enough, Dumbledore was waiting for him by the fire.

"You are sure about this Mr Black?" said Dumbledore worriedly, once the boy reached him.

"Yes sir," he mumbled.

"Well, if you're sure," said the headmaster sadly, obviously troubled.

"Just remember that you are always welcome at Hogwarts, and we hope to see you back here soon. Please, owl me if you need anything. Here is some Floo Powder Mr Black, I trust you know how to use it?"

"Yes sir, and thankyou once again," replied Sirius, taking the Floo Powder, and glancing round the cosy room once more. He sighed, turned round, and stepped into the fire.

"Black Manor!"

He yelled, and was transported directly to the fireplace in his kitchen. What he saw when he emerged was enough to make him want to crawl back into the fireplace. His parents and brother, Regulus, were sitting at the kitchen table, watching the fireplace, waiting for Sirius to arrive. It seemed as if they had been sitting there for hours.

Sirius' mother reached out and grabbed her son by the shoulder, and pushed him into a chair facing them all. Sirius felt like he was going to be sick.

Regulus looked a little worried, but Mr Black, on the other hand, looked livid. Mrs Black sat down, and Mr Black stood up, looming over poor Sirius.

"Gryffindor?" he whispered, leaning down over Sirius menacingly. "Gryffindor!" he said a little louder. "GRYFFINDOR!" he shouted.

Sirius cringed. "I can explain, I-"

"No! You are a traitor!" yelled Mrs Black over the top of him.

Regulus was starting to look even more scared. Sirius was worried about his brother, as the boy was only eight years old, and already exposed to the horror of their parents.

"The Black family have been in our rightful place, Slytherin, for centuries. Never has a true Black broken the chain. We must go to that school and put you in your rightful place!" yelled Mr Black angrily.

"I'm not a traitor! It was the hat!" yelled back Sirius, suddenly fed up and not caring what was going to happen anymore. His father fumed, and got even closer to Sirius, almost touching his knees.

"Do not yell at me boy! You must have told the hat that you wanted to be in Gryffindor, so that was where it put you! The disgrace you have brought onto this family, being put into that House! No one in our family has ever been put in another House!"

"I didn't tell the hat! I told it I wanted to be in Slytherin, but it wouldn't listen! And besides, Andromeda isn't in-" started Sirius, but didn't get to finished, as Orion Black delivered a blow to his son's face.

"Do not speak that awful child's name! She is no Black!" The slap was quick, yet not unexpected, and Sirius' cheek felt as if it were on fire.

He stared harder at the table, wishing he were somewhere else. Anywhere else.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself, boy?" snarled Mr Black.

"I'm sorry Father. Although, is Gryffindor truly so bad? Maybe… Maybe our ancestors got it wrong?" he asked timidly, not wanting to give in. It was true, he honestly did not see why Gryffindor was so bad. Although nobody had bothered to befriend him, he knew it was only because he was a Black. He had seen the friendship and comraderie between the students in the House, and knew deep down that the kids in Gryffindor were not all that bad.

Sirius' father looked down at his son, his face filled with hatred. Sirius had never seen his father look so mad. He looked over at his mother, whom was staring at him in horror.

"HOW DARE YOU! YOU FILTHY TRAITOR!" screamed his father.

Sirius knew what was coming next, and braced himself.

"Crucio!" screamed Mr Black, pointing his wand at a quivering Sirius.

Sirius writhed in pain, feeling the curse hit him, his entire body wanting to fight it.

He fell to the floor, still rolling around, his father still holding him under the curse, with a sick grin on his face. Regulus held his head in his hands, not fully understanding, sobbing.

The curse seemed to stay for hours, and every minute Orion Black's smile became more and more twisted. Sirius' mother did nothing to stop her husband, nor did she side with Sirius, just stared blankly. It was as if she had washed her hands of the situation, and of Sirius.

Finally after Sirius was bruised, battered, and nearly unconscious on the floor, Mr Black stopped, glaring down at his son, showing no remorse.

"That will teach you to disobey us, and disgrace our family. You are no son of mine."

Those last words were like another curse, another slap in the face, another form of abuse. Worse than any other he had felt before, and worse pain was etching into his body and soul than any other had before. He felt shattered, broken, empty, soulless. To be disowned by his own parents. To have no family. What did one have if they did not have family?

Tears threatened to spill down Sirius' battered face, but he wouldn't let himself cry.

He would never give them the satisfaction of seeing him cry.