Disclaimer: A third humorous Harry Potter reference clarifying that I don't own the series.

XoXoXoXoXoX

After stepping through the archway onto Platform 9 ¾ at King's Cross station, the Blacks walked towards the Hogwarts Express. With a casual flick of his wand, Sirius loaded Janus' trunk before turning to his son. "When you get to Hogwarts, keep in mind what we discussed this morning. That…special talent of yours is not to be abused, or used openly. Is that clear?"

"Of course, father. It'd be a poor Slytherin who gave away all his secrets while still in school." Janus said with a smile.

"Quite right. Now, I expect you to continue your Occlumency practice every night before bed. If you ever feel like a challenge, ask Severus to test your barriers. Not only is he a talented Legilimens, but his Occlumency skills are top notch, so he'll be able to coach you on what needs fixing."

"But father, if I'm not up to the task, what if he finds out some of the family secrets?"

"I would advise you not have him test you until you think you can keep your secrets to yourself. Overconfidence is not a trait I want to see in my heir." Sirius replied, saying that last part slightly loudly, earning him a few stares. Among so many potential enemies and their children, Sirius and Janus had agreed that it would be best to create the illusion of sternness on Sirius' part. Janus' excellent memory and studiousness would make him an exceptional spy for the next few years, so it would be best if the Light-aligned children wanted to offer a sympathetic ear. They would regale him with tales of how their own parents acted, from which Sirius would be able to glean how his old enemies had spent the peacetime.

"Yes father. I'll make you proud." Janus replied in the same theatrical tone of voice. Sirius shook his son's hand with a grim expression, a slight wink the only thing that broke the illusion. Before Janus could crack a smile and ruin the façade, Sirius turned away from him and began to walk away.

"I await the owl that says you're in Slytherin, Janus." He called over his shoulder.

"So that's the Sirius Black that had mum fuming for a week." A gleeful voice said from behind Janus.

Turning around, Janus had to blink at the identical boys standing shoulder to shoulder just behind him. "So you'd be the Fred and George that Mrs. Weasley was so focused on that day?" Janus guessed, grinning at the surprised expression they gave.

"Now how do you suppose he guessed that?"

"Maybe he's a seer."

"Maybe he's a git."

"Now now, my dear brother, that's no way to act."

"Quite right, brother of mine. I cry your pardon, Lord Black."

Janus had followed the bizarre byplay with a look of bemusement. "Have you already forgotten what my father looks like? He was just here, after all. But maybe your brains are so wired together that little things like memories just get blown away." He grinned at them.

"Lord Black has a sense of humour, George." The left twin said.

"It would appear so, Fred. Maybe he's a different sort of snake from his dad." The right twin said.

"It's rude to refer to someone in the third person when that person is present." Janus pointed out, still smiling slightly.

"Fred, you let your manners slip in front of Lord Black!" The left twin said, grinning broadly.

"So I did, George. Why, we haven't even introduced ourselves yet." The right twin said, mirroring his brother's smile.

Janus blinked again. So they aren't going to tell me which of them is Fred or George. The introduction should be interesting.

"I'm Fred, this is George, and we're the famous Weasley twins." Both of them said at the same time.

"I can't tell them apart either, half of the time, so I wouldn't feel too badly." A dark-skinned boy with dreadlocks said as he walked up.

"Lord Black, allow we humble pranksters to introduce you to the famous Lee Jordan." One of the twins said.

"It would seem all Hogwarts students are famous." Janus said dryly.

"Or at least all the third year Gryffindor boys." Jordan agreed happily.

"Indeed. If you upstanding gentlemen will excuse me, I had best take my ickle firsty self to a compartment."

"Until we meet again, Lord Black." The Weasley twins said, bowing deeply.

Shaking his head again, Janus stepped onto the train to find a seat.

XoXoXoXoXoX

As he disembarked from the Hogwarts Express, Janus had to sigh at some of his future year mates. Ron Weasley, unlike his twin brothers, seemed incapable of looking past his last name long enough to talk to him. Unfortunately, Janus didn't see the twins opening up about their home life (at least not seriously), so that particular Light family was going to be a dead end information-wise. Ah well. I'll put some more thought into it later on in the year. Janus had had a surprising amount of success with Neville Longbottom. Apparently the boy's grandmother hadn't told him of the rivalry between their fathers during Hogwarts. To say nothing of the boy's apparent ignorance of who Janus' aunt was. Although, if I had as many issues as Longbottom does, I'd be a little lenient who I made friends with too. Janus snorted to himself as he thought of the Mudblood girl that Longbottom had been wandering the Express with, looking for the fat boy's toad of all things. An heir of a pureblood family as wealthy and established as Longbottom bringing a toad as a pet is an out and out tragedy. Doesn't he know the only things toads are good for anymore are potion ingredients? Thinking back on how Longbottom had acted though, Janus conceded to himself that he probably didn't. The Mudblood however, had seemed knowledgeable enough, considering she didn't know a thing about their world before a month or so ago. With a few lessons in etiquette, she'd eventually be able to marry into a low pureblood family, and within generations her taint would be bred out.

He stepped into one of the small boats that the half-breed servant had directed them towards, joined shortly after that with Blaise and Theodore Nott, a pureblood heir he'd met on the train. Nott was just as aloof as Blaise, if not more so. He wasn't as introverted or taciturn as the dark-skinned boy, but he was utterly dismissive of everyone upon first meeting them. Even so, he'd warmed up to Janus after Janus had bought a few chocolate frogs from the trolley and shared them around. Janus had likewise grown fond of the boy after he'd pointedly ignored cousin Draco's spiel about first years not being allowed their own brooms. Nott was unimpressed with Draco's insistence that his father would bend the rules to allow him to play Seeker. The sad thing, Janus reflected as the boat rowed across the lake, was that Lucius probably would bend the rules if it meant his son's happiness. That was the quintessential difference between Lucius Malfoy and Sirius Black, Janus thought with a small smile of pride. He continued reflecting on his uncle Lucius' more embarrassing facets right up until they were ushered into the Great Hall of Hogwarts.

"The ceiling is charmed to look like the night sky. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History." He heard the Mudblood girl say. What was her name again? Something farm-related, wasn't it? Manger? Granger? Yes, that was it. Granger. Like I thought earlier, a few lessons in manners. A shame she's not a pureblood. I like to see a mind like that in a person. Janus thought wistfully before shaking his head. He was missing one of the legendary Sorting Hat songs with his inane thoughts. It was a good thing that he'd decided to start paying attention, as the Hat finished quickly and the Sorting had begun. A nervous looking girl named Hannah Abbot squeaked as her name was called first, and continued to fidget nervously all the way through to her seating at the Hufflepuff table. Chuckling to himself at her nerves, Janus' laughter cut off as his own name was called second.

You're going to be a tricky one. A dry voice inside his mind said softly.

My apologies for the trouble. Janus thought to the hat with a mental chuckle.

Now, none of that nonsense! This is one of only two things I do all year, I quite like the challenge. Imagine how frustrating it gets when the year is full of obvious cases. I'm done in minutes, and it's back to the Headmaster's office for another year of song writing.

I can see how that would be annoying.

Shush, you're distracting me. The thirst for knowledge is there, you'd do quite well in Ravenclaw. However, you almost want to be sorted into Ravenclaw, so the Light aligned families won't begrudge their children your friendship for being a Slytherin.

I'll thank you not to repeat that. Janus thought threateningly.

Tosh, everything I pull from your head is strictly between you and me. Not even the Headmaster has the authority to hear it from me. Now then, as I was saying… the desire to not be Slytherin for an ulterior motive is one of the true marks of a definite Slytherin. Surely you realized that, smart boy as you are? Hold on…you did realize that. Attempting to outsmart the Sorting Hat, you'd do very well in Ravenclaw.

I'm worried this is going to take hours while my brain leads you in circles.

Nonsense. I just need to dig a little deeper. Let's see… Your family loyalty is impressive, but I don't think you'd gain anything by going into Hufflepuff.

Unless you think transferring to Durmstrang would be a gain for me. Janus replied.

I do need to keep that reference about Helga saying she'd "take the rest" out of the song. You purebloods put such scorn on Hufflepuff.

Please stop digressing and get it over with.

Impatient, aren't you? Maybe the puzzles of Ravenclaw aren't for you after all. What's this? Hiding abilities already? And what ambitions I'm finding!

Those especially I'd like kept from prying ears and minds.

Stop making me repeat myself. Your career plans, misguided as I think them, aren't going to be revealed by me. Well, you've got cunning and ambition in spades, so we'd better pop you into SLYTHERIN! The hat finished, bellowing the last word for the Hall to hear. There was a polite smattering of applause from the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw table, and less than polite whispers from Gryffindor. Slytherin, apparently not feeling the need to celebrate the obvious, merely gave him a respectful burst of applause before turning to watch the rest of the Sorting. Janus joined them at their table, bowing his head respectfully towards Professor Snape.

The rest of the Sorting passed without much interest, though the Mudblood and Longbottom seemed to take quite a while to sort. Both went into Gryffindor, somewhat surprising Janus. He'd have bet money on Granger going into Ravenclaw, and Longbottom didn't seem particularly brave to him. After Blaise (naturally) was sorted into Slytherin, Dumbledore stood up and began a somewhat mad speech.

"That old fool. It's a ruddy crime that such a lunatic is in charge of children." Malfoy drawled from his seat across from Janus.

Blaise snorted softly before resuming his meal. Janus turned towards him with a questioning look. "Something amusing, Blaise?" He asked.

"Your cousin." Blaise muttered. Janus knew better than to ask for a clarification. If Blaise had intended to offer more information, he would have.

Nott, on the other hand, didn't seem to have the reluctance to insult Draco that Blaise did. "Everyone knows Dumbledore isn't as crazy as he acts."

Janus grinned. "And if everyone knows it, it's certainly true. What house was Dumbledore in, Nott, do you know?"

"Gryffindor, of course. My father says he's always favored them over Slytherin." Draco interrupted. His two henchman seemed to agree, nodding along with him.

"Really? I heard from my dad he was in Ravenclaw." One of the third-years said.

There was a bit of muttering around the table at Janus' question, only Blaise ignoring the conversation to focus entirely on eating.

"I'll wager that for the past hundred years, everyone has argued over which house Dumbledore was in. He'll have hidden it, so no one will know what to expect from him. That's also why he acts the senile old grandfather for us scared little firsties." Janus said.

"So you concede the point that it's just an act." Nott said, smiling triumphantly.

"Not at all. I'm just giving a theory for why it could be an act. For all I know, he really is crazy, but he sowed the seeds of that behavior a long time ago, so no one can tell anymore." Janus paused. "That's actually quite a good plan. Do you suppose he may've been a Slytherin?"

There were loud shouts of protest at that, and the argument continued up until Marcus Flint stood up to lead them to the Slytherin Common Room. As the first-years trudged along behind the surly looking Prefect, Blaise stepped closer to Janus. "You've got a good head for duplicity on your shoulders, Black." He said softly.

"I would think all of us should. Or is Slytherin not the cunning house anymore and I should petition for resorting?"

Blaise chuckled. "If you think everyone in Slytherin is here because they're good at strategizing, I would look no further than your cousin's muscle."

"I've already measured their brain power. Personally, I think the Malfoys should just indenture trolls. You don't have to pay them, except in meat."

Blaise laughter stopped. "Not so well-researched as you'd pretend. Hasn't your father told you anything about his old comrades?"

Janus frowned. "I'll thank you not to mention my father's past anywhere but in the common room." He hissed.

Blaise grinned again. "Ah, so you are thinking. You're quite right to put that little condition in. The walls have ears, after all." The dark boy said, pointing towards a portrait that hastily looked the other way. "We'll have more of a talk a bit later, away from prying pictures."

XoXoXoXoXoX

That night, in his study at Number 12, Sirius Black sat in his arm chair and smoked deeply from his pipe as he read the post he'd received..

Father,

As was perhaps expected, I have been sorted into Slytherin. Blaise is also there, of course, and he proves to be quite the complimentary act. You know how I love to connect dots to form a theory. It seems Blaise has a similar love for spreading around breadcrumbs for people to follow. Cousin Draco was sorted in what I imagine may be record time, as were his two gorillas. But enough about things you probably already knew. There is a girl here, named Granger, who is unaccountably intelligent. I wonder if her memory is photographic. As you can guess by reading her name, she's woefully unworthy of my time. A pity, as she really would be an asset.

In any case, it's nearly time for a House meeting, so I'll send this off with Orion.

Your loving son,

Janus.

That letter had been nothing to worry over. Janus was where he belonged, and already forming valuable relationships. His interest in the Mudblood was understandable, and Sirius was proud that his son knew better than to associate with her. If she had been a half-blood, like Severus was, than Sirius would have happily allowed them to get to know each other. As it was though, her taint was too great. As Janus had said, it was a pity. Sighing and taking the time to refill his pipe, he turned to the second letter.

My friend,

As you've no doubt heard from your son by now, he's a Slytherin. Not ten minutes after the Sorting was finished did he start sowing discord among his housemates. Making them doubt reality, question their knowledge, you know how he gets. He and the Zabini boy appear to be acting friendly, which is surprising, as from what I can tell, Blaise talks to nobody if he can help it.

But that's not what you're interested in, is it? You've heard that from your son. What is interesting is Dumbledore. This is the first I've seen of him since last term, and he appears especially out of sorts. He kept glancing towards the Gryffindor table and sighing wistfully. I expect he was looking for his little saviour. How sad for him, don't you think? I'm sure he'll be put out until your son has graduated, constantly thinking about where the boy-who-lived has gone.

I just thought you'd appreciate the humour of the situation.

Severus

Sirius scowled at the letter, considering throwing it into the fireplace it had popped out of an hour before. He trusted Severus to keep his word, but the way the man had brought up Dumbledore was dangerous. If the letter had been intercepted, it may have made someone put more interest than was wanted into the Black family tree. Or maybe Sirius was just being paranoid. It was the third message that was so interesting to Sirius. It was merely a pleasant letter from an old housemate. Or, that's what it appeared as until you pressed a certain magical tattoo against it.

My most loyal lieutenant,

I was pleased to see your son Sorted into my noble ancestor's House. I was even more pleased when the charm I had cast on the table to listen to their conversations revealed the boy's intelligence. I look forward to having him in class. There is much I would like to teach the future Lord Black. In particular, the mind arts. I tested his shields as he sat under the Hat, and found them adequate for his age. But they could be improved upon, and rapidly, under my tutelage. From what I gleaned from his mind, you asked him to seek out Severus for such training.

Yes, your old friend, Severus. Turned to drink of late, hasn't he? I wonder what sorrows he has to drown so fervently. I have chosen not to reveal myself to him, and neither you nor anyone else will do so either. Our spymaster's loyalty will be tested soon. My task for you is to keep an eye on him for now.

I will be coming to visit your home over the holidays, both to continue Janus' training, and for less academic reasons. I trust you don't mind?

Sirius frowned at the letter, which, naturally, was unsigned. The Dark Lord mistrusting Snape was troubling enough, especially considering what the man knew. More troubling was the Dark Lord's interest in the former boy-who-lived. He does not mean to kill him, at least. Sirius reminded himself, pouring himself a glass of potent whiskey from his friends in Germany. But why would he busy himself with training Janus? Does he mean to have my heir as his successor? No, the Dark Lord doesn't plan to die. And why would he come here? It was always Lucius' home that he based at, in the old days. Sirius shook his head. It was not for the Dog to question the Master. Sirius would serve his Lord with distinction, and he and Janus would join him in immortality and power beyond imagination.