Disclaimer: Still don't own HP or KHR.

A/N: Funny thing, I was looking up 'harry potter Goldstein' the other day and realized that there was an Anthony Goldstein in the DA. I'm not changing Antony's name, so let's just say he's Anthony's uncle and his brother has a horrid sense of humor, okay? Thanks.

4. A Black Letter Day!

Phoenix was disappointed. "All we did was practice the wrist movement. For an hour!" he growled. Jason patted him consolingly on the shoulder... with his non wand hand.

"I know, mate. I know," he said. Antony shook his head.

"Did you really think we'd be using magic in the first class?" he asked. His friends gave him dour looks.

"And there we have the scary side of Hufflepuff ideals," Phoenix muttered. Antony blinked.

"Eh?"

"You're an eternal optimist. It's... a little freaky," Jason clarified. Antony shrugged.

"Eh, I just don't see the point in getting worked up over the little things," he said. "Besides, my dad told me stories about his time here. I knew that we wouldn't start on real magic until the second week." Though he'd never say it, the shocked and dismayed faces Phoenix and Jason made were highly amusing. The young Goldstein decided they were far too amusing to let go of. A small smile crept onto his face as he listened to them bombard him with questions. So this was what having muggle-raised friends was like. It was... nice.

"OI! Are you listening to me?!" Phoenix asked, shaking a fist at Antony's face.

"Ah. Not really," Antony admitted with a faint blush. "Sorry. I'll answer your questions... but can we not be late for our next class?" Phoenix and Jason glared, but agreed/ Surprisingly, Phoenix got them there five minutes early. "How..."

"Circus brat, you learn how to navigate with a spinning head when you live with stage magicians who like to rope you in as their 'volunteer.'" Jason winced.

"Spinning boxes and stabbing swords?" he asked, shocking Antony.

"Spinning boxes and stabbing swords," Phoenix confirmed.

"And people find this entertaining?!" Antony asked, knowing full well that muggles couldn't know the boy was safe until he re-appeared. Phoenix shrugged.

"It's an old trick so people have grown accustom to it," he said. Antony shook his head.

"Muggle's are mad," he muttered. Phoenix just grinned while Jason cackled. It was then that they decided Antony was too amusing to ignore and so they would draw him into their inner circle.

/*/

Jason, Antony, and Phoenix were happily talking over their day at the dinner table that night when a stately owl dropped a letter in front of the Black. "Who'd write to you? With an owl?" Jason asked, making sure to clarify his statement when Phoenix shot him a fairly mild glare.

"D'know," Phoenix said, already turning the letter over. He froze when he saw the crest. "But it looks like a Black, and one of the traditional ones at that," he said, showing his roommates the Black Family crest imprinted in black wax.

"Who addressed it?" Antony asked. Phoenix shook his head and showed them the front. No return name, just 'Phoenix Black.' "Open it, open it!" Not needing any more prompting, Phoenix did just that, breaking the wax seal and gently pulling out the thick parchment the old families seemed to favor.

Phoenix Black, Greetings from Paterfamilias Black.

Due to a letter from a member of an alley to our House, your existence was made known. Your father has declined acknowledging you, but will not declare that you are not his son. Therefore, you may continue to use the name Black as long as you desire. Frankly, you've brought a bit of... fun... into my life again. I feel this warrants some sort of reward. So, I have decided to disclose to you the name of your father in exchange for correspondence from yourself.

You are the bastard son of Orion Regulus Black. His address is 12 Grimmauld Place, Islington, London. Do with that what you will.

Your, unofficial, grandfather,

Lord Arcturus Black of the Ancient and Noble House of Black.

Phoenix and his friends stared at the letter for a good three minutes before sharing a look. A swiftly becoming infamous smirk began to spread across Phoenix's face. "Oh no," Antony moaned, sinking a little lower on the bench.

"Oh, yes~!" Phoenix hissed, narrowed eyes gleaming with mischief. Jason chuckled, a similar gleam in his own eyes.

"Whatever you're planning, I'm in~!" he declared. Antony groaned dramatically, but knew he couldn't just leave the two to their own devices.

"Alright. So what's the plan?" he asked.

"Well, I don't have much right now. Just a general idea of chaos," Phoenix answered.

"Okay. What kind of chaos?" Jason asked, Antony nodding in agreement over his shoulder.

"The 'party crasher' kind of chaos," Phoenix revealed. Jason and Antony shared a look... before the shorter boy fell off the bench due to his precarious position over Jason's shoulder. "You okay there, Tone?"

"Peachy. And don't call me 'Tone,'" Antony answered with a faint moan. While their friend was picking himself up and dusting himself off, Jason turned to Phoenix with a disproportionately serious look on his face as he said,

"Party crashing isn't something you just do. There must be careful planning involved. The perfect moment must be picked, the most epic and disruptive entrance must be determined. Every detail must be mapped out, every complication and branching possibility calculated. Phoenix," he paused and clapped his hands on the Black's narrow shoulders, "you're going to need all the help you can get for this." Phoenix grinned at his friend.

"Circus Brat, remember? If there's one thing I'm good at, it's putting on a show," he remarked. Antony shook his head and bopped his crazy friend on the head.

"Don't go biting off more than you can chew, Fire Butt," he said. "Take your time with this, make it your best prank yet." Phoenix glared at the boy for the 'nick-name' before bursting back into his usual, troublemaker, lopsided grin.

"But of course. One must have standards after all."

/?/

A/N: and now we have a Hufflepuff trio! I am accepting names for their group.