Chapter 4

Siri awoke the next morning to the sounds of breakfast cooking, and dishes constantly washing themselves. After changing into black jeans and an emerald jumper, she quietly crept to the kitchen to avoid waking anyone else still sleeping.

"Oh, hello, Hermi—I mean, Siri. Ready for a spot of breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley smiled at Siri as she continued cooking. The table was groaning under dishes of bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, and porridge. Siri supposed that so many guests would want options, and was grateful that Mrs. Weasley was such a great cook. She grabbed a bowl and began to fill it with porridge, adding honey for a touch of sweetness. AS she brought the spoon to her mouth, Ron made his entrance into the kitchen by tripping over Crookshanks.

"Bloody cat is a menace!" he yelped, glaring at Crookshanks.

"Ronald, it isn't his fault that you weren't paying attention," Siri snapped. She was rather protective of her familiar. Ron looked up and flushed red from head to toe, almost matching his vibrant hair. He had gained a few inches over the summer, and towered over both his mother and Siri.

"Right, uh, sorry Siri," he murmured, seeming to struggle to make coherent sentences. He rubbed the back of his neck as he filled his plate with everything but the porridge. Siri felt uneasy as she realized Ron was behaving strangely around her. She was still the same person, but perhaps her looks made her more attractive.

"It's alright, Ron. Crookshanks is already past it anyway," Siri laughed as her cat had taken interest in a room down the hall. Slowly, others made their way to the kitchen as they awoke, and Siri began to help Mrs. Weasley clean up.

"Siri, dear, I can handle this. You, Ron, Ginny, and the twins can go to the study room, and prepare it for cleaning. I have some doxy spray already in there for the draperies. Make sure all of you wear gloves and a mask. Fred, George, no smuggling of ANYthing," she directed the last at the twins, pinning them with her most fearsome glare. The twins had still been messing about with their prank merchandise, and Mrs. Weasley was determined they would put their nose to the grind on their NEWT studies. She had become more overbearing since Percy had deflected from the family, after the Prophet and all of its nasty articles denouncing Dumbledore and Harry.

The teens made their way to the study, and began the tedious task of spraying the draperies, collecting doxies in a bucket as they fell. Siri found a glass display cabinet, and began cataloging the items that she could remove from it. Others seemed to be stuck with a permanent sticking charm. She lifted a heavy necklace with a locket attached to it, turning it over she lost dropped it when she saw the front of it. There, on the front, was a serpentine S inlaid with glittering emeralds. This had to be the locket her father was talking about the prior evening. As she clutched it in her hand, she saw a ragged, unkempt house elf sneaking into the room they were cleaning. She scrutinized his features as realization dawned upon her.

"Kreacher!" the old elf looked up, alarmed until he recognized the speaker. He bowed low, his wizened ears flopping forward.

"Mistress Siri has returned to the noble and ancient house of Black. Oh, what would mistress say to see these filthy blood traitors here in her home. That no good son who broke Mistress' heart bringing this filth into the noble house—"

"Kreacher, you and I both know my mother had no heart. Take heart, nasty fellow, not only has Mistress Siri returned, but your precious Regulus is here," Sirius snidely interrupted the elf. Kreacher looked on the verge of tears at the mention of Regulus. The elf disapparated with a snap of his fingers in search of his beloved master.

"What do you have their, Siri?" Sirius gazed curiously at her clenched fist.

"Oh, Uncle, I think this may be what Dumbledore would be interested in. Perhaps, you could give it to him?" Siri placed the locket in his outstretched hand. He closed his fingers over it, then placed it in his inner robe pocket.

"From what I know, Uncle, we may need to keep that in a contained area. Its contents are quiet potent, deadly, and seductive. I remember Father telling Mother about it," Siri informed him, returning to the items in the cabinet. Sirius sat next to her, and began to remove other items. Suddenly, there was a crack of apparition and Kreacher stood in the middle of the room with Regulus and Madeline.

"There will be no further need to clean. Kreacher, who has been derelict in his duties, has informed me that he can have the whole house restored with a few simple spells that can be enhanced with his magic. Madeline and I will be escorting Siri to Gringotts to access our family accounts and purchase new furnishings for the house. Kreacher has also put Mother's portrait in a permanent sleep, so that the rest of us may carry on without her fuss. Merlin knows that woman can drive the sanest person crazy. Weasley brood, would you care to accompany us to Diagon Alley?" Regulus questioned, as Siri watched the elf's magic begin to clean the home that had sat vacant for ten years.

"Lazy, good-for-nothing, sorry arse of an elf. Too good to clean until Reggie comes home," Sirius grumbled.

"Oh, Uncle, let him alone. You know he loved Grandmother, and was probably quite depressed after we all disappeared," Siri admonished him with a wink. Sirius returned with his easy smile that was reminiscent of the shaggy dog he sometimes morphed into. After agreeing to meet in the entrance hallway, everyone departed to their rooms to wash up and prepare for their trip.

Regulus pulled Siri aside, "Listen, sweetheart, tomorrow I have requested a meeting with Fudge. I know everything he has been spewing about Dumbledore and Harry, but we both know it is out of fear and ignorance. I am going to show him my memories, particularly those with the Dark Lord explaining the nature of the horcrux and his intent. Not only that, but I also plan on showing him Pettigrew, and how he was integral to the demise of Harry's parents. The ministry has been made aware of the status of the three of us, as of this morning. I would like you to accompany your mother and I, to share what Harry told you again, after Fudge has listened to reason." "Okay, Father. I take it this is your Slytherin way of drawing Voldemort out into the open. I have noticed he has yet to prove he has returned. I imagine he is behind the propaganda against Dumbledore and Harry. I know Uncle would love to be free to get out in the open again," Siri acquiesced, as they approached the entrance hall to meet everyone and a familiar black dog waiting to leave for Diagon Alley.