Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. If I were, I wouldn't have made the mistake of killing Sirius Black or any other character of the Harry Potter universe!

Author's notes:

- Hello! Sorry it took me long to update, but RL got in the way… in the form of a new job. Enjoy the chapter!

- The oath is inspired by William Shakespeare's "Hamlet", Act 1 Scene 5, where Horatio and Marcellus swear upon Hamlet's sword that they won't tell anything about the Prince of Denmark talking to his father's ghost.


Chapter 7: the letter and the oath

After his conversation with Natasha and Albert, Sirius had gone upstairs to the dormitory get ready for bed. He had brushed his teeth but gave up about washing his face, since the bruises were too painful to the touch. Then, he had quickly changed into his sleepwear and he was so exhausted by the day's events he had almost forgotten to say good-night to his dorm mates. But James and Remus had just shrugged it off, saying they understood his state of tiredness, and Sirius had gone to bed certain that his prayers for real friendships had finally been answered.

The young Black had fallen asleep as soon as his head had touched the pillow, and when the magically-activated bell rang the next morning he jumped in fright! Only after his heart had calmed down did he managed to detangle himself from the sheets and covers, run to the bathroom for a shower and a scrubbing – the bruises on his face had disappeared during the night, true to Madam Pomfresh's prediction – and he was on the middle of combing his dark hair in place when a dishevelled James had burst into the huge bathroom.

"Siri, mate! Hurry up or we'll miss breakfast, and I'm starving!"

"Just a minute, James! I'm almost finished… By the way, do you want to borrow my comb?"

"No, why?" asked the Potter boy, looking genuinely puzzled by the question.

Sirius started to laugh: "Why? Because your hair is a mess! It looks like you have just survived an explosion after an experiment went wrong in DADA class!"

"Oh, that!" said James while rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "You'd better get used to it: I am the proud heir of the Potter trademark hair! All the males in my family are sworn enemies of combs, brushes and barber shops. Trying to discipline our strands is a complete waste of time, so what's the use?"

"Well," answered Sirius with a knowing smile, "Improving your looks may help you to make peace with Lily!"

The light in James' blue eyes dimmed suddenly, and he said with an angry sigh: "No, mate, it wouldn't help. I spotted Evans just before she was leaving the common room with McDonald, and I overheard her saying she liked her Slytherin pal a lot – the greasy-haired kid who scowls at everyone all the time. That bloke is called Severus Snape, can you imagine? You'd think a guy with such a grumpy-sounding name would compensate by being extra cheerful! Anyway, Lily also said she would try to see him as often as possible, and she was happy we have shared classes with the reptiles today so she'd see him. How can she talk to that guy after what those Slytherin gits did to you yesterday?"

Sirius blushed, feeling suddenly ill at ease. He felt absolutely no sympathies for Slytherin, especially after hearing his parents singing its praises for years, but he hadn't forgotten his conversation with Mary the day before and how the brown-eyed girl had gently reminded him there was good people everywhere, including in the snake house.

"Well, maybe that guy is better than the others," said Sirius. "I mean, there's a chance he might be, if Lily appreciates him!"

"Dream on!" grumbled James between his teeth, looking suddenly so furious that the young Black thought it was better to let the matter drop. He grabbed his toiletries before returning to his dormitory where he quickly got dressed, grabbed his school bag and rushed downstairs with James and Remus to have a great breakfast.

They quickly reached the Great Hall and sat in front of an abundance of food. The room was crowded and noisy like the day before and, at first glance, everything seemed normal: the teachers were talking between themselves, the students were pushing the warm food in their mouths with much enthusiasm and the various ghosts were aimlessly drifting around the place, exchanging old stories and anecdotes. There were no remaining signs of the drama which had happened the previous evening: the wooden shards from Symes' broken wand had been thoroughly swept and the Great Hall floor's tiles were immaculate.

But the young Black couldn't help but notice that Robert Wilkinson, Henry McIntosh and Parker Hill were seated apart at the right side of Slytherin table, munching morosely on their porridge, and… they were sporting fresh bruises on their faces! Wilkinson's left eye was blackened, McIntosh's nostrils were filled with cotton and Hill's bottom lip had been split, making it hard for him to eat. Obviously, some of their classmates hadn't been pleased with them making their house loose nine hundred points on the first day of school, and some fist-flying had occurred last night in the Slytherin's common room.

James had a hard time containing his laughter at this sight: "Boy! Talk about poetic justice!"

"What do you mean, Jamie?" asked Remus.

"Well, obviously Wilkinson, McIntosh and Hill have received a taste of their own medicine… and from their esteemed colleagues! I guess you were right, Siri, there are actually some good guys in Slytherin!"

Remus Lupin glanced around, and he could see the three aggressors were indeed ostracized by their classmates. He also noticed that Lucius Malfoy, looking green and seated at the opposite side of the Slytherin table, was trying to hide between the large frames of Victor Crabbe and George Goyle, not daring to lift his eyes from his plate of bacon and eggs. But Snape was deliberately ignoring the Gryffindor's table, much to Lily Evans' chagrin; she seemed distressed by her pal's attitude and Mary's words of comfort didn't seem to help.

Sirius felt sorry for the red-haired girl: at eleven years old of age, he already had his share of people turning their backs on him after he had dared to voice out loud his opinions about You-know-who's doctrines. Sighing, he dug out his timetable from his school bag to check what kind of lectures they would have during the day:

TUESDAY

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Potions

Pr. I. Nitric, the Dungeons, cell no. 33 (class held with Slytherin students)

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Transfiguration

Pr. M. McGonagall, classroom 2-5 EW

12:00 p.m. – 01:00 p.m.

Lunch

Great Hall

01:00 p.m. – 02:15 p.m.

History of Magic

Pr. C. Binns, classroom 3-4. EW (class held with Hufflepuff students)

02:30 p.m. – 03:45 p.m.

DADA

Pr. B. Scott, classroom 2-2 WW

"Oh, great," grumbled Sirius. "A Potions class with Nitric and the Slytherins, that's a nice way to start the day. I'd better take an extra breakfast to stomach the punishments Nitric has in store for me!"

"As I've told you yesterday, mate: no matter what he'll say or do, Remy and I will be right behind you, backing you up!" said James.

"Potter!" exclaimed Lily, looking horrified. "You are planning to hex Professor Nitric, aren't you? Yes, you are! That's just the kind of imbecilic action we can expect from you! Oh, of all the stupid things…"

"Lily, I don't think that James would…" started Mary McDonald, but the young Potter interrupted her.

"Calm down, Evans! Use your head for other purpose than growing hair on it! I've never said I would use my wand against one of Hogwarts' teachers; I'm not a mindless jerk like Damian Symes. I've just said I will support Sirius through thick and thin, out of solidarity a Gryffindor should show to another fellow Gryffindor. Professor McGonagall herself told Remy and I at the Hospital Wing that we showed the true spirit of our house during the garden incident. You'd better remember it instead of trying to befriend idiots, like your greasy-haired pal who has been giving you the cold shoulder since this morning!"

Lily's face turned as red as her hair!

"I'm free to do whatever I want!" said the girl while banging her fist on the table, making the plates and the silverware jump on the polished wood. "Severus is a nice guy. He… He probably has a good reason to not speak to me right now, but I'm sure he will give me an explanation later on. Besides, it would never cross my mind to befriend you, Potter!"

"If he were a true pal, he would speak with you no matter what!" retorted James. "But he's too scared of getting in trouble with Pureblood-fanatics Slytherins, like being caught on the act of talking to a Muggle-born Gryffindor girl. It doesn't take a genius to see that Snape is only concerned about his own safety!"

"You're an arrogant fool!" yelled Lily.

"Oh, yeah? Well at least, I associate myself with the right people – the ones who have the courage of their opinions," said the wild-haired boy, placing his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "It would never cross my mind to be nice with cowards like your slithering pal!"

Lily Evans looked like she was going to strangle James Potter, but then she just grabbed her glass of orange juice and threw its contents at his face. He barely had the time to realize what had happened before the young girl stormed out of the Great Hall, her book bag in one hand and looking absolutely furious.

Some of the Gryffindor students laughed after James took off his orange-saturated glasses, leaving two clean round spots around his eyes: it made him looked like an owl! Remus quickly provided a napkin so his dorm mate could hastily mop his face, but the fruit juice was dripping down from his throat to his shirt, tie and sweater, leaving some orange strains on the cotton and wool garments.

"Great! Nice shot, Evans! I owe her one!" grumbled James while trying to sponge the excesses of liquid off his Hogwarts uniform.

"You went too far, Potter," said Mary McDonald reproachfully. "You really shouldn't have talked to Lily like this."

"Is it my fault if she has a "goody-goody" attitude?"

"Lily doesn't have the same background as you have! She had no knowledge about her magic powers until recently until she received the acceptance letter, and then her whole world was turned upside down. Can you try to put yourself in the shoes of a Muggle-born girl, suddenly learning that she is a witch and she would attend a magic boarding school in Scotland, miles away from her home? That was already panicky for Lily, but the worse was to come: her sister Petunia went ballistic! If witch-hunters still lived, she would have denounced Lily on the spot – heck, she would have lit the bonfire herself! Well, in all this turmoil, Lily found support in Severus: he reassured her about her powers, told all about our world and she took the train on August 31st knowing that, at least, she had a familiar face to turn to in Hogwarts."

"I can understand the fears of a Muggle-born being tossed into the magic world, McDonald!" said James, throwing away the soaked napkin. "For your information, I'm not an idiot. All I'm saying is, Lily has obviously chosen the wrong guy for a pal!"

"And who would be a good friend for Lily? You?" asked Mary.

"Why not?"

Mary, Sirius and Remus exchanged looks, and then the three kids busted in laughter.

"You're jealous of Snape, James!" said Sirius.

"I am not jealous of that greasy-haired…!" denied the young Potter, his features reddening like a tomato.

"Yes, you are!" said Remus in a sing-song voice. "It's because you like Lily! And there's nothing wrong with this: she's pretty, full of fire and she has a good aim!"

"But you won't go very far if you keep on criticizing Severus!" added Mary.

The bespectacled boy snorted like a maddened bull getting ready to attack a Spanish torero in an arena, and then he started laughing as well. Within minutes, the four of them were making a joyful racket while their fellow Gryffindor were staring at them with rounded eyes. Peter Pettigrew looked completely dumbfounded, as if he couldn't imagine an argument and a glass full of orange juice thrown at a face could create a funny situation. Finally, it took a loud "Ahem" from Professor Dumbledore, seated at the teachers' table, to make the four kids calm down.

"All right, all right, I admit it! I like Lily," said James while wiping his face clean with a second napkin, this time to dry his tears of mirth. "But this hypocrite pal of hers makes me furious!"

"Don't you think you should apologize to Lily for hurting her feelings, instead of being jealous of Severus?" asked Mary.

"Oh, well, I suppose so," said the young prankster while getting up, his shirt and sweater still wet from the orange juice. "Maybe I'll get a chance to see her before Potions class starts?"

"We'll wait for you, Romeo!" said Sirius with a wink.

Remus finished cleaning up the mess left by the liquid on the table, and then he resumed on eating his breakfast, ignoring the glares coming from Lucius Malfoy and his minions, Victor Crabbe and George Goyle. Sirius growled at the direction of those Pureblood elitists, as if daring them to make a comment, but a hand brushing his made him forgets his animosities.

"Relax, Sirius!" said Mary. "It hasn't been long since you've recovered from the attack. Just ignore them for the time being, okay?"

"O-Okay," stuttered the young rebel, inwardly astonished how easily Mary could breach through his defences to make him listen to reason. That girl truly possessed magic powers!

Sirius smiled, and then the sound of fluttering wings was heard in the Great Hall: the owls delivering the mail were back. A shower of letters, parcels and newspapers fell on the eating students – some of the mail even landed in the middle of the plates - making the kids momentarily forget about their breakfasts. Sirius looked worryingly at the birds, fearing to spot Fulbert delivering him another Howler from his parents, but it was a Barn Owl – looking old and tired – which dropped a letter in his lap before flying away through the upper level window, not even stopping for a treat or a drink of water.

Remus and Mary looked apprehensively at the letter. They hadn't forgotten the scene with the Howler, either! But Sirius looked at the envelope, and frowned: it was obviously a reused one. The brown paper had green strains and it felt dusty to the touch, but it also smelt of pinewood, as if the sender had written from a forest…

"Do you think it's from your parents again, Siri?" asked James.

"No, mate. Even if they are mad at me, they would never send a letter written on cheap stationery, even if You-know-who would order them to do so. We better-than-the-others members of the most Ancient and Noble House of Black have standards to keep, you know! You may not have noticed it at the time, but my Mummy dearest wrote her latest missive on top-quality Howler paper, that's why her screaming was so loud and clear."

"So, who is it?" inquired Mary.

"I don't know… Maybe it's from my cousin Andromeda? She's the only decent one amongst my cousins…"

With a sigh, the young boy tore up the brown envelope and two pieces of paper came out of it. He looked at the signature at the bottom of one of the pages, and his eyes widened!

"It's from my uncle Alphard!"

"Who?" asked Mary, James and Remus at the same time, but Sirius was too focused on reading the letter to answer.

It read:

"My dearest Sirius,

I was strolling around in Diagon Alley today, buying supplies for my cabin, and then I spotted Malfoy Senior coming out of Knockturn Alley with one of his acolytes. I hid under a staircase because I didn't want to speak with Malfoy, but I overheard this pair of forked tongues talking about you and your sorting in the Gryffindor House of Hogwarts, thus breaking the millennia-old Slytherin tradition of our family. According to venomous Malfoy Senior, this kind of scandal would never have happened if his Lord and Master reigned on our world.

Sirius, I have trouble finding the words to express the pride I feel about you. I suspected your exceptional character from the day you were born, but I would never have imagined you would do your studies in Gryffindor! What a kick in the face of the You-know-who followers! You, my dear nephew, are the living proof that there are some good fruits in our rotten family tree.

I observed you and your brother during your stay at my cabin, three years ago. Do you remember when we've found two abandoned baby owls in the forest? I gave you one fledging each. Regulus killed his owlet by throwing it against a tree, calling it an unworthy weakling. You took care of your bird until it was strong enough to fend off for itself. I wasn't surprised by Regulus' reaction, but your altruism astonished me! Only eight years old and you were already standing tall amongst the Black crowd! I didn't say a word during the whole incident but since then, I've prayed every day that your heart would remain intact from the insanity running amongst our family.

You may probably don't know this, but my magical powers manifested themselves only two days before my eleventh birthday. My parents thought for sure I was a Squib and I earned the everlasting disdain of my siblings – talented Cygnus and harpy-like Walburga. On my arrival at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat was very close to place me in Hufflepuff. I would have loved to study in the badger's house, but I begged for Slytherin because I didn't have the courage to go against my parents' ideology.

You had this courage, kiddo. You turned a deaf ear to your parents' supremacist speeches, ignored their threats and warnings to follow the true callings of your heart. Orion and Walburga must have sent you a Howler screaming about how you are the shame of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Let me tell you this right now, Sirius: you are the pride of our family. Never, ever think otherwise.

You have renewed my hopes for a better future, where the Black name wouldn't be associated with evildoers, and my deepest wish is that some of your cousins will follow your footsteps. Your honesty and clairvoyance make you extraordinary, a shining light in the darkness. There are no doubts in my mind that you are the one who will pull the Black name from out of the mud.

Being a lion will probably bring you a lot of trouble from the Slytherins, and even distrust from some of your fellow Gryffindor. But you have the courage to face any kind of opponents. Your heart is in the right place, and you have been sorted in the right house. You will win real friends and I am ready to bet some of the Hogwarts teachers will fight tooth and nail for you – especially Pr. McGonagall, the Head of the Gryffindor House. I remember how much she hated Pureblood-elitism and kids mimicking their parents.

About Orion and Walburga… I will not lie to you by telling stories about how they will calm down with time. Your mother won't forgive your "treason". Can I advise you to spend Christmas and Easter vacations at Hogwarts? That way, you'd just have the summer to spend at the Black Manor. Don't think I doubt your courage for an instant: I know you have the guts to face your parents' wrath. But you are only eleven years old and your heart of gold must be protected from their bile. I will ask permission to invite you at my cabin for a few weeks during the summer. I don't know if it will be possible, knowing your parents' feelings for me, but I will try my hardest.

Anyway, Sirius, I wanted to say I am proud to bear the Black name again… and it is all thanks to you. Study hard, my sparkling star, and rise high above the Pureblood-maniacs!

Your uncle,

Alphard"

Sirius laid down the letter, having a hard time to comprehend the words he had just read. Alphard, of all people… The same one, who had been labelled "An incapable" by his mother years ago, was congratulating him for being sorted in Gryffindor! The boy was so surprised he didn't know if he should laugh, cry or do both at the same time.

"Siri?" asked Mary McDonald once again, worry clouding her eyes. "Is there anything wrong?"

"No… No, nothing is wrong! In fact… Oh, I can't believe it, I just can't believe it! My uncle Alphard has written to say he's proud of me for being sorted in Gryffindor!"

"What? Oh, Sirius, that's great!" exclaimed Remus.

"Yes, and that's fantastic because I really didn't think he cared about me, or my whole family in general. You see, Uncle Alphard is a little… weird."

"Weird, how?" asked James, looking interested by these new developments.

"Well, from what I've overheard from my parents, he's not very talented in magic – in fact, he was thought a Squib. He's one of my mother's brothers and he did his studies at Hogwarts, in the Slytherin House but he remained at the bottom of his class. Uncle Alphard was interested only in Muggles' things like guitar playing and bird-watching, which are activities unworthy of a member of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, as you can guess! After he graduated, he packed his things and left our Manor, never to come back. He's supposed to have travelled around the world for years and when he finally returned to England, it was to settle in an old cabin deep in the woods, without any modern comfort so he could observe the wildlife. He's what the Muggles call a… "yippee"?"

"A "hippie"", corrected Mary with a smile.

"Yes, that's how my mother called him once. According to her, they are good-for-nothing Muggles who love nature and peace, and those ideas are beyond her understanding. Once, Regulus and I went to stay at his cabin for two weeks, in the summer. I never knew what decided my mother to send us there because she despises Uncle Alphard and his way of life – I guess she wanted to give us a taste of how an almost-Squib, Muggle-loving fool lived so it would build our characters and make us become true "superior Blacks". Regulus complained the whole time about the lack of accommodations, but I loved my stay at this cabin even though Uncle Alphard didn't speak much. But afterwards, I never received any news from him and he doesn't show up at family gatherings, like Christmases or weddings."

"So, how did he learn about your sorting? Did your parents write to him?" asked the young Potter.

"My mother would rather swallow poison than send a letter to Uncle Alphard! No, he learned it by accident; he almost bumped into Malfoy's father in Diagon Alley and he overheard that arrogant prick talking about me. His son has written to him about my intervention in the Hogwarts Express, remember? Well, the little denunciator must have added an extra paragraph about me being sent to Gryffindor during the Sorting Ceremony. Which reminds me… yesterday morning, just before the DADA class I kicked Lucius Malfoy's posterior, big time!"

"You didn't?!" said Remus, his eyes as big as saucers.

"Yes, I did! For his letter, but also because he insulted you, Mary," answered Sirius, his handsome features hardening at the recollection of that fight in the boys' bathroom. "And I will do it again in a heartbeat, because no one has the right to call you names!"

James laughed out loud at the story of Malfoy's bottom being kicked like a football; Mary said nothing, but her eyes were eloquent enough: she was looking at the young Black as if he were a knight in shining armour riding a valiant steed in the middle of the Great Hall, which made him blush a deep shade of red as he recalled Natasha Sampson's words of praise. The Prefect had compared him to a medieval warrior last night, and it seemed this kind of compliment was contagious!

"Well, you must be relieved that an adult in your family is on your side," said James. "If things turn bad with your parents, you can turn to your uncle Alphard for help."

Sirius sighed, and then he tucked the letter back into the torn envelope.

"I don't know about that, Jamie. Uncle Alphard may approve of me, but he's not exactly of the fighting type. I remember him as a quiet, lonely guy in love with music, hardly the kind who can stand up against my parents. He says he'll try to convince them to let me stay at his cabin next summer, but I'm ready to bet ten Galleons they will flatly refuse. In fact, for the next seven years of my life my unloving Mum and Dad won't miss an occasion to remind me what a shame and a disgrace I am to our proud name!"

Mary, James and Remus looked at each other, feeling embarrassed and worried. The Howler's screams were still fresh in their minds and they didn't doubt Sirius would be in deep trouble as soon as he'd walked through his house's front door. The Sorting Hat's decisions were incontestable so ranting and raving was useless, but how could anyone explain that fact to Orion and Walburga Black?

"Maybe you should remain at Hogwarts during the whole school year, Sirius. I mean, if you fear your parents' reaction…"

"Yeah, that's what Uncle Alphard advises me to do in his letter. I'm not a coward," added the young Black, his grey eyes hardening at the memories of the violent beatings he had received from his father's hand each time he had dared to voice out his opinions about You-know-who, "But I cannot help but think it would be better for me to not come back home before the summer. Mummy dearest wasn't joking when she wrote in her Howler about a whipping awaiting me at Christmas."

"Sirius!" exclaimed Mary, looking scandalized. "Do you mean to say that they would…?"

Embarrassed, the boy turned his gaze towards the appetizing contents of his breakfast dish. Part of him was afraid he had said too much, but for the first time of his life he was in the company of people who genuinely cared about him, and he had been carrying the secret of Orion and Walburga's mistreatments for too many years. He felt the need to confess, to share his past with his friends because he knew they wouldn't ridicule him, unlike his disgusting cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa. He could trust James, Remus and Mary with his heart, so he whispered quietly: "Yes, they would."

A silence followed this declaration, and then Sirius lifted his eyes to see Lupin, Potter and the McDonald girl staring at him with hard eyes, a no-nonsense look on their faces and their wands drawn from under their dark cloaks. Panic seized Sirius: were they getting ready to cast a spell at him? But the next second, he called himself a fool because Mary laid her wand on the table, held her right hand above it and said:

"I swear upon my magic powers that no adult will lay a hand on you, Sirius Black, good friend and fellow Gryffindor."

James put his wand on the table so it would lie across Mary's, held his right hand and said: "I swear upon my magic powers to give Hell to your enemies, Sirius Black, good friend and fellow Gryffindor."

Remus added his own wand to the heap, covered it with the shadow of his right palm, and said: "I swear upon my magic powers to help you in any way I can, Sirius Black, good friend and fellow Gryffindor."

The young boy had a face-splitting smile after he heard those words: Mary, James and Remus had vowed to be his allies, come rain or shine! Well, he certainly couldn't remain still and mute like a statue after receiving such a tangible proof of their affection towards him. He got his wand out of under his cloak and laid it on top of the other threes before adding his:

"I swear upon my magic powers to always stand by your side Mary McDonald, James Potter and Remus Lupin, good friends and fellow Gryffindors."

The four kids looked at each other and grinned; they perfectly aware they just had committed themselves into an oath of allegiance that would bring no end of trouble, but they didn't give a care about consequences. The only thing that mattered was the absolute certainty of their little group's solidarity. They won't falter in the face of danger and no one, not even He-who-must-not-be-named, would attack one of them without earning rightful retributions. If Orion and Walburga Black wanted to whip Sirius, they would have to come through James, Mary and Remus first!

The magically-activated bell rang again, interrupting the various eating and drinking noises heard across the Great Hall.

"Time to go to Potions class, mates," said Remus Lupin with a sigh.

"Bleah… I feel sick! Do I look like a bit nauseated to you?" asked James.

"Nice try, Potter!" laughed Mary. "But you don't want to miss an occasion to speak to Lily, now, do you?"

"I guess it's better to get it over with," concluded Sirius. The four children retrieved their respective wands from the Gryffindor's table, grabbed their bags and headed for the door, not overly enthusiastic at the idea of spending more of an hour in the castle's dungeons, and in the company of Hogwarts' most acid teacher.

None of them ever noticed the envious eyes of Peter Pettigrew, who had witnessed their oath of friendship but who hadn't dared to utter a word.

TBC…