The Asterothain

Disclaimer: All of the Harry Potter stuff belongs to J.K. Rowling. I also don't own the song written on the back of the picture, just thought I should add that in.

A/N: Sorry about the delay we've been redecorating my bedroom and it's been a lot of work and then we had a party and… wow. But finally here's this chapter! Please read and review!

Sirius and I

As Bagel waited for the second side of the pancake he was making to finish, he glanced at the Daily Prophet that was layed on the table. In big letters on the front page was typed: UN-OBITUARIES. Bagel turned to take the pancake out of the frying pan and turn off the oven. He buttered his pancake and since he had no syrup, ate it as one would eat a sandwich.

Whilst he ate he read the article on un-obituaries. It read:

Formerly dead James and Lily Potter and ex-convict Sirius Black have all been found to be alive. Apparently the curse that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named performed on them did not work on the Potters who have been residing with him and various other Death Eaters for the last sixteen years. Sirius Black claims to have escaped a device in the Department of Mysteries by forcing Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange (renowned followers of You-Know-Who) to set him free. He says they used the Asterothain (a legendary talisman capable of a range of powerful magic) to let him out. Keeping in mind, however, almost two years ago the report that Black had in fact been helping these two and others escape from Azkaban. Black has been known to help You-Know-Who's followers occasionally, so why shouldn't they return the favor?

"My God! Is this a news article or an editorial?" Bagel said jokingly. He looked at the author: Percy Weasley. He had read an article by him last week and it was just as opinionated. Seems like the Ministry's trying to start something again, he thought. The name Sirius stuck out to him, though. He looked at the bottom of the article where there was a picture of the three. The caption said Sirius was the one on the left. Bagel swallowed the rest of his pancake, took the newspaper, and went upstairs, not stopping at his room but going on to the attic.

Once inside, he pulled an old album out of a torn, dusty box. In it were dozens of pictures of his mother Adrienne with a rather tall man with black hair like Bagel's own. This was who he had always imagined his father to be, ever since he was five and first found the pictures. Bagel knew the two in the pictures had been married, but had divorced four years before he was born. Divorced when his father was sent to Azkaban for working with Voldemort. Bagel held the newspaper picture up to a picture he had taken out of the album and compared Sirius Black to the man in the picture. They looked like they could have been brothers in the least. Bagel turned over the picture to read who of and where it was taken.

Sirius and I at Dover--1985

"There'll be bluebirds over

The white cliffs of Dover

Just you wait and see."

Sirius Black. Bagel ran downstairs, newspaper and picture in hand and scrambled through the silverware drawer until he found a silver spoon, on which was inscripted:

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

"Toujours Pur"

around a family crest. It all fit. Sirius Black, the ex-convict from Azkaban, his mother's ex-husband, his father. It explained Adrienne's anger at Lucius's mentioning of Sirius. Now all he needed was confirmation. He put the picture in his pocket and strolled into Adrienne's bedroom with the Daily Prophet.

Adrienne, who was writing furiously at an already four-page letter, didn't look up at his entrance. Bagel threw the Daily Prophet down onto her bed and still she didn't look up.

"Sirius Black is still alive," said Bagel.

"So? What's it to us?"

"An ex-convict is still alive; your ex-husband is still alive; my father is still alive."

Finally Adrienne looked up from her paper. "What are you talking about?"

"Sirius Black-- you were in love with him, weren't you? Then you had a divorce when he was put in Azkaban, but you were still quite in love. So, about four years later, when you decided you couldn't take his absence anymore, you went to visit him in Azkaban. Nine months later, on April 9th, after you've finally had enough of Sirius Black, you wind up with me. Vega Orion Scott Black."

Adrienne's eyes threw him an evil glare. "You don't want that name hanging over you, bastard."

Bagel just smiled. "So, in order to stop me from being like him, you keep me from the outside world, send me to Durmstrang when I need schooling, and just overall treat me like shit. It didn't work, Mum."

"I'm aware. What does any of this matter to you anyway?" Adrienne again buried herself in writing.

"I'm going to him," Bagel announced. "I have to meet him. Does he even know I exist?"

"Go on, then. Go find him. He knows who you are, he just hates you. You symbolize everything he ever did with me. That's why he hasn't been here. You don't know the man," she spat.

"Where should I start?" asked Bagel looking back at the Daily Prophet on his mother's bed.

She looked at the picture below the article. "Well, if the Potter's are back, he's probably free-loading off them. Number Two Godric's Hollow, that should lead you right. And tell him I said he's a damn son of a bitch," Adrienne answered and resumed her writing.

"Thanks for the tip," the boy replied hollowly. He walked out of the room, grabbing a piece of paper as he went and wrote the address on it. Then he went up to his room, took his trunk, and left the house for what he hoped was forever.