Siriusly Hooked Up
By Mae Silverpaws
Christmas and Beyond
4
Christmas morning came bright and early. Sirius heard Ron and Ginny come pounding up the stairs demanding that Harry wake up so that the presents could be opened. Sirius smiled it was nice to have normal family noises like that in the house. Reg and Sirius had never been allowed to thunder up and down the stairs or demand anything from anyone in the house. Seen and not be heard had been his parents' credo and to be paraded out at the perfect children when "the right people" came over
Twenty minutes later everyone was sitting around the tree waiting for the packages to be divided up. Even Molly had to laugh as Kreacher popped into the room a Father Christmas hat on his head and a very fake beard hanging from his chin.
After the presents a huge Christmas breakfast was served followed by a mid afternoon supper. All in all Sirius thought it was a very un-Black Christmas. Just the way he wanted to keep them.
That evening Harry and Sirius were as excited as if it was Christmas Eve all over again. By mid day on Boxing Day Hermione would be there and the three of them could proceed with making their family.
Harry woke up at 2 AM and couldn't fall back to sleep, he finally gave up trying at 3:30 and wandered down to the kitchen with his DADA book, some parchment a quill and ink in his hand hoping that since it didn't look like he would be falling back to sleep at least his holiday homework would be done. At 4 Sirius joined him. "Couldn't sleep either huh Pup?" he asked looking at Harry with his books, parchment and ink spread across the kitchen table. "Is the kettle still hot? I could use a cuppa." Harry absent mindedly waved at the kettle on the stove and it started to whistle. "You're getting pretty good at that stuff there kiddo." Sirius said getting up to make his cup of tea.
At 6 AM Kreacher found both Sirius and Harry still sitting at the table. Sirius looking over Harry's essay as Harry chewed on the end of his quill.
"Good Morning Master Siri and Master Pup" said Kreacher startling both of them.
"Morning," Harry said his mouth still full of the quill, "did Hermione say what time she would be here today?"
"No Master Pup but you and Master Siri can do your ritual first. You don't have to wait for her you both realize."
Sirius jumped up, "You are amazing Kreacher why didn't we think of this. Come on Harry into the library before anyone else wakes up."
Sirius shut the library door just as Arthur came down the stairs. "Good morning Kreacher" he said, "I thought I heard Sirius" Arthur shrugged and sat at the table to read the Prophet. "I must have been mistaken."
Sirius placed privacy and listening charms on the library and a notice me not on the door. Just to make sure no one walked in on them.
"This is going to be very easy Harry. I just wanted to do it while the Ministry was open so that when it went to file the papers weren't sitting around on a desk for just anyone to read. Now all we need to do is prick our fingers, place the blood on the parchment, read these statements and if it's done correctly the paper should disappear and go file itself at the ministry. When the ministry opens the records should update themselves. Ready?"
Harry nodded and extended his left hand. Sirius reached into his father's desk, he quickly corrected his thinking, Sirius reached into his desk and removed a box. It was approximately the size of a box of cigars but was very ornate and had the Black family crest on the top. Opening it Sirius looked at the sleek sliver and black obsidian knife that was held inside. "This Harry is the Black Family dagger. It's only used for very important reasons; reasons that can not be undone. Are you sure about this?"
Harry swallowed and then nodded. "Yes sir" he said looking very sure of himself.
Sirius reached into the desk again and removed three pieces of paper two only had a few short sentences on them while the other looked very official and also had the Black family crest on it.
"OK here we go Pup. I, Sirius Orin Black, the rightful Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black here by bring Harry James Potter into my family. I bring him in as my eldest and rightful heir. By this drop of blood I make this so." Sirius grasped the dagger by the blade and squeezed his hand until he felt his skin pull and slice slightly a drop of dark red blood ran from the tip of the blade onto the parchment right next to the area where Sirius was to sign his name. "OK Harry your turn" he said handing the cleaned blade to Harry. A quick healing spell and it was if Sirius had never cut his hand.
Harry looked Sirius directly in the eyes and stated, "I, Harry James Potter, willing enter into this family. I understand that I will become the heir of Sirius Orion Black and his blood and legal son. By this drop of blood I make it so." Harry also grabbed the blade of the dagger and squeezed. A single drop of blood ran down the silver blade and splashed onto the parchment right next to where Harry needed to sign.
"We're almost there kiddo, just gotta sign it and it's done." Harry grabbed the quill from the stand and quickly dipped the end into the ink letting it drip for just a second so that the paper would stay neat. Harry James Potter he wrote on the line next to his blood drop. Sirius wrote his name and replaced the quill to its stand. Then they waited, Sirius and
Harry looked at each other the paper had been on the desk for a good two minutes. It didn't appear to be going anywhere. Harry hung his head; it looked like Dumbledore had won. Harry wouldn't have a real family after all. Just as he was about to turn away a soft pop was heard and the paper was gone. Sirius and Harry both gave mighty whoops and then gave each other big bear hugs. It had taken a minute but it was official they were a family. Sirius and Harry left the library with huge grins. They entered the kitchen just as Arthur was about to leave "Thank you Kreacher excellent breakfast as usual. Oh good morning you two." Arthur said as he was leaving the kitchen, "I will be a little late this evening, I think I have actually convinced Molly to meet me for supper." Arthur smiled as he left the room.
Kreacher looked up and smiled "so it is finished?" he asked
Both Harry and Sirius nodded, but before anything else could be discussed Molly entered the kitchen. "Morning all." She said reaching for a cup to make tea.
"Molly," said Sirius "Arthur said you two have a dinner date this evening, please let me make arrangements at Madame Malkin's, go and get a pretty new outfit or pretty new robes for the evening on me." Molly started to comment but before she could more then open her mouth Sirius continued "Please for an old dog, make an evening of it. Have fun for me since I can't get out. Me and the kids will be fine here."
Molly smiled; a pretty new something would be nice. "Thank you Sirius."
Molly left soon after breakfast. "Kreacher would you please go to Gringotts and make the arrangements for Molly's day out."
"Of course Master Siri, and Kreacher will bring back any forms that might be there waiting for signatures also." The old elf said leaving with a soft pop.
Before Sirius and Harry realized it the front door opened and they heard "I'm here! Someone please come help with these boxes." Hermione was standing in the doorway with 3 large boxes sitting just outside the door as well as her school trunk and a cat carrier.
The twins followed by Ron came thundering down the stairs, they each grabbed a box leaving Hermione to maneuver her trunk and Crookshank's carrier. Harry grabbed her trunk while Sirius grabbed the carrier. Crookshank gave a little hiss at all the jostling he had been getting but settled down once he was in the house. "Nice to see you too old man" said Sirius peering into the cage, Crookshank meowed and pawed at the door. "Can I let him out Hermione?" asked Sirius
"Sure as soon a the front door is closed." Hermione was standing in front of the draped off picture of Mrs Black and heard her draw in a breath to start one of her famous tirades,"Good Afternoon Mrs Black" Hermione addressed the curtain. "Thank you for greeting me."
Mrs Black was so shocked at being addressed that she forgot what she was going to say.
"Gheeze Hermione", said Ron filling the amazed silence, "Its Boxing day not Boxes Day. What's with all this stuff?" Ron waved his hand vaguely at the front hall, "What's with all the boxes. You can't take all this to Hogwarts you know."
Hermione sighed "Yes, Ronald, I am very aware what Boxing Day is. The stuff in the boxes are for Sirius it's something for him to do while we are all at school."
"Oh" Ron said.
"Should we put this in the library Sirius?" she asked
"OK great, then I have to have a quick talk with you and Harry, if you don't mind." said Sirius.
"Gheeze Hermione," said Ron, "what the bloody hell did you do already? I mean you aren't really in the house yet. We'll be up in my room waiting for you two, ghee in trouble before you are here 5 minutes. That's more me then you, Hermione; I think Harry and I are finally rubbing off on you." He mumbled as he dropped the box he was carrying inside the library door. He gave her a supportive grin then bounded back up the stairs.
"I didn't do anything did I Sirius?" she asked once the twins and Ginny had left the room.
"Oh no I just figured we could get the paperwork done for what we talked about before you left for Christmas. Now once I become your magical guardian things will change some for you and your family here in the magical world. You will receive a better conversion rate at Gringotts but I have already set up a small vault in your name to take care of the rest of your schooling at Hogwarts and your first 2 years out in the work force. Since you will be under the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black you will be treated as a full blooded magical as you know muggleborns encounter a lot of prejudice your robes will have the House of Black coat of arms on them until you marry and will continue to unless your husband's family also has a coat of arms.."
"Wow this is serious Sirius." she said
"Well actually yeah it is, are you sure you really want this?"
Harry looked intently at Hermione he didn't even realize that he was holding his breathe until she said, "Yes Sirius, being your magical ward would be an honor."
Sirius reached into his desk and pulled out another piece of parchment. "This is it, it's very simple and it states that The Ancient and Most Noble House of Black is taking you on as a magical ward that you are under the protection of this house and to be considered a member of the family of the House of Black. It also states that your parents still have legal custody of you and that I can not make any decisions concerning your well being in the magical world without speaking to your parents first. All that has to happen is you sign it I'll sign it and then we will send it to your parents. Once they sign it the paper will self file itself and everything will be complete. Ready?"
Hermione nodded and picked up the quill signing her name on the indicated line. Sirius signed on his line then folded the parchment put it in an envelope and asked Harry to have Hedwig deliver the note to Hermione's parents. Harry left to find Hedwig and Hermione asked.
"How will we know when my parents have signed it?"
"Once it files itself we will here a bell here, it shouldn't take long."
"Fine then do you want to see what I brought you while we wait then?" asked Hermione.
"Of course, what is it all?"
"It's a computer." Said Hermione,
"A what?"
"Let me hook it up and I'll show you all about it." It took Hermione about 10 minutes to set the computer and printer up on Sirius' desk. "This is mine from home but I thought once we all leave to go back to school you would be lonely and this will keep you company. It's really rather simple let me show you."
Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the afternoon teaching Sirius how to use the computer and how to surf the web. A soft bell was heard about an hour after Hedwig left on her errand. All three smiled and hugged the family was complete.
Having grown up with magic Sirius was very good at taking things at face value without asking why or how. He just accepted it. By dinner Sirius was looking up simple items on the web. He had a huge grin on his face as he started to hatch a plan.
"I can find just about anything on this right Hermione?" he asked as the three of them left the library.
"Of course, why?"
"I'll let you know if I find it." He said, "George, Fred, Ginny, Ron come on down Kreacher has dinner ready." Sirius called up the stairs "Now let's go enjoy a Molly free meal shall we." Sirius held the kitchen door open as everyone trooped into the kitchen.