The New Black Heir

"So you are my new grandson." Sirius's mum said. "YOU PUT A MUDBLOOD TO BE THE HEIR! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, NO GOOD SON OF MINE! I WISH I COULD JUST WRING YOUR NECK RIGHT NOW!"

"Lady Black, will you please calm down?" James pleaded. He knew a way to deal with cranky old ladies: kill them with kindness. Lady Black was at least not screaming, but she was by no means calm. "I am not a muggleborn. I am a halfblood."

"Why should I believe you, dirty scum?" Lady Black spat out.

"Because a muggle-born can not do this." James said in parseltongue. Lady Black was shocked. "So, are we cool?"

Lady Black could just nod her head. "Yes, we are. You are quite polite."

"My friends Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom have been teaching me about pureblood customs." James answered.

"Well at least my son did something right for a change." Sirius looked like he was about to faint. "I will keep your gift a little secret. Being a parselmouth does not go over well in the world today." Lady Black said.

Night of the Black Ball:

"Wonder why Black felt the need to hold a ball, and the night before Draco goes to school, no less!" Lucius Malfoy sneered. He wasn't fond of his cousin in law, and was less than excited when he got released from prison.

"He is still my cousin, my flesh and blood, and the head of the house of Black, so will you please keep your mouth shut!" Draco was surprised from this response from his mother. "Not many of my family are alive and free, and I can't talk to both of my sisters." Draco knew that Andromeda was a sore subject for his mother, and his mother had a close relationship with Bellatrix.

"Welcome to the House of Black." Sirius said, without trying to sound sarcastic. "It took Kreacher a long time to clean up so it wouldn't look as Black as the name." Kreacher took orders from his mistress, and his mistress said to follow James's orders. Everyone laughed at Sirius's joke, even if it did jab at his family's name. "I would like to introduce the heir to the House of Black."

Several gasps were heard in the crowd. No one knew what to expect. Then James stepped out. He looked the same as he was at the Longbottom Ball, but his hair was black, quite like Sirius's, and the ends were turned the Black house's colors. "I would like to introduce myself. I am James Black, formally known as James Evans, from the lovely house of Ravenclaw, and the heir to the most noble and ancient house of Black."

Neville, Draco, and Susan were the first people to clap, and the others soon followed. James walked out the steps to greet them. "You could have told me!" Draco complained.

"I wanted you to be surprised." James defended.

"You did surprise us. So does this mean that you'll be going to pureblood balls?" Neville looked on with hopeful eyes.

"Sirius isn't one for pureblood customs, so no. Sorry, but you have Dray and Susie." James answered. "Fine, if both of them are not there, I'll show up. I'm only doing this because I am your best friend."

"I just realized how strange this is. All of us are from different houses and we are speaking to each other." Susan pointed out.

"Yes, we are the rainbow group of friends!" James exclaimed. Sirius snorted. "God that sounded gay."

"I guess this means we are related. I finally have sane relatives!" Draco exclaimed.

"I've heard about the lovely Black family history from Lady Black...I mean Grandmother." James said.

"But how did you get her to accept you...I thought she would just yell at you..." and this proved that at times Draco was too smart for his own good. However, Neville simply nodded like he understood. "So Neville knows and I don't? We've been friends this past year and now we are family, and you still don't tell me?"

"I understand if you don't want to tell me. We've just began to get along." Susan said. "But why did you call me Susie?"

"I have nicknames for all my friends." James happily said. "It started the day I got my own nickname, Crim."

"He sucks at nicknames." Draco said.

"I do not!" James stuck out his tongue.

"Please...Dray? Nev? You know how many times I called my Uncle Sev Uncle Nev by mistake? He didn't like to be reminded of Neville." Draco explained.

"Well...I don't want to be reminded of him either." Neville shivered. Neville did deserve to be let in on the secret. He was his best friend...and it was wrong to keep him in the dark.

"Hey Nev, can I talk to you alone?" James asked.

"Sure." Neville said. Soon, they were in James's room. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"So, do you know occulmacy?" James asked.

"A little...I haven't practiced. Grandmother tells me I need to learn it soon. She doesn't trust the headmaster." Neville's Grandmother was a smart cookie. No wonder Neville turned out to be such a great guy. "So I guess I need to take lessons over the summer? What are you not telling me?"

"Well...I guess my name really is James Black...its legalized...even if we had to bribe a goblin." James nervously laughed.

"You bribed a goblin?!" Neville yelled.

"Well, I had no choice! I didn't want to go back to the Durselys!" James yelled. He then calmed his voice and started again. "This was a lot easier telling Luna and the twins. My real name is Harry Potter."

"Okay...decent reason to bribe goblins..." Neville was in a state of shock.