Let it be made absolutely clear: Sirius Black loathed Severus Snape. He'd willingly declare this to the entire universe if necessary, and it didn't make the slightest bit of difference as to whether Padfoot had good reason for his intense dislike of the other man, or none at all. Dammit, in a lifetime, anybody was entitled to one or two unreasonable prejudices, and that greasy git was totally repulsive to a certain Grim!
Just like beets.
Slouching in the law firm's chair, Sirius felt an inner warm glow at a memory of his first escape from Azkaban, when a sopping wet dog had starvingly scavenged through the alleys of a seaside town. Back then, even though he'd been utterly crazed with hunger, a sniffing nose had turned itself up in complete disdain at coming across a half-full can of discarded beets in the bottom of a dumpster. Despite what his mother had maintained ever since her oldest son was a toddler, Sirius Black was bloody well not going to eat his beets. No, indeed, he'd much rather devour anything else remotely edible, just as he'd done elsewhere in the filthy dumpster. So there.
And exactly like that, he was certainly not ever going to allow his hatred of Snivellus to lessen, no matter what.
Damn straight. So, the sod in question had a horrible home life, no friends but one and then lost her, joined up with a psychotic wizard, got played like a violin by another wizard with a suspicious addiction for sweets, and then was summarily fired from the only employment he'd ever had? In response to all this, Sirius had a supremely succinct reaction: "Piss on him."
Merlin's teeth, for a good part of today, Sirius had been near enough to Snape for him to actually urinate onto that berk's feet if he'd felt like it. And he'd definitely considered it, in between the times when that arsehole trying to find another job had been closer to being murdered than Snape might had ever dreamed, much less suspected. Hidden by the house-elf magic Kreacher passed onto Sirius weeks ago, the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black had been concealed from discovery by any spells known to wizardkind, or even physical detection by someone bumping into him. Which meant Sirius had spent a couple of hours following Snape around Diagon Alley, well within arm's reach of the other man's throat at all times.
He wouldn't have even needed his wand. Just grab and squeeze…
Of course, if he'd done this, there wouldn't have been those two hilarious occasions when he'd witnessed dear old Snivellus getting himself hexed by the potion shop proprietors for even daring to visit them, much less asking for a job there. Not to mention being treated like the worse kind of criminal throughout the other attempts. Dear me, such a shame, with that bugger feeling as if everybody was against him, no one willing to treat him decently, and it wasn't fair at all! It must've been absolute torture, a few hours of that while being free and in the fresh air, not like, oh…over a decade in a cesspit of a cell at Azkaban.
True, there was the unfortunate episode back in their younger days when they were attending Hogwarts. All right, all right, so he'd been an absolute pillock about it. Satisfied? It still would've been a major cause for celebration by the Marauders if that little prick had gotten hugged to death by the giant squid, or went sleepwalking on the moving staircases, or managed to kill himself in some other spectacular way at Hogwarts in which Sirius Black and his friends couldn't possibly be blamed for it. Hell, if Snape had indeed been changed into a werewolf back then, that sour bugger's personality probably wouldn't have altered the least during the next three days of the full moon. Maybe some more greasy hair at the most, but in spite of everything yet continuing to sneer with the same intense scorn and hostility at everybody in his vicinity, which forever rubbed Sirius the wrong way.
Still in his chair, the Black heir grumpily shrugged. The fact was, he really couldn't remember any specific reason or outcome of his first encounters with Snivellus which had in the end led to the cruel prank on the other student that nearly ended in tragedy for everyone. Not like what Harry had once told him about his godson's initial meetings with Draco Malfoy. Right from the beginning, this young bully had insulted Hagrid, declared Harry should at once join with him in contemptuously regarding the lower classes of the wizarding world, and otherwise behaved like an arrogant pureblood arse.
Sirius absently wiped away a proud tear in remembering how Harry had then recounted pleading with the Sorting Hat to send him to any other Hogwarts house, just so long as these didn't already contain the ghastly presence of Do-You-Know-Who-My-Father-Is Malfoy. The man currently disguised as an ordinary Ministry functionary afterwards wondered in private if that magical headgear had also sensed years ago his own burning desire to avoid being sorted into Slytherin House exactly like his whole family. This eleven year old boy instead desperately wanted to join his new best friend James Potter, who never showed to Sirius Black the usual wary suspicion by now all too familiar to the child from this reputedly dark Noble and Most Ancient House.
Well, however it'd happened, he became a Gryffindor, which had one stroke managed to both keep him in James' company and thoroughly annoyed his not so dearly beloved parents. Over the next couple of days, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew joined their little group, and the Marauders were born. Who then, often at Sirius' urging, had found a prime target for their unrestrained practical jokes in the form of a sallow-faced, cheaply-robed Slytherin student who kept hanging around the prettiest girl in Gryffindor Tower.
Unknowingly pulling his own sour expression, Sirius grouchily acknowledged to himself that one of the reasons for the steady increase in viciousness during the Marauders' mischief against Snape might have simply been an equal increase of male hormones in the bodies of Prongs and Padfoot. Or to put it more bluntly, trying to get rid of any possible competition while impressing Lily Evans enough to have this brilliant and beautiful witch decide to become more closely acquainted with such fine blokes as Mr. Potter and Mr. Black.
Look, they'd been teenagers around then, during which any other sensible person at the time would have found ample cause to categorize him and James as a couple of sex-crazed maniacs with all the prudence, good judgment, and capability for destruction of a horny pair of Hagrid's most dim-witted Blast-Ended Skrewts. There was no way for it to end except in tears. At least nobody had died or actually got hurt. Except for maybe Lily's friendship with Snape after the next-to-last confrontation with the Marauders. Not that Sirius had paid too much attention to this then; he'd already started planning a really nasty prank, which had almost caused Moony in his werewolf form to attack Snape.
Sirius squirmed uncomfortably in the chair. That particular incident was among the greatest regrets of his life. As said before, not of what had nearly happened to Snape, but over how close it'd come to getting his friends in extremely serious trouble. To be precise, Remus Lupin himself. Soon after this, Sirius had been coldly informed by several people, among them Dumbledore, James, and much later Lily, that if Snape had actually been infected by a transformed Remus out of anyone's control, the young werewolf responsible for this would have been quickly sentenced to death. Snape, despite being an innocent victim of a magical disease, would still have faced all the unfair intolerance shown to the rare survivors by the wizarding world.
Only Sirius' absolute humble attitude had saved his friendship with Moony and the others. This same meekness shown to the Headmaster, along with a plea for any deserved punishment be given to him alone, probably saved Sirius from expulsion from Hogwarts. It ended with the whole scandal being hushed up, except for the Black heir making a public apology to a furious Snape, who rightly rejected it. The chastened Marauders were then ordered to cease and desist any further activities at the castle save for schoolwork. For the rest of their time at Hogwarts, Sirius and his friends totally avoided Snape, with this bitter young man acting the same way towards the Gryffindor quartet. Which at that point now included one more person, in the form of Lily Evans who'd somehow found herself falling for James Potter.
A very angry glint began to appear in Sirius' eyes. Fine, Snape then and forever afterwards had a perfect right to hate him, and James plus Remus and even Peter too, for all they'd done to this Slytherin. It was also reasonable enough for him and Snivellus to spend the next couple of decades goading each other in their mutual enmity. But Snape had unforgivably overstepped an explicit line, when that shite had attacked an innocent member of Padfoot's family.
Harry James Potter had in never any way harmed one Severus Snape. Yet, after spending a whole decade brooding about it, this teacher would from the very first day of a youngster's tentative steps into a potions classroom savagely rebuke, belittle, and sneer at the son of the man who'd taken Lily away from him. It would appear that this Hogwarts professor's talents included, besides a mastery of magical brewing, the unerring ability to pick and chose whatever he wished to believe.
Such as the fact, which Sirius himself could testify to, that Lily had never shown nor felt any romantic feelings towards Snape. Oh, she'd been a childhood friend to a lonely boy demonstrating to a little girl that magic actually existed, and this juvenile friendship had lasted until their irrevocable break when Snape had thoughtlessly offended Lily by calling her an unpardonable slur.
Much later, in the only time he could recall of Lily ever talking about this during a dinner together the year after graduation, she'd told him and James that after a fumbling Snape had tried to apologize in private, the witch coldly rejected that young man's abject request for forgiveness. During the potions student's subsequent attempts to regain their previous youthful closeness, Lily had firmly turned him down every time, until the wizard apparently realized once and for all that their former relationship was over.
The only reason Sirius remembered this was due to what the married couple then told their dinner guest. How Lily was expecting, and they wanted him to be their first child's godfather.
Lost in his recollections, Sirius now became misty-eyed on how even throughout twelve years in Azkaban filled up with Dementors eager to suck away the happy memories of this grim prison's inmates, he'd always managed to keep that joyous remembrance to himself. Along with the occasion when he'd awkwardly changed baby Harry for the first time ever, and that little bastard during this had exuberantly let loose a powerful jet of stinky piss, which sprayed right into Sirius' face.
It'd even gotten in his mouth, for Merlin's sake. Despite frantically spitting for the next minute or so, Sirius still managed to finish cleaning and re-diapering Harry before he could grab his wand and scourgify himself. All to the accompaniment of loud shrieks of gleeful laughter from a watching couple who'd moments earlier had collapsed together to the floor, while holding onto each other in shared mirth shaking their entire bodies.
Picking up a gurgling Harry, a coldly dignified Sirius had then informed the giggling pair of Potters on the floor that he was going to spend a few moments alone in the parlor with his godson. While solemnly telling this infant exactly what the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black had done in the past to people who'd committed far lesser transgressions against members of this family known for zealously embracing centuries-long grudges. Well, he'd done just that, lying down on the sofa there and resting Harry on his chest during their entire discussion, with him earnestly speaking into an infant's unfocused stare. Which in turn had ended in one of his most treasured possessions, a wizarding photograph of both him and Harry fast asleep on the sofa, and Sirius' cuddling right arm protectively holding Harry safe in their mutual doze.
Frowning to himself as he vaguely became mindful of his present surroundings, Sirius wondered where the picture taken by James was now. Let's see, he hadn't left it at Godric's Hollow, and around then, his mother hadn't been speaking to him, so it certainly wasn't at 12 Grimmauld Place. Thinking back, he'd been living at…Black Manor! Right, that photograph was probably tucked away somewhere in the apartment there he'd been using then, so all he had to do was to spend a little while searching for it. He had plenty of time now that the whole Snape situation was over-
In his chair at the law firm, Sirius Black's face hardened. Yes, indeed, everything concerning the greasy git was finished. Done. Concluded. Hopefully, his revenge had now been fulfilled, and he could go through the rest of his life without ever again thinking about Snivellus. Still, before then, one more quick review:
He'd have been perfectly happy to send Snape to Azkaban for life, and the Black heir tried his honest best to accomplish this, which included passing himself off as a polyjuiced Ministry of Magic clerk. However, just like the first time in Sirius' past life, Dumbledore had stepped in and this prominent wizard used his immense clout to get Snape completely off for his crimes as a Death Eater. At least in this latest go-around, the Headmaster needed to spend far more political capital and make actual enemies of additional people in authority over this than had previously happened. Which could definitely come in handy in the future, so Sirius reluctantly let go of his private fantasy of an imprisoned potions master winding up in the very same cell which had been held ready for a lost-at-sea son of a nefarious wizarding family.
Of course, in his fury at learning how Snape had escaped justice, Sirius for a while contemplated some even darker fantasies. Fortunately, the sheer impossibility of directly storming Hogwarts and slaughtering Snape on the spot had caused Sirius' wrath to simmer down a trifle, enough to quickly begin another scheme which might actually succeed without revealing himself to the world at large. In the process, Sirius took a few moments to wonder just why Dumbledore was so protective of Snape. He'd never figured it out the first time anyway, what with the twinkly-eyed Headmaster intoning some sort of rubbish about 'atonement' and 'redemption' whenever Sirius or any other member belonging to the Order of the Phoenix had ever raised the subject. Well, what did it matter? Even if there was a genuine reason (ranging from worthy to sordid), all Sirius wanted to do was to think of something to pry Snape out of Hogwarts without Dumbledore preventing this.
It was at that exact point when Sirius became fully conscious of his matchless advantage over the unknowing wizard in a Scottish castle. Agreed, Dumbledore was a supremely cunning manipulator, having decades of experience in the politics of the wizarding world, held tremendous influence as the head of numerous posts belonging to both foreign and domestic authorities, and personally possessed vast magical skills and power. Yet for all this, the Headmaster was only one man, with nobody he fully trusted with his secrets and plans.
Sirius Black had a family.
Which in turn had earlier bluntly reminded this man just as they owed him loyalty, they deserved the same loyalty in return from him.
Some time ago, all those of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black working together to bring down an enemy of their clan had been gathered around a bare table in the most strongly warded room of their ancient manor. After much discussion, Sirius, Arcturus, Pollux, Lucretia, Cassiopeia, Narcissa, and Andromeda had finalized their separate tasks for the coming days.
Arcturus and Pollux were to arrange for the necessary outcome regarding with any luck a fired Severus Snape. Both of these older wizards has assured Sirius that the North American Wizarding Potions Corporation and the law firm of Flint, Gannet, and Lochwell would surely comply with such a minor request for assistance from the Black family to have this former Hogwarts teacher provided with a job. After all, their clan was one of the NAWPC's major stockholders. Moreover, centuries before, it was a Black who'd then provided the start-up funds to the three lawyers which allowed them to form their legal business. (Actually, this long-ago wizard had done it simply because in the past they'd already gotten him off the hook from one or two minor charges laid against him by the authorities. Little things like piracy, treason, blasphemy, and theft of royal property, among others. It just made sense to keep those clever blokes on retainer. Not to mention their mouths firmly shut.)
In any case, the two magical organizations would be discreetly approached by Arcturus and Pollux at such a high level that the orders passed down further would never be recognized by the lower ranks as coming from any other source than their own bosses. It'd be all part of the Old Wizard's Network, wholly restrained and circumspect, and most of all, confidential. In the future, a quiet favor might be done by the Blacks for a potions company and a law firm, with the utmost civility shown on all sides during this.
But this was possibly looking too far ahead. Currently, the whole reason for this was presently lurking in Hogwarts, a man still employed there as a teacher despite being a Death Eater, one of those masked terrorists who'd fully earned the hatred of the entire wizarding community. This absolutely could not be allowed to continue, which was where Narcissa and Andromeda came in. Visiting throughout their separate hierarchies in British magical society, these witches would begin a whispering campaign against Severus Snape, whom clearly needed to be removed from the school as quickly as possible. Just imagine what he might be up to with the children there! In drawing rooms, parlors, and salons, two sisters would confer with their fellow witches, carefully inciting a groundswell of protest from the other wives, mothers, aunts, and protective women, all of whom would eventually lay down the law to their spouses and any other influential male wizard within pained earshot: "Get rid of him, NOW!"
For example, during all this, Narcissa Black would be in all her glory during various tea parties and other formal social events. There, an icily-furious witch, known by the other fascinated ladies surrounding this perfectly-coiffured female as the former wife of a Death Eater who'd been tricked by her now-divorced husband into allowing another Death Eater to be her son's godfather, would thoroughly denouce Snape. Around a hushed table, the other shocked listeners there would then be thrilled at being told how Narcissa had ended every single magical and legal part of this wizarding sponsorship. There was no way she'd ever allow her darling Draco to be connected by any means possible to this appalling person! Hopefully, by the time her son took the Hogwarts Express to the castle for the first time a decade from now, there would be nothing left of Severus Snape at this school save for a quickly-fading detestable memory…
At that point, Narcissa would take a calming sip of her tea, while meaningful glances would be traded around the table by the rest of today's richly-robed participants. Naturally, the grimmest expressions there would be on the faces of those ladies with children already at Hogwarts.
While the other Blacks were busy at this, the last remaining members of their family would be occupied with what might be termed the finishing stroke. When Lucretia and Cassiopeia had just moments ago broached their proposal, the rest of the clan had been truly taken aback at this astonishing strategy. Still, even though it had a genuine potential for disaster, if the plan was successful, it'd almost certainly accomplish the removal of Snape from Hogwarts. The price for this might be much too high, though.
Sirius was particularly doubtful, trying to best express his misgivings without actually offending the aunts. "Are you both quite certain about this? I know you've been friends with her for years, but given what Lady Longbottom's been through now, especially because of-"
"Sirius, we've already invited her," serenely interrupted Lucretia Black. This mature woman then shared an enigmatic glance with the cousin at her side, silently communicating with each other through their decades of practice at this. This quickly ended, with these aunts now directing in tandem towards their clan leader an identical matronly glower. Which in turn made Sirius Black uncomfortably feel like he was six years old again, and had been caught dressing up the manor's house-elves in his spare robes to turn them into alibis for future mischief.
Seeing Sirius starting to fidget there, Cassiopeia Black allowed a wintry smile to crack her stern face. She announced to the entire table, "Augusta understands firsthand what the war cost - not her, but all of us - but she has to be certain. Our friendship since Hogwarts has lasted through other upsets, some almost the equal of this. None of us want it broken, so we've got to convince Augusta to join us in full cooperation against Snape, and also Dumbledore."
"Aunt Cassie," Sirius reluctantly questioned, "The Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Longbottom has the perfect right to kill Bellatrix on sight, and you're still going to bring Lady Augusta into my cousin's bedroom?"
The other aunt then sadly interjected, "She has to know. Augusta told us she honestly would've let herself die of grief at never getting Frank and Alice back, if it wasn't for her grandson Neville. Now, she either learns if she needs to punish our niece, or if it'll be made clear to her that the Black who tortured her son and daughter-in-law is just as gone in her own coma as any of Bellatrix's victims." Her own face now absolutely somber, Lucretia added, "That's her price for taking time away from Neville to become a member of Hogwart's Board of Governors. Augusta won't do it otherwise, and we certainly can't force her. Nor can any of us take her place on the board. Given their recent bad experiences with Malfoy and his minions, no house with a dark reputation has a chance now to put one of their family in there. So, unless Sirius says otherwise, Augusta will come here, and make her decision."
All there turned to look towards the head of the table, where a very unhappy Sirius staring down at the tabletop was evidently mulling it over. Silence descended in the room, as the clan closely watched their leader face the possible consequences of his deeply-yearned vengeance. At last coming to his judgment, Sirius glanced up, to gravely regard the two older women waiting there. "Aunt Retty, Aunt Cassie, I just don't know Lady Augusta that well. But I trust you, and if you think this needs to be done, I'll agree to it. Bellatrix shall be confronted by the mother of a family she destroyed. Whatever happens then, for good or ill, it is my command that nothing further comes of this. All scores are settled, and the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black will live with the costs."
In unison, the others at the table slowly nodded in acceptance. Though, there was one more matter to be settled. Hearing a cleared throat, the Head of House turned his head to lock stares with Arcturus Black, who then asked in his most impassive tone, "Sirius, are you going to kill Severus Snape if and when you meet him again?"
At once deciding upon absolute honesty here, Sirius replied just as neutrally, "I might. It all depends on exactly how I feel then, but I'm probably not going to be in a very friendly mood."
"That is entirely your privilege as clan leader of the Blacks, Sirius," agreed Arcturus, his eyes fiercely glittering. He continued in a fell voice, "We will support you, whatever your decision and deeds, to the world's end. So mote it be!"
"So mote it be!" echoed from the lips of the other Blacks there, who for an instant had their faces around the table - young or old, male or female - shift into an identically ruthless family resemblance.
Drawing in a deeply satisfied breath, Sirius from his seated spot at the head of the table bowed slightly in the direction of his kinsfolk steadfastly declaring their total commitment to him. In return the rest of the Blacks also bowed much more deeply to their chieftain, and without another word, all these family members stood up and quietly left the room. Now alone, Sirius took a few more moments of solemn contemplation over the events of the last few minutes, and then he also got up and departed, to change into his Arthur Clayman persona and bribe an Auror.
Once more standing in front of the upper window of the law firm building, Sirius Black glowered down at a busy Diagon Alley, where he'd earlier watched someone he utterly hated walk away scot-free and in possession of a life's dream. It'd certainly been much more pleasant a few days earlier, when he'd been right here in the same place, only this time happily watching a dazed Remus Lupin wander away. This werewolf had been clutching in his hands the copy of the NAWPC contract he'd just signed providing him with a quite lucrative wizarding security job in Canada, with all associated moving and living expenses thrown in. After being assured that his necessary wolfsbane potion would also be provided free of charge in that much more tolerant country, Remus had immediately agreed to work for the potions company. Why not? With all his friends gone and the wizarding war with Voldemort over with, a fresh start in another place thousands of miles away seemed decidedly reasonable.
Sighing, Sirius continued to observe the various wizards and witches in the street below, all unknowingly under the steady scrutiny of a fugitive from Azkaban. His Arthur Clayman persona was still absolutely necessary, even inside the Flint, Gannet, and Lochwell building. Even though that legal firm was capable of detecting and guarding against normal magical disguises such as a polyjuiced intruder, Sirius' additional house-elf magic could thankfully overcome these protections. So, he was regarded here simply as a representative of the Black family. Which was quite true, when you thought about it.
Unfortunately, it wasn't until Sirius had actually stepped into the FGL building a few hours before when he realized with horror that he'd entirely overlooked a potential major flaw in his plans. Coming to a dead stop just after crossing the structure's powerful wards, Sirius had flinched in expectation of being immediately blasted with magical energy for possessing actively hostile intentions towards someone about to visit the law firm. When after a few seconds had passed and nothing had happened but for some puzzled looks being directed at him by people forced to walk around his frozen body, a bewildered Sirius was forced to come to a glum realization.
He didn't want to kill Severus Snape anymore.
Maybe it was the cautious entry several days ago into Bellatrix's bedroom after Lady Augusta Longbottom's visit there, to see his cousin's pale form continue resting upon her bed, breathing slowly but otherwise still helplessly in her severe coma. Confusedly glancing at where his aunts had escorted him in the room, Sirius saw identical sad yet grateful expressions on the faces of both Lucretia and Cassiopeia Black. It was the latter who gently told her nephew, "Sirius, Augusta spent a solid fifteen minutes sitting down by the bed, saying and doing nothing but watching Bellatrix. After that, she got up, and without looking back, our friend came over to us waiting there, hugged us both, and said, 'No more children get hurt. I'll do it.'"
And so, it'd wound up with an invisible Sirius following around Diagon Alley a fired Severus Snape, with the Black heir still wanting to murder his detested enemy. Yet, during all this, Sirius began to grasp a very simple fact: enough was bloody enough. It was a little confusing, what with all the time travel, but an appalled Sirius soon came to the horrifying conclusion that he'd now known Snivellus for close to three decades, from being firsties at Hogwarts to joining the Order of the Phoenix, and culminating in getting sent through the Veil. Mind you, there was the whole prison term in Azkaban when he'd managed to be away from that pillock for twelve years. Which, thinking about it, had to be the only good thing about this false imprisonment!
Yes, he still hated Severus, but to do something so permanent which would irrevocably link them together, such as actually ending his life?
Sod that.
Inside the Flayed Unicorn, an unseen Sirius had made sure that the messenger owl from FGL bearing the offer of a job interview would know where to find Snape, and then the Black heir had numbly traveled to the law firm. Only to come to the understanding of what he'd finally decided when stepping into this building. In the same morose mood, Sirius had later on eavesdropped upon the meeting with the NAWPC representative and Snape.
The only spark of enjoyment the Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black had during the presentation of the contract for Snape's new job was when this former Hogwarts potions master had questioned one stipulation of this legal document. Sirius nastily observed to himself then that Snivellus didn't object to the large salary, thoroughly-stocked and remote potions laboratory elsewhere in wizarding England, and absolute anonymity required of him, but rather the requirement that he give up all contact with his former associates. A grumpy Sirius heard the Symington bloke explain to the complaining wizard that his superiors were absolutely firm about this. Nobody wanted any kind of Death Eater scandal, so Snape was forbidden under magical oath to get in touch with anyone from his past.
Sirius sardonically watched the calculating expression then flash over Snape's face, having no trouble at all over guessing what Snivellus had just thought. The black-robed wizard might be banned from communicating with others, but his oath applied only to himself. If anyone else desired to meet with him, such as a certain excessively-bearded Headmaster, they could easily do this. In the end, Snape had signed the contract, and it was then that Sirius left the conference room, to go upstairs into the other law building room reserved for the Black family representative. Where he'd watched Severus Snape leave the building, and disappear into the crowd of other wizards and witches in Diagon Alley.
After continuing to glare at where his lifelong enemy had with any luck totally vanished from Sirius' presence for all time, a very malicious smile soon instead began to appear upon the lips of this heir of the Blacks. Sirius' sudden change into a more wickedly amused mood was due to the abrupt comprehension that he'd indeed managed to achieve a true revenge upon Severus Snape.
Not in killing him, no. But, rather in doing something even far worse to that berk. Oh, yes. In the years to come, Snivellus would be busily working away on his potions, making all kinds of discoveries and adding to the knowledge of the wizarding world. In fact, making up for his criminal past by helping those who needed his magical concoctions. And during all this, Snape would become utterly, completely, absolutely…unimportant.
Not being with Dumbledore, not being in the thick of things at Hogwarts, not being in the second war against Voldemort, and finally not being anywhere around Sirius or those he cared for. Irrelevant, inconsequential, and most of all, forgotten would be Severus Bloody Snape.
For the first time in months, Sirius Black roared with joyous laughter, glorying in his vengeance. It was only when his signet ring around his finger started to throb in a clear signal did Sirius stop laughing. Glancing in surprise at the ring signifying his position as Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Sirius had to spend a moment identifying what was happening. An instant later, a soft pop! noise echoed throughout the law building's room, as Sirius vanished into thin air.
Another pop! indicated his appearance in the Black Manor's Main Hall, where an excited Kreacher was awaiting Sirius. Immediately going to one knee, the wizard gazed into the house-elf's wrinkled face before him, to hear this little mannikin gleefully babble, "They're leaving, master! Kreacher did what you told him to do, and then came back here to tell you!"
Straightening up on his feet, Sirius Black stared ahead into the distance, his heart almost bursting at the stunning news of which he'd waited for so long during all the minor incident with what's-his-name.
Looking down at a quivering Kreacher eagerly ready for further orders, the man who'd escaped twice from Azkaban now grandly declared, "Let's get Harry."