Sirius Black was wondering if the past few days were all a dream. Not only he never expected to be save from jail, but be never expected Narcissa Malfoy to be his saviour and he will be always grateful for it.
« Cissy? If you want to visit Bellatrix, she's further to the right." asked Sirius Black.
"I didn't come to visit my sister and I never did; I came to visit you. "
"I thought you hate me for being a filthy blood-traitor and a disgrace to the family."
"Don't be silly Sirius. While I may not have approved of your choices, I never hated you. Plus, what your grandfather told me really shook my worldview and I am starting to have doubt about it.
Really?
"All thanks to your little brother."
"But Reg is dead."
"Yes, unfortunately. But after your lovely mother and my father forced him to join the Death Eaters, he started having his doubts. He started doing his own research and came to the realization that all what he was taught was a lie. He was always talking to your grandfather."
"Do you know how he died?"
"I can explain later, but I will tell you something that should be kept a secret. Both my husband and your grandfather know about it, but we can't let others hear us."
Sirius came closer to his blond cousin, not believing what's happening. His family is finally realizing that he was right all along.
"The Dark Lord has Horcruxes, Sirius, Horcruxes," said the witch while murmuring to her cousin's ear.
"He what?"
"Reg discovered his secret. I guess he didn't know we Blacks know about these Satanic things."
"So, Reg died a hero?". Tears started falling from Sirius' eyes. " I remember his letters about what he was forced to do, some by your father. I should have stayed there to protect him. I shouldn't have run away…"
"It's not your fault Sirius, it's your mother's fault. She tortured you and forced your brother to join the Death Eaters. Your grandfather told me all about it when he became Lord Black this year. He even had me and Andy reconcile."
"So, you know I am innocent?"
"I am not sure. I know that you blowing up 12 Muggles doesn't seem like you, but maybe Aunt Walburga did something really bad to you."
"Believe me Cissy, I didn't do it. It was Pettigrew"
Then it clicked to Narcissa.
"I don't know how comes no one expected the coward to be the traitor. I have a deal for you, Sirius."
"What is it?"
"First, I will show you this folder about Harry from the CPS."
Sirius was beyond furious at what he saw. That Dudley Dursley really enjoyed tormenting Harry and constantly beating him, even breaking his glasses.
"I can't for the life of me figure out who does this to their own cousin," started Narcissa. "Other than Bella that is."
"I still can't believe it that's you who's saving me. Tell me that I am not dreaming."
"Why can't you believe it? Because I am good at hiding my emotions as my parents taught me? We are still family. Don't you remember how close we were? We even used to fancy each other."
"I guess the Dementors made me forget about that Cissy. I keep having nightmares where my whole family calls me a disgrace, even you and Reg."
"And you know that never happened. Remember how I was the first one from the family to congratulate you on your Sorting? I did it even before Andy, not because she didn't want to, but because we were the closest due to age. And don't forget when I told you that even though I didn't approve of your friends, I didn't want you to stay lonely and miserable."
"Even Lily?"
"Eh…I…I don't know Sirius. M…Muggle-borns are still a hard subject for me since I was always taught to hate them. But I care about your happiness more."
"Thanks Cissy! So, what's our deal?"
"Can you make me Harry's godmother?"
"What?"
"You saw what these f…Muggles are doing to him. I know you hate Severus but it was all his idea."
"Snivellus?"
"I know you and him would murder each other if you could, but please listen to what I have to say."
"I am all ears."
"Last Thursday, Severus saw Lily's spirit begging him to rescue Harry from her horrible sister before he turns into an Obscurial. Naturally, this triggered my maternal instincts, especially given what my crazy sister did to his original godmother."
"So, you will be raising a half-blood who brought down Voldemort?" Narcissa flinched at the name. Sirius was trying to gauge her views.
"The Dark Lord always scared me, Sirius. And after what I heard about Regulus, there's no way I would let Draco get Marked. Also, I am learning to be more open to wizards who aren't purebloods even though it's really hard."
"But you married a Death Eater."
"Lucius was protecting his family. Also, while I love Lucius, he wasn't my first choice, you were. And who in their right mind wants Abraxas Malfoy as their father-in-law? But it was either him, Rabastan Lestrange, or constant torture and banishment."
"How is serving Voldemort protecting your family?"
"Lucius prefers serving the pureblood cause at the Ministry. He's more of a politician than a fighter. He became a Death Eater the same way your brother did."
"So your father forced him to?"
"His father Abraxas signed a contract with the Dark Lord offering him his son before Lucius was even born. And yes, Father would torture him if he refused a task."
"Is Abraxas still alive? And what will your father say about you trying to get me out of jail?"
"Abraxas is suffering from Dragon Pox and I hope he goes soon to Hell. As for Father, I need dirt on him."
"You want your father in jail?"
"You can't believe how much I hate him. I curse him everyday for destroying the family."
"I have some dirt on him. Reg didn't tell me about his suicidal mission but he did tell me some stuff like how your father or Bellatrix would torture him when he would refuse to do some horrible stuff like torturing Muggle children."
"That would be a good thing, Sirius."
"But I won't be able to say everything in order to not implicate your husband. I don't like him but since you're doing me a favour, I can't cause you misery."
"Thanks cousin. Now, back to Harry."
"You know I don't trust your husband or Snivellus, but I trust you Cissa. I know you would never harm Harry or turn him evil. But what will my role be? I am still his godfather."
"Of course you are and you will stay his godfather. We will both raise him. You know you can't raise a child by yourself Sirius, especially after Azkaban.'
"Give me the papers and I will gladly make you his godmother."
"Thanks Sirius! I wish I knew before about your innocence. You should have told the human guards you never received a trial."
"I felt I deserved Azkaban for suggesting Peter Pettigrew as the Secret Keeper. I told myself Voldemort would never suspect Peter. I was so wrong and wish I knew better."
"I don't think you should blame yourself, Sirius. You told me you were all like brothers and no one expects to be betrayed by their brother. I know Cain killed Abel and that I had to stop Bella many times from committing fratricide against Andy, but these stuff are rare."
Four days after his cousin's visit, on July 31st, Sirius' trial begun. But no one expected all the drama that ensued. In pureblood society, when a member or members of a family commit a crime, the whole family is held responsible. A duel nearly broke out when someone called Andromeda and Narcissa just saner versions of Bellatrix Lestrange. Never mind that Andromeda was cast out of her family (before Arcturus Black undid her disownment in his power as Lord Black, much to Cygnus Black's dismay) and considered a blood-traitor for marrying a Muggle-born. People didn't care and thought she must still be a Dark Witch.
Most Blacks were distressed upon seeing the condition in which their fellow was brought.
"Cissy is that what I think it is?" asked Andromeda.
"Yes. They used the Cruciatus Curse on him," responded the blonde, who was sitting next to her sister. The two women became murderous.
"HOW DARE YOU!" screamed Andromeda. "HOW DARE THE AURORS USE THE CRUCIATUS CURSE ON A MEMBER OF THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK!", continued the witch. Narcissa held a small smile at her sister starting to accept her heritage back.
"My sister is right. How dare they treat our cousin like that! I want their head!" said the blonde witch with a murderous voice.
"I want the names of the Aurors who transported Mr. Black. They are no better than Death Eaters," said Amelia Bones with a furious voice.
"They are all a bad bunch these Blacks. Even Marius Black looks down on Muggles despite being a Squib and having studied Muggle subjects at Beauxbatons," someone said. Marius shot him a death glare.
"In case you don't know, I am right here behind you. I am a proud member of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black as my sister's made sure of and I don't hate Muggles. I just think that a world without magic is boring."
"This is the trial of Sirius Black, not the trial of my family," said Arcturus Black with a furious voice.
Looking around, Cygnus Black shot a murderous glare at his two daughters.
"WHY ARE YOU SITTING NEXT TO A FILTHY BLOOD-TRAITOR?" he asked his youngest.
"This is not a way to address your daughter and such language isn't allowed here," said Albus Dumbledore, in his position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.
"It's none of your business you filthy half-breed. I know that your mother was a filthy Mudblood!"
"Silence!" shouted Amelia Bones.
"YOU DIDN'T ANSWER ME, NARCISSA. WHY ARE YOU SITTING WITH THIS WASTE OF OXYGEN?" The blonde witch couldn't take it anymore and snapped.
"I am sitting with her because she's my sister. And it's your fault that she married a Muggle-born. You kept rejecting the purebloods from respectable families she liked just because they were foreigners or were more aligned with Grindelwald's ideology than that of the Dark Lord. I knew you would end up pushing her over the edge with your actions."
"She should have married Rabastan Lestrange as stipulated in the contract I made for her."
"She didn't love him."
"So, what?"
"Bella married someone she didn't love and as a result, she gave him no children."
"At least Bellatrix served the pureblood cause, or do you no longer believe in it?"
"Yes, Bella served the pureblood cause by torturing Muggle newborns to death together with that woman Umbridge and by torturing two pureblood parents into insanity. Not only that, but I had to restrain her three times from murdering Andy. I was even about to kill her myself the last time had she not relented."
"Thank you very much for saving my life Cissy!"
"No need to thank me, Andy. We were always sisters."
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK LIKE THAT ABOUT YOUR SISTER'S NOBLE ACTIONS! DID THE THING SITTING NEAR YOU PLAY WITH YOUR MIND? I AM DISOWNING YOU!"
"You can't disown me Father, because you are not Lord Black."
"And I have the sad news of informing you that Lord Black reinstated me into the family," said Andromeda with a smile.
"HOW DARE YOU RE-ADMIT THAT FILTH INTO THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK?" he shot at Arcturus.
"Because Regulus opened my eyes."
"After you and your sister forced him to join the Death Eaters, Regulus saw what the Dark Lord was really like and started doing his own research. What he told me completely shattered my worldview. When I became Lord Black this year after refusing to engage in politics for a while, I decided to take the family to a new direction and I am announcing from this very Wizengamot that we, the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black renounce the Dark Lord and his pureblood ideology." Andromeda was beyond thrilled at hearing that while many people were applauding.
"SO YOU ARE A BLOOD-TRAITOR! THE DARK LORD IS A GOD ON EARTH AND I AM A PROUD SUPPORTER OF HIM!"
"So, you admit you're a supporter of You-Know-Who?" asked Amelia Bones. Andromeda and Narcissa were relieved to learn that their violent father will finally go to Azkaban. They couldn't wait for him to die and go to Hell.
Cygnus Black realized too late that he talked without thinking.
"No, no, no." he tried to deny, but it was too late.
"Yes Father, you are. You were the one who introduced Bellatrix to the Dark Lord," said Andromeda.
"And you encouraged her madness," said her sister.
"We and Cissy warned you that we were losing our sister. What did you do? You kept encouraging her madness."
"And my little brother Reg told me all about you. But first, I need to prove my innocence," said Sirius, finally speaking.
"I agree," said Amelia Bones.
"There's no need to waste your time on a trial. No one doubts his guilt. Also, he's a Black," said Barty Crouch Sr.
"In case you don't remember, Crouch, you stopped being Head of the DMLE back in 1981. And let's not forget how you treated your own son," added Amelia Bones.
"My son was clearly guilty."
"While I don't doubt the guilt of your son," started Dumbledore, "you didn't even bother questioning him. Unless the accused confesses, standard procedure is to question them."
"Sirius Black, I am sure that with your cousin arranging your trial, you must have elements to prove your innocence," said Amelia Bones.
"He confessed to it. He said I was responsible. He was even laughing maniacally."
"I imagine that you were under shock Sirius, right?" asked Andromeda.
"Yes. My best friends were dead, betrayed by someone we thought was a brother to us. I thought it was my fault because I was the one Peter Pettigrew as the Secret Keeper. And mind you I had already lost my younger brother two years before that because of Voldemort."
"No one believes this cock and bull story about Peter Pettigrew. We all know you blew him up together with 12 Muggles. You're as bad as your little brother and your older cousin."
"Have you checked my wand? You didn't even bother checking my arm for any Dark Mark."
"Wait! So, you are telling me that the Ministry never checked my cousin's arm for the Dark Mark nor did a Prior Incantata on his wand?". The blond witch was eying Barty Crouch Sr. with a murderous look.
"Consider yourself an enemy of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," said her sister.
"I will have your head for what you did to my grandson," said Lord Black to the applause of most members of his family.
Mad-Eye Moody took Sirius' wand, which was never destroyed since he was never tried, and did the Reverse Spell. They saw stuff like a Warming Charm, but nothing about an explosion. The Auror also saw no Dark Mark on Sirius' arms.
"Well, looks like my grandson's innocence is starting to show," said Arcturus Black.
"I will read the charges to you Mr. Black since Mr. Crouch cut me before I could" the witch was shooting a glare at her disgraced predecessor. "The charges are as follow: being a Death Eater, betraying James and Lily Potter to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, being an accessory in their murder, being an accessory in the attempted murder of Harry Potter, and blowing up 12 Muggles and Peter Pettigrew. I know that your innocence is starting to show, but I am still required to ask you what you plead to these charges."
"Innocent."
"That's not justice."
"Don't make me ask the Aurors to remove you by force," said Lady Bones.
"And if I blew up Peter Pettigrew, where's his body?"
"Sirius, why didn't you tell me you changed Secret Keepers?" asked Dumbledore.
"It never occurred to me. I thought my plan was foolproof. Voldemort would never expect Peter Pettigrew to be the Secret Keeper. But he betrayed is like the coward he is."
"I wish you told me when you discovered the betrayal."
"I made a mistake, Professor. I should have went directly to you instead of chasing down the rat."
"But why didn't you tell anyone you never got a trial. I am sure Lady Malfoy would have worked to get you one, no?"
"As I told Cissy when she visited me, I thought I was to blame, but as she told me, it was Peter's fault. Also, it wasn't easy between me and Cissy. I had been a while since we last spoke so I never believed she would work on getting me out."
"It wasn't by choice, Sirius. You know how our family likes to use the Cruciatus Curse."
"So it took you five years to remember your dear cousin? Everybody knows Narcissa Malfoy is a cold witch who only cares about herself. I can't but small something suspicious going on, " said Barty Crouch Sr.
"Cissy will do anything for her family. You don't know her like we do," said Andromeda. Narcissa gave her a thankful look.
"I can't trust any member of that wretched family. After all, Bellatrix Lestrange was a Black and we all know what she did to my son and his wife," said Augusta Longbottom.
"This is an unfair view Lady Longbottom. By that logic, Barty Crouch Sr. must be like his son," said Professor McGonagall.
"I didn't even attend my sister's trial and I never visited her in Azkaban. But when I got the invitation to attend the trial, I went to you Mr. Crouch and asked you what about my cousin's trial. You told me, and I quote "There's no need for a trial, everyone knows your family is just a bunch of murderers." The only reason why I didn't hex him was because I didn't want to end up in Azkaban."
"Does that mean you know he was innocent, Cissy?"
"No Andy. It's just that I had a feeling Sirius betraying his friends and blowing up 12 Muggles, you know how Sirius used to like Muggles, didn't sound like him. But maybe Aunt Walburga got to him with her beloved Cruciatus Curse. Everyone knows how she's a saner version of Bella."
"But why didn't you try after Crouch was replaced, Cissa?" asked Andromeda.
"I did try but I got told being a Black automatically makes you guilty. It's quit hypocritical from people on the Light Side who condemn me for my prejudices but are prejudiced against my family."
"Excuse us when the motto of your family Toujours Pur," someone said.
"We all assumed that our family's motto Toujours Pur referred to blood purity, right?" asked Arcturus Black while eyeing Narcissa. "But that was a lie."
"Really?" asked the blonde witch in astonishment.
"Yes Narcissa. The motto originally referred to craft, not blood. We were supposed to only use magic for good, not evil. I even found a document from 1509 about it, but by 1623, the meaning had changed to refer to blood."
"So, our parents lied to us?"
"I don't think they knew, but yes, we were all fed lies. We were told Muggles are dirty but they too wash themselves with shampoo, soap, and water like us. We were told Muggle-borns stole their magic but that's bullshit."
"I never believed that Muggle-borns stole their magic, else Squibs would have found a way to become wizards," started Narcissa, "but I never got how they got it."
"The Department of Mysteries has been researching this since its founding, but one common theory is that Muggle-borns descend from Squibs who married Muggles."
''You know? That's really logical and I wish I had known about it before. Does that make them lost wizards?"
"You can say it's like that. They are our lost kin and we should be glad to welcome them back."
"All of this is a lot to swallow."
"Don't worry Cissy, no one is asking you to abandon all of your views, just realize that we are all wizards. And it's not like I have abandoned all my prejudices. I still find it hard to not look down on Muggles."
"But Andy, we just discovered that our heritage was a lie."
"Not true, Cissy. We can still be proud of our Noble House and its accomplishments without putting too much emphasis on blood. Don't forget that there are many noble Muggle families like the Royal. The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black will hopefully always remain noble." Narcissa was very relieved to hear that.
"Albus, how comes you never bothered to give Sirius a trial?" asked Professor McGonagall.
"It seems that Bartemius Crouch Sr. lied to me when he told me Sirius got a private trial. As you know, I am only required to attend trials held by the Wizengamot. It's a different case for Lady Malfoy because she's his relative."
"But Sirius was disowned, Albus."
"The Ministry doesn't care, Minerva."
A.N.: I consider the movie Three Sisters of House Black canon to this fic and I am adding my own stuff to the story of the three sisters.
Also, while I believe Lucius Malfoy is evil, we all know that he's a coward. Can you imagine Lucius Malfoy fighting Aurors? I think he would rather be Minister of Magic.