Author Note:

Hey guys, I just wanted to pipe in before the story starts and say thanks so much for everyone reading so far and for everyone giving it a chance. It's my first ever Harry Potter fanfic, and at first I kind of wrote it for me cause I've always loved the idea of Sirius Black having a kid but seeing the fact that so many people have given my fic a shot has honestly made my day!

Please leave a review and a like! Honestly any comment is needed, like I said it's my first so if there's anything that needs tweaking let me know cause I haven't got a beta yet haha.

Thanks!

September 6th, 1991

Nicholas took Mel's letter from Raven's leg a few days later. He cast his mind back to almost a week ago when he was writing it after everyone had fallen asleep.

Dear Mel and Jake,

I've arrived safely don't worry. Hogwarts is huge! It looks like that castle you took us to at the beginning of the summer. The one in Wales? But this one is so much bigger! The stairs move, and the portraits move too! Ron said it's cause they can't stick around all day, so when I told them about our pictures back home he was really surprised and asked if they get bored.

I got sorted into this house called Gryffindor, where apparantly brave kids get sorted into (There was a hat that I had to put on and he tried putting me into other houses where I didn't have any friends. I got quite annoyed). I've made lots of friends though, one of them is this guy called Harry. He was raised in the our-world too, we're in the same house. Do you reckon he can come visit over the summer? He lives in Surrey too!

But I'm so confused Mel, before I got sorted one of the teachers called my name out wrong. She called me a Black? I tried correcting her but apparantly my surname is Black, not Drake? Do you reckon I'll need to give them a copy of my birth certificate or something? Show them that I'm me?

I'm excited to start classes though. One of my other friends is called Hermione, and she seems to already know everything about the classes! But it's alright, I told her I just want this year to be over so I can try out for Quidditch next year! (it's a sport that's played on broomsticks! It's kind of like football I guess?) If I get some good grades this year can I buy a broom in the summer? There's a Nimbus I've got my eye on!

Hope you and Jake are okay. I miss you guys already, give Jake lots of kisses and hugs from me.

Nicholas.

He dug Mel's response in the pocket of his robes, deciding to read it later when he was at breakfast. He got ready for the day ahead of everyone else, glimpsing into the mirror in the boy's dormitory to fix his hair. Tucking the long strands behind his ears, washing his face to clear the sleep from under his eyes. Nicholas grimaced at his baby cheeks, he looked like such a guinea pig. The dark bags under his eyes were becoming more prominent by the day, perhaps it was because of the fact he was still getting used to sharing a dorm with 5 others boys and not just his nephew but Nicholas struggled to get sleep.

It had become his routine to wake up earlier than everyone else, to have his books prepared the night before and to have breakfast before everyone was awake in the castle. So he could bask in the peace and quiet before the castle started bustling.

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, Nicholas made his way out of the dormitory and to breakfast in the Great Hall. Noting that only a few students were awake at this point and most of the others were probably still getting ready for the day. He recognised the bushy head of hair at the Gryffindor table, her head buried behind a large tome.

"Morning Hermione." Nicholas greeted with a smile as he sat down across from her.

"Morning Nick." Nicholas raised an eyebrow looking over at the book she was reading before setting his bag on the floor by his feet.

"How are you doing with the History of Magic essay?" Nicholas asked, making himself a bacon sandwich and a cup of tea. He looked at Hermione, wordlessly asking her if she'd also wanted one to which she agreed.

"Already finished, but I might make a few tweaks to it later on during my lunch break." Hermione sighed setting her book down to continue eating her cereal. Nicholas picked up the teapot, pouring Hermione out a cup of tea before passing it over to her.

"I've already handed mine in actually," Nico said slowly, watching the fury clear on Hermione's cheeks "Handed it in yesterday morning."

"Nick!" Hermione all but shouted "It was only set on Wednesday! Why did you rush it?"

"I didn't rush it actually! I wanted to get it done before Harry and Ron have a chance at trying to nick it." Nicholas tried sending Hermione one of his innocent smiles, causing her to huff and eat her cereal in an angry matter.

"How about your Defence Against the Dark Arts homework?" Hermione asked pointed, her bossy attitude clear again "You haven't started that yet have you?"

"Nearly finished. Just have the conclusion to finish." Nicholas chuckled at her frustration, knowing full well that the essay was in his bag stuck between pages of his The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection textbook. He'd only had to finish a couple more paragraphs and he'd be happy with it. "You're welcome to join me to finish it in the library later if you want."

Hermione huffed again setting Nicholas off laughing.

"Ugh, you nerds are far too awake this morning." Ron grumbled, sitting down next to Nicholas whilst Harry took his other side.

"Morning to you too," Nicholas replied chirply, "how can you guys be so miserable? We've got potions today."

"Did you forget who was teaching us?" Harry looked at Nicholas incredulously before setting up his breakfast full of sausages, beans, toast and eggs "Did you fall over on your way here?"

"No, I'm just excited is all." Nicholas peered over at Hermione who nodded, "Maybe Snape would have a potion to fix that hair of yours Harry."

Nicholas ducked as Harry went to slap him, finally getting Hermione to laugh.

Harry and Ron led the way towards Potions in the dungeons, with Nicholas and Hermione trailing behind them idly talking about what they were hoping the lesson was going to be like, Neville offering ideas every now and again next to them. After being reminded by Harry that this afternoon they had no classes, Nicholas made plans with Hermione and Neville to go to the Library and finish off any last minute homework before the weekend. He did extend his invitation to Ron and Harry, but Ron scoffed at the idea after finding out that Hermione was going and Harry had said that he was going to Hagrid's in the afternoon.

Hermione tried to hide the hurt from her face, casting her gaze on the ground as she walked alongside Nicholas and Neville.

"What's wrong?" He asked her after a while, Hermione tried to ignore the question. But she couldn't ignore it with Neville and Nicholas's piercing gaze at both sides of her head.

"Ron just doesn't seem to like me," Hermione scuffed her shoe on the floor angrily "I haven't even done anything to him. Just decided he didn't like me at all."

"Just ignore him 'Mione. He's probably just tired this morning." Nicholas said, "You know what Ron's like in the morning anyway, he'll probably apologise for it later-"

Nicholas skidded onto the floor, stumbling onto his hands and knees he hissed as his hands scuffed on the hard stone flooring. He pulled his hands to his chest, seeing the skid marks that were threatening to start bleeding with tiny pieces of skin hanging off.

He instantly felt his face flush with embarrassment, his body going rigid as he picked up his textbooks and parchment from the floor. Nicholas huffed, fighting the tears of frustration that wanted to come out.

"Oh! Black! Didn't see you there. Perhaps if you were a bit taller, I might have been able to acknowledge your presence." Malfoy chuckled, strolling past along with several others from his house, a girl with a rat looking face giggled beside him following Malfoy eagerly.

"He's such a prat." Nicholas hissed under his breath, keeping his head down as he shoved what used to be pristine pieces of parchment and clean books into his bag. Rubbing his sore and red palms off on his trousers, he followed the rest of the gryffindors to the dungeons quietly holding his sore hands under his armpits.

"Hey. It's okay." he felt Hermione touch his arm gingerly, "Malfoy is just… Malfoy. Ignore him."

"Yeah, thanks Hermione." Nicholas answered flatly as he followed her into the classroom, Neville quickly ran for a desk next to Hermione leaving Nicholas to grab one of the desks closer to the front. He felt his shoulders drop, realising that his friends had left him out as he sat at a desk by himself pulling parchment and his quill. It was almost as though he could feel Malfoy sending glares at his back, as he crossed his arms on the table.

He heard a scuffle to his right, turning in surprise to find Harry sliding onto the bench next to him. His arms full of his belongings dropping them onto the table with a loud crash. Nicholas's jaw opened in response.

"Harry?-"

"Sorry, was this seat taken?" Harry smirked "Have you got a quill I could borrow?"

"If you're all quite finished playing musical chairs." A low voice at the back of the classroom drawled out. Nicholas and Harry quickly turned in their seats towards the front. Severus Snape almost looked like he was stomping towards the front of the class, taking a seat at the desk in front of a black chalkboard taking the register.

Nicholas noticed Snape stiffen upon calling out his name, he locked eyes with Snape. He could have imagined it, but Snape seemed to glower at him upon reading his surname. As though saying it out loud was causing him a new wave of pain. Nicholas just sank into his seat even more, as though being a first year wasn't hard enough. The only thing this new surname that everyone knew him by had brought him, was trouble.

"Ah, Harry Potter. The new celebrity." Snape said softly. Nicholas turned round hearing Malfoy sniggering behind him along with the apes by his side- Crabbe and Goyle. Promptly turning back to Snape, he finished calling out names and looked up. With that, the lesson began.

He should have known better than to expect Snape to let the fact that Harry being in his class to slide, but as soon as Snape had started explaining what Potions was about his eyes seemed to narrow in on his and Harry's desk.

"Potter!" Snape's voice sliced through the air, making him wince in his seat "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry looked over at Nicholas who's eyes widened in pure confusion, both being stumped they both looked over their shoulders at Hermione. Her hand shot up into the air.

"I don't know, sir." said Harry. Snape seemed to feed off this, Nicholas thought as Snape's lips curled back into a sneer.

"Tut, tut - fame clearly isn't everything." he continued, ignoring Hermione's hand clearly waving in the air.

"Let's try again, Potter. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Nicholas suddenly grabbed at his quill, scratching his answer out onto a scrap piece of parchment. Thankful that whilst he was doing so, Snape was strolling back and forth past the chalkboard.

"A goat?" Harry answered nervously, Snape's lip seemed to twitch as his head shot back to the two boys. His black eyes narrowing a fraction. Nicholas anxiously slipped the paper back into his sleeve when Snape wasn't looking.

"Black." Harry's shoulders relaxed a bit realising that the attention had moved from him "What's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

He looked back at Harry, who's shoulders shrugged. He knew that if he was to turn around however, Hermione would be waving her hand in order excitedly.

"Don't know," Nicholas answered quietly, beating himself up mentally.

"I think Hermione does sir, why don't you ask her?" Harry said, sending a look out of the corner of his eye to Nicholas. People started giggling in the class, Snape didn't look too pleased however as he told Hermione off. She sank into her seat, her face red.

"For your information, Potter. Asphodel and Wormswood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A Bozoar can be found in the stomach of a goat and can heal you from most poisons." Snape paused looking back at the two "As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant. Which also goes by the name of aconite- Why aren't you copying that down?"

Nicholas and Harry instantly started writing what Snape had just said, whispering to each other about tidbits of information the other had forgotten to take note.

"And ten points will be taken from Gryffindor." Snape added over the noise of quills writing on paper "For Potter's cheek and Black's incessant need to help others to cheat."

Nicholas's head snapped back to the teacher, Snape cocked an eyebrow.

"I have been teaching for far longer than you've been alive, Black. Do not think I didn't see you sliding over the answer for Mr Potter." Snape walked over towards his and Harry's desk, "Since you seem to know everything, I'm sure it won't be too difficult for you to write a three page essay on why cheating in class hinders your own learning. I want it on my desk, Monday morning."

"But I wasn't-"

"Do you want to make it a five page essay?" Snape almost snarled.

"No, sir." said Nicholas, casting his eyes back down onto the desk. The lesson didn't improve from that point on, Snape not only took his anger out on him but on all the other Gryffindors as well. As though trying to make a point, he put them into pairs to start making a simple boil cure.

Nicholas was surprised to find that Harry was actually alright at potions, when it came to crushing snake fangs and measuring ingredients he followed the instructions to perfection as though it was second nature. But this only made Snape angrier, telling everyone to take note of Malfoy's perfect brew ignoring the fact that his and Harry's were almost as good.

"Are you secretly Merlin or something? You've got it down by the book!" Nicholas grinned looking into the cauldron.

"It's like cooking actually. Except, I don't think I'd want to take a taste test." He chuckled, stirring the mixture anticlockwise exactly ten times. "I'm sorry I got you into trouble with Snape."

"Doesn't matter," Nicholas mumbled "Had nothing else to do anyway."

"Could always come down to Hagrid's with us?" Nicholas thought about it for a while, he opened his mouth to respond when the sound of loud hissing and bubbling filled the air along with a putrid smell. He and Harry looked back to find Neville had turned his cauldron into an acidic mess, spilling onto the floor. Snape quickly scourgified the cauldron and the spillage on the floor, sending Hermione to go take Neville to the infirmary but not before shouting at the her in front of the entire class for not telling Neville the correct time for throwing in the porcupine quills into the potion. Hermione left the room looking ready to burst into tears, along with a sobbing and howling Neville.

"I think I'll go with Hermione and Neville, see if they're alright." Nicholas looked back at Harry who nodded understanding "But we can hang out later? In the common room?"

Harry beamed back at him.