Chapter 9: Summer

We went home that summer with a new sense of happiness none of us had ever had before. I looked forward to a new life full of friendship and magic. I had friends, great friends. Friends I would die for. It was a feeling I'd never had before. I was so proud of it, I couldn't stop grinning.

I met Addi  at King's Cross and we headed over to our platform to catch our train back to Dartmoor where Dad would pick us up.

 I could tell Dad was glad to have us home. He had wanted to know everything about school and the whole way home, I told him about school. I don't think he understood half of what I was saying but he listened. I thought after all the letters home he must have gotten he would have been angry. But no. He was proud if anything else. I told him those were just the times we'd been caught. Addi made me tell her every single prank I had ever pulled. She couldn't believe how much I had changed. She had changed too but not as much as me.

"You seem older."

"What do you mean?"

" Not just taller." I had shot up three inches since last year. " There's something else. It's more mature. More confidant. More serious, no pun intended. I don't know. I can't put my finger on it."

One night about a week into vacation, as I lay in bed, I began to get lonely. I sat up, listening for James's mutters, Remus's tossing and Peter's snores. Addi's quiet breathing wasn't enough.  I needed my friends around me again. Once I'd known the laughter and enjoyment I could have with Remus, James, Peter, Lily, and Erin, I craved it.  I fed on the chaos we created.  Never before had I had a real large group of friends and now I had a hundred. I couldn't very well bring the whole house of Gryffindor into our little cottage, but I could do the next best thing.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?" He didn't raise his eyes from his paper, only moving to sip his coffee.

"Could I have some friends over?"

"What friends?"

"James and Remus and Peter. I'd ask Lily and Erin but Lily's in the states and Erin !-- A:link { TEXT-DECORATION: none; } A:visited { EXT-DECORATION: none; } a:hover { TEXT-DECORATION: none; font-weight: bold } A:active { TEXT-DECORATION: none; } --went to Ireland for the summer." Now he did lower his paper and eyed me carefully. I gave him my best puppy-dog eyes and he glanced at Addi who covered her mouth with her hand.

" Well, alright. As long as you behave yourself." He said it because he was supposed to, not because he believed it.

"Great can I go send the owls now?"

"Sure." I raced out of the room and hastily wrote invitations to all three.

The next day Ernie was sitting on my window with three replies looking very proud of himself. I took them and ruffled his feathers affectionately. He nipped at me and took off towards the moor for some breakfast. I tore open the letters. The first one was from Remus.

Dear Sirius,

I'd love to come. I can't wait to see you guys. How did your dad react to all the owls' home? Mine just sighed. And then grounded me for all eternity He wonders where the kid who was good and quiet and never got into trouble went. I told him with you two as friends, there is no way you can't get in trouble. I wasn't sure he'd let me come seeing as you guys are my "partners in crime" as he calls us. But mum drove him crazy I want to meet your sister. She sounds really cool. See ya tomorrow.

Remus

Dear Siri,

Thank you sooooooo much. I need some excuse to get away. My mum's driving me insane. " James you need to behave. Good grades don't make up for bad behavior." Blah blah blah. I can't wait to see you all. How did your dad react to the letters? My mum nearly blew when I came home, but Dad just laughed. He's proud for me! He said if only we put that much energy into our schoolwork. I told him what was the point? We get top grades anyway. I can't wait to meet your sister. She sounds awesome. I'm trying out for Quiddich next year. You better too. See ya.

James

Dear Sirius,

I would love to come over. I'll see you tomorrow.

Peter.

The next morning I woke up at five. When I couldn't stand it any more (Neither could Addi. She threw me out.) I ran into my dad's room and jumped up and down on his bed until he got up. This was at 5:15.

At 9: 30 the doorbell rang. As I had been standing there since 8:00, I answered it right away. Peter stood there with a woman I assumed was his mom.

"Pete! Come on in." My dad introduced himself and Addi and Peter's mum turned to him.

"Now Peter, do you have everything?"

"Yes mum."

"Your toothbrush?"

"Yes mum."

"Your happy sheep pajamas?"

"Happy sheep pajamas?!"
"Remy! Hey great to see you." I grinned.  His father was standing next to him.

"Alright then I'll see you in a few weeks snookums. Just send mummy an owl if you get homesick." Mr. Lupin raised his eyebrow at Mrs. Pettigrew.

"Bye mum." Peter said through clenched teeth. She pulled the door closed behind her. Then we lost it.

"Happy sheep pajamas?!"

"Snookums?!"

"Shut up."

"What did I miss?"

"Hi James." Peter grumbled.

"What's wrong with them."

"Happy sheep pajamas!" Remus gasped holding his sides.

"Snookums!" I got out. That was all it took to send Remus and me rolling on the floor. It took us a good five minutes to recover. By then my dad had come back out into the hall. He shook hands with James's dad and Mr. Lupin. They took one look at Remus and me on the floor holding our sides and Peter's sulking and James and Addi's confusion

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin, why don't you and I go in the kitchen?"

"Good idea."

"Oh great you're leaving me here?"

"They're your friends, James." They left very quickly. When we had recovered we went into the kitchen.

"Dad this is James Potter."

"So this is the famous James Potter."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Black."

"And this is Remus Lupin."

"I've heard a lot about you too." Remus and James grinned.

"Are they always like this?" Addi asked me.

" This is the Potter gang on good day."

"Oh dear."

"Now what is this I hear about bewitching one of your fellow students to hop around whenever anyone said his name?" Dad asked

We all gave him our worst puppy-dog faces. Lily said they were worst then all our tricks put together. Professor McGonagall even fell for them.

"We have no idea what you're talking about." We replied in unison. Dad, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Lupin all gave each other long looks as if saying, Oh, god, what have we done?

Chapter 11: New Friends meet Old

The next day at breakfast, we sat down to breakfast, almost falling asleep in our bowls. We'd been up all night, attacking each other with pillows and having long discussions about truth or dare. Addi had stormed down the stairs at around one, and slept on the sofa downstairs in Dad's study.

 My dad said, " So what are you boys planning on doing today?"

"Well, we wanted to play Quiddich but Sirius doesn't have a broom."

"Well, I thought I might show them around town. Do we still have those extra bikes?"

"Yeah I think so."

Remus dropped his fork. "You have a bike?"

"Yeah. I'm half mudblood as Snape reminds me every chance he gets, remember?'

James's fist tightened. "Why can't he just leave you alone about that?"

"Mudblood? What does that mean?" Dad asked. My friend exchanged looks. "Boys. Tell me."

Then Remus sighed. " It's a name for muggle born wizards. It's not very nice."

"That's the understatement of the year."

"No the understatement of the year is that we got into a little trouble this year as Lily told her parents." I said. The tension broke when they all laughed.

"So we can ride the bikes into town." I said. My friend looked at me.

"Sirius, we don't know how to ride." James said.

"Don't worry. It's kind of like a broom only you don't fly. But since I don't have a broom I have to put up with a bike. But Dad said I can have a broom next year for school, right Dad?"

"Broom? Who said anything about a broom?" Dad pushed his spectacles up his nose and grinned.

'           "Aw, come on Dad. Please? Please?"

"Yeah, Mr. Black. How's he going to try out for Quiddich if he doesn't have a broom?"

"Oh alright. We'll get you a broom when we get your school stuff."

"YES!"

"Can I have one?"
" No, Addi."

"Why not? Sirius gets everything."

"You don't need magic to ride a broom. Smuggles can do it. Look at Peter." James told her.

"Hey!"

"I'll teach you next summer." I laughed. She grinned.

"Great. I'm going to go see Patricia " Patricia was her friend who lived half a mile down the road.

We raced outside. I showed them my bike. James picked up how to ride quickly, but kept forgetting to pedal. Remus knew the basics, having had a bike when he was younger. Peter got on and then fell over and somehow got trapped under the bike. We were lifting it off him when my only muggle friend Tommy came sauntering up the path.

"Hey Sirius. My dad said you were back."

"Yeah I've been home for a month." Why didn't you see me, was the unspoken question between us.

"I was at camp." He said, glancing over my shoulder at my new friends.

"Oh."

We stared at each other. James, Remus and Peter looked back and forth. He had changed. He had grown but I still was taller. I was the tallest of the Potter gang. But there was something different about him. Something in his eyes that seemed superior.  He'd always thought he was better than me, richer, smarter. But this was different. Too much like Snape. It felt like he was looking down at my friends and me.

I know we were good looking. I'm not trying to brag. But it was sort of obvious the way the girls all acted so strange and started giggling non-stop whenever we talked to them. We had just been confused until Lily and Erin had explained it to us. I mean we probably looked a little scruffy right now though. My black hair was longer than it had been before. I liked it that way. It gave me a shaggy look and I was tanner. James's hair was beyond all help and his glasses were taped together. They had been broken when someone hit him with a very hard pillow the night before and since we couldn't use magic and my dad was a muggle, the only solution was tape. Remus was pale as usual and very thin, as he always was. And Peter was small and plump and pretty much looked like a wimp.

"Mates, this is Tommy. Tommy, James, Remus, and Peter." I pointed to each one in turn.

"Hi."

"Hi." Remus managed a smile. Peter gave a small wave. I nudged James and he mumbled "Hi."

"So you guys friends from school?" then before they could answer him. " Of course you are. Sirius doesn't have any other friends. Except me. He doesn't make friend easily." I had been right there was something different about him. I didn't like where this was going either. I had never told my friend about how I was at my old school. Remus was home schooled. And James had been the most popular at his school. And Peter had been Peter.

"Doesn't make friends easily? Are we talking about the same Sirius Black? The Sirius Black who made friends with his whole house before the sorting was over? Siri? The king of pranks?" James asked.

" King of pranks? I don't think so. Sirius was nothing more than an outcast at our school.  What with all the strange things that he did. Just got into trouble a lot. He's never even played a joke." This brought howls of laughter from my friends.

"Tommy, I've changed."

"Hphm. Say, you never didn't tell me where you go to school."

Peter, having recovered some, and answered "We go to Hog" He was cut off by Remus's hand over his mouth.

"Well, you never told me where you go." I said changing the subject.

"I go to Smeltings. My dad's old school, remember?" I remembered. It was all his dad talked about. He had tried to persuade my dad to send me there. Said it would give me the discipline I needed. He never liked Addi or me. He thought we were troublemakers, hooligans. That Dad let us run wild. Thought there was something strange about us. And he didn't like strange things. Thankfully my dad had already decided I would go to Hogwarts and Addi would go to Clearglen. He said it was never open for discussion. Our names had been down ever since we were born. Dumbledore wouldn't let me go anywhere else. When I asked why he just smiled.

"OH, How is everyone here?"

"Well, from what my brother says, Mr. Thompson still runs and hide whenever someone says the word Black."

" I still say that was not my fault."

"Was that the bloke you cursed with the full body bind?" Peter asked.

"Yep. Course I didn't know what I was doing. The guy couldn't move for three hours. Never should have tried to give me detention for something I didn't do." That was the thing. I didn't mind getting in trouble for something I did. It was part of the reason I did it. Thrill of the chance of getting caught. But I hated being accused of a crime I didn't commit. I like it even less now.

"Cursed? Body bind? What are you talking about?"

"Well a full body bind is an elementary spell that will leave the victim helpless and unable to move for a certain amount of time." Remus jumped right into his "You should have studied" voice.

"Uh oh. You got him going into study mode. Re, relax. It's summer."

"Spell? None of that stuff is real. You're not witches." Tommy sneered.

"You're right, we're not. We're wizards." James glared at him

"James." I hissed.

"You're joking right? I mean Sirius a wizard? That idiot? Aren't you a little old to be play acting?"

"I'll have you know Sirius is the top of our class." I don't think I'd ever seen James and Remus this mad. Peter backed down. He always did. We all knew that if he got into a fight he'd be beaten into a pulp in five seconds or less. Remus had even pulled out his wand. James looked more ready to strangle Tommy with his bare hands.

"Oh look, he even has a little wand. What are you going to do? Cast a spell on me?"
"Don't tempt me." It came out more like a growl.

"Really Sirius. Your friends need to grow up." Remus pointed the wand. I grabbed his arm.

" Remus, relax. Underage wizard law? Expel? Bad!" Remus glared but lowered his wand.

"Look Tommy," I turned to face him. " Things  have changed. I've changed. These are my friends and they are telling the truth."

"The truth?"

I took a deep breath. I glanced at my friends. They gave me encouraging looks. James nodded

" We go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am a wizard. James, Remus, and Peter are all wizards. Broomsticks, wands, spells and dragons. There are dragons right?"

"Of course. Where do you think we get dragons blood?" James laughed.

" Well, I don't know these things. You have to tell me. Any way it's all true."

"You're kidding right? I mean this is a joke."

"Nope. Remember all that weird stuff that happened when I was younger? That was magic. I just didn't know it. My mum was a witch."

Tommy's eyes widened. I knew what he was thinking. If I could do that without knowing it, what could I do to him now that I was in training? And I knew our friendship was over. "Then she should have died. The less freaks like you the better." I stood in shock. I had been teased for being a half muggle, but never had I taken a hit for being half wizard.

"Go. And if you ever come back you will be very very sorry." James almost spit the words out.

He backed away slowly. We watched him go.

"Too bad." I said trying to hide how much he had hurt me. I tried to climb back on to the bike. But I couldn't see. My eyes were too blurry. But I didn't cry. I never cried. Not even when Snape had tripped my down the stairs after a detention and I broke my leg. Since it was late no one was out. It wasn't until way past midnight when my friends missed me and came looking for me. Not even when I found out the truth about my mum. I couldn't see. He had been my only friend for so long. Then when he learned the truth, he abandoned me. It hurts to lose people you care about. It hurts a lot. And he had opened an old wound.

 I never knew my mother. I was proud of what she was, what I was. So were Addi and Dad. But I knew she was killed by dark magic. I had never told my friends that. I wanted so much to know her, to see her and talk to her. But she was gone. I felt James take my arm and he led me to the stone fence where he sat down with me. Remus sat down next to me after he had thrown a rock at Tommy's retreating back. Peter stood behind us as if unsure what to do. I could see why. James and I, we were his protectors. I simply sat there for a while. But I didn't cry.

I looked up at them. James gave me a smile. God, he had a smile that could fill a room with happiness and mischief and drive away all the darkness.

"Are you okay? Padfoot?" He asked. I nodded. I didn't trust my voice just yet.

"Forget him, Siri. He isn't worth it. What he said, you know it's not true anymore than when Snape says it." Remus smiled gently at me.

"No." It came out more of a croak that I wanted " My mum." Tears threatened to spill again. I blinked them back. "What he said about my mum."

"I'm sorry, Sirius."

"I miss her."

"It's good to talk about it. Then you can get it off your chest." We looked at Peter.

"What? My mum watches those muggle soap opera's okay?" We laughed, but mine was choked with tears

"So talk." James said.

"What?"

"You need to talk about this, Sirius. I can see it. And we're not leaving until you do."

"You're a funny guy."

"Thank you. Now talk."

" I can't."

"How did she die?"

"A dark wizard." They gasped. "A few days after I was born. She was protecting me."

"What do you mean?" James asked

"The wizard who killed her," I hadn't really wanted to think about it. I couldn't believe there was someone out there that would want me dead. And for a reason I didn't even know. "He was there to kill me. Mum was in the way." James and Remus stared in shock.

"Why? Who'd want to kill you? And you were just a baby."

"I don't know. Nether did Dad."

"But why? "

"Did they get caught?"

"Who was it?"

"I don't' know. No. Some guy called Voldemort." I said, answering all the questions at once.

"Voldemort? My dad told me about him. He's bad news." James said, his eyes darting around as if Voldemort himself might leap out of the bushes.

"Tell me about it."

"I'm really sorry Sirius." Remus said.

"What could you have done? You weren't even born yet." I snapped. I was older than him by five weeks. A look of hurt washed over Remus's face. Almost immediately I felt sorry. I had forgotten how fragile my friend's feelings were. " I'm sorry."

Remus patted me on the back. " Don't worry about it."

"No, I shouldn't have let him get to me like that. I shouldn't said that just now. I know you were trying to help. It's just, I shouldn't, I'm sorry for acting like this. I can't…"

"No. You needed to do that. I could see it. Sometimes it's better to just let it all out at once. Then you get it over with."

"Are you okay now?" James asked. I looked up at my friends. They had true concern in their eyes. It hit me for the first time that the loyalty I felt for them, they felt for me. They really cared whether I was okay or not. I smiled and nodded.

"Now what do ya say we go do some damage?" James had that all too familiar glint in his eye.

I grinned. " Lets go."

We rode into to town, almost getting hit by automobiles several times when James would forget to pedal and swerve into oncoming traffic. The others didn't really understand roads and sidewalks. I took them to the candy store where it turns out the owner was a wizard. This came as a surprise as I had known him my whole life. He pulled us into the back room where we got an unlimited amount of wizard candy. He even fixed James's glasses. We left our arms bulging with bags when Tommy and a few of his "friends" walked in. We gave them huge grins and left. Tommy ran and hid in the corner. Needless to say we were up very late that night too.

I stated before that I lived just under a mile from Dartmoor. Well, I wasn't about to let a visit like this go by without my friends seeing my childhood playground.

About a week after that incident, we were sitting around the breakfast table, trying to think of something to do.  My dad came in and raised his eyebrows at us.

"Alright, they're not talking. You boys didn't get into a fight, did you?"

"Huh? Oh, no. we just can't think of anything to do." I told him.

 Remus nodded and James glanced out the window.  Then he frowned and leaned up.

"Oi, Siri. What's that?"  It was the first really sunny day we'd had and only on days like that is Dartmoor visible from my house.  I glanced over his shoulder to the shadowed land in the distance.

"Oh, that's Dartmoor."

"Dartmoor? The Dartmoor? The Hound of the Baskervilles Dartmoor?" Remus asked.

"You read that book? It's a muggle book." I was surprised. Usually muggle books were not on my friends reading lists. 

"Sure, I read the whole series." He responded. I raised my eyebrow at him. "I had a lot of free time!" He protested. I nodded, grinning.

"That's the place."  I grinned again. My friends looked less than enthusiastic, but they agreed to go. 

Dad agreed on one condition. "Stay off of Grimpin!" he called, just as the door swung shut. I rolled my eyes and jumped on my bike.

"What's Grimpin?" James asked as we made our way to the moor.

"Oh, it's just this really big area of mire. Nothing too bad. You can go across it, you just have to know the way." I told him.

"Sorry I asked." James said, making a face.

"What's a mire?" Peter asked.

"Basically, it's another word for quicksand." Remus told him. Peter groaned.

We reached the moor in little over an hour.  We spread out on a large rock and ate the sandwiches my dad packed for us.  Then James pointed.

"What's that green part over there?" I grinned.

"That's Grimpin." And I slid off the rock. I hurried towards it, my friends on my heels. Then I stood at the edge, watching it. I could see the paths just as clearly as ever. And I smiled slowly.

"Wow," Remus muttered. James nodded.

"One false step, and you're sucked down forever." I whispered dramatically . Peter paled.

"Has anyone ever crossed it?"  Remus asked.  I shrugged, and then I took a step off of the solid ground.   My foot found solid footing and I began to run across my path.

"Sirius, No!" James called. But I grinned and went on.  I made it across to the island and waved back at them. James was watching with a smile, Remus shook his head, but failed to hide his smile, and Peter looked terrified.

"Come on, Sirius! Come back!" he called.  I nodded and made my way back. The fellows looked at me as if I was mad, but I only grinned.

"Anyone else want to try?" they shook their heads, so I bent down and lifted a handful of mud. I flung it at James and it hit him head on.

"Why you, little!" James hollered, attacking me. I went down and we wrestled for a bit.

"Come on, guys." Remus moaned.  Then we grinned slyly at each other and pounced on him.

It was four very dirty and tired kids that made their way home that night.  Then we fought over who got to use the shower first.  James won.