A/N: Hi again. Please review. I hate repetitive disclaimers. No, I don't own any of these lovely people, not that I wouldn't love to, but they aren't mine to take. I make no money off them. Actually, I probably lose money off this by taking time out of daily life to write it. Oh well. Please read and review!
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Chapter 2: Ready to leave
When Sirius was eight, the family made a trip to Diagon Ally. They didn't usually grace the lesser citizens of the wizarding world with their presence, but today Mr. and Mrs. Black, Sirius, and his little brother Regulus all went for a fun day of shopping. The shops contained nothing they couldn't buy, but very little that they would. The Blacks had the best of everything, almost always custom made. Sirius snuck into a joke shop and found many things he'd like to buy, unfortunately his parents didn't let him carry his own money exactly for this reason. There was a boy with very untidy black hair buying something called dungbombs. He was eager to go talk to this boy, but didn't want to get in trouble again. Just then his mother came into the shop and stated that he, under no circumstance, would ever buy anything from a joke shop. The boy with the messy black hair sniggered.
Mrs. Black forcefully asked, "Who are your parents, boy?"
The boy looked back defiantly and spoke with and innocent voice, "Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Who are you?"
"I am Mrs. Black, as you should know. Sirius, we are leaving, your father is finished with his business."
When they left the shop Sirius couldn't help but hear his mother say something that sounded like 'blood traitors.' He asked his mother why the boy should have known who she was. This was the wrong thing to ask, as he later found out when punished. Apparently, his mother was wearing a pendent, which clearly showed the Black family crest, and everyone should recognize that in a pureblood family. Sirius was punished severely for going into that joke shop and almost speaking to a boy his parents hadn't approved.
By the time his two month sentence ended, his wounds (also from punishment) had healed. His uncle Alphard was coming to visit, something Sirius was very excited about. Uncle Alphard didn't cringe at the sight of muggles, so Sirius was allowed to go to the park with him, which his parents never let him do.
Sirius was staring longingly at the children laughing and playing when his uncle said, "Why don't you go make some friends?"
Sirius laughed, "Is that a joke? You know I can't, they're muggles. Mum and dad would kill me."
"Yes, I suppose so. But someday you may make friends with muggles or muggleborn witches and wizards. Your parents wouldn't like me tell you this, but those people are no different than us. They're people and deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. Remember that, Sirius, and you will have a plethora of friends one day."
"You said muggle born witches and wizards, are those mudbloods?"
His uncle sighed, "Yes, some call them that. But it is a term no one should use. It means 'dirty blood' and its only purpose is to demean those born into muggle families. It is a word I would never like to hear from you mouth again. Alright?"
"Ok, I'm sorry. I didn't know what it meant. I've just heard mum and dad use it, along with their friends." Little Sirius looked at his feet and asked quietly, "Am I a bad son? I get punished a lot, and I don't believe a lot of what mum and dad say." The young Sirius was still looking down at his feet nervously.
"No, you aren't. Well, for you particular parents, you may not be ideal, because you don't have their attitude of loathing for anything muggle. You just hold on and be who you are. Don't let them tell you what you're supposed to be. Someday, you'll be out from under their noses and able to be friends with whomever you want. Now, don't tell anyone what we talked about, or I'll never get to visit you again." He winked.
Sirius felt better after the talk with his uncle. He never felt he fit in with his family, and now he had an idea why. He decided then to be kind to anyone, magical or not, no matter his punishments. Maybe he wouldn't be kind to the people who weren't nice to others, but he wasn't going to judge anyone on what family they happened to be born into.
Do to his new look on life, Sirius spent more and more time in his room, serving penalties, than outside of it. He didn't care though. He was doing what he wanted and playing with who he wanted to. He helped a little muggle girl when she fell on the sidewalk, and felt happy all through his following sentence. He'd managed to mail order some dungbombs from that joke shop in Diagon Alley and used them to get back at his cousins Bella and Narcissa for insulting some muggle kids. He and his cousin Andromeda had a good laugh about that.
By the time he was ten years old, he was being physically broken and healed almost every day and night by his parents for his attitude on life. The new house elf, Kreacher, son of the old elf, would enjoy watching and was permitted to express what an ungrateful child Sirius was. But Sirius took it and would always say the same thing, "We're not better than anyone else just because we're Blacks or purebloods." This would always earn him more beatings, less food, and longer sentences in his room. His room was moved to their dungeon of a basement so he wouldn't be able to look outside. Consequently, the day he got his Hogwarts letter was the happiest day of his life. His parents had considered sending him to Durmstrang, but his father wanted to be able to keep his eye on him; Hogwarts was much closer, and his awful cousins were there to tell on him. His mother bought him all new school supplies and many green and silver garments. She seemed to be almost warming up to her son as he got ready to head off to school.
"Now Sirius," said his mother, "do not displease us. If you do not recognize a student's name, send an owl before spending time with them. We do not want you getting mixed up with mudbloods or half-bloods. Any respectable headmaster wouldn't admit such rubbish to taint our dear pureblood children. Lucius has been there for a few years, so you can ask him any questions you may have about who's who."
Under his breath Sirius mumbled, "If I'm so dear, why punish my by making me wear Slytherin colors?" However, he didn't speak as quietly as he thought, for his mother heard him.
"You'd better wear Slytherin colors! If you're not sorted into the house of your father and I, you will begin to know what pain feels like! You will be less than dirt to us if you don't live up to the Black family name! Now, go to your room until it's time to leave!"