AN: Okay, yesterday was the Boy-Who-Lived Day (Halloween, you dunderheads!), so today would be... um...

a little help here? Sirius Black Azkaban Day? Not that we should celebrate it at all...

Okay, this chapter has to do with what Sirius said in OotP (pg 111) about his Uncle being blown off the tapestry because he left his fortune to Sirius.

Ha.

Ha.

~~~

The owl flew into the Great Hall along with a multitude of other owls, and scoped out for it's recipient.

Sirius was casually stealing pancakes from Antonin Dolohov's plate, when a familiar owl landed in front of him.

Dolohov turned around, noticed the pancake levitated over his plate, and the owl took a bit of the pancake as Sirius innocently took the letter from the owl's leg.

Dolohov glared, and Sirius eyed him warily before turning back around to open the note. There was no mistaking who the letter was from. Sirius knew that owl. It was the purest black of all the owls around.

He was receiving a letter from his family.

He wished he didn't have to open it.

*At least it isn't a howler,* he thought to himself.

It had been a while since he had gotten a letter from his family that wasn't a howler. Come to think of it, Sirius wasn't sure he had ever gotten a letter from his family that wasn't a howler.

He opened it with a small bit of hesitation, and his face fell when he saw what it said.

James was watching Sirius closely as he read the letter, and was slightly startled when Sirius smiled unexpectedly.

"What?" James asked.

"My Uncle Alphard's dead," he replied with utmost excitement.

"That's terrible," Peter said.

"Why are you so happy about it?" Remus asked.

Sirius grinned, "I have to go to the Ministry of Magic for the reading of his will, so I'll have to miss our Potions final!"

James snorted.

~~~~~~~~~~

"To my wife, Elladora Black," the ministry worker began, "I leave the sum of one thousand, three hundred and twenty two galleons."

Sirius's Aunt Elladora sniffed angrily, and the barrister continued.

"To my eldest daughter, Andromeda Tonks, I leave the sum of eight hundred and seventy eight galleons."

Andromeda smiled at her husband, and tickled her small daughter, who giggled – and to Sirius's astonishment, the little girl's hair turned blonde right in front of his eyes. Aunt Elladora gave Andromeda a disgusted look, and the barrister continued with the reading.

"To my daughter, Narcissa Black, I leave four hundred and fifty galleons, and to my youngest daughter, Bellatrix Black, I leave my twelve inch maple and dragon heartstring wand and the sum of two hundred and thirty five galleons."

Narcissa and Bellatrix looked at each other in astonishment, and Sirius knew exactly what they were thinking. *Surely, Alphard Black had a larger fortune than that…*

The family began to turn away from the ministry official, and just when Sirius started wondering why he was asked to come, the barrister called out, "Wait, there is one last thing written."

Elladora and her two youngest daughters glared at Sirius before turning back around for their father's last words. Andromeda, however, smiled at Sirius, and gave him a small wink before turning her attention to the ministry worker as well.

"In conclusion to my last will and testament, I, Alphard Black, leave my remaining fortune of four thousand, eight hundred and sixty three galleons to my nephew, Sirius Black."

Sirius blinked, his mouth wide open. He tried not to smile, knowing that in about a second, his cousins and his aunt would cry out in fury.

And sure enough, "F-fo-four thousand?" Aunt Elladora stuttered. Bellatrix pointed a finger at Sirius accusingly, and stepped forward to the barrister, "Surely, my father would never leave his money to that - " she sputtered, obviously too angry to find words to describe Sirius.

" – undeserving little traitor!" Narcissa finished for her sister. Sirius smiled, and rocked back on his heels. This was rather entertaining to him.

His Aunt Elladora finally found her voice, and rounded on the ministry official, "There must be some mistake! My husband never spoke of this, he would never leave anything to that ingrate! Sirius Black does not deserve anything left of this family! He is dead to us!"

The ministry worker eyed the screaming woman incredulously, "This is Alphard Black's last remaining will and testament. Are you questioning the law?"

Aunt Elladora opened her mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it, and stepped back – her eyes shooting daggers at Sirius.

"Grandma?" the little girl standing next to Andromeda said with wide eyes.

"Keep your mouth shut, filthy half blood," Elladora snapped.

"Mother!" exclaimed Andromeda, "That's your granddaughter you're yelling at!" Andromeda's husband was scowling at the bitter woman.

"She's no more my family than that mudblood father of hers!" Elladora countered. The ministry worker retreated to his office, and Andromeda's daughter was crying – her eyes turning dark brown.

Sirius clenched his teeth. At least his mother wasn't here – she was even worse than Aunt Elladora ever was.

"We're leaving," Aunt Elladora finally declared, and her younger daughters followed in her wake.

"It's about time," Sirius muttered under his breath. It definitely would have been worse if the whole family had come.

Andromeda was breathing heavily, "I'm really sorry about my mother, she's - "

"Just like my mother." Sirius interrupted, with a grin.

Andromeda smiled, "I don't believe you've met my husband have you? He's a newscaster for a muggle TV station."

The man standing next to her extended his hand to Sirius. "Ted Tonks," he said.

Sirius shook his hand, and then looked down at the little girl. "And who's this lovely young lady?" he asked, kneeling down.

Andromeda smiled at the girl, "This is my daughter, Nymphadora."

Sirius turned to Nymphadora again, "How old are you?" he asked.

Nymphadora held up six fingers.

"She's a metamorphmagus," Andromeda continued. "I swear she was a brunette this morning, but…"

"I can make myself shorter," Nymphadora said proudly.

Sirius laughed, and said his goodbyes to them.

As he watched them go, he briefly wondered if he should go back to school right away.

*Of course not,* he thought with a grin.

An extended leave from school and an inherited fortune – what ever should he do with it?

~~~~~~

AN: Dunno why, but I've taken a strange liking to this chapter. I just like the part where the ministry official runs and hides in his office.

The coward. So! Reviews! Woohoo!