THE LOST YEARS OF SIRIUS BLACK
First Year
Note: Ok, ok. I only own what is not in the books. This applies to all the other chapters as well.
Chapter 1: Escape
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Black,
I am pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Roberta Sparkstone
Deputy Headmistress
"This is great!" 11-year-old Sirius thought, lying on the bed in his room. "Finally, out of this festering hellhole of a home!" He jumped up and stroked the family owl Mercury-his parents had not allowed him an owl of his own. He felt inside his pocket for money and heard the clinking of the coins. Stuffing the envelope which contained his equipment list in his pocket, he was all set to buy his equipment in Diagon Alley.
Sirius ran out of his room and into the hall, where he promptly collided with their house-elf, Kreacher. Ignoring Kreacher's repeated mutterings of, "Filthy scum is an ungrateful brat" and not bothering to apologise, he made his way not to his parents' room, but to the sitting room.
His parents would surely hurl some insults at him before asking Kreacher to accompany him-or rather, annoy, irritate and bore him. Kreacher was entirely loyal to Sirius' parents and since Mr. and Mrs. Black had branded Sirius "a piece of filthy scum" Kreacher had been repeating it again and again.
Sirius went into the sitting room, where a huge fire was blazing in the hearth. He walked forward, ignoring his brother Regulus' goody-two-shoes whine of, "Where are you going? I'm going to tell Mama and Papa!" and took a pinch of Floo powder from the mantelpiece.
Sirius sprinkled it into the blazing fire; emerald green flames licked the fireplace-taking a deep breath, Sirius stepped into the flames and said, clearly, "Diagon Alley!"
He heard his mother's outraged scream, his father's angry yells-but it was too late, Sirius had disappeared in a whirlwind of green flames.
Sirius walked down Diagon Alley, wondering where to go first, gazing at the equipment list in his hand. Suddenly he saw a familiar face-it was his Uncle Alphard! Sirius ran towards his Uncle, a broad grin on his face. "Hello, Sirius!" Uncle Alphard smiled at him-other than Andromeda Sirius' cousin, Uncle Alphard was Sirius' favourite relative, and they were extremely close.
"Here alone, young Sirius? What for?" Then Uncle Alphard saw the envelope Sirius was clutching, with the Hogwarts crest on it, and started back with an expression of delight, "You're buying your Hogwarts things! Come on, I'll be with you!"
Sirius grinned happily and Uncle Alphard started steering his nephew towards Ollivanders Wand Shop. A long thin wand lay on a purple cushion in the shop window. The cushion had faded a little, but the gold letters saying: "Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC" on the door had not yet peeled.
They entered the shop. A bell tinkled. The narrow shop was shabby and the musty air tickled Sirius' nostrils. The many boxes in the shop were stacked all the way until the ceiling. Multitudes of dust lay on everything in the shop; there were only shadows and no shopkeeper.
Suddenly a pale face peered out from the shadows, a face of a middle-aged man with wide, staring eyes. He was a total contrast to the darkness; his face was oddly chalk-white and his eyes were like great mirrors shining out of the darkness.
"Ah...yes, wands." Mr. Ollivander nodded and started opening boxes as his enchanted measuring tape started measuring Sirius' arm, chest, and most other parts of his body, including between his nostrils.
"How about this...cedar and unicorn tail-hair, bendy, nine and a half inches." Sirius waved the wand around, but all that resulted was a bang that made the wand fly out of his hand. Mr. Ollivander snatched the wand up and shoved a new one into Sirius' hand.
"Maple and dragon heartstring, pliable, nine inches." "Yew and unicorn tail- hair, swishy, eleven inches." "Holly and phoenix feather, flexible, ten and a half inches." "Oak and unicorn tail-hair, whippy, thirteen inches."
Again and again, Sirius failed to match the wand-it came to the point when Mr. Ollivander started to take the more unique wands, wands which had boxes that had lain in dust and grime for a long time as no-one had claimed them. Those boxes were at the bottom of the shelves.
"Ahh...this one, maybe. Very rare, very unusual...Ash and phoenix feather, springy. Eleven and three quarter inches. Very powerful, excellent for defensive spells..." Sirius waved it around tentatively...a shower of golden stars came plummeting down from the ceiling, alighting gently on the ground and disappearing in a puff of smoke. Mr. Ollivander clapped his hands and nodded. Sirius paid eight galleons for his wand.
"You'll love Hogwarts, it's much more fun there than at...home." Uncle Alphard spat out the word bitterly. "There's lots of freedom there too..."
They were coming out of the apothecary's, with a brand-new potion making kit for Sirius, including a set of clear crystal phials. They had already gotten him a nice cauldron, a set of scales and a telescope and were heading for Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions.
After getting his robes, they went to Flourish and Blotts to get his books and quills. While Uncle Alphard got his spell books, Sirius looked at the quills. He selected several quills, which included five in a shade of midnight blue for ordinary use and one gold and bronze coloured quill which wrote in rainbow ink for special occasions. He also bought a huge roll of parchment.
When all was done Uncle Alphard brought Sirius to Eeylops Owl Emporium. It was as dark as night inside, full of the sound of rustling feathers. They selected a handsome snowy owl, pure white, his head under his wing. Uncle Alphard insisted on paying.
Uncle Alphard insisted on accompanying Sirius back home but he refused to enter the house as he had beenblasted off the family tapestry, the quivalent to being disowned. Sirius said goodbye and dragged his stuff to his room. Fortunately, his parents, Regulus and Kreacher were not anywhere to be seen. Though the equipment and books were heavy, Sirius' heart was lighter than the lightest quill in the wizarding world.
I'm done with this first chappie! Hoped you liked it, if you're not yet asleep :P Anyways, please review and tell me if I ought to continue!