Disclaimer: It all belongs to JKR.
Chapter 2: To Make A Difference
All morning the battle raged – if you could call it 'raging' when the troops were only six centimetres tall and were not in the least bit lethal.
By the time the battered old grandfather clock in the corner of the room struck eleven, they were nearing the end of their bloodless fight and Sirius quite obviously had the upper hand.
This was exceedingly strange due to the fact that it was usually cold, levelheaded Regulus who usually won. Sirius's temper was much too fiery too be able to plan ahead. His preferred method of attack was to act on the spur of the moment and to see how everything worked out.
Eventually Regulus had to accept defeat, something his pride generally wouldn't allow. Sirius was just performing a wild war dance in gleeful victory when the playroom door with its coat of flaking white paint swung open, banging off the wall and two girls entered.
Andromeda and Narcissa Black were very alike, even for sisters. Andromeda was the elder at seventeen. She had brown hair and gray eyes that danced exactly like her cousins'.
Eleven-year-old Narcissa had totally different colouring. She had long blonde hair and innocent blue eyes that could melt any adult within a two-metre radius. She was the sort of person who went with the flow - if her parents told her she was to marry Lucius Malfoy, she would. If Sirius for some reason didn't get put in Slytherin when they reached Hogwarts, she would not care.
Despite their differences of colouring, they had the same slightly wavy hair and the same facial structure though Narcissa's cheeks were slightly rounder.
"Hi Sirius, Regulus," said Narcissa, grinning cheerfully at them. Andromeda smiled weakly.
"Hello," chorused the two boys in return. "How are you?" added Sirius, noting the glum expression on Andromeda's face.
"Fine," said Narcissa brightly.
"Alright," said Andromeda - not so brightly.
"What's the matter Andie?" asked Sirius, who was feeling in an inquisitive state of mind.
"She's in trouble," said Narcissa confidentially (and, sad to say, slightly gleefully) jumping onto the tattered sofa. "She has a boyfriend," she added in disgust.
"Why do you want one of them, Andie?" asked Sirius, appalled. Andromeda's lips twitched as though she could not help smiling and her cheeks went slightly pink with embarrassment.
"But that isn't why Mama and Papa are angry," cut in Narcissa, "he's a muggleborn."
Regulus flinched and stared at Andromeda, his blue eyes open to saucer-like wideness. "How many heads does he have, Andie?" he asked in fascination.
"Just the one," Andromeda said, her lips twitching again, "then again, they are slightly mollified by Bella - she's engaged," she added, sighing.
"And Andie's head girl," supplemented Narcissa proudly.
"You're head girl?" asked Sirius raising his voice as Regulus said, "Bella's engaged?"
"Yes, I'm head girl," said Andromeda, sitting down cross-legged on the well trodden carpet, leaning against the wall, "and Ted's head boy so Mama and Papa can hardly forbid me from going near him."
"His name's Ted?" asked Sirius, grinning gleefully.
"Edward actually, but no one calls him that. Stop giggling Sirius, Ted isn't a bad name."
Sirius straightened his face with difficulty, and Regulus took the opportunity to jump into the conversation, "did you say Bella's engaged?"
"Yes," replied Narcissa, "her betrothal ball is going to be during the winter holidays."
"But who is he?"
"Rodolphus Lestrange. Y'know who I mean? He's a member of her cause."
"Her cause?" inquired Regulus and Sirius in unison.
"Hadn't you realised? Bella has joined Lord Voldemort." Andromeda looked angry – it wrought quite a change on her. Her eyes blazed and her mane long hair (not tied up on that particular day) tossed like the stormy sea.
"I've heard that name before," said Regulus slowly.
"I think we heard it through Father's study door," said Sirius, not in the least abashed.
"You would have," said Andromeda bitterly, "our family concur thoroughly with his ideas if not his methods. He is trying to rid the world of muggles and muggleborns, he's the one they think is behind all the recent deaths and disappearances."
"Why doesn't anyone try and stop him?" asked Sirius.
"They've tried," said Andromeda, "he kills anyone who gets in his way. Supporters are flocking to him. They're calling themselves 'Death Eaters'."
Sirius and Regulus pondered this silently. Never in their short lives had they come across anyone in the least like that. How could someone just kill? Even if he was only killing people who – in the long run – did not matter that much.
"Well," said Narcissa, breaking the hush that had just started to become awkward. "Mama said that we're all going to be allowed to go to the betrothal ball. Yes, even you Reg," she added as Regulus opened his mouth, "it's going to be brilliant."
"I don't like Rodolphus Lestrange," mused Andromeda. Sirius decided it was time to drag the conversation away from such delicate matters, "did you get your Hogwarts letter, 'Cissa?" he asked.
"Yeah."
Andromeda who had been gazing into space with an indecipherable look on her face dragged herself back down to the planet Earth. "Which houses do you two want to be in?" she inquired, sounding slightly distant but interested all the same.
Sirius pursed his lips. Narcissa looked confused. Regulus frowned. It was a very strange question.
"We only know about Slytherin, Andie," said Sirius, puzzled.
"Well," said Andromeda briskly, "you have to know about the other houses even if They don't want you too."
They all frowned at that particular cryptic comment even though it wasn't new to them that Andromeda referred to their family - as a whole - as 'They'.
Andromeda didn't seem to notice the perplexed expressions of her younger sister and cousins – she ploughed on with her explanation, "first, there's Slytherin – that's where They want you to be, of course. They were all there. Slytherins are famed for being ambitious and cunning. That's where I am as well."
"What are the others?" Sirius asked, idly flicking over a toy soldier.
"Hufflepuff – loyal. People say they're duffers, but really they're lovely. Then there's Ravenclaw. That's the only house They will accept besides Slytherin. Everyone in Ravenclaw is exceptionally clever," she grinned, "doesn't mean they like work though!"
"Gryffindor," prompted Narcissa as Andromeda hesitated at the end of this flow of information.
"Yes. Gryffindor are – well, they're brave and noble and..."
"Ted's a Gryffindor," muttered Narcissa to Sirius and Regulus, giggling.
Andromeda glared at her. "As I was saying, to be put in Gryffindor is probably to sign your death sentence with the family," she grinned again and said, her eyes on Sirius, "go for it!"
Sirius, Narcissa and Regulus chuckled happily though Sirius was puzzled about the message Andromeda had been trying to give him but she didn't enlighten him. On closer inspection she was looking very strained and tired.
When Andromeda was eleven and Sirius and Narcissa were five, she had gone off to Hogwarts with her thirteen-year-old sister, Bellatrix. Then she had referred to muggleborns as 'mudbloods' as the rest of their family did. She had held the beliefs they had all been taught since birth – she didn't doubt them.
Over the next six years, Sirius could see Andromeda changing, summer after summer. He could sense her opinions of their family crumbling. He knew Narcissa could see it too.
Now, the process was almost complete. Sirius realised he had subconsciously felt it coming. Andromeda had broken away from the ties that bound her to the Black family.
They spent the next hour or so discussing anything and everything from Hogwarts to the gnomes that had 'attacked' Regulus in the garden.
As the minute hand inched its way round to half past midday, Martha entered.
Martha was the house elf who had cared for Sirius and Regulus since they were born. She was nearing sixty – old, for a house elf and she was the mother of Kreacher. She had cared for Sirius's father and his siblings before the two boys and her mother had cared for his grandfather and so on.
She had tufts of white hair and she walked with a slight shuffle. This however did not impede her in any way as Sirius and Regulus knew only too well. She was as sharp as nails, picking up on any misdemeanour that may have occurred.
"The mistress is wanting you in the drawing room," she squeaked good- naturedly. Her eye fell on Sirius's tousled head. "Master Sirius! Martha is always, always wondering how you is getting in such a mess." She produced a hairbrush out of nowhere and handed it to him. "Miss Narcissa," she added, "Martha is thinking your plait will be coming loose."
"Thanks Martha," said Narcissa, tweaking the blue ribbon that tied up one of her long blonde plaits.
They made their way slowly downstairs towards the drawing room, passing the portraits of their ancestors snoozing gently that lined the walls and staircases. Some of the (few) wide awake ones called out cheery greetings – Sirius reflected that it must be quite boring being a portrait.
The drawing room door was made of old English oak, and it swung open noiselessly as they approached it.
At the opposite end of the long room, sat Sirius's mother and his aunt (also his mother's second cousin), Antonia Black sat, sipping tea, little fingers sticking out – something that always amused Sirius and Regulus.
Antonia Black followed pretty much the same mould as Sirius's mother, the same as most high society witches. She was thin and pale; also, very elegant. Her hair was blonde like Narcissa's.
Andromeda, Sirius and Regulus sat down on the long sofa whilst Narcissa perched on the edge of an armchair. Their mothers regarded them through piercing eyes.
"We're going to go to Diagon Alley today instead," said Artemis Black, finally. Antonia rose from her seat and walked over to the tapestry that ran all the way along one wall of the drawing room. Artemis followed her. "Sirius. Narcissa. Come here," she called imperiously.
Sirius and Narcissa edged their way across the room and contemplated the tapestry along with their mothers.
"What do you see?" asked Antonia.
"Erm...a lot of people?" suggested Narcissa, hesitantly.
"What we have here, Narcissa Black, is a dynasty," her mother rebuked her sharply, "your bloodline can be traced back to before the Norman Conquest and it is completely pure – not befouled in any way, whatsoever."
"What's that?" asked Sirius, pointing to a small round burn that seemed to have replaced one of his grandfather's siblings.
"That was your great-aunt Emily," Artemis said, matter-of-factly. "She ran off and married a muggle. She defiled the family name, so she was disowned. Never do anything that might bring shame on the family, you two. Never."
Sirius gazed around in awe at the bustling, noisy street of Diagon Alley. Everywhere you turned there was cheerful chatter and merry laughter. There were teenagers all over the place, obviously buying their school things too.
The quartet followed Artemis and Antonia into a bookshop (Flourish and Blotts) where Andromeda departed to find NEWT level books and Sirius and Narcissa were despatched to find different volumes from their lists.
"Excuse me, have you seen One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi anywhere?" Sirius was jerked out of his absent-minded perusal of the bookshelves for that exact book by a bespectacled boy standing next to him, gazing at the tomes with a slightly puzzled expression. "It doesn't seem to be here, you see," he continued.
"I know," said Sirius, "I can't find it either."
"D'you think we're looking in the right section?"
"This is the potion ingredients books section."
"I'm James, by the way." James had messy black hair and brown eyes he was just a bit shorter than Sirius. He had an air of suppressed excitement surrounding him, "I can't wait to go to Hogwarts."
"Neither can I," said Sirius extending his hand, "Sirius." James shook it, "pleased to meet you."
"Wait a minute," James suddenly yelped. "I think I saw it there," he said, pointing to the left. He ran forward and picked up two books. "Here."
"Thanks," said Sirius, "oh, I need another – for my cousin." He leaned over and picked one up.
"I'd better go," said James, "my dear mother will be hunting for me – she's in here somewhere looking for the rest of my books with my sister. See you on September the first."
"Bye," said Sirius and James disappeared almost as fast as he had come, evaporating into the magical cooking section. Sirius shrugged and went off to find Narcissa.
They stepped out into the bright sunshine five minutes later. Andromeda was hailed by a giggling girl with short golden hair and departed to go and fetch the rest of her things with the girl whose name seemed to be 'Jet'. Sirius couldn't quite work out why.
They visited the apothecary, Madam Malkins Robes for all Occasions and a cauldron shop before they fetched up outside the wand shop later that morning. Andromeda was waiting for them outside, a small smile playing around her lips. She looked very happy for a reason Sirius could not fathom – something Artemis and Antonia had picked up on, they were glaring at her suspiciously.
"Come," said Artemis regally sweeping into the shop, as a couple dressed in what could only be muggle clothes exited with their redheaded daughter. Sirius's mother frowned down her nose at them.
Ollivanders was very dingy and badly lit. At the back there were shelves upon shelves of wands some of which a wizened old man was replacing, obviously left over from the redheaded girl.
The proprietor whirled around to face them. Regulus squeaked. Sirius decided he was a very creepy old man. His grey eyes were huge in his face.
"Aha...Sirius Black? Narcissa Black?" They nodded mutely. He turned to face Andromeda, "Andromeda Black. Ten and a half inches, dragon heartstring and maple. I hope it's serving you well? You were a particularly difficult customer."
Andromeda smiled, "yes. It's a good wand."
"Hmm." He pulled a tape measure with silver markings on it from nowhere. It began wrapping itself of its own accord around Narcissa, measuring her wand arm (right), her hand span and – strangely enough – between her nostrils.
"Every Ollivander wand is handcrafted and only one will suit you. You will never get as good results with another witch or wizard's wand." He informed them, handing Narcissa a wand. "Try it, Miss Black."
Narcissa must have been through at least twenty wands before they finally got a result that satisfied Mr Ollivander – unicorn hair and beech, ten inches. A shower of pink sparks filled the air, causing Andromeda, Sirius and Regulus to clap and whoop excitedly.
The tape measure, Sirius suddenly realised had been measuring him whilst Narcissa had been trying out wands. Mr Ollivander clapped his hands and it crumpled into a heap at his feet.
Mr Ollivander handed him one of the wands Narcissa had discarded and Sirius waved it. Nothing happened. Almost immediately, it was wrenched from his grasp and he was holding another wand. Again, nothing happened.
It seemed to Sirius that he had waved half the wands in the shop before red sparks burst out of a wand made from dragon heartstring and oak (eleven inches). The outcome was greeted with enthusiastic applause from his cousins and brother.
Mr Ollivander packaged up the wands and their mothers handed over seven galleons each. The party emerged into Diagon Alley once more and Antonia, Andromeda and Narcissa departed for their house in Oxfordshire.
Sirius's mother was just preparing the portkey to transport them back to Grimmauld Place when his mother's brother's wife and her son, Lucius, hailed them from outside a branch of Scrivenshaft's Quill Store.
Lucius Malfoy was Sirius's cousin - the only one of his cousins that he had never really liked. Sixteen-year-old Lucius, ready to enter his sixth year at Hogwarts had always had a reputation for bullying younger children. He had an atmosphere around him that turned people away from him unless they were interested in only the power he could wield; a power that would scatter the younger children to do his bidding in terror.
Sirius and Regulus had once had to listen in on a conversation some of the adults were having in their father's study on his orders. They were aged eight and seven and had not understood a word of it, but Lucius had seemed pleased. It was not the having to listen at the study door that mattered Sirius had decided (they did that all the time). It was more the principle that had counted.
Their mother and aunt exchanged pleasantries and politely asked after the health of various people before Artemis escorted them into an alleyway and the portkey conveyed them home.
Many hours later, after the sun had set, but before Martha came in to tell them to go to bed, Sirius and Regulus lay in front of the fire in their playroom, lazily playing Wizard's Chess.
"Sirius?" Regulus asked slightly wistfully as his queen mutilated one of Sirius's pawns.
"Yeah?" Sirius looked up from gazing lovingly at his wand, which was lying next to the chessboard.
"You won't forget me when you go to Hogwarts will you? You'll write to me?"
"Course I will," said Sirius, "I'll write every week. Anyway, you're coming to Hogwarts next year and I'll be back at Christmas and Easter. Don't worry Reg, I'd never forget you."
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