"Angelica, we are going to go find your daughter. Elizabeth should only be
15 now anyways-same age as you were! And how many girls do you know who
DON'T want to be a princess?"
"But that was different! Dad wasn't some sort of criminal-or at least convicted as a criminal... And dad knew I existed! HE didn't even know!"
"Well Angelica, you never WERE right in the head when it came to that boy. What possessed you to do such a ghastly thing I shall never know, but what is done is done, and there is no use crying over spilt milk. Come along- Albus should be here any minute to discuss all this. He is bringing Harry with him also." Eddie froze.
"Harry?" she squeaked in a childish manner. "Harry Potter? What has he to do with all this?"
"I do not know. We shall discuss this in the parlour. I have a feeling of dread at the moment."
"Oh all right."
Eddie followed her mother into the parlour where she got a house elf to bring out some tea and biscuits. She waited silently for 5 minutes, clutching the dreaded newspaper until Dumbledore entered the room with her mother and Harry.
Harry looked like a carbon copy of James. Eddie bit her lip-she had failed Lily; she had not taken care of him as promised. Just thinking about Lily and James made Eddie want to cry some more, and Eddie was not the sentimental type.
"Ah, Angelica. I see you are doing well in the palace?"
"Hello professor. Long time no see," she choked. Harry looked at her peculiarly.
"No need for the professor any more. I do not teach you. Just call me Albus."
"Albus it is then."
"I trust you've read the Daily Prophet?" Eddie squeezed the newspaper.
"Yes. Is it all true?" Eddie could see that Harry was trying hard not to cry.
"Heaven's yes. Sirius Black was definitely an innocent man."
"Not in my book," Eddie growled. Harry's head snapped up.
"Sirius was innocent! What do you know about him anyways? He didn't do anything! It was that rat who did it all!" Harry screamed. Eddie stared at Harry in the eyes.
"I don't care if I'm your godmother Harry-but don't you dare, EVER tell me that I don't know him. I know him more than I'd care to," she said quietly. Harry's eyes became wide.
"Angelica! Hold your tongue!" exclaimed her mother.
"Sorry mum."
"Yes. Now we'll get down to business, but first things first. You still have your crystal, am I right?"
"Yes," said Eddie tonelessly.
"Perfect. Now we must go find Elizabeth. I have spoken to Madame Maxime about the transfer and everything. Elizabeth fully understands and accepts this. What she does not know is who she is."
"So you've found her then."
"That is correct."
"Great," said Eddie sarcastically.
"So now we must go get her, and have her sign everything. Harry has signed his part of the legal documents and now owns part of Sirius' fortune. He left everything else to you. But as you know, only a Black heir can have access to Grimauld Place, so this means that Elizabeth own it. But she does not know that yet. The money had of course all been transferred to your and Harry's accounts. Now all that's left is to fetch Elizabeth, get her to sign everything, and she's all yours."
"So the prat left me something, did he?" Harry clutched his fists, jaw clenched.
"He was not a prat!" Eddie ignored this.
"Angelica! You're acting like a 5 year old!"
"Whatever. Let's just go get her so I can get over with this. I think I'll give his stuff to charity or something."
"We shall be going now. Violet, are you coming?"
"Goodness no, Albus! I have things to prepare for Elizabeth. And the press is going to have a field day... I can just see the headlines..."
"Alright then. We shall see you in a while."
Eddie had just met Harry and already found how much like James he really was. She sighed.
"How are we getting there?"
"Portkey."
"Portkey! Well can I at least change out of these skirts?"
"Of course." A house elf scrambled over and snapped his fingers. Eddie was now dressed in jeans and a T-Shirt. She grinned despite the situation.
"As un-princess like as can be!"
"Let us go then." Dumbledore pulled a shiny coke can out of his robes. "3, 2, 1!" Eddie felt a tug at her finger where she had touched the coke can and found herself sprawled on the ground. She moaned.
"I hate this."
"You really need to work on your landings."
"Don't remind me," Eddie mumbled. She picked herself off the floor.
"Where are we professor?" asked Harry.
"We are at Elizabeth's house. I believe that the family is in the sitting room at the moment."
"Oh. Well why didn't we just apparate? I got my license you know," he bragged. Yep. Definitely a James, Eddie thought.
"Wards." Dumbledore led Eddie and Harry into the sitting room where four people were standing. Eddie gaped at the girl who was unmistakably her daughter.
Elizabeth was medium tall, skinny with a slight aura of toughness about her. She too had long, black curly hair that fell past her shoulders like her mother. She had laughing, blue-grey eyes that were so familiar to Eddie. She grimaced. It was not going to be easy trying to forget Sirius now. Elisabeth also had a similar, slightly upturned pointed nose as her father, and undeniably, his laugh. Eddie had heard it when she just walked into the room.
"Nice joke Fiona, but I can't believe you went through all this trouble just to make me think I was a princess. Doesn't matter-very funny. I gave up on THAT dream when I was seven."
But now Elizabeth was staring at the three famous people who had entered the room. One old, ancient looking wizard with a silver beard, another, the 'boy who lived' with his scrawny look and messy black hair. And then the last-a woman in her thirties, clad in jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers, with long curly black hair and a surprised look about her.
Elizabeth dropped her jaw. "Oh my God," she whispered. Eddie pressed her lips together in a thin line. No, Sirius would not be easy to forget at all.
"Albus!" exclaimed the man sitting next to Elizabeth. "There you are! We were wondering if you were coming or not." The man was desperately trying to hide his sorrow.
"Yes, hello John. This is Harry, as you all know, and Angelica. Elizabeth- your mother, princess of Arista." Elizabeth laughed again, in her Sirius- like way. Eddie grimaced.
"You don't look like a princess."
"Yeah, well even after 15 years, I still prefer my Mickey Mouse shirt over any dress." Elizabeth looked at her dubiously.
"And you're my mom? The princess? Where's dad?" Eddie shut her eyes. "Prove it if you're a princess." This girl was more like her than she thought.
"Fine." Eddie whipped out her wand and muttered a spell. She was back to wearing the skirts and clothes she was previously wearing, her tiara now back on her head. Eddie made a disgusted sound before reversing the spell.
"So then where's dad?" Eddie looked at Dumbledore and he nodded.
"He's dead."
"What! How come you never came before? Why didn't you come before WITH dad?"
"Because he was in Azkaban," said Eddie quietly, emphasizing the last word. Elizabeth's eyes became wider than Eddie believed possible.
"My mom, a PRINCESS, MARRIED a criminal?"
"No, not married," said Eddie, showing her distaste at the very idea.
"Then what?"
"Look kiddo-I had you just after I turned 18, okay? Your birthday's the 1st of January, right? Well guess where I spent my birthday night? In St. Mungo's, giving birth to you." Everybody in the room was staring now.
"So I was-what happened to dad?"
"He's Sirius Black, that's what." Eddie let the words ring in her head. Elizabeth fainted from the shock.
"I told mom that she wouldn't take it well," Eddie said crossly. In her mind, she was still 17-she had never grown up really. Maybe being a pampered, bad tempered princess did that to you.
"Enervate," muttered Eddie, pointing her wand at Elizabeth's face. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Aaaaghhh! It wasn't a freakin' dream!"
"Chill out," snapped Eddie, "I'm not any happier than you are."
"Okay," breathed Elizabeth. "Breathe, breathe, breathe." Harry stared at the girl like she was crazy, and jumped back when she hot off the ground. "Right. Mom's a princess, dad's dead. Okay, take this slowly," she muttered to herself. Everybody in the room exchanged glances.
"Okay. Well I'm prepared to take my princess duties then. Dad's funeral is supposed to be on Sunday, right?"
"So you're okay with this then?" asked Eddie slowly.
"Yeah. I suppose."
"You're good at masking." Eddie grinned. "Just like me."
"If that's all settled, Mr. Barnaby-the papers if you please." The other man sitting next to Fiona stood up and pulled out parchment from his brief case.
"Ms. Lalonde-sign here please. Elizabeth, sign here. This signifies that half the black fortune is rightfully yours, and Grimauld Place, including everything in it is yours, Elizabeth."
"What? You mean I get to live in a palace, and have my own house? Free? No catch? No nothing?"
"That's right."
"Alright!" exclaimed Elizabeth happily.
"There is a catch," Harry muttered to no one in particular. "There's Mrs. Black." Elizabeth seemed to have heard him. She removed the quill from the paper.
"Mrs. Black? You mean I have a step mom?" she asked in horror. Even Eddie turned to look at Harry. Dumbledore chuckled.
"No, no, no. Merlin no! Mrs. Black-Sirius' mother's portrait. She hangs there, no way of removing her. She's quite fond of screaming." Elizabeth grinned.
"Yeah? Well that's okay-we can have screaming competitions-I like screaming!" Harry found this girl even weirder than before.
"Don't be so sure about that," he warned her darkly. Elizabeth smiled mischievously, before signing the parchment with a flourish.
"But that was different! Dad wasn't some sort of criminal-or at least convicted as a criminal... And dad knew I existed! HE didn't even know!"
"Well Angelica, you never WERE right in the head when it came to that boy. What possessed you to do such a ghastly thing I shall never know, but what is done is done, and there is no use crying over spilt milk. Come along- Albus should be here any minute to discuss all this. He is bringing Harry with him also." Eddie froze.
"Harry?" she squeaked in a childish manner. "Harry Potter? What has he to do with all this?"
"I do not know. We shall discuss this in the parlour. I have a feeling of dread at the moment."
"Oh all right."
Eddie followed her mother into the parlour where she got a house elf to bring out some tea and biscuits. She waited silently for 5 minutes, clutching the dreaded newspaper until Dumbledore entered the room with her mother and Harry.
Harry looked like a carbon copy of James. Eddie bit her lip-she had failed Lily; she had not taken care of him as promised. Just thinking about Lily and James made Eddie want to cry some more, and Eddie was not the sentimental type.
"Ah, Angelica. I see you are doing well in the palace?"
"Hello professor. Long time no see," she choked. Harry looked at her peculiarly.
"No need for the professor any more. I do not teach you. Just call me Albus."
"Albus it is then."
"I trust you've read the Daily Prophet?" Eddie squeezed the newspaper.
"Yes. Is it all true?" Eddie could see that Harry was trying hard not to cry.
"Heaven's yes. Sirius Black was definitely an innocent man."
"Not in my book," Eddie growled. Harry's head snapped up.
"Sirius was innocent! What do you know about him anyways? He didn't do anything! It was that rat who did it all!" Harry screamed. Eddie stared at Harry in the eyes.
"I don't care if I'm your godmother Harry-but don't you dare, EVER tell me that I don't know him. I know him more than I'd care to," she said quietly. Harry's eyes became wide.
"Angelica! Hold your tongue!" exclaimed her mother.
"Sorry mum."
"Yes. Now we'll get down to business, but first things first. You still have your crystal, am I right?"
"Yes," said Eddie tonelessly.
"Perfect. Now we must go find Elizabeth. I have spoken to Madame Maxime about the transfer and everything. Elizabeth fully understands and accepts this. What she does not know is who she is."
"So you've found her then."
"That is correct."
"Great," said Eddie sarcastically.
"So now we must go get her, and have her sign everything. Harry has signed his part of the legal documents and now owns part of Sirius' fortune. He left everything else to you. But as you know, only a Black heir can have access to Grimauld Place, so this means that Elizabeth own it. But she does not know that yet. The money had of course all been transferred to your and Harry's accounts. Now all that's left is to fetch Elizabeth, get her to sign everything, and she's all yours."
"So the prat left me something, did he?" Harry clutched his fists, jaw clenched.
"He was not a prat!" Eddie ignored this.
"Angelica! You're acting like a 5 year old!"
"Whatever. Let's just go get her so I can get over with this. I think I'll give his stuff to charity or something."
"We shall be going now. Violet, are you coming?"
"Goodness no, Albus! I have things to prepare for Elizabeth. And the press is going to have a field day... I can just see the headlines..."
"Alright then. We shall see you in a while."
Eddie had just met Harry and already found how much like James he really was. She sighed.
"How are we getting there?"
"Portkey."
"Portkey! Well can I at least change out of these skirts?"
"Of course." A house elf scrambled over and snapped his fingers. Eddie was now dressed in jeans and a T-Shirt. She grinned despite the situation.
"As un-princess like as can be!"
"Let us go then." Dumbledore pulled a shiny coke can out of his robes. "3, 2, 1!" Eddie felt a tug at her finger where she had touched the coke can and found herself sprawled on the ground. She moaned.
"I hate this."
"You really need to work on your landings."
"Don't remind me," Eddie mumbled. She picked herself off the floor.
"Where are we professor?" asked Harry.
"We are at Elizabeth's house. I believe that the family is in the sitting room at the moment."
"Oh. Well why didn't we just apparate? I got my license you know," he bragged. Yep. Definitely a James, Eddie thought.
"Wards." Dumbledore led Eddie and Harry into the sitting room where four people were standing. Eddie gaped at the girl who was unmistakably her daughter.
Elizabeth was medium tall, skinny with a slight aura of toughness about her. She too had long, black curly hair that fell past her shoulders like her mother. She had laughing, blue-grey eyes that were so familiar to Eddie. She grimaced. It was not going to be easy trying to forget Sirius now. Elisabeth also had a similar, slightly upturned pointed nose as her father, and undeniably, his laugh. Eddie had heard it when she just walked into the room.
"Nice joke Fiona, but I can't believe you went through all this trouble just to make me think I was a princess. Doesn't matter-very funny. I gave up on THAT dream when I was seven."
But now Elizabeth was staring at the three famous people who had entered the room. One old, ancient looking wizard with a silver beard, another, the 'boy who lived' with his scrawny look and messy black hair. And then the last-a woman in her thirties, clad in jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers, with long curly black hair and a surprised look about her.
Elizabeth dropped her jaw. "Oh my God," she whispered. Eddie pressed her lips together in a thin line. No, Sirius would not be easy to forget at all.
"Albus!" exclaimed the man sitting next to Elizabeth. "There you are! We were wondering if you were coming or not." The man was desperately trying to hide his sorrow.
"Yes, hello John. This is Harry, as you all know, and Angelica. Elizabeth- your mother, princess of Arista." Elizabeth laughed again, in her Sirius- like way. Eddie grimaced.
"You don't look like a princess."
"Yeah, well even after 15 years, I still prefer my Mickey Mouse shirt over any dress." Elizabeth looked at her dubiously.
"And you're my mom? The princess? Where's dad?" Eddie shut her eyes. "Prove it if you're a princess." This girl was more like her than she thought.
"Fine." Eddie whipped out her wand and muttered a spell. She was back to wearing the skirts and clothes she was previously wearing, her tiara now back on her head. Eddie made a disgusted sound before reversing the spell.
"So then where's dad?" Eddie looked at Dumbledore and he nodded.
"He's dead."
"What! How come you never came before? Why didn't you come before WITH dad?"
"Because he was in Azkaban," said Eddie quietly, emphasizing the last word. Elizabeth's eyes became wider than Eddie believed possible.
"My mom, a PRINCESS, MARRIED a criminal?"
"No, not married," said Eddie, showing her distaste at the very idea.
"Then what?"
"Look kiddo-I had you just after I turned 18, okay? Your birthday's the 1st of January, right? Well guess where I spent my birthday night? In St. Mungo's, giving birth to you." Everybody in the room was staring now.
"So I was-what happened to dad?"
"He's Sirius Black, that's what." Eddie let the words ring in her head. Elizabeth fainted from the shock.
"I told mom that she wouldn't take it well," Eddie said crossly. In her mind, she was still 17-she had never grown up really. Maybe being a pampered, bad tempered princess did that to you.
"Enervate," muttered Eddie, pointing her wand at Elizabeth's face. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Aaaaghhh! It wasn't a freakin' dream!"
"Chill out," snapped Eddie, "I'm not any happier than you are."
"Okay," breathed Elizabeth. "Breathe, breathe, breathe." Harry stared at the girl like she was crazy, and jumped back when she hot off the ground. "Right. Mom's a princess, dad's dead. Okay, take this slowly," she muttered to herself. Everybody in the room exchanged glances.
"Okay. Well I'm prepared to take my princess duties then. Dad's funeral is supposed to be on Sunday, right?"
"So you're okay with this then?" asked Eddie slowly.
"Yeah. I suppose."
"You're good at masking." Eddie grinned. "Just like me."
"If that's all settled, Mr. Barnaby-the papers if you please." The other man sitting next to Fiona stood up and pulled out parchment from his brief case.
"Ms. Lalonde-sign here please. Elizabeth, sign here. This signifies that half the black fortune is rightfully yours, and Grimauld Place, including everything in it is yours, Elizabeth."
"What? You mean I get to live in a palace, and have my own house? Free? No catch? No nothing?"
"That's right."
"Alright!" exclaimed Elizabeth happily.
"There is a catch," Harry muttered to no one in particular. "There's Mrs. Black." Elizabeth seemed to have heard him. She removed the quill from the paper.
"Mrs. Black? You mean I have a step mom?" she asked in horror. Even Eddie turned to look at Harry. Dumbledore chuckled.
"No, no, no. Merlin no! Mrs. Black-Sirius' mother's portrait. She hangs there, no way of removing her. She's quite fond of screaming." Elizabeth grinned.
"Yeah? Well that's okay-we can have screaming competitions-I like screaming!" Harry found this girl even weirder than before.
"Don't be so sure about that," he warned her darkly. Elizabeth smiled mischievously, before signing the parchment with a flourish.