Ch 4- Jeremy Black, The Last in the Line
After Hermione had recovered sufficiently, she sat down on a rubbish bin, and fixed Sirius with an almighty glare. "Sirius, you owe us an explanation." "Yes Hermione, I do." "But first, we need to find out if this is really you. Harry, ask Sirius a question only he'd know the answer to." "Right," said Harry, pausing for a while to think. "Right. Sirius, if that's really who you are, I am going to ask you three questions. Number one: what form does my patronus take?" "A stag," answered Sirius look-a-like, correctly. "But lots of people know that" said Ron. Hermione covered Ron's mouth with her hand. "Number two: why does it take this form?" "Because your Dad, James Potter, my best friend, used to be able to turn into a stag," the Sirius look-a-like said. Harry nodded. "Lastly, how did you die?" "Well, my cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, that stupid rat, I'll get her back, hit me with Arvada Kervada. My body then fell behind a curtain of some sort, and my soul floated out the window." "Hermione. That's him," said Harry, rushing over to Sirius and pulling him into a hug. "What took you so long to get back Sirius?" Harry asked, overcome with emotion. "Well, that's a long story Harry. How long are you here for?" "I'm staying at the Burrow." "You could come back with us if you like," said Ron. "Great, my new body isn't wanted by the Ministry, so I can roam as much as I please. There's only one problem with this damned body, but I'll get to that later. Haven't you lot got to get school supplies?" "Oh! I forgot! The clerk at Flourish and Blots was quite angry when I ran out of the store so quickly. I'd better go back and apologise. Do you want to come with me Sirius?" "Sure Harry, but you have to call me Jeremy in public, Okay? It's just that Sirius isn't a very common name, and I do look a lot like my former self." "Okay...Jeremy."
When Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny had finished getting everything for the next school year, they met Mrs. Weasley in the Leaky Cauldron. She and Ginny were puzzled by the large, black dog at Harry's side, and when Harry was questioned about it, he mumbled something a bout a birthday present from Neville Longbottom.
On arrival at the Burrow, Harry asked everyone to gather around his new "Birthday Present". On asking Sirius-Jeremy to show himself, there was a huge gasp from all the lounge room chairs surrounding Sirius-Jeremy. "Jeremy Black!" cried Mrs. Weasley, Jumping out of her seat, "what are you doing in my house?" "Wait! Mrs. Weasley! That is a walk-in of Sirius!" Everyone looked at Harry strangely. "Harry, that was just a rumour that the Daily Prophet put forward." "What?" said Harry, bewildered, "It was written in the Daily Prophet? How come no one told me?" "Well, we didn't want to get your hopes up dear," said Mrs. Weasley reassuringly. "But Ron said even Dumbledore wanted to check it out." Harry protested. "Yes, well that's all very well, but what if he had been wrong? Then what would have happened? How do you know this actually is a walk-in of Sirius?" asked Mrs. Weasley warily. "Well Mum," said Ron, "Harry asked him questions only he could know." "And he answered them all one hundred percent accurate?" asked Mrs. Weasley, eyeing Sirius-Jeremy suspiciously. "Yes. One thousand percent." Ron reassured her. "Right. Well Sirius...I mean Jeremy...no Sirius...Well who ever you are, what do you have to say for yourself?" "Well, I'll start from the beginning shall I? That stupid rat, Bellatrix, hit me with the killing curse, and my soul stayed up on that ledge and watched my body fall into the black curtain. I then wasted no time in getting out of there because I knew if I stayed where I was, I wouldn't be there for long. "So I took off out the door and then out of the ministry. I knew I wasn't finished with life, but I didn't want to come back as a ghost, something not solid. So I started looking around for a fresh dead person, preferably killed by the killing curse, or a Dementor victim. That way, nothing would be wrong with the body. "The next day I decided that I would give up my search, and find Harry instead. I traveled to Hogwarts to try to find Harry and tell him what happened, but when I arrived, the train had already left and I couldn't catch up with it. Instead, I decided to go to Privet Drive and wait for you there. "I was there for a whole week and Harry didn't notice a thing. I tried so hard to comfort him and tell him it was all right, it wasn't his fault..." Sirius stopped, choked with tears. "Harry, I never want you to feel that way ever again. If this body dies, keep a look out for me, okay?" Harry couldn't answer, so he nodded. He couldn't hold his tears back any more. Harry looked away, not wanting Ron to see him cry. Harry felt Sirius's hands on his shoulders. "Who is Jeremy Black?" asked Harry, to divert the attention away from him. "He was my brother, my little brother. He was my good brother, just joined the Order a few weeks ago after hearing what happened to me. We were good friends, better friends than my older brother and myself. He also ran away from home when he was fifteen. He was killed by one of the escaped Death Eaters." "Well at least you're not wanted by the Ministry anymore. Now you can do whatever you like," said Harry happily. "I also have something else to tell you, some fantastic news. I asked Dumbledore for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts. What do you all think?"
Harry's heart soared. Sirius being at school, where he, Harry could talk to him everyday of the whole year. "Did you get it?" asked Harry, Sirius nodded. "Wonderful!" cried Hermione "But Sirius, do you know anything about the dark arts?" "How can I not know Hermione, when I was locked in Azkaban for twelve years?" "You've got a point," said Hermione happily. "All this talking is making me thirsty," said Ron, who up until now had not uttered a word. "I'm making tea. Anyone else want any?"
After they had all had their tea, Sirius continued his story. "Now, where was I? Yes, I was at Privet Drive. After giving up on Harry, I decided to find Jeremy, to see if he would notice me. When I arrived at where he was staying, I found him dead in his bedroom, sprawled on the floor. I decided to use his body, as he could also turn into a huge, black dog. All Blacks that wish to be able to change into an animal turn out to be black dogs. That's where James and I got the idea of being Animagus. "I then decided that I needed to speak to Dumbledore, so I Apparated to Hogsmade, and walked into the school. I talked everything over with Dumbledore and I asked if I could be the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He said that it was just as well that I wanted to teach the subject, because no other witch or wizard in the whole of England wanted to teach it. "I then Apparated to Diagon Alley, and met you guys a few days later. And here I am now." "You know Sirius," said Ginny, "You're going to have to say that all again when dad and the twins get home." Everyone laughed and Mrs. Weasley said for them all to pack their trunks, they were going back to Headquarters of the Order tomorrow. "Just as well," said Sirius, "I can't get back in! Dumbledore never told me where it was, because I was inside when he was made secret keeper, and I didn't go out before going to the ministry that night."
On the way to Headquarters the next day, Harry asked Sirius a question. "Sirius, was Jeremy the last of the Blacks?" "Well I guess he was, and now I am the very last of the Black family." "Just like me Sirius, just like me."
After Hermione had recovered sufficiently, she sat down on a rubbish bin, and fixed Sirius with an almighty glare. "Sirius, you owe us an explanation." "Yes Hermione, I do." "But first, we need to find out if this is really you. Harry, ask Sirius a question only he'd know the answer to." "Right," said Harry, pausing for a while to think. "Right. Sirius, if that's really who you are, I am going to ask you three questions. Number one: what form does my patronus take?" "A stag," answered Sirius look-a-like, correctly. "But lots of people know that" said Ron. Hermione covered Ron's mouth with her hand. "Number two: why does it take this form?" "Because your Dad, James Potter, my best friend, used to be able to turn into a stag," the Sirius look-a-like said. Harry nodded. "Lastly, how did you die?" "Well, my cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, that stupid rat, I'll get her back, hit me with Arvada Kervada. My body then fell behind a curtain of some sort, and my soul floated out the window." "Hermione. That's him," said Harry, rushing over to Sirius and pulling him into a hug. "What took you so long to get back Sirius?" Harry asked, overcome with emotion. "Well, that's a long story Harry. How long are you here for?" "I'm staying at the Burrow." "You could come back with us if you like," said Ron. "Great, my new body isn't wanted by the Ministry, so I can roam as much as I please. There's only one problem with this damned body, but I'll get to that later. Haven't you lot got to get school supplies?" "Oh! I forgot! The clerk at Flourish and Blots was quite angry when I ran out of the store so quickly. I'd better go back and apologise. Do you want to come with me Sirius?" "Sure Harry, but you have to call me Jeremy in public, Okay? It's just that Sirius isn't a very common name, and I do look a lot like my former self." "Okay...Jeremy."
When Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny had finished getting everything for the next school year, they met Mrs. Weasley in the Leaky Cauldron. She and Ginny were puzzled by the large, black dog at Harry's side, and when Harry was questioned about it, he mumbled something a bout a birthday present from Neville Longbottom.
On arrival at the Burrow, Harry asked everyone to gather around his new "Birthday Present". On asking Sirius-Jeremy to show himself, there was a huge gasp from all the lounge room chairs surrounding Sirius-Jeremy. "Jeremy Black!" cried Mrs. Weasley, Jumping out of her seat, "what are you doing in my house?" "Wait! Mrs. Weasley! That is a walk-in of Sirius!" Everyone looked at Harry strangely. "Harry, that was just a rumour that the Daily Prophet put forward." "What?" said Harry, bewildered, "It was written in the Daily Prophet? How come no one told me?" "Well, we didn't want to get your hopes up dear," said Mrs. Weasley reassuringly. "But Ron said even Dumbledore wanted to check it out." Harry protested. "Yes, well that's all very well, but what if he had been wrong? Then what would have happened? How do you know this actually is a walk-in of Sirius?" asked Mrs. Weasley warily. "Well Mum," said Ron, "Harry asked him questions only he could know." "And he answered them all one hundred percent accurate?" asked Mrs. Weasley, eyeing Sirius-Jeremy suspiciously. "Yes. One thousand percent." Ron reassured her. "Right. Well Sirius...I mean Jeremy...no Sirius...Well who ever you are, what do you have to say for yourself?" "Well, I'll start from the beginning shall I? That stupid rat, Bellatrix, hit me with the killing curse, and my soul stayed up on that ledge and watched my body fall into the black curtain. I then wasted no time in getting out of there because I knew if I stayed where I was, I wouldn't be there for long. "So I took off out the door and then out of the ministry. I knew I wasn't finished with life, but I didn't want to come back as a ghost, something not solid. So I started looking around for a fresh dead person, preferably killed by the killing curse, or a Dementor victim. That way, nothing would be wrong with the body. "The next day I decided that I would give up my search, and find Harry instead. I traveled to Hogwarts to try to find Harry and tell him what happened, but when I arrived, the train had already left and I couldn't catch up with it. Instead, I decided to go to Privet Drive and wait for you there. "I was there for a whole week and Harry didn't notice a thing. I tried so hard to comfort him and tell him it was all right, it wasn't his fault..." Sirius stopped, choked with tears. "Harry, I never want you to feel that way ever again. If this body dies, keep a look out for me, okay?" Harry couldn't answer, so he nodded. He couldn't hold his tears back any more. Harry looked away, not wanting Ron to see him cry. Harry felt Sirius's hands on his shoulders. "Who is Jeremy Black?" asked Harry, to divert the attention away from him. "He was my brother, my little brother. He was my good brother, just joined the Order a few weeks ago after hearing what happened to me. We were good friends, better friends than my older brother and myself. He also ran away from home when he was fifteen. He was killed by one of the escaped Death Eaters." "Well at least you're not wanted by the Ministry anymore. Now you can do whatever you like," said Harry happily. "I also have something else to tell you, some fantastic news. I asked Dumbledore for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post at Hogwarts. What do you all think?"
Harry's heart soared. Sirius being at school, where he, Harry could talk to him everyday of the whole year. "Did you get it?" asked Harry, Sirius nodded. "Wonderful!" cried Hermione "But Sirius, do you know anything about the dark arts?" "How can I not know Hermione, when I was locked in Azkaban for twelve years?" "You've got a point," said Hermione happily. "All this talking is making me thirsty," said Ron, who up until now had not uttered a word. "I'm making tea. Anyone else want any?"
After they had all had their tea, Sirius continued his story. "Now, where was I? Yes, I was at Privet Drive. After giving up on Harry, I decided to find Jeremy, to see if he would notice me. When I arrived at where he was staying, I found him dead in his bedroom, sprawled on the floor. I decided to use his body, as he could also turn into a huge, black dog. All Blacks that wish to be able to change into an animal turn out to be black dogs. That's where James and I got the idea of being Animagus. "I then decided that I needed to speak to Dumbledore, so I Apparated to Hogsmade, and walked into the school. I talked everything over with Dumbledore and I asked if I could be the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He said that it was just as well that I wanted to teach the subject, because no other witch or wizard in the whole of England wanted to teach it. "I then Apparated to Diagon Alley, and met you guys a few days later. And here I am now." "You know Sirius," said Ginny, "You're going to have to say that all again when dad and the twins get home." Everyone laughed and Mrs. Weasley said for them all to pack their trunks, they were going back to Headquarters of the Order tomorrow. "Just as well," said Sirius, "I can't get back in! Dumbledore never told me where it was, because I was inside when he was made secret keeper, and I didn't go out before going to the ministry that night."
On the way to Headquarters the next day, Harry asked Sirius a question. "Sirius, was Jeremy the last of the Blacks?" "Well I guess he was, and now I am the very last of the Black family." "Just like me Sirius, just like me."