Chapter 4: Revelations
Sirius awoke the next morning from a troubled- giddy sleep and proceeded to have breakfast with his mother in the garden.
The night before his mother had told him he was a wizard. Of course he could not believe it. Sirius Black a wizard? It was absurd, though his mother was not one to joke. 'Maybe it was another dream,' he thought.
Sirius yawned and heard the birds chirping merrily outside the window, he smelt the pancakes cooking in the kitchens below, and he felt happy to be home. He brushed his hands through his shaggy hair lightly and wanted to know more of his family and what being a wizard really meant.
He dressed briskly in blue jeans and a white short-sleeved shirt. Mrs. Black was waiting for Sirius patiently, sipping tea that a servant was poring.
"Good morning mother." Sirius said sitting besides her in a wood chair.
Mrs. Black wore a velvet purple gown with black lace covering it beautifully. Her hair was in a tight bun, and she did not smile to Sirius' greeting, but rather replied "Good morning indeed."
Sirius tried to smile, but was kept far from it when his mother returned a light glare in return.
Mrs. Black pointed her wand at the servant and before Sirius could blink or gasp the servant transformed into a....
"What in gods name is that?" Sirius blurted out after spotting something that was nowhere near human.
The servant who had been wearing a tattered old maids dress vanished before Sirius' eyes and became what looked like...
"An elf Sirius. A house elf to be exact. All the maids are. I put a heavy charm on them, one they could not penetrate. They have served the Blacks since before you were born."
"Yes, Mrs." The elf replied, smiling weakly up at Mrs. Black.
"Leave now." Mrs. Black commanded.
Sirius sat, mouth wide open enough so flies could take a nap on his tongue.
"Oh, Sirius, you have much to learn. All families such as ours have house elves."
"What else is not as it seems? So wait a minute.... Those paintings and pictures... were they really moving then, and talking to me?"
"Yes, I believe so. Pictures and paintings move and paintings can communicate to you through speech."
"Did you have charms on them as well? So I wouldn't recognize it?"
Mrs. Black nodded yes.
"Sirius you are seventeen years old now. I don't mind your absence of schooling in the muggle world, but... oh pardon me," Mrs. Black said in forgetfulness. "Sirius a muggle is someone with no magical ability." Mrs. Black took another sip of tea. "You have much to learn."
Sirius watched his mother for a while, still pondering in his mind if everything said thus far was true and not just some big hoax to torment Sirius and make him feel like a complete idiot after the little joke was carried along for far to long. However, it didn't seem possible, it seemed strangely, intriguingly true.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you have a right to know. Most wizards your age would have started at Hogwarts quite a while ago, at around the age of eleven. You are far behind and you did not receive a letter of acceptance until recently."
Sirius stared dumbly.
"So what now?" Sirius spat out.
"You will proceed to Hogwarts in the summer to learn all you can and when the term begins in the fall you will take an apprenticeship with one of the professors."
Sirius was astounded and very unsure of everything at that moment. He was immensely excited and wanted to scream at the top of his lungs in great howls of how fantastic the feeling was. Though he didn't quite understand what it really meant to be a wizard or to go to a school that specialized in educating such a subject, Sirius was truly thrilled. Nothing had thrilled him so much apart from....
"I was supposed to meet a friend mum, later this afternoon."
Mrs. Black nodded.
"All right. But not a word."
"Mother?"
"Yes Sirius?"
"If I am a wizard, why didn't you tell me sooner, especially if most wizards would generally get excepted at eleven years of age?"
"Sirius, The Blacks are a family of tradition. We have a long past in the wizardry world. The Blacks are pure bloods, which means magic blood runs through are veins without question. You are as am I better than muggles and anything lower than pure blood. I wasn't sure if I should tell you all this simply because the times are very different now.
Your father for example is a wizard. A sorry excuse for a wizard. He was one of the most powerful at Hogwarts when he attended, but he has partaken and seen much. He has seen many deaths and losses to our side. I do not want you to turn out like him.
With the proper teaching you could be great, remarkable I believe. Sirius...." Mrs. Black took a deep breath, "I wanted you to be ready. I believe you are now. What with your dreams you were bound to find out eventually. That was the only aspect of your discovering our world which I could not control." Mrs. Black finished and waited for a response.
"That's a bit much to take in."
"I am aware and it will take time to get used to it all. After your outing with that boy... Lupin is it?"
"Yes."
"How very interesting." Mrs. Black tapped her lip gently.
"What's interesting?"
"Lupin... Lupin... what is his mothers name?"
"Emily, I believe."
"Emily Belladonna... it can't be!" Mrs. Black replied in excitement.
"I think so mum."
"Sirius, take me over to the Lupin's this instant!"
A/N: So what do you think thus far?