The Black Letter
The day that Harry decided to appear at the breakfast table was a Friday. Not that it had anything to do with it, but Harry spent that Friday catching up on all the information that he'd missed. He sat with Ron and Ginny, playing cards in the dark and high-ceilinged room. The house was awfully quiet, not even the portrait of Mrs Black made some noise.
'So the Ministry isn't really doing anything?' Harry asked and passed a card to Ron.
'They're handing out leaflets,' said Ron. 'Who taught the Knight of Spades to curse?'
'Not me,' said Ginny. 'Besides, the leaflets are only handed out to wizarding families.'
'Dad reckons there's nothing useful in those leaflets anyhow. Don't do that!' Ron glared at his cards. 'I'm gonna blame George for this.'
'Figures,' Ginny mumbled. 'Wonder who wrote them?'
'Fudge?' Harry guessed.
'No, Fudge took a week off. Fred says his office door hasn't been opened for three weeks, though.'
'Fred?' Ginny frowned, passing Harry a useless card.
'Well, I dunno.' Ron shrugged. 'Something about Lee again. Open cards.'
They let the cards fall down on the bed and Ron smiled gleefully. His cards did some sort of a happy-dance before all cards gathered and shuffled themselves. Sixteen cards then dropped neatly in three piles.
'Lee works for the Ministry?' asked Harry, staring at his cards.
'Occasionally. Bagman's left quite a mess at the Magical Games and Sports Office, they haven't been able to clear it up yet.' Ginny passed Harry another useless card. 'You know he disappeared after the Triwizard Tournament. Haven't been heard of since. Fred and George are still looking for him, as are the goblins.'
'There seems to be a lot of people disappearing,' Harry commented. 'Quit telling the Spades to convert my Diamonds, someone.'
'Sorry,' Ron mumbled, not looking sorry at all. 'Yeah. I've noticed.'
'You have?' Ginny stared at him. 'Ickle Ronnikin! Paid attention, did you?'
'Shut it. D'you know what the weirdest thing is?'
'Apart from all Clubs refusing to be near any Diamonds?' asked Ginny, rearranging her cards.
Ron ignored her. 'They've never said any names when talking about the missing tourists.'
'Never? If Fudge would disappear, wouldn't that hit the headlines?'
Harry shuffled three Clubs to Ginny who glared at him.
'You'd think so. But you never know, the Prophet's been really odd lately. Barley mentioned the Quidditch scandal at all.'
'That's a scandal in it self!' said Ron
It didn't take long for Ron to win that round too, as well as the following two. Harry and Ginny decided to call it a day when Mrs Weasley appeared at the door, suggesting they'd come downstairs for tea. The stairs creaked a little bit and the hallway with the house-elf head's was dark and empty. Walking on their toes they carefully skirted the troll-leg umbrella stand that somehow had avoided Mrs Weasley's attempts of cleaning the place up. Sounds of Mrs Black's portrait snoring followed them to the kitchen.
There they found Mad-Eye studying the Prophet with one eye and poking the other one under the surface of a glass of water. Remus Lupin was waving his wand over a pair of shabby robes, apparently patching them up a bit. His hair was a bit shorter and a little greyer, but when he turned he was smiling at them. It was a tired and half-hollow smile, though he did seem pleased to meet them.
'Hello, Harry!' he greeted. 'How are you?'
'Fine, thanks,' Harry said and sat down next to Ginny.
'Could I get a cup too, Molly?' Lupin asked and sat down on the other side. 'It's been quite a day.'
'One for me too,' said Moody and folded the paper.
'Quite a day?' Ginny echoed. 'What have you done?'
'Order business, Ginny.' Mrs Weasley levitated six cups, teapot and a plate with sandwiches to the table.
'Have you gotten your OWL results yet?' Mad-Eye asked.
'Not yet,' said Ron grimly. 'Bet I failed all of them.'
'Oh, no, you didn't,' his mother said, patting his head and earning herself a glare. 'You can't have done worse then Fred and George. Three OWL's, now, really.'
'Thanks, Mum, that made our day,' said one of the twins, appearing at the kitchen door with his brother in his heel.
'D'you want a cup of tea, dear?' She rose and got two cups from a cupboard.
'Sure.' Fred sat down and handed Harry a letter. 'Hedwig came with this. I'm sorry we had to borrow your owl, but she'll be back soon.'
Harry realized he missed Hedwig, but said nothing and took the letter. It was a black envelope with the address written in gold.
Harry Potter
Place Uplottable
England
Ron and Ginny stared at it, then looked at their mother. She'd gone pale and so had Lupin and Moody. The twins avoided looking at him at all. Harry turned the envelope and opened it carefully. The parchment inside was midnight blue and the message written with silvery ink. He read it in silence.
Dear Mr Potter,
We offer our condolences for the death of Sirius Black. It is with most respect for your loss that we send you this letter. Mr Black was the sole heir of the Black fortune. He has requested the following to be given to you:
- The state of 12 Grimmuald Place,
- A flying motorbike (registration at the Office of Flying Muggle Artefacts will be needed),
- A lifetime of free haircuts at Scissors and Shears, found at 19 Diagon Alley, London.
Mr Black left a spoken will that you may find at the Last Will Office, door 5, Corridor fourteen, Level one, Ministry of Magic. Since you are not of age, we request at least two adults following you.
With deepest concern,
Yours Sincerely,
Aedon Evrett
Head of the Deceased's Office
Ministry of Magic
Harry stared at the parchment. Suddenly something hit his back and he gasped, realizing he'd been holding his breath. His eyes stung and he forced himself to push back the tears that threatened to take over. It really wasn't the moment to panic.
'Harry?' he heard someone say and turned his head towards Lupin. 'Are you all right?'
He managed to nod before Mrs Weasley pushed a glass of water in his hand. Harry drank thankfully. Ron and Ginny were both frowning worriedly, looking like their mother for all that was worth. The twins studied him carefully along with Lupin.
'What's the Last Will Office?' Harry asked once he had regained control again.
'That's where they ask people to go if the deceased has left a magical will. Not all do, but some of the old wizarding families find that as a tradition,' said Lupin. 'How come?'
'It says,' Harry nodded towards the letter that he had placed upside down on the table, 'that Sirius left a will.'
'Really?' Lupin looked surprised. 'Well, it seems as if he had some manners left.'
Harry smiled plainly.
'I have to bring at least two adults with me to hear it,' he said. 'Would you come with me?'
'Of course I would,' said Lupin. 'A Last Will can be quite upsetting. Who else?'
Harry watched the people around the table. Mrs Weasley was looking quite nervous, drying her hands on her apron repeatedly. Ron had returned to silently chewing his sandwich and Ginny watched him carefully from beneath the loose tufts of hair. Fred studied his sandwich intensely and George held his teacup without drinking from it, blowing it gently. Moody was poking his magical eye in a glass of water.
'Fred, George, would you come?' he said at last.
Mrs Weasley's eyebrows shot up, but she quickly hid her surprise. George, who had just been about to sip the tea, burned his tongue. He stared at Harry like Harry had gone mad, which wasn't very far from how Harry suddenly felt.
Then there was a thud and Mrs Black woke up.
'FILTHY MUDBLOODS! TRAITORS! TRAITORS IN MY HOUSE! OOOOOOOOUT! KREATCHER! KREATCHER! GET OUT YOU, DISGUSTING, SLIMY MUDBLOOD! I SWEAR –'
'Oh no,' sighed Lupin and hurried out with Moody right behind him.
Harry wasn't late to follow. Outside the kitchen he found that a thin lady had stumbled on the troll-leg umbrella stand. Mrs Weasley hurried past him and tried to help the woman up.
'SHUT UP!' Moody roared to the portrait before he and Lupin managed to pull the curtains shut.
'Are you all right?' Mrs Weasley asked quietly.
'Me eers migh've given up,' muttered the woman that Harry now recognized as Dawn Atkinson. 'A'm tryin' ter find Charlie, it's gettin' outta 'and.'
They returned to the kitchen and shut the door behind them.
'What is?' asked Ron from behind Harry.
'Not your business, Ronald!' snapped Mrs Weasley. 'Take Harry and Ginny and return to your room. You better pack, we're moving you and Ginny back to Spinners End.'
'Why not Harry?'
'Fly him across the country for two days?' George asked. 'You gone mad?'
'Off you go and do be quiet in the hall,' said Mrs Weasley.
Ron and Ginny returned to the Spinners End the next day and Harry had to spend the rest of the weekend alone. So came the day that Harry had been dreading, yet looking forward to. He hadn't been able to sleep that night, sitting in his bed and staring at the wall. George who gave him a cup of tea and a piece of toast woke him up around eight. His eyes ached and he felt slightly ill.
Once again he came into the Ministry by the falling telephone box. Harry screwed his eyes shut, thinking very hard on anything but Sirius, like Hagrid's bakery. He didn't want to do that trip, but he did want to reach the Last Will Office and this was the only safe way. Having had their wands already checked, they headed for the golden doors leading to the lifts. Harry's head was spinning and he thought that both Remus and Fred talked to someone, but he wasn't sure whom. Finally they reached the first floor, finally they found the fourteenth corridor and finally, finally, they stood outside door 5. It was a small oak door where you could read The Last Will Office written with small, silvery letters.
'You ready?' George asked.
Harry nodded sternly and they walked in. Inside was a room with three desks. There lay an air of peace and quiet. A wizard dressed in robes in the same midnight blue colour that the parchment had had, rose. His hair was braded into two brides and he had long, black beard.
'Remus!' he said, voice low but clear. 'How good to see you again. Though not on this place, no. Who –?'
'It's not me this time, Marshall.' Lupin nodded against Harry. 'I'm just here as an adult.'
'And you would be?' Marshall peered at Harry.
'Harry Potter, sir,' Harry responded. 'The will of Sirius Black.'
Marshall's eyes widened when he saw Harry's scar and then narrowed at the name. He turned abruptly, picked up a leaflet from his desk and motioned for them to step further in, through another door. The room within had four armchairs and a sofa in that same midnight blue colour. The two windows let in glints of sunlight. It was really a peaceful place, not at all as Harry had imagined it. He sat down next to George on the sofa.
'I am going to open this letter,' said Marshall and showed Harry the leaflet that Harry now realized was a very thin envelope. 'You will then hear the voice of Sirius Black, as he spoke the words to the letter.'
Harry swallowed and nodded. Marshall opened the envelope and they heard someone sigh heavily. The envelope hovered in the air the same way as a hover did, but it seemed less threatening.
'Date: Seventeenth of August,' said Sirius voice. 'Place: Azkaban. Attending: Sirius Black, Minerva McGonagall … and Severus Snape. Supervisor: Marshall McGonagall.'
Harry frowned, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over. It was Sirius' voice, undeniably his voice, yet it was the voice of a stranger. Sirius sounded much younger even though he spoke with the voice of someone that had given up hope.
'Errand,' said Sirius, 'Last Will. Message: To Harry Potter I leave my family house, may it forever be cursed, number 12 Grimmuald Place. Also, I leave my flying motorbike for you to haunt Severus Snape with when I'm gone. Do be quiet, Severus. Harry, if your hair reminds anything of James', or Merlin forbid, Snape's, I here by give you a lifetime of hair cuts at the Scissors and Shears in Diagon Alley.'
Lupin snorted, though his eyes were also filled with tears. Harry smiled sadly and looked at Fred who nodded. The letter-voice cleared it's throat.
'To Remus Lupin,' Lupin looked shocked, 'I leave a small fortune of three hundred and sixty-two galleons. I also give him the two thousand or so books that are currently stacked in not-so-neat piles at the cottage that I also give him. The address would be western St Martin's, Isles of Scilly. Good luck opening the door. Don't look at me like that, Snivellus, I've told you I'm not poor! Sorry, Professor.'
George sniggered slightly. But what the letter said next made him bite his tongue.
'To be shared by any living Weasley, descendent of Arthur and Molly Weasley, I here by leave the rest of my fortune, which would be a feather-duster, two thousand galleons, a piece of dry bread, eighty-two sickles, seventeen house-elf heads in need of dusting, fourteen knuts. And for Arthur and Molly, if they still are alive, a little house on some godforsaken mountain in Italy. Prof- Minerva, could you make Severus stop chewing foam?'
'As an ad, I'll leave Severus Snape the slimy, unhealthy looking potions chamber in the basement of 12 Grimmuald Place and all the yet slimier and unhealthier potions ingredients in the three storerooms. Sorry, Harry. Now, play good witnesses.'
'I, Professor Minerva McGonagall,' said Professor McGonagall, 'here by state that this Last Will was spoken by Sirius Black, the sole heir of the Black fortune and that no threats was used.'
'I, Severus Snape,' sneered the young voice of Snape, 'there by state that this Last Will was spoken by Sirius Black, sole heir of the Black fortune and that no threats was used.'
With that, the letter fell silent, returning into being a thin letter in the hands of a dark haired wizard with two brides and black beard, sitting in the midnight blue chair with matching robes. George and Fred were ogling each other and their mouths moved like goldfishes. Harry had to focus hard on the picture of him hitting Bellatrix Lestrange to not cry. Remus Lupin did cry.
That Saturday evening they returned to the Spinners End. Ron moved into the same room as Harry, since Charlie was now living with Bill somewhere near Diagon Alley. Harry hadn't heard much from Bill, not recently. Mrs Weasley had mumbled something about marriage before moving in together. After what Harry could understand, Bill and Mrs Weasley had had a fall out. Fred and George spent most of their days in Diagon Alley, where the Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes had become a huge success. They hadn't mentioned Sirius' will to anyone yet.
'Harry, come on, Ron wants you out in the garden right the way.'
Ginny was standing just outside the backdoor and she was covered in mud. They had been digging in the backyard for a couple of hours now, taking up potatoes, cabbages, carrots and other things. Mrs Weasley was delighted to have a gnome-free garden, which had resulted in a neat garden. The gardens had also shown up to be the best spot to chare information on, as well as sometimes listen through the kitchen window.
Ron was standing in a very muddy row of cabbages, swearing under his breath. He had mud all the way up to his elbows and a stain on his forehead where he obviously had tried to wipe away some of the rain. It had rained heavily all night, but Mrs Weasley had forced the kids out the house by mentioning that it didn't rain back then. Five minutes later, the rain fell softly on the three youngsters in the garden.
'Did you see the Prophet?' Harry asked, grabbing a shovel.
'Yeah,' said Ron, throwing away another cabbage with a disgusted face. 'The Ministry's pretty much without guidance, now that they've noticed Fudge disappeared. There's an awful lot of rumours going round.'
'I think that one of them says Fudge's children are all Death Eaters,' said Ginny frowning.
'That could be true,' Harry muttered, 'if he had any children.'
'There's other stories,' said Ron, 'like the one that Dad's gonna be the Minister of Magic, and the one that Umbridge's competing to for the post.'
They all shuddered by the thought of the former High Inquisitor. Dolores Umbridge had been a total disaster at Hogwarts the year before. Fudge had sent her there to spy for him, because he had apparently the impression that Dumbledore was raising an army to put him off his throne.
'How's the old toad anyway?' asked Harry. 'Haven't heard anything since Peeves hunted her.'
'She's been at St Mungo's the whole summer,' answered Ginny. 'But Fred says Lee saw her at the Ministry last week, so I think she's out now. She was doing quite well after the centaur attack, but something happened and she went all paranoid and had a breakdown. Daily Prophet's been thrilled. Ron, don't throw those carrots in there, that one's for cabbages.'
'Can't we take a break?' Ron whined. 'I'm tired of cabbages!'
'Awe, ickle Ronniekin's tired of cabbages,' Ginny teased.
'But my back aches...' complained Ron.
Mud hit Ron's back and Ginny sniggered. With a yelp Ron threw himself at his little sister and tried to get mud inside her sweater. Ginny fought herself free and hid behind a box of carrots. From there she began shooting mud at the two boys. Harry dodged Ginny's attack and sent some mud after Ron, who jumped behind a tree. Ginny hit Harry on his back and he returned the favour before throwing himself behind the bench. When Harry spurted from the wooden box and fell headlong down behind a bush, he heard two cracks.
'Hey! You can't have a proper mud-war without us!' called Fred.
'Unfair!' echoed George.
Three loud splashes and two yells were heard as Harry, Ginny and Ron threw mud on the twins. Soon the garden was filled with laughs and shrikes from the five of them.
A large barn owl landed next to Harry when he was wiping away mud from his eyes. Soon another one came and landed next to Ron's hideout. The two boys glanced at each other and gulped, quickly calling a truce. These were the letters they had been waiting for the whole summer – their OWL's. They gathered around the boxes with vegetables and stared at each other. Ginny clutched Fred's arm and Ron was utterly pale behind the mud and freckles. Harry felt himself tremble.
'You open your first,' said Ron nervously. 'That's probably better news than mine.'
Harry just nodded and bent down to take the letter from his owl. As he stood, the owl took off and flew towards the clear blue sky. Harry gave Ron another glance and then opened the letter. Something fell out, but he didn't take notice and read the letter aloud.
Dear Mr Potter,
I hope that this letter finds you in good health and that you have had a good summer. Finally, it's an honour for me to tell you the results from the Ordinary Wizarding Level exam! The results are counted from both your theory and your practical work. I remind you that your grades cannot be changed or complained about. They are as follow:
Astronomy: Acceptable (During the circumstances)
Care of Magical Creatures: Exceed Expectations
Charms: Exceed Expectations
Defence Against The Dark Arts: Outstanding
Divination: Dreadful
Herbology: Acceptable
History of Magic: Acceptable (On the part you finished)
Potions: Outstanding
Transfiguration: Exceed Expectations
Please note that your OWL number should be counted from Acceptable and above. I look forward to meet you again for your NEWT's exam next year.
Enjoy your vacation,
Sincerely,
Griselda Marchbanks,
Head of Wizarding Examinations Authority
Ministry of Magic
Ginny had picked up the note that fell out of the letter and gave it to Harry who stared at her in wide eyed shock. He then took the note and glanced at it.
Mr Potter,
I will keep my promise.
There was no sign, but Harry knew this note to be sent from Minerva McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor. She had made a promise to make sure he became an Auror, no matter what.
'I made it!' Harry whispered when it finally sunk in. 'I made it into potions! Open yours, Ron!'
Ron's hands shook even more than Harry's when he opened the letter and read it silently. A beam spread across his face and he thrust the letter into Harry's hand. Ron had managed four Acceptables and three Exceed Expectations. Ron looked ready to explode.
'What are you lot doing?' came Mrs Weasley's stern voice and they quickly turned.
Harry now remembered that they were all completely covered in mud. The twins' freckles were grey and both they, Ron and Ginny looked more like huge mud piles with arms and feet than their usual selves. As Harry glanced down, he quickly counted in himself in the Society of Living Under Mud. They grinned at Mrs Weasley, who was mildly amused.
'The OWLs came,' said Fred and tried to brush off the mud. It didn't work very well.
'How wonderful! Scoot off to change clothes before you catch a cold and then come down to tell me,' said Mrs Weasley, now beaming.
They climbed the stairs and begun changing clothes. Harry was so deep in thought that he didn't hear Ron's question at first. When Ron poked him he jumped so high that he startled Pig, who got stuck inside a turtleneck sweater and they had to help him out. The owl didn't help; he kept on hooting and flying around inside the sweater.
'Did you see the letter?' panted Ron when they finally got the small owl out.
'Yeah,' said Harry, who tried to figure out which was the collar from inside Dudley's old T-shirt.
'You'll have to become an Auror on your own,' Ron said darkly. 'I'll probably go into Divination, need no grades to do that. I could ask Trelawny for help, you know, though I'd probably tell you I saw in the cards that you're secretly gay and got a crush on Malfoy. Come on, I'm starving.'
They headed for the kitchen and found Mrs Weasley staring at Ron's OWL's. Her hands shook. Fred and George were busy at the stove, making tea and picking out cups from the cupboards. With a little magical help of course.
'Five OWL's, Ronnie!' she shrieked when they stepped in. 'I told you you'd do better then the twins.'
'Thanks again, Mum,' said George and blinked to Harry when he poured something pink into his mother's teacup.
'I wont make it to an Auror,' said Ron darkly and sat down. 'I didn't get any O's.'
Harry sat down in front of Ron and watched how the twins made the teacups hurtle through the air. Mrs Weasley took hers out of the air and placed it on the table. She hadn't looked up from the letter once.
'Careful, Fred. But, Ronnie,' Mrs Weasley seemed to be out of words, 'if you begin Muggle Studies, you can work at the Ministry with your father!'
'No thanks,' Ron mumbled. 'I'll go into divination, I think.'
'What?' Mrs Weasley's eyes snapped from the letter to Ron and then back to the letter. 'But –'
'Joking, Mum, I'm lousy at divination. See for yourself.' He nodded at the paper. ' I'd probably tell you that we'll inherit several thousand galleons within the next month.'
Harry choked his tea and as did the twins. Fred swallowed hard, glancing at George. Ginny appeared at the door, frowning at the scenery. Her hair was completely wet, reaching down her back to her waist.
'What?' Ron stared at them. 'Did we –'
'It seems like Sirius left the children of Arthur and Molly Weasley something,' began George. 'Like a feather duster –'
'Two thousand galleons –' said Fred.
'What?' Ron echoed his mother.
'A piece of dry bread,' Harry added.
'But –' said Ginny.
'Eighty-two sickles,' said Fred.
'Seventeen house-elf heads in need of dusting,' said George.
'Fourteen knuts,' said Fred.
Mrs Weasley stuttered.
'And for you and Dad a little house on some godforsaken mountain in Italy,' added Fred.ss
Mrs Weasley feinted.
As for my stories: My longtime pride, The Secrets of Dragons, is currently on hold. In fact, so is Touch and Go too. I quit writing in the begining of June 2005 when my father suddenly died in a heartattack at the age of 46 and I have not yet found the inspiration to continue. I will though, because I love the Potterverse and I love playing in it. Both stories are unfortunately inchohorent and OOC and AU, which means that when I do return to writing, they will be rewritten.
Thank you for all your support and prayers due to the loss of my father,
- Sanna-Terocia.
