Chapter 7: Sirius
I was not enjoying the summer holiday. Even if Hogwarts wasn't exactly living up to my expectations, it was better than being shut in a house with my parents for two-and-something months. Narcissa used to be my sole companion during the summer, all year round, but now with all her school friends, she didn't spend much time with me. Alasta was going to be gone most of the break, Poland or something. I had hoped to see Rodger, but that didn't seem to work either. The only one I could talk to was Regulus.
Regulus hadn't seemed at all thrilled to go home. Apparently Sirius never told Auntie what house he was in. Regulus was the one who spilled the beans. Auntie wanted to right to Dumbledore and make him change Sirius's house, she was shocked to learn that he liked Gryffindor and would not change to Slytherine. Sirius hadn't gone home for Christmas. When he finally did show up, Regulus told me about the shouting matches and how angry his parents had been. Rightly so, how could a Black disgrace the family and become a Gryffindor?
I was sitting with Regulus in their kitchen, when Sirius stormed in, not looking at us. We weren't on speaking terms with him anymore.
"Better go," Regulus whispered to me out of the corner of his mouth, "there'll be some nastiness any minute now." As we left the room, Auntie came barging through the door.
"How can you sit in my house so ungratefully? Denying your family!" she shrieked at him. We could hear every word resounding as we sat on the steps in the hall.
"I told you, I belong in Gryffindor, the hat made that decision."
"Well, we'll just owl Dumbledore and have a little chat to set that straight."
"I told you, the first time we discussed this, I'm happy where I am."
"No son of mine will turn his back on his family and pedigree."
"I don't want any part of your family loyalties, you lot are obsessed with being 'pure bloods,' leave me out."
"Disowning us, you ungrateful wretch!"
And it went on and on. Every time I was at their house there was the same argument, same insults and shrieks. Every day. Auntie was getting worried, worn thin. Sirius would not listen to reason. He continually disowned everything we stood for. Befriended mud bloods, said we were creeps to immerse ourselves in the dark arts. No one knew how bad it would get.
I had just finished my fourth year. Regulus and I were in the library, pouring over a book of nasty transfiguration curses, when we heard the shrieking upstairs. I paused, listening, and then returned to the affreuxian curse, we were all used to the constant shouting. Uncharacteristically however, I heard a loud thumping down the stairs, then someone shouted "the Potters." There was silence, but only for a few moments. Auntie started to scream.
I had never heard her sound so awful. Regulus and I looked at each other, his face was white, and we dashed into the hall.
Auntie was on the stairs, screaming and shrieking, pointing her finger at the empty fireplace where a fire was just beginning to die. She ran down the stairs and into the front parlour. Regulus and I followed.
I watched in fascinated horror as she approached the large and wonderful Black family tree tapestry. She was silent now, and held her wand out, trying to steady her hand. Then screeching she pointed her wand at Sirius's name, yelling curses. I stared as his name burst into flame, and was soon removed from the tapestry.
She turned to us, her whole frame aquiver and eyes blazing. Slowly she drew herself up, regaining her composure, and walked past us. We watched as she went into the kitchen, before waiting several minutes to follow.
"Mother, what happened?" Regulus spoke first.
"The Blacks are the greatest, oldest, purest wizard family, we are loyal." She looked at us as though in a dream.
"Mother, what happened to Sirius?"
"I have no son named Sirius, know no one of that name." She spat the words at us.
"But, Mother—" she had apparated, leaving us in an empty kitchen.
It wasn't until the next day that I learned what had passed. Sirius had finally let his tongue fly with his thoughts, disowning our family, and finally left taking his trunk with him. As far as Auntie was concerned he was dead, had never existed. Regulus was having more difficulty adjusting. As for me, I hated the traitor and never forgot.