Disclaimer: No, I'm not JKR because: I'm Harry/Hermione shipper all the way, Sirius is alive ( with the rest of people who should be dead ), I hate idea of OBHWF ( idea of having all Weasley after the war in one piece if far fetched to me ). But plot and any characters which you doesn't recognize from the HP books are my own. I have no profits from it ( besides improving my English that's it ).
Sirius: :looks around the study and sees Sniffy at her computer: You are back! :jumps at Sniffy:
Sniffy: :shows Sirius on the floor and says: Yep. What did you thought? That I dropped dead sometime ago?
Sirius: Well... Yes.
Sniffy: No, I didn't. I was studying.
Sirius: :shocked: Are you turning into next Hermione?
Sniffy: :shows Sirius back from where he came from: No I'm not, but I'm taking my studies now very seriously and that's why I was absent for so long. Besides it wasn't that long. Just a month. Probably the rest of updates will look like that. One chapter per month, maybe two in December. This way I can write in peace and without a hurry and you may expect next chapter between end of one and begining of another month. Now what you were waiting for.
Sirius: :appears out of nowhere: Respenses to reviews!
kittenlover2 - Thank you. Yes it did.
Shinigami - I don't recall Hercules being a star on constalation too. But Hercules's Lupin name came from mythology like his sons name. Blacks were this one who liked astronomy. Lupins likes mythology better : smiles: Yes Harry and his three sibilings will get along.
Sniffy: :realizes what she just said puts her hands on her mouth and mumbles something:
Sirius: Translation from Sniffy's mumbling: I will stop talking now. Go read the chapter and see it yourself.
Chapter beta read. Two times actually, but feel free to point any mistakes you will find there ( and I hope that there isn't any ). Enjoy and review.
Oh and one thing before you start: I'm testing new point of vision here. This chapter looks like the continuation ( I mean since 1st September when kids will go to Hogwarts – I will jump between points of vision from school to Grimmauld and back then) will look like.
Chapter twenty: B is for Blacks.
It was 19th August. The sun was rising slowly above the city of London. Someone could tell that 19th August would be another sunny day in England. Well it could be if it wasn't for small black cloud which suddenly became bigger and bigger with each passing minute and after half of hour bring quite impressing storm.
One of thunders woke up Mirzam Verascez Black who was sleeping next to her husband. Mirzam opened one eye and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 5am. She closed her eye and was starting to fall asleep again when another thunder woke her up completely.
She slowly tried to untangle from Sirius's arms which were holding her in the middle. After few minutes of struggling she succeed and sat on the bed, her legs hanging from the side of the bed.
"No, you don't" murmured Sirius and snuggled closer to her, his arms sneaking around her waist again.
Mirzam smiled to herself and turned to kiss Sirius's forehead before she said "Let me go. I need to go to the bathroom".
"You are not funny" Sirius muttered sleepily, but let her go.
Mirzam was brushing her teeth when Sirius finally decided to wake up completely and joined her in the bathroom. He kissed her cheek as he reached for his toothbrush.
"What would you thought if I would have my hair cut?" Mirzam asked when she put back her toothbrush.
"You were looking wonderful yesterday in the garden. It takes you about five years from your real age" Sirius mumbled through the toothpaste.
Mirzam smiled at Sirius and let her hair got shorter and more curly than they usually were.
"What about you?" she asked with a grin on her face.
Sirius glanced at her from the mirror. She smiled innocently at him.
"Okay. My head is in your hands sweetheart" he said after a moment of hesitation.
Mirzam glanced at her husband with a pride. She made her best to get rid of Mangy Mutt image, after all Sirius was supposed to set an example now. His hair were shorter reaching the nape of Sirius's neck not shoulder blades like before, but they were long enough for Sirius to pull them behind his ears if he wanted to.
"You think that I need shaving?" Sirius asked when Mirzam raised a razor.
"No, I'm planing to kill you to inherit all your possessions" Mirzam said jokingly.
"It's not even a week since our wedding and you are trying to kill me?" Sirius raised left eyebrow daringly.
"I'm joking"
"I know"
"Come here Minister. You need shaving" she said and smiled.
Half of hour later Mirzam and Sirius were in the kitchen sipping their coffees.
"You have a meeting with Sanchez today?" Sirius asked.
"At 7am" Mirzam answered.
"Vance advised them. If they are not people she claims they are I'm going to kill her personally" said Sirius grimly.
"Don't worry. After seventeen years of marriage you should know that I'm capable of taking care of my own" said Mirzam.
"I'm not worrying about you. I'm worrying about the Order. We need more people, trained people" Sirius mumbled.
"I know. Sirius could you do something for me?"
"Let me guess. Prepare rooms for Potters?" Sirius asked.
Mirzam nodded before she added "Just no pranks Sirius, please"
Sirius muttered "I don't know, it's not that..."
"Pretty please" Mirzam put her hand on Sirius's hand.
"I'm not sure. No not puppy eyes" Sirius tried to fend his decision but was failing miserably "Okay. But only for you"
"Thank you" Mirzam launched herself at Sirius and kissed him.
"Are you leaving now?" Sirius asked after she pulled a bit.
Mirzam glanced at the clock before she said "In few minutes. I want to be there before them"
"When I should wake up the rest?" Sirius asked.
"Try around 8am. But knowing Raven and Harry they would be up earlier" said Mirzam.
"When you are going to come back?" asked Sirius as he examined Mirzam's clothes.
She was going out to muggle place and as a wife of Minister of Magic she was supposed to set an example when it come to the clothing. Thankfully Mirzam was constantly wearing muggle clothes. Today she had black turtleneck and very long black dress without arms which was reaching bellow her ankles. She was also wearing leather boots. Sirius chuckled to himself because of that, he certainly had bad influence on her.
"Be careful" he said as he handed her leather overcoat and Arabic shawl watching her as she pulled the shawl around her head so only her green eyes were visible.
"I will" green eyes answered.
With that Mirzam Verascez Black left the house. Sirius were watching his wife retreating form until she wasn't visible in pouring rain, then he closed the door and decided to prepare rooms for Potters.
Mirzam pulled her overcoat tighter around herself before she walked into small Spanish restaurant. She examined her surroundings for any trace of magic and was very relieved that she hadn't found any. She sat down at one of the empty tables and ordered a cup of tea.
After fifteen minutes she saw them. The man was young and rather tall, he was followed by smaller than him and a bit scared woman with a bundle in her arms. Mirzam waved in their direction and they joined her at her table.
"Xavier Sanchez this is my wife Amber and our daughter Zahra" the man introduced his family.
"Mirzam Black. Nice to meet you" Mirzam smiled at them.
After a hour of talking Mirzam knew that Xavier and Amber were orphans without any kind of family save each other and their little daughter. Mirzam knew that the Order wouldn't regret taking Sanchez family under their wings. Mirzam was contemplating if she should buy some muggle toys for little Zahra when she heard a question directed to her.
"Mrs. Black would you mind taking Zahra with yourself? She is barely two days old and we doesn't want to put her under the stress of moving out from the hotel we are staying now. We would pack and join you at Grimmauld Lane 17 in an hour" Amber Sanchez asked.
"I wouldn't mind at all Amber" said Mirzam and stood up from the table to take sleeping infant in her arms.
Little Zahra yawned in Mirzam's arms and Mirzam against her own will smiled at her.
"Don't worry about her. She will be fine" said Mirzam as she raised her head to look at Amber and Xavier.
"Once again thank you Mrs. Black" said Amber and she and her husband left the restaurant.
Mirzam pulled her shawl around sleeping infant and left restaurant before she quickly run to the nearest back alley from where she disapparated home.
Sirius heard Mirzam's footsteps in the hall and smiled to himself. By the sound of her footsteps he knew that everything went well. He knew her all their lives and could tell how she felt by the sound of her footsteps, her posture, he could read her like an opened book. He smiled to himself again. Profits of knowing your wife all your life. He glanced at the pile of papers on his desk and sighed heavily, the dark side of being Minister of Magic, bureaucracy. He must read all this papers to decide what to do with Ministry and his deadline was day after tomorrow at noon.
"I see that you took your position seriously, Sirius" Mirzam's voice filled the study.
"I must. Better me than a Death Eater" he said grimly and stared longingly at the pile of papers wondering if there was a spell which would put everything in his head without him reading this.
"There isn't one Sirius" said Mirzam, it didn't surprised Sirius that she answered to his thoughts, he get used to it after all this years of knowing her.
"I don't want to read it. It's boring like hell and doesn't say something which I didn't already knew" Sirius put one of the parchments aside and picked another one.
"Besides your mind is currently occupied by my brother-in-law and my sister" said Mirzam and Sirius heard her sat down on the armchair before the desk.
"That too. I'm seriously considering giving it to Percy and asking him to summarize it for me" said Sirius still looking at the parchment before himself.
"You want summary from summary?" Mirzam asked with amusement in her voice.
"You think if it could be possible?" Sirius asked as he put the parchment aside and looked at her.
'Is she holding an infant in her arms or I read too much of this rubbish?' Sirius asked himself.
Mirzam smiled softly at him before she said "It's Zahra Sanchez. Her parents asked me to take care of her until they move out from the hotel they are living now"
"How old is she?" Sirius asked the first question which come to his mind.
"She has two days. Isn't she adorable?" Mirzam asked and twisted in the armchair so Sirius could see the face of the little girl.
"She looks like any usual infant" said Sirius sincerely.
"Do I have to remind you how you acted after you took Raven in your arms for the first time?" Mirzam raised her head from the sleeping infant and stared at Sirius.
"You don't have too, but maybe we should be quite. She looks like she is going to wake up" Sirius whispered.
"Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus" Mirzam muttered which bring smile on Sirius face.
Despite not being tickled dragon decided to wake up and opened her eyes and looked at rather shocked Sirius.
'Her eyes looks like Mirzam's. Same shape, same color' Sirius thought to himself and he wasn't the only one who thought this.
"Amazing" Mirzam muttered.
"When you are meeting Sanchezs at Grimmauld Lane 17?" Sirius asked suddenly.
"At 9am. Why are you asking?" Mirzam asked.
"I want to meet them personally. You may stay here and take care of her" said Sirius not moving his eyes from Zahra's face.
He was going to say something else but his train of thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door.
"Password!" Sirius yelled immediately earning a scowl from Mirzam.
"Minister of Magic is a git" said familiar voice from behind the door.
"We should change the password from one which refers to Fudge for something else, don't you think Shack?" Mirzam asked as Kingsley Shacklebolt entered the study.
"You should if you doesn't want to be ridiculed by the Order. Anyway I'm here as an Auror Mirzam" said Shacklebolt as he sat down on the another armchair before the desk.
"You didn't murdered anyone on your way home, did you?" Sirius turned to Mirzam.
"If I did I don't recall it" said Mirzam.
"Seriously Sirius" started Kingsley.
"Come on you lot what's with you and this puns" Sirius asked.
"It's not my fault that you have very popular name. Anyway does Xavier and Amber Sanchez rings a bell?" asked Kingsley.
"I'm meeting them at 9am. Why you asks Shack?" Sirius asked curiously.
"Because you are not going to meet them at 9am" said Kingsley slowly and Sirius could said that he was choosing his words really carefully.
"Why?' it was Mirzam who asked.
"Because... because fifteen minutes ago they were murdered in Lady Rose" said Kingsley slowly.
Sirius feared that Mirzam would drop little Zahra but Mirzam was holding little infant tightly.
"Did you..." Mirzam started but Kingsley cut her.
"They vanished before we arrived"
"How?" Mirzam asked.
"Avada Kedavra" said Kingsley.
Mirzam shuddered. Sirius stared at her. He knew her too much for her to like it. She felt guilty about Sanchezs and he knew it.
"Mirzam..." he started but she cut him.
"I'm fine" she snapped.
"Listen Mirzam I knew you and I know how you felt about every death which you thought you could stop from happening..." said Kingsley.
"I'm fine" she repeated firmly "It's just that I can't stop thinking why it had happened to an innocent infant..." she added after a moment.
"You should remember about that muggle phrase 'things happens and life goes on'. You often give me impression that you remember it but deep inside you are still coming back to this again and again" Kingsley continued.
"I remember it Shack, but it doesn't make some things easier" she said.
"He is right, you know? You should rest Mirzam because you are going to have hard time today" said Sirius.
"I will survive. Shack could you go to..." she started.
"Your grandfather and report him what had happened?" Kingsley ended her request for her.
"You can say so thought I never called him my grandfather, he was always professor Dumbledore to me" she said.
"Floo powder is in the kitchen" said Sirius.
"Would it be possible to appoint an Order meeting today evening?" Kingsley asked as he walked to the door of the study.
"Ask Dumbledore about it as for us, our door are always open" said Mirzam.
"Have a nice day" said Kingsley before he left and closed the door of the study.
When the door closed Mirzam turned her head and looked at Sirius. He hold her gaze. He knew what she was asking him and she knew his answer.
"I will talk with boys after we'll have Harry's case settled. Can I ask you to bring some formula for her. Just remember to pick the right one?" she asked.
"Okay, but can I ask you to summarize this page for me?" he held one of the parchments which caused him the most problems at understanding the extent of the words on it.
"You can count on me" she smiled and little girl in her arms gurgled as she was agreeing with Mirzam.
Talitha's Black bedroom was one of the smallest bedrooms at Grimmauld Place 12. After all her years on the way she got used to small rooms. The room has a one big window, on it left were a desk hidden under Talitha's papers, books and one of the most important for her things, family pictures, mainly Sirius's, Regulus's, Raven's and Thabit's. The pictures were everywhere, at the walls, bookshelves but mostly on the desk either in the photo album or just lying on the desk waiting to be put in the photo album. On the bedside table which stood on the right from the window was something which remained from the candle. On the right from the bedside table was a medium sized bed which one side was ended with a wall. Very comfortable for one person and mildly comfortable for two.
Talitha just woke up but she wasn't going to dress up and get down so quickly. Sure it was Monday and she would have to get up from the bed in next half of the hour but until then she wanted to remain in warmth and safety of her bed. She smiled when she felt two strong arms around her waist and comforting warmth behind her.
Talitha remembered their quarrel. Both she and Achird could yell and trow a havoc if it was required. Probably that's why Sirius and Regulus took their families out yesterday. To save their poor ears from hearing their quarrel.
It turned quite good in the end and she had her husband back. Finally there weren't unspoken lies between them and they could start living together from the beginning.
Thabit Black woke up in his bed in the room he shared with Kyle. He rubbed his eyes and sat up on the bed. Quick glance at Kyle's bed assured him that Kyle was sleeping and as far as Thabit knew young werewolf he would be sleeping for next half of hour. Thabit grinned and decided to get up and sneak to the kitchen. Grandma left some cake there yesterday and he could eat it before the rest of the house would make breakfast.
Raven Black woke up without a trace of feeling in his left arm. He slowly opened one eye and saw familiar light brown curls. He smiled at sleeping Rowan. She looked angelic sleeping like that. Maybe because they finally have time for each other yesterday. They talked about latest events until they were too tired to talk and they fall asleep in each other arms.
Raven couldn't stop himself from laying chaste kiss on her forehead. She stirred in her sleep before she snuggled closer to him. After two minutes she started waking up slowly.
"Morning Raven. Did you slept well?" she asked and smiled softly at him.
"Morning sweetheart. Yes, I did" he answered and kissed her lips.
She kissed him back joyfully before she said.
"I wonder when the rest is going to wake up"
Raven smiled. Brenda got along with Thabit and Kyle and they were still playing in the boys bedroom when Raven and Rowan were falling asleep. Harry, Neville and Draco on the other hand were playing poker in Harry's room ( Raven thought that it was poker but he wasn't 100 percent sure ).
"Probably around noon, Harry at least. As for the rest they would sleep through earthquake" Raven smiled.
"Do you have any plans for the rest of the day except being moral support for Harry?" she asked suddenly.
"I don't have any" he said.
"Fancy a picnic in the garden?" she asked.
"As long as it wouldn't be raining and something is telling me that it will be raining for the rest of the day. We may take our picnic at the attic and spell the door for the rest to not enter" he answered.
"You aren't romantic today" she said playfully.
"Today I'm a realist. Somehow I don't think that our parents would be happy if we suddenly caught pneumonia. But we may turn picnic outside into romantic dinner inside" he said.
"That's why I love you" she smiled and kissed him.
"Get a room you two" moaned familiar voice from the doorway.
"Thabit!" Raven saw his cousin hair.
"Someday you would really appreciate the art of knocking" said Rowan.
"Probably. Until then I'm allowed to hare here like a rabbit and ask you did you saw aunt Mirzam. She said something about having some books for me" said Thabit.
"Mum is probably still sleeping" said Raven.
"She isn't. Do you think that I would bother you if didn't checked your parents room first? Neither aunt Mirzam nor uncle Sirius are there that's why I'm asking you"
"Did you checked study?" Rowan asked.
"Brilliant idea" said Thabit and turned at his heel and soon they heard his footsteps on the stairs.
There was about a minute of silence before.
"Aunt Mirzam why are you holding an infant?"
Raven didn't thought that something could drag him away from bed before 9am but apparently he didn't counted what had happened as a possibility. Raven didn't thought that he could get down from third floor to ground floor under one minute but apparently he could. He and Rowan run into the study and almost sent Thabit on the ground because he didn't move from where he stood.
Mirzam on the other hand was smiling at them and she indeed has an infant in her arms. Left arm actually because her right hand was holding a quill which hovered above a piece of parchment.
"Your father is going to kill me. I promised to summarize him this page" she said and smiled at them.
"How much you need to end it?" asked Rowan.
"Two sentences. Would you mind?" she asked.
"Not at all. Can I hold this child, it would be more comfortable for you mum?" asked Raven.
"Come here" said Mirzam and motioned with her right hand at her left side.
Raven walked to her and slowly took the infant into his arms and then went to the sofa and sat down on it. The infant in his arms yawned slightly. Rowan sat down next to him and glanced at sleeping infant with a strange smile.
"I saw it. Sirius would kill you both if you made him grandfather before you leave Hogwarts" said Mirzam from the desk.
"I wanted to say that Raven is a good brother" said Rowan.
"How you feel with it?" asked Mirzam and put her quill away.
"Why you asks mum?" asked Raven.
Mirzam moved one of the armchairs so she could sat down on it facing teenagers on the sofa before she started explaining the case of little infant.
"I see" said Raven as he saw unspoken question in his mother eyes.
"How you feel with it?" she asked again.
"Fine. Seriously. If you and dad want to I have nothing against. It's just... I grow up with Dudley and never thought about becoming big brother. With Harry it's different because he is like my twin somehow and it's more natural" he answered.
"I feel guilty because of her..." started Mirzam.
"You saved her life mum" said Raven.
"I know, it's just I feel I have to take care of her. I promised her mother that I will" said Mirzam.
"And you keep your promises. Well most of them" said Sirius who just entered the study with a bag full of formulas, diapers and baby toys.
"Can I wake up dad?" asked Thabit suddenly.
Regulus Black turned on the bed in his and Belinda's bedroom and suddenly lost his balance and fall on the floor.
"That's what you are getting for stealing whole blanket" Belinda's amused voice came from the bed and soon her face appeared over Regulus's.
"Love you too" said Regulus and kissed his fiancée.
"Thabit must be sleeping because he hasn't hared into our bedroom yet" said Belinda.
"Good" said Regulus and jumped on the bed pinning Belinda into the bed with his weight.
"I thought that you have enough after last night?" Belinda asked.
"I was tired yesterday and I feel more active today" he said with a grin.
"Why not continue from the place we left last night?" asked Belinda.
"Mummy, daddy. Oh no. Not you too!" said Thabit from the doorway.
Regulus jointed from the bed with such a speed that he fall from the bed for second time this morning.
"Someday you will really appreciate the art of knocking Thabit" said Belinda.
"I heard it today already mum" said Thabit and jumped on the bed.
"Let me guess you walked onto Sirius and Mirzam?" asked Regulus as he stood up from the floor and sat down on the bed.
"No. Auntie Mirzam and uncle Sirius got up very early today. I walked onto Raven and Rowan" said Thabit.
"I thought that they said that they are going to sleep till noon" said Belinda.
"Probably they did but auntie Mirzam meet a stork in the morning" said Thabit.
"A stork?" asked Regulus.
"There is no cabbage around here, dad" said Thabit with very serious expression.
"Tell me did I have a talk with you yet?" asked Regulus.
"You did. After auntie's and uncle's wedding" said Thabit.
"So from where Mirzam and Sirius got a child?" asked Belinda.
"Ask them yourself. They are in the study. I'm going to wake up grandma" said Thabit and hared out from his parents bedroom.
Achird Black woke up with his wife in his arms about two seconds before the door of their bedroom burst open and something jumped on the bed.
"Hello grandpa, grandma" said Thabit.
"Hello little tornado. Have you heard about knocking?" asked Talitha as Achird smirked to himself.
"You are third person today who asks me about this" said Thabit.
"What brings you here?" asked Talitha.
"Uncle Sirius asks if you could get down to the study because he and auntie Mirzam have something to tell you" said Thabit.
"Could it wait a bit longer?" asked Achird.
"Nope. Mum and dad are going down too and uncle Sirius said that he doesn't want to repeat the story for whole day" said Thabit and dragged them from the bed.
They meet on the corridor rather shocked Regulus and Belinda, his fiancée.
"Did your son told you what Sirius is going to tell us?" asked Achird his younger son.
"He said something about storks and cabbage" yawned Regulus.
"Come on. Oh wait. I have to wake up Harry" Thabit slammed his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Let's go" said Regulus and he started getting down the stairs.
The door of the study were open and Achird could see his older son and his wife and their son with his girlfriend.
"Come back here you little devil" was heard two stocks above them.
"Uncle Sirius help me! Harry is going to hurt me" yelled Thabit and as tornado rushed between shocked adults before he hid himself behind Sirius just before rather angry and very wet Harry run into the study.
Regulus put his hand on Harry's shoulder before he said "Calm down Harry"
Harry turned in his place and glared at Regulus before he said angrily "Do you have any kind of power above your son?"
Regulus smiled before he said "Yes I have, but I think that you can thank your father for this" and he pointed at Sirius who smiled like he always used to when he wanted others to think that he was innocent.
Harry spun around and glared at Sirius before he said "Thanks dad for morning shower"
"Don't complain Harry. I used warm water. If it was uncle Sirius he wouldn't be that gentle and you would get a bucket of cold water" Thabit stuck his head from behind Sirius.
"Anyway Sirius what made you to send this little tornado to wake us?" asked Talitha as she sat down on nearest armchair.
Sirius pointed at Mirzam who was sitting in another armchair with a mysterious bundle in her arms.
"Sirius is your wife holding an infant in her arms or if my eyesight get that shitty?" asked Talitha.
That was what Sirius was waiting for. His mother with stunned expression in the armchair and his father leaning against it with mouth open. Belinda was smiling and Regulus was looking he was contemplating between sitting down on the floor or smiling. Harry on the other hand looked like someone he trusted tried to kill him but that expression changed instantly and was replaced by very fake smile. Neither Sirius nor Mirzam missed it. Sirius decided to explain everything to his parents and brother and then to have very serious talk with Harry. God this boy needed it badly.
After fifteen minutes when everything was clear. Talitha dragged Raven, Rowan and Thabit with the rest of the adults to the kitchen. Harry was about to join them but Sirius quickly stopped him by putting his hand on his son shoulder.
"Sit down, Harry" he said and motioned to the armchair previously occupied by his mother.
"You are not happy about this" said Mirzam.
Harry stared at his bare foot.
"We know that you aren't" said Sirius.
"I'm sorry..." started Harry but Mirzam cut him.
"Harry we want you to know that we love you as we love Raven and we promise you that nothing is going to change it, ever" said Mirzam solemnly.
"I know, mum. It's just..." Harry started again.
"We know Harry, we know and we will try our best to make you officially our son" said Sirius and put his hand on Harry's shoulder again.
"I know dad. I thought that you..." Harry stopped in middle of the sentence.
"Forget?" ended for him Sirius.
"We would never forget about you Harry" said Mirzam.
"And we will bring this subject as soon as Lily and James will arrive" said Sirius solemnly.
He didn't knew that it was already broken promise.
Exactly at noon whole family of Blacks, two Potters and one Snape were sitting in the kitchen waiting for Potters arrival. Lupins and Tonks have gone to see Hercules's mother who was dying from breast cancer in one of hospitals in Cambridge.
Harry – still – Potter was sitting on his usual chair and sipping hot chocolate which was made by his grandmother. In his mind Harry considered himself as Black, Raven's brother and Mirzam's and Sirius's son.
'Wishful thinking Potter" he berated himself as he glanced at Mirzam with little Zahra in her arms. Little infant was drinking her formula from the bottle.
Harry glanced at the clock on the wall. It showed five minutes after noon and Potters weren't coming. Harry tried to not be happy because of this but he secretly wished that they forgot about meeting them at noon. Ten minutes later Mirzam put away Zahra's bottle and put little girl into the crib which Regulus and Achird found at the attic. Sirius checked the hour third time in last two minutes and he was going to open his mouth to say something but sudden thud in the hall stopped him.
Harry was the second one in the hall. It was Mirzam who got there first since she was sitting closer to the door than Harry. What Harry saw there shocked him slightly. He saw four children and two unconscious adults. He was going to say something but it was Mirzam who asked the questions which all of them have in mind "What had happened?"
"It's your fault. If it wasn't for you mum and dad would be fine" yelled little red head girl.
"Shut up Kate" growled the girl with long, straight, black hair.
"Shut yourself Hilda" yelled Kate.
Little girl with curly, short, black hair who was standing next to little red head boy rolled her eyes before she grabbed 'Potion making for dummies' from the end table and hit her red head sister hard on the head.
"That's better" she said and glanced at her unconscious sister.
"We were getting ready to leave when four Death Eaters entered our house. Mum and dad tried to fight them but they couldn't. They put us in the cupboard under the stairs and spelled the door to not open. I don't know how long we were there but suddenly they left the house and the door of the cupboard opened. We ran to the living room and saw mum and dad on the floor..." Hilda's voice broke down.
"Death Eaters set fire in the living room, we grabbed mum and dad and then we grabbed the portkey. We have nothing with us" ended little black hair.
Harry saw that Sirius and Mirzam exchanged quick glances before Sirius disapparated. Mirzam in the mean time send Regulus to call Hogwarts matron before she conjured two stretchers and slowly put unconscious bodies of older Potters on it. Belinda, Narcissa and Talitha took Potters to Hospital wing. Regulus after he came back from the study with madame Pomfrey went after them. Larry took unconscious Kate upstairs. Mirzam and Achird took the rest of the Potters children upstairs.
Harry, Raven and Thabit exchanged worried glances.
"I feel like a prat" said Harry.
"Why?" asked Thabit.
"Because I wanted them to forget" said Harry grimly.
Raven opened his mouth to say something but he was cut by Sirius who just apparated.
"Fucking assholes" he muttered.
"What..." started Raven.
"Everything burnt down" said Sirius grimly.
Regulus was standing behind the door of Potters room and was waiting for madame's Pomfrey's diagnosis when he saw Mirzam on the corridor.
"You don't know anything yet?" she asked.
Regulus shook his head and leaned against the wall. About a minute passed before the door of the room opened and madame Pomfrey left the room.
"How are they?" asked Mirzam.
"Mirzam there is nothing I can do to help them..." started madam Pomfrey.
Mirzam swayed and Regulus barely caught her.
"You know Longbottoms case, don't you Mirzam?" asked madam Pomfrey.
"It's the same" said Mirzam weakly.
Madam Pomfrey nodded slowly.
Mirzam took deep breath and then another before she said.
"I'm fine Reg, I'm not going to faint" she said.
"Yeah and I'm Lord Voldemort himself" Regulus snorted at her comment.
"Hello daddy, nice to meet you" she replied half joking and half grimly.
Madam Pomfrey eyed them looking like she was starting at two psychos before she said "They are under sleeping draught I also gave them some pain relievers but it's all I can do for them. I will stay here until their state will stabilize, but don't expect miracles Mirzam"
"I will take you to Sirius" said Regulus to Mirzam and lead her to the study.
"Pomfrey says that there is nothing she can do for them" said Regulus and at the same time Harry rushed from the study and soon they heard his footsteps on the stairs.
Mirzam sighed deeply.
"I'll go after him. Reg could you talk with young Potters, but please be tactful" said Sirius before he and Regulus left the room.
Raven glanced at his mother. She looked like she desperately tried to not burst in tears. He walked to the sofa and sat down next to her before he hugged her. He felt her taking deep breath before she finally burst in tears. He didn't knew how to comfort her besides hugging her tightly. Words of comfort would be a lie now because they both knew that nothing would help Potters now.
Mirzam survived the hall briefly. Raven and Harry were standing near the door. Harry was white as a ghost and didn't talked since yesterday after Sirius found him curled in his animagi form under his bed. Rather frightened Mark was standing next to rather calm Lorna and Hilda and fuming Kate. Mirzam shivered unwillingly as she saw the look on Kate's face before she berated herself for being afraid of fourteen years old girl. They were waiting for Achird who promised to come with Mirzam to Diagon Alley to buy books and clothes for young Potters. Neither Remus nor Regulus nor Sirius couldn't come with them because they were at Ministry's of Magic meeting now. Severus, Larry, Romulus and Hercules were at Hogwarts discussing castle protection with Dumbledore. So it left Achird as only one fully trained wizard as a bodyguard and Raven and Harry as wizards in training. Mirzam wasn't happy about them going with her but she has to agree that she was going out with four underage children and Raven and Harry were the only one who could go since Neville was with his parents and Draco had gone with Severus to discus his new arrangements at Hogwarts in new school year.
Achird footsteps was heard on the stairs and soon he joined them.
"We are taking a cab to Leaky Cauldron from Grimmauld Lane" he said as he put his jeans jacket on.
Harry snickered at this. It was his first human reaction since yesterday.
When they caught a cab at Grimmauld Lane Mirzam thought about cursing Achird to the hell and back for this idea. It was his fault that they have to get into the cab of one of the most talkative driver in London.
"Family trip?" asked the driver.
"Yes" said Achird laconically.
"You are a bit too young to have six children" said the driver suddenly.
Achird glanced at Mirzam and she glanced at him back. It was very hard to not laugh from drivers comment.
"Actually it's my father-in-law" said Mirzam and instantly wished that she didn't because the driver almost drive into the car in front of them.
"Would you mind asking how old are you?" the man asked.
"Seventy-six" lied Achird.
"Forty-seven" Mirzam lied too.
"I'm fifteen" said Lorna before she added "I'm just too small for my age"
"I'm nineteen" lied Hilda.
"I'm fourteen and they are bunch of liars" muttered Kate angrily.
"Don't listen to her sir, she is just an orphan we found on our doorstep and she always was a weirdo" said Mark and probably since Mirzam couldn't tell for sure showed his elbow into Kate's ribs.
Mirzam thanked Merlin when they finally got out from this cab. She waited when Achird payed for the drive before she hissed at him.
"We will be flooing back to home. I will not survive another ride like that"
"Why not? It wasn't that bad" said Achird.
"It's not my fault that you are looking more like you were around Sirius's age not your own sixty-six" she said.
"I don't feel like sixty-six, more like forty something" said Achird and put his right arm around Mirzam's shoulders.
"Good for you daddy" said Mirzam.
Children snorted.
"You lot before us" said Mirzam.
They went to madam Malkin to buy robes for Potters. Achird managed to talk Mirzam to buy children five sets of robes each. It didn't helped that Raven protested that he had enough for himself and Harry to share. Harry even got his voice back and tried to explain that they would be fine with what they were having already.
When they finally got to Flourish and Blotts it was around three o' clock which meant that they spent three hours at madam Malkin. Something which Raven thought weren't possible. After they bought spell-books for Potters which took about half of hour they decided to go to Leaky Cauldron. Achird shrunk they bags to be more comfortable for them to carry.
They were near the apothecary when they suddenly heard a scream then another. Mirzam turned in her place and she yelled "RUN!"
Raven grabbed Mark and Lorna and hauled them to Leaky Cauldron. Hilda was running behind them. They got to the nearest fireplace and were waiting for Harry and Kate to join them. Two minutes passed and they weren't coming.
Raven turned to Hilda and asked her "Have you used Floo network before?"
She nodded.
"Take them home. I will go to search the rest. As soon as you get there alarm the adults about the attack" he said and run out from the Leaky Cauldron.
He run into Mirzam battling with two Death Eaters at the same time. Not so far away from her Achird was battling with three at the same time. If Raven have more time he would admire the way which his grandfather fought but for now he has a task to do.
"Where were you thinking that you are going lad?" yelled young Death Eater and send two curses in Raven's direction.
"Not your business, Garbage Eater!" yelled Raven and sent two stunners at him.
Both stunners missed their target and Raven luckily jumped into the nearest back alley just in time to not be a target of Avada Kedavra.
"Come on Black lad" yelled Death Eater as he entered the back alley.
"Accio trash can" muttered Raven and he saw the trash can flying at Death Eater. It hit him hard on the head and he swayed before he fall on the ground.
"Blacks: one; Garbage Eaters: zero" muttered Raven before he conjured a rope and bonded the Death Eater to the trash can, just in case stunning him before he left.
He got back to Diagon Alley and saw that one of Achird's Death Eaters were lying on the ground and another was jumping around holding his eyes with his hand.
Raven stunned him.
"Thanks Raven" yelled Achird.
His two Death Eaters turned in their place to hex Raven but it appeared that it was what Achird wanted and as soon as Death Eaters faced Raven both of them were stunned and bonded to each other.
"Tell me why you didn't go home with the rest Raven" Achird hauled him into another back alley.
"Harry and Kate are missing" Raven breathed and dragged Achird on the right, just in time to miss another killing curse.
"Fuck off, you scum bag. Levicorpus. Expelliarmus" Achird turned into the direction of the curse and in a matter of two seconds the Death Eater who tried to kill them was hanging by the ankle in the air. Achird walked to the Death Eater stunned him and broke his wand.
"Raven go find them, just be careful, do you understand?" Achird said as he turned back to Raven.
Raven nodded and saw his grandfather running to his mother who now was fighting with four Death Eaters at time. Raven run in opposite direction when he suddenly saw her.
It was Kate standing in one of the back alleys on the left and before her was standing... 'Not her, everyone, just not her. Just not Kate Dumbledore'.
"Kate RUN!" he yelled as he run in her direction.
She didn't run. She even didn't turned in his direction. She simply stood there. Raven grabbed her arm and dug his fingers deeply into delicate flesh.
"Leave me alone" she yelled.
"No!" Raven yelled back.
"You asked for this. Crucio!" she yelled.
Raven feel backwards and yelled in shock and pain. It was Cruciatus Curse, full Cruciatus Curse, full Cruciatus Curse performed by fourteen years old girl.
"Good girl. Worth your heritage" said Kate Dumbledore lividly.
The Cruciatus Curse became more intense. Raven thought that if it's not going to end soon he would probably go mad.
"Tell your mother that she already lost" Kate Dumbledore hissed at him.
"Kate I beg you!" Raven managed to yell through the pain.
"Little Blacky has enough. Fine. Avada Kedavra" hissed Kate Dumbledore.
Raven closed his eyes. It was his end. Saviour of Wizarding World killed by fourteen years old girl. He heard a thud before him and an insane laugh before it all ended suddenly. Everything, the pain in his limbs, that insane laugh. He dared to open his eyes. He was still in back alley, but it was empty, save the body of little Kate on the ground. Raven shoot into sitting position and crawled to her. He put his hand on hers. It was stone cold.
"Reducto. Stupefy. Expelliarmus" he heard a yell behind himself.
He expected to be a subject of the curses but when he heard a thud behind himself he turned and saw Harry with his wand pointed at the unconscious body of the Death Eater. Behind him was standing a girl with her face in a scarf, she was clutching Harry's shoulder tightly.
"You fine, bro?" asked Harry as he helped Raven stand up on the ground.
"I used to feel better. Where were you?" Raven asked.
"I was helping a friend. What about she?" Harry pointed at Kate's body.
"There is nothing we can do" said Raven bitterly.
Aurors started apparating everywhere and Raven swayed in his place just in time to fall into Shacklebolt hands. The last thing he remembered was Harry's voice calling his name.
Mirzam was sitting on the side of the bed and gapping at unconscious body of her son. She hadn't left his side since Shacklebolt brought him there. She was trying to push away thoughts of guilty. She failed Lily, she vowed her that she will keep her children safe. But most of all she failed Raven. When she heard madam Pomfrey's diagnosis powerful Cruciatus Curse she thought that she would go mad.
It was nine o'clock in the evening of 21st August and Raven was laying unconscious in his bed since yesterday. Suddenly Raven stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
"Mum?" he asked.
Mirzam was ready to burst in tears of happiness. 'He woke up!' she thought as she said "Yes, it's me Raven"
"What had happened?" asked Raven.
"There was an attack at Diagon Alley. Kate is dead. Moody too. He took two Death Eaters with himself. It's all you knew. There are another ten deaths but you doesn't knew this people" she said and she saw that Raven's expression have gone from peaceful to furious one.
"It was her own fault" Raven muttered.
Mirzam couldn't process what he was saying. Kate was found in the same back alley as Raven.
"Raven about what you are talking?" she asked her son.
"Did Harry told you what had happened?" Raven sat up on the bed and instantly fall back on the pillows.
"Harry told me that he found you in back alley with Kate's dead body. That's all he said" Mirzam said.
"I should tell you what she have done before she was killed..." started Raven.
As the story gone Mirzam couldn't believe in what she was hearing. 'It was Kate who cursed Raven. It was my mother who killed her' Mirzam thought that if she didn't open the window soon she may faint from shock. 'It couldn't be possible. It's impossible that fourteen years old girl could preform full Cruciatus Curse' she thought as she opened the window and took a deep breath.
"Told you that she always was a weirdo" said Mark.
Mirzam turned in her place and saw Mark, Hilda and Lorna in the doorway.
"And it bitten her back as much as she deserved" added Hilda.
"Merlin's beard. About what you are talking?" Mirzam breathed.
"She blamed you for what happened to mum and dad. Not just you auntie, but the whole family. She planned to give the information about the wards of the house to Death Eaters. We found her diary in the morning but we decided to not worry you then auntie" explained Lorna.
"I don't think that she managed to do it mum, but better ask dad to change the wards" said Raven as he recalled the scene he saw at Diagon Alley.
"I will. Mark, Hilda, Lorna will you keep an eye on him until someone would come here?" Mirzam asked.
They nodded and Mirzam left the room more confused than she ever was in her life.
"Harry wanted to talk with you when you will got up. Currently he is trying to talk Rowan to eat something. She hasn't left your side since yesterday" said Hilda.
"I'm sorry" said Raven.
"For what? Kate? You better find better subject to be sorry about. She got what she deserved" muttered Mark.
"She was your sister for haven's sake" Raven moaned.
"She was and you are our cousin. She hurt to you, she hurt you intentionally and she planed to hurt the rest of the family" said Lorna.
Raven couldn't deny the logic in this sentence.
"Try at last to drink your tea Rowan" yelled girlish voice on the corridor.
"I will drink it after I will see Raven" Raven heard Rowan's voice and soon he was the subject of Rowan's bone breaking hug.
"Let him breath Rowan. You are suffocating him" said Harry who just entered the bedroom.
"I think I saw it before. Wait a minute where it could happen. I know. Oh Harry, you are okay. How could you not send even one stupid owl for whole summer. I was worrying sick about you" Mark imitated the last three sentences in girlish voice.
Rowan let him go a bit and Raven saw that the girl on Harry's left was blushing furiously and Harry suddenly became very interested with the celling.
"Saw that one too" said Neville.
"Why fear Lord Voldemort when you can die from suffocation by the girl" said Draco.
"And it's more pleasurable dead" said Thabit.
"Or it's just what they are saying" added Kyle.
"It's overrated. The most pleasurable dead is the Draught of Living Death. Hello Raven" said Brenda.
"Shut up you lot. We are just friends" Harry muttered angrily.
"Rather friends with benefits. I remember that you couldn't left her side yesterday. Uncle Sirius had to stun him to bring him to his bed, you know Raven" said Draco.
"Stop it!" Harry growled.
"Make me, you flee ridden fur ball" Draco snickered.
"Donkey" came the reply.
"You can better than that" said Neville.
"Of course that I can. It's just that there are girls and little children here and I don't want them to hear the curses" said Harry stoically.
"What a sign of nobility" said Thabit sarcastically.
"Stop teasing him Thab. Don't you see that he is blushing" said Mark.
'He is right. Harry is blushing like a school girl at the sight of her crush' thought Raven.
"I'm not blushing. It's just too hot here" said Harry desperately trying to not blush.
"Weird, because auntie left opened window" said Mark.
"Besides ask Neville about friends with benefits he spent most of the night in Hilda's room" Harry muttered angrily.
"We were just talking" said Neville.
"So were we" said Harry stoically.
"Can you take your quarrel outside this room? You are giving me headache" asked Raven.
"I didn't started it" said Harry.
"But you can end it" said Raven.
"Anyway I came here to introduce my friend from Redmond. This is Hermione Granger" said Harry and motioned at the girl on his left.
"Why you called her Jane?" asked Mark.
"Because we didn't wanted to repeat this story until dead" said Harry.
"Go on" said Neville.
They settled wherever they could, which meant mainly on the floor ( Hilda, Neville, Draco, Lorna, Mark, Thabit and Kyle ), on the bed ( Rowan and Raven ) and on Raven's desk ( Harry and Hermione ).
"I was born here in London, but short after my birth my parents moved to Toronto. When I was one year old my parents moved to Redmond. They were both born here in England and they come to Hogwarts together. I was born rather early. I was born at 19th September 1979, two months after mum and dad left Hogwarts. They decided to move there for our safety. But I know that dad have an older brother here. He is a muggle, a dentist as far as I remember. Dad said that I have a cousin about my age"
"Did your parents name were James and Hermione?" asked Raven suddenly.
"Yeah. From where you knew it?" she asked.
"Because my parents told us. I mean my mother and her husband because he wasn't my father" explained Rowan.
"Were their names Jane and John?" asked Hermione.
Rowan nodded.
"But I heard that you were called Hermione" said Hermione.
"I was, but after our house was attacked, I moved here with my dad"
"What's your name?" Hermione asked.
"Rowan Jane Lupin" said Rowan.
"Hermione Jane Granger" Hermione smiled.
"Why you didn't told us sooner?" Rowan turned to Harry.
"You didn't asked" said Harry and shrugged.
"Anyway I will end the story. When Harry told me that Belinda was taking him to England I had a heart to heart with my parents and they said something about moving back to England before the fall" continued Hermione.
"You didn't told me that" Harry turned to Hermione.
"You didn't asked" answered Hermione.
"Anyway. We arrived here three days ago. Mum and dad were searching a flat or a small house in suburbs of London. Yesterday we went to Diagon Alley..." Hermione's voice broken down.
"Her parents were killed during the attack" said Harry and put his arm around her and tried to comfort her.
"I could be killed too if it wasn't for Harry. He stunned Death Eater who was trying to kill me with a shattered bottle. He put me under body bind before he tried. I think that Harry broke him few ribs when he ended with him" said Hermione.
"That's why you have a scarf at your face yesterday" said Raven.
"Exactly. I have a very nasty cuts on my forehead and cheek" said Hermione.
"Did you talked to the adults here?" asked Rowan.
"Not yet. Completely at least. Harry introduced me as his friend from Redmond but didn't get into details" said Hermione.
"I thought that it would be better if we talked with you first" said Harry.
"But who healed your cut Hermione?" asked Rowan.
"I did. We have basic healing last year" said Harry.
"When you are going to talk with adults?" asked Rowan.
"Probably tomorrow Rowan, mum is falling asleep on her feet and dad is at Hogwarts, talking with Dumbledore I think. I could try to talk to Linda or Reg but they are on duty in hospital wing with Narcissa and Snape. Remus and Dora are already asleep, Andie and Ted the same. I haven't seen nor heard from grandpa and grandma since six o' clock" said Harry and tried to muffle a yawn.
"Maybe you should go to sleep too" said Raven as he watched his brother.
"I will, in a moment Raven. Rowan you wouldn't mind if Hermione spent the night in your room? It's just that she slept yesterday at second floor and it's deserted since Mark sleeps in Thabit's and Kyle's room and Brenda, Lorna and Hilda in Neville's old bedroom since he moved to Draco room" said Harry.
"I wouldn't mind. But can I enlighten you that Sirius moved Zahra to your bedroom in the morning" said Rowan.
"I know. That's why most of my things are here in Raven's room. Dad thinks that it can stop you from your somnambulism" said Harry.
"Very funny. Were you going to sleep on the floor?" asked Rowan.
"Nope. But I strongly advise you lot who decided to sit on the floor that you may end under the bed in next two minutes" said Harry.
They jumped to Raven's bed about a minute and thirty seconds before another bed appeared where they were sitting.
"Grandpa told me the he spelled it to appear here exactly at half past nine. Goodnight"
"Goodnight" the rest yelled as they leave the room.
When the room was empty and Harry promptly fall on his bed Raven decided to teas his brother a bit more.
"So Harry my brother, tell me exactly what's going between you and Hermione Granger" he asked.
A low moan answered from Harry's bed "Raven! Not you too!".
In case that you didn't realised and I sincerly hope that you didn't ( it means a lot for me ) this chapter was proof read by me, twice ( see now why I wanted you to not realise ). Thanks if you managed to get there and understand what I wrote, Sniffy.
Be nice and leave a review.