Hey A/all. Oh, wow I can't believe there's now over 200 reviews on this story! Your response is amazing, and I'm so pleased you are enjoying it! This is chapter forty-five of the new and improved The Black Heir: The Saga Begins. It was originally just a rewrite of my The Black Heir: First Year, but it has deviated so much from how that one used to be that it's now a new story all on its own, though the basic premise is the same. This story is once more complete! And is a whopping 48 chapters long, lots was added haha. Updates should be weekly unless something drastic happens.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Evelyn Celeste Black is my own original character, but all other recognisable characters belong to J K Rowling, I just like to use them to do my bidding. The information about Dementors in this chapter was taken from Potter Wiki.
Summary: What happens when the mistreated daughter of Sirius Black is eligible for her first year at Hogwarts at the same time as her father's escape from Azkaban and she is reunited with Harry Potter. The summer before Harry's third year might just turn out to be just as much of an adventure as his years at Hogwarts. (Eventual HarryXGinny, NevilleXOC, and RonXLuna)
Warning: This story does contain spanking, but it is not the focus, still if you don't like it don't read it.
A huge, huge thank you to my amazing Beta who has been an amazing support in writing this. Yes, I am trying my hardest to turn her into a Harry Potter Fan. Without her support and guidance, you probably wouldn't be getting this story for a good few years.
~o~
Sirius shook out the newspaper, the Daily Prophet was hardly worth the paper it was printed on, but it was the only source of news for magical Britain. He was expecting the usual drivel, though he was keeping an eye out for any sightings of Pettigrew. What he saw made him swear in a way he would have been casting mouth washing out charms at his children if they'd done so.
The playful banter that had been going on between the three children stopped instantly and they all turned to stare at Sirius shocked.
Remus raised his eyebrow at his best friend and brother in all but blood.
"Sorry, kids if any of you ever swear like that you can expect to have your mouths thoroughly scrubbed out. I shouldn't have said that, and it was highly inappropriate of me," Sirius stated trying to gather his wits about him again. It was not something someone in his position had any desire to hear over his breakfast.
"What…" Harry started not sure how to ask what he wanted to ask.
Sirius sighed and handed the paper over to Remus so he would be on the same page as him. He rubbed the back of his neck as he thought how he was going to explain this to the kids. "I know the mornings are usually relaxed, but it's going to be a little different this morning. Fudge has made the genius decision to put Dementors around Hogwarts, so Uncle Moony is going to give you a lesson on Dementors and the best defences against them," he explained. They were all too young to do the Patronus really but considering their unique circumstances they might be able to manage it, or at least be able to produce a shield. It was possible they could, if they were lucky, produce a corporeal Patronus, but even a just a shield offered some level of protection. Even Ginny could potentially manage it, what with having to battle a Horcrux for almost a whole year, it had forced her core to adapt and grow rapidly to keep her alive; especially since the Horcrux had been of a sixteen-year-old wizard. Being possessed by such a powerful wizard who used her magic, forced her core had to expand, or it would have shattered, and Ginny would have been rendered a squib. He wouldn't start teaching them now, it would depend on how they responded to the Dementors, it was possible they wouldn't have too strong of a reaction in which case he wouldn't put them through the strain of trying to learn such a complex spell.
Remus read the article and shook his head in disgust, what was Fudge thinking putting Dementors around a school of children. Especially when there was nothing to suggest Peter would be stupid enough to go to Hogwarts. Peter was far too much of a coward to try something like that… however when he thought about it, he would never have suspected Peter of being the spy or of trying to set up Sirius. It made him wonder if he had ever truly known Peter like he thought he had, maybe the answer was no, so perhaps having the Dementors at Hogwarts wasn't quite as stupid as it initially appeared. Then again putting Dementors around a school of young children was just about as stupid as it got, no matter the reasoning. He understood why Sirius couldn't teach the children this, and gave a small nod to his friend, silently assuring him he would do this by himself. "Eat your breakfasts kids, we'll talk about Dementors afterwards," he insisted.
Ginny was the only one with an idea of what the Dementors even were and was looking rather paler than usual and was slightly off her breakfast.
Evie could tell from her Daddy's and Uncle Moony's colours that whatever a Dementor was, it wasn't a good thing. She looked nervously between the pair wanting to know what it was more than she wanted to eat right then. She knew her Daddy had previously had a kiss on sight order on him, knew that the Dementors kiss was used as the ultimate punishment, but with everything else that had gone on she hadn't thought to look up exactly what a Dementor was.
Harry was concerned, if whatever a Dementor was caused his Dad to swear like that then Dementors were really bad. He remembered what Stan and Ernie had said about the Dementors. He wasn't sure he was all that eager to learn much more about them.
Remus saw that none of the kids were eating, "alright, let's go to the library, remember to ask Dobby for snacks if you get hungry between now and lunch time," he sighed. He got up and led the kids to the library, making sure they were all comfortable before he called for Dobby, "four hot chocolates please Dobby," he requested of the elf as soon as he appeared.
Harry, Evie, and Ginny followed Remus into the library and quickly settled on the couch, all sitting close to each other, practically cuddled up, the heavy atmosphere getting to them all.
Dobby beamed and bowed, "Dobby can bes doing that for Master Harry Potter Sir's Moony!" He insisted and disappeared with a crack, returning shortly with large mugs of hot chocolate for everyone.
Remus gave a gentle smile when the kids all had their hot chocolates before adopting a serious expression, "Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. If you get too near a Dementor then every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on your long enough to reduce you to something like itself… soulless and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life, and you will just be an empty shell that lost its soul. Dementors guard Azkaban in exchange for the freedom to feed on the prisoners there, though Azkaban is a fortress off the North coast of Britain, but they don't really need the walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they're trapped inside their own heads, incapable of a single cheerful thought. Most go mad within weeks."
Evie looked at her Godfather in alarm, "but… but Daddy was there for…" she started.
"Twelve years, yes. Fortunately for your Dad he had two things. One was the solid thought that he wasn't guilty, it wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't take it from him, it kept him grounded and helped to stop him slipping into madness. He also later discovered he could still transform into his Animagus form. As a dog his thoughts were less complex and the Dementors actually left him alone a little as they thought he was dying. These two things combined helped your Dad get through his experience with his mental faculties intact," Remus explained soothingly. Had Sirius been there he would have teased about it not being that much of a concern as he didn't have any mental faculties anyway. However, he could see the fear in Evie and Harry's eyes and reassuring them was far more important than teasing a man who wasn't even around to hear it.
Evie relaxed some and gave a small understanding nod.
Harry felt a wave of relief rush through him, the very real thought that he could have lost his Dad to madness before he'd ever gotten to know him was not a comfortable one. He glanced at Evie, not wanting to imagine what might have happened if his Dad wasn't declared innocent and able to take guardianship of them. Where would Evie had ended up? He looked at his other side then, at Ginny wearing his Betrothal Ring and the necklace he'd bought her for her birthday, would he even be Betrothed to her if his Dad hadn't been able to claim guardianship of her? He had no idea and though it was still a very new situation, and they were really just friends at the moment, he was still thoroughly enjoying getting to know the young witch and didn't like thinking that it might not have happened.
Ginny, unsurprisingly had similar thoughts to Harry, if Uncle Padfoot hadn't been Harry's guardian would her Dad still have signed the Betrothal? She wasn't sure and didn't want to consider that he might not have. Her crush on The Boy Who Lived was long gone now, being possessed by Tom Riddle had matured her in ways she was still coming to terms with, but she was truly appreciating the chance to get to know Harry as her Betrothed.
Remus allowed what he has said to sink in before he continued. Teaching the three children about Dementors, trying to get across to them just how dangerous these creatures were. He needed them to understand why he and Sirius were going to be a little stricter and more protective of them than they might normally have been. Already he was wondering if it was such a good idea to allow Harry to visit Hogsmeade… he would have to speak to Sirius and see if they could come up with a compromise. Perhaps if Sirius 'visited' and took Evie and Ginny out to Hogsmeade at the same time then Harry could still go to the village, but he would have Sirius' protection without it seeming like his Dad was accompanying him. It was a delicate balancing act, protecting Harry whilst not crushing his sense of independence and freedom, allowing the teen to grow all whilst keeping him safe.
Evie, Ginny, and Harry all listened attentively, slightly horrified by what they were hearing, though all slightly morbidly fascinated by how the Dementors actually came to be.
"Is there nothing we can do to protect ourselves from Dementors?" Ginny asked.
Remus sighed and shook his head, "there's two defences, but both are extremely complex magic, something that is beyond even NEWT level. The first and most effective, as well as most difficult, defence is a Patronus, however there are far more witches and wizards who can't produce a Patronus than can, but a Patronus Charm will chase off a Dementor if one was to attack you. You aren't going to need to know how to do that though, the Dementors will be guarding the school, but they won't come close enough to you that you'll need to defend yourselves like that. The second defence, which is something we will be teaching you; it is something almost all Pureblood Heirs learn at least the basics off, it's a mind art called Occlumency. Occlumency shields can provide a barrier against the debilitating effects of the Dementors. What will also be highly important though, is to make sure you have a steady supply of chocolate. Dementors have a draining effect, just being in the vicinity of a Dementor can sap away the strength of a witch or wizard, having half the guard of Azkaban around the school is going to be magically and emotionally draining for everyone. Chocolate is a short-term fix to give you an emotional and magical boost to assist in recovery from Dementor exposure."
Harry gave Uncle Moony a disbelieving look. Surely, he was having them on, chocolate helping with Dementors, that made no sense. "You are joking right? Chocolate is just a sweet, it can't give magical boosts," he denied.
Remus allowed himself a small grin, "actually you'll be surprised, chocolate is used for more than you think. It doesn't just work to combat the effects of being exposed to Dementors, but if taken in time it can save someone at risk of complete magical exhaustion, and it is used in the recovery from magical exhaustion."
"I was given chocolate, at the end of last year, Madam Pomfrey made me eat some, to help recover from the possession," Ginny confessed softly.
Remus nodded sagely, "yes, it is also used to assist in the recovery from being possessed. Our magic is tied to our emotions, it's why when you're young you mostly have bouts of accidental magic when you are experiencing strong emotions. Harry, when you blew up your Aunt Marge, you were furious about what she was saying, your magic reacted to that fury and the source of that fury and so your Aunt inflated. Chocolate gives a boost of happiness, and that happiness is vital in the recovery from possession and recovery from exposure to Dementors. The happiness itself gives a little boost of magic, you feel more energised when you get a buzz of happiness and excitement which stimulates your magic too, and that is crucial in preventing magical exhaustion becoming complete magical exhaustion."
Evie frowned, "what's the difference between complete magical exhaustion and magical exhaustion?"
"That's a good question Evie. Magical exhaustion occurs when you've nearly depleted your magical stores. You know how using magic causes some of your magic to go, well everyone has a finite amount of magic, well everyone other than your brother with his unlimited core that is. Once those stores of magic run below a certain level you are then in the danger zone for magical exhaustion, which is recoverable from with sleep and a few decent meals, though chocolate can do in a pinch. However, if you keep using your magic until you physically cannot use anymore magic then unless preventative measures are immediately put in place you will be in complete magical exhaustion. When in complete magical exhaustion, the best-case scenario is the witch or wizard will just become a squib, but they also risk falling into a coma and even dying. Our bodies are so accustomed to having magic that draining their core like that can send the body into shock and recovery is not always possible, however there is no coming back from complete magical exhaustion, even if you do survive you would be like a squib and no longer have your magic. That is why magical usage is monitored so much whilst you are still growing," Remus explained.
All three kids shuddered at the idea of no longer having magic.
"However, the risk of that occurring is minimal, so long as you sleep well, eat well, and don't use excessive amounts of magic for things you'll be fine," Remus reassured the children. "For now, we need to focus back on Dementors. I want the three of you to each write an essay on Dementors, concentrating on the effects they have on people and the defences against them. You can use any of the books here in the library to help you," he stated.
Harry gave a small groan, "how long does it have to be?" He asked, extra work was not his favourite thing in the world.
Remus shrugged, "as long as it needs to be, this is for your benefit, so you know what you're facing come September. Knowing what you're up against is half the battle and will help you recognise when what your feeling is from the Dementors."
~o~
There you go, there's chapter forty-five. Please drop me a review and tell me what you thought, cookies for those who do!