A/N: Thank you all so much for the positive feedback. I'm happy you guys are enjoying this! It's one of the best motivators :) The story will start picking up pace after this chapter. Harry will probably go to Hogwarts either next chapter or the one after that so yay!
Sirius Black considered himself a reasonable person.
Sirius Black did not consider Walburga Black a reasonable person.
"You can't stop me!" Sirius Black hissed at his mother's unreasonablerequest.
"I am your mother and I most certainly can stop you!" Walburga Black shot back at her son's equally unreasonable claim. "Besides, he probably isn't even awake!"
"So you won't let me see him and you won't tell me what happened to him?" Sirius bellowed.
Walburga quirked an elegant brow:"Why but Sirius, we told you what happened to him. And I hardly think you visiting him would do him any good with the behaviour you are displaying at this very moment. Do you not remember how upset a state you left him in the last time you saw him? Just seeing you would be emotionally straining for him!"
Sirius felt a blush tinge his cheeks. When he had come home for Christmas he had had quite a falling out with Regulus.
Did you ever think about what it would mean for me if you got sorted in Gryffindor? What, did you think mother and father would simply ditch all their ideals for you? You selfish prick, you disgust me.
Regulus had spat the words with venom.
You know I'm not strong enough to stand up to them…
A shiver ran down Sirius's spine and the sudden feelings of guilt made him wince; his brother had sounded so vulnerable when he had said those words. He would not be admitting that to his mother any time soon though.
"Oh! And since when do you care about Regulus's feelings? Do not pretend you cared before! What changed now? Is it that you no longer believe I will make a proper heir, is that it? Are you trying to brainwash him now the way you did me?" Sirius shot back, he wanted, no needed to see his brother.
Walburga scoffed:"You are sprouting nonsense. I will be visiting Regulus in half an hour. You on the other hand will stay here and think about why you can not come with me."
With that said the woman turned on her heels and marched up the stairs. Sirius then decided to wing it. He marched over to the fireplace, snatched up a handful of Floo Powder and yelled:"St. Mungos Hospital!"
After a graceful landing - if he said so himself - Sirius blinked and took in the white surroundings.
The reception hall had an off-putting vibe. There was a white desk sitting in one corner of the room with a tired looking witch manning it. There were two benches in dull, grey colours; sat on top of them were a couple of witches, all looking tired and torn. There was one elderly wizard who looked mostly confused as to where he was and a mother and a small child were seated in the far right corner.
Sirius did not feel out of place easily; neither did he feel nervous a lot. But the prospect of seeing his little brother made him feel more nervous than he had felt in a long time. He heaved a shaky sigh and ran a nervous hand to his hair.
He stalked over to the reception desk. He huffed when he realized he had to stand on his toes to see over the high desk. When the elderly witch did not look up instantly he coughed.
This got the witches attention and she shot Sirius an apologetic smile and said softly: "I'm sorry dear, how may I help you?"
Sirius shot the witch his most charming smile and said: "Well I am here to visit my baby brother. He was in a coma."
The witch smiled at him and said: "How adorable you are. Why don't you tell me your brother's name, hmmm?"
A few minutes later Sirius was standing in front of a heavy, white door. The desk-lady had summoned Madam Pomfrey. It was not long before said witch had rounded the corner. When she had spotted Sirius she had seized him up and heaved a long, suffering sigh.
"You must be the infamous Sirius Black?"
Sirius had grinned proudly at being addressed as infamous. If there was anything he took pride in, it was his ability to annoy his mother and purebloods in general to no end.
He had mock saluted the woman and said: "The one and only!"
The woman had nodded stiffly and said: "Yes, your mother has told me all about you. Follow me."
Sirius had flashed her a charming smile and followed the woman without question. It was not long before they had ended up standing in front of a white door that read: 317.
Madam Pomfrey halted and she turned around to face Sirius: "If I return and the room is in any way, shape or form or shape on fire there will be hell to pay, do you understand me young man?"
Sirius saluted again and said: "Yes ma'am."
Madam Pomfrey shot Sirius a look that said she clearly was not convinced but she nodded and walked off either way, muttering about paperwork all the while.
Sirius, testing his luck, yelled after her cheerily: "Have fun!"
Then he focused on the situation at hand: confronting his baby brother without having the other boy hex him.
"All right you can do this." Sirius muttered to himself before pushing the door open. Sirius entered and blinked. The room was blindingly white, everything was white; from the walls to the window, to the desk to the blanket his brother was lying under.
Sirius let in a sharp breath when he spotted the fragile form on the bed. He stalked over to the bed and gasped. The boy lying in the bed was his brother but… he also was not. His brother had been skinny and slightly awkward looking, the boy before him was anything but.
He was going to kill his parents for performing whichever crazy blood-ritual they did on his brother.
Then he turned back to his number one priority; his little brother. He shuffled closer to the bed and the sleeping form on it. He stared at Regulus in amazement for a moment. On further notice his brother did not look that different, the changes were subtle. Subtle yet vital enough to change the boy's appearance entirely. As he glanced at the large distance between the end of the bed and his brothers feet he grinned at the realization that his brother was still as short as ever.
He gave leaving Regulus in his peaceful sleep about half a second worth of thought before whispering: "Reggie? Ermm it is me Sirius."
The boy did not stir.
Sirius pouted; he wanted nothing more than to wake his brother up with a nice, cold bucket of water but he doubted Mrs. Pomfrey would appreciate it. As he was pondering some of the more unconventional ways to wake Regulus the boy's eyes snapped open on their own record.
Emerald green eyes stared at Sirius in shock; Sirius stared right back. Those eyes… they were eerily familiar yet incredibly beautiful. Where his brother had mostly resembled himself when he had been sleeping with his eyes closed the emerald orbs were so startling that they easily dominated and eradicated any resemblance to the old Regulus his face bore.
"Hey Reggie." Sirius said with a lopsided grin, never one to let his nervousness shine through. Regulus simply stared at him; mouth open and eyes wide with a multitude of emotions flicking through them. The most dominant one was shock.
When Regulus had yet to say a word after 20 seconds Sirius was starting to feel uncomfortable. He ran a hand through his silky hair and, in an attempt to break the silence, he said haughtily:"Don't worry your reaction's perfectly natural. You forgot how incredibly good-looking I am, didn't you? That's why you are staring and doing an impressive impression of a fish."
His words seemed to break Regulus out of his stupor for the younger boy blinked owlishly and a small smile worked it's way onto his face. Then his cheeks turned a bright pink:"Oh shut it." Regulus murmured quietly.
Sirius grinned at his younger brother:"How are you Reggie? I can't believe you look almost as good as me now, but it will take more than a three month coma for you to even compete with me in the looks department." Sirius said in a mock-haughty voice.
Regulus smiled again; but the smile did not reach his eyes. Instead, the younger boy got a far-away look in his eyes. As if his mind was anywhere but with Sirius. After a far-too-long silence Regulus answered politely: "I am fine, thank you."
Sirius blinked; Regulus had always been quiet, proper and polite. But never to him. He had always been the one who could shake his little brother out of his perfect pureblood shell. To hear the boy address him as he would a stranger… he looked at him sadly.
The two had been incredibly close when they had been younger. Sirius had always had a bit of a protective streak and had always been a Gryffindor in the sense that he would protect the ones he loved, no matter the risk.
"So what happened to you?" Sirius asked hesitantly, determined to find out just what ritual his parents had performed to turn his brother into a little perfect robot and ready to scourge the library to find a way to reverse it.
Regulus looked him in the eyes hesitantly, then he said surprisingly firmly: "I don't know. Mother and father say I came into a magical inheritance."
Sirius snorted: "That's bollocks and you bloody well know it."
Regulus shrugged and looked hesitant for a moment, before frowning and saying:"Well bollocks it may be, but I don't know what happened to me and I don't want to talk about it."
Sirius was momentarily startled by the commanding tone in Regulus's voice, a tone that had never been present in the younger boys voice before.
"Are you all right though?" Sirius asked, genuine concern lacing his voice.
Regulus shot Sirius an odd look:"Would you be all right with mother constantly fawning over you?" Then he exclaimed:"She wants to take me shopping."
Sirius grinned momentarily at familiar casual tone and shot Regulus a look of understanding in a been there, done that manner:"Poor Reggie." He exclaimed mockingly, then he asked solemnly:"Has she given you the talk yet then?"
Regulus's face morphed into one of horror and Sirius felt warmth bubble up inside him at the thought that there was hope yet for his little brother. It was then and there that he vowed to make sure his parents would not manipulate and brainwash Regulus; he would protect his little brother. That was what big brothers did after all.
"The what talk?" He exclaimed. Sirius chuckled at the panicked look on Regulus's face and he patted the younger's boys head reassuringly. The other boy ducked and glared at him:"Don't pat me. I'm not a dog. If anyone's a dog it's you."
Sirius shot Regulus an odd look at the dog comparison; Regulus blushed and shrugged:"Inside joke. Please tell me mother's not going to be giving me the talk any time soon."
Sirius shot Regulus a predatory grin and Regulus groaned:"Yup." Sirius said excitedly, enjoying the way his brother looked closer to retching with every word that came out of his mouth:"She will tell you everything, and in great detail too!"
"What! Why would she do that? Can she not just give it to us in a book or something…" Regulus said pleadingly.
Sirius shook his head:"No, she says it is important we know all about it and know how to do it well. How else are we going to get married and please our future wives?"
Regulus paled even more and actually looked close to throwing up. Sirius, in a fit of brotherly concern decided he would tease his little brother again when the boy was not in the Hospital and decided to ease the boy's mind a bit:
"Don't worry you can just tune her out. Really it's just her going on a about proper protocol and dressing and how you should behave yourself when you go to Hogwarts." Sirius said reassuringly.
Regulus's eyes widened and the colour returned to his face:"Oh! It's that kind of talk, I thought you were talking about the talk talk."
Sirius looked at Regulus questioningly:"What talk talk?"
Regulus suddenly looked very uncomfortable and ran a finger through his surprisingly messy hair. "You know, the talk about the… birds and the bees?" said Regulus quietly and with a furious blush on his pale face.
Sirius let out a bark-like laugh and it only intensified when he spotted Regulus hiding his face in his hands and looking intensely embarrassed. After about 30 seconds of chuckles and fits of laughter from Sirius a solemn look crossed the handsome boy's face:"Reggie how do you know about the delicate art of babymaking, please tell me mother did not give you the talk?"
Regulus ducked his head and avoided eye contact:"I don't know anything about the birds and the bees, I don't even know what it's about, I just know it's supposed to be really bad"
Sirius let out a sigh of relief, he knew his brotherly duties would one day include scaring off all possible love interests for his little brother, but he was not ready for that yet. He had barely had the talk himself after all:"Good, so you don't know how to summon a pelican?"
Regulus grinned:"Nope, no clue how to enter the chamber of secrets."
"Unfamiliar with the idea of having to pretend there's a wand in your pocket when you're just really happy to see someome."
"Yeah, my wands definitely not at the ready."
"Don't worry, you'll figure out how to whomp your willow soon enough."
"SIRIUS ORION BLACK, what are you saying. And what are you doing here! You are in big trouble young man." Sounded Walburga's voice as the witch burst through the door, face red with unconfined anger. His mother stalked over to him and grabbed him by the collar of his neck, before forcefully dragging him out of the room. Sirius glanced at Regulus just in time to see the other boy wink at him and mouth:"Good luck."
- SABB -
"I forbade him from seeing you and he completely disobeyed my orders. You understand my punishment of course, you were always the more… sensible one." Walburga had answered when Harry had asked her why Sirius had not come to visit him again and why he wasn't home.
Sirius had apparently been sent to stay with Melania and Arcturus Black for the remainder of the summer. Walburga had decided that Sirius was a bad influence on Regulus and that it would be better if the two stayed apart for a while.
Harry had reminder her they they'd been apart for the past three months. Walburga had not graced him with a reply.
No matter how much Harry told the woman that he wanted to see Sirius and that the other boy had not drugged him. That, no, Sirius had not hexed him nor forced him to tell her he wanted to see Sirius. Walburga wouldn't have it and swore by the fact that Sirius had somehow manipulated Harry into saying that they were not fighting anymore.
Harry spent his first day at Number 12, Grimmauld sulking and avoiding Kreacher.
It was on his second day there that a familiar letter arrived at Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Although Harry had already received five (not counting the ones Uncle Vernon had thrown away) Hogwarts Letters in his lifetime, there was still something special about receiving his first letter as Regulus Black.
It confirmed the prospect that yes he would be going back to Hogwarts. The magical school had been his first true home and would forever remain so.
So when Harry had been tiredly working his way through a force-fed breakfast (courtesy of Kreacher) and a brown, shabby owl had flown in and unceremoniously dropped the letter in front of him he had called down both his parents in a fit of childish excitement.
He had waited until both Walburga and Orion had made their way downstairs to open the letter. And, whilst the contents of the letters had been almost identical every year he'd received them, he eagerly read the letters' cover aloud to a proud looking Orion and Walburga:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
"Well open it up son." Orion said, unable to keep a proud smile off his face. Even in proper pureblood families a child receiving their first Hogwarts letter was a monumental event. In fact, it was probably even more so in Pureblood families since it was something that was looked forward to the minute said child took its first breath.
Harry shot them both an excited look, cheeks flushed with excitement. He had not felt this much like a child since coming to this time yet.
With another encouraging look from Orion and trembling hands Harry tore the familiar seal and carefully extracted the valuable piece of parchment from the envelope. Then he formally read aloud:
"Dear Mr. Black,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress" he concluded.
Then, he carefully refolded the piece of paper and laid it down on the small table next to him. "I am proud of you Regulus. We knew you'd get in of course, how could you not! I believe a trip to the Alley is in order, don't you think so Orion?" Walburga said beaming (which was a very unnatural look for the usually stern woman), and at Orion's nod of agreement she urged Harry on: "What all is on the list of supplies then?"
Harry took the second, longer, piece of parchment from the thick envelope and read:
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic
by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory
by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration
by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi
by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions
by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS
ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall"
"That's the same Defense Against the Dark Arts book Sirius had to get last year, makes you wonder who the teacher this year is." Walburga remarked.
Harry himself did not remember who Sirius's teacher had been in his second year and was quite looking forward to finding out. "We'll get you a book of your own of course…" Walburga continued.
Then she glanced at the clock and frowned: "Well there is no point in going to the Alley today, we shall be making the trip tomorrow. That will leave you plenty of time to familiarize yourself with the curriculum." Walburga wrapped up all her thoughts swiftly. Then she clapped her hands and called:"Kreacher! I do believe a nice serving of Regulus's favorite meal is in order."
- SABB -
"Please?" Harry pleaded, giving Walburga his best impression of a puppy dog.
The shiny Nimbus 1700 was practically begging to go home with him. It had nothing on his Firebolt, of course. But merlin, Harry had missed flying. He would be smuggling a broom into Hogwarts, he justified this to himself by stating that he was technically not a first-year.
"It is beautiful isn't it?" the dark-haired boy stood next to him said in awe. Harry nodded fiercely "A work of art at the very least." he found himself agreeing.
Then, painfully tearing his piece away from the beautiful broom he turned to face the boy who looked to be around 10 years old and shot him a tentative smile. The other boy grinned back widely and said: "It's good to see you Mrs. Black, Regulus."
Walburga nodded at the boy and said haughtily: "And you, Mr. Nott." Harry did a double take and looked at the fellow Quidditch fanatic with newfound interest. He'd known Theodore Nott well enough, how could he not have. The boy had avidly plotted to beat the Gryffindor team for most of his time of Hogwarts after all.
The other boy – Mr. Nott as Harry mentally referred him to, turned and grinned mischievously at him: "Watch This." the boy mouthed.
"My father will be getting the broom for me of course, nothing but the best for the Notts." The boy said, with a wink at Harry. Walburga pursed her lips and was lost in thought for about 2.5 seconds before huffing and calling out: "Orion!"
Orion, who had been browsing the book section of the store looked up at the sound of his wives voice and started making his way over to them; he had Quidditch Strategies: Analysed and Explained firmly in his hand.
"Regulus will be needing his own broomstick don't you think? The ones we currently have at the house will hardly suffice…" She trailed off.
"Well if you think so, I don't see why not. He certainly proved himself to be responsible enough." Orion said with a soft smile at Harry. Harry's eyes were wide, he didn't dare get his hopes up. Getting his own broomstick was a very serious matter and needed to be treated as such. So when, at Orions nod a very smug looking Walburga went to find a storekeeper with Orion on her heels Harry shot an incredulous look at a smirking Mr. Nott.
"Thank you, that was bloody amazing!" Harry exclaimed, vowing that if this were the perks of having Slytherin friends, it would not be all bad.
Mr. Nott shrugged and said: "Don't thank me yet, you'll be returning the favor." Then he grinned and shouted: "Mother! Regulus is here!"
A woman who looked almost as stern as Walburga looked up at the sound of Mr. Nott's voice. She was clad in a slimming, dark grey trenchcoat with a long, black skirt under it. She had a pair of polished shoes on her feet to wrap up the overall image of well-kept perfection.
She made her way over to where Mr. Nott and Regulus were standing with thinly pursed lips. She quirked an elegant eyebrow at her son and said quietly: "It is uncouth to shout. Now, it's good to see you Regulus, are you here by yourself?"
Theodore stared at his mother with wide eyes of pure innocence and subtly jabbed Harry in the ribs. Harry, finally catching up, opened his mouth and a smug smirk adjourned his face: "It's lovely to see you as well Mrs. Nott. My parents accompany me; they are arranging to buy the new Nimbus 1700. Can't have a Black flying on anything but the best, can we?"
Mrs. Nott's eyes narrowed and in an uncanny Walburga-like fashion screeched: "Theodore!"
A sturdy man's head snapped up like a deer caught in the headlights. He quickly put his copy of: So you suck at Quidditch, A Beginners Guide downand moved towards his wife's voice. The man was clad in all black and bore an uncanny resemblance to the future Theodore Nott.
When Theodore Nott Sr. was within proper hearing distance Mrs. Nott offered: "We need a new broomstick, don't we? We can't have a Nott riding around on a second-hand broomstick, what do you think about the Nigmus-"
"It's Nimbus mother!"
"Yes, what do you think about the Nimsus 1700 right here, it does look all right does it not?" Mrs. Nott said with a self-satisfied smile on her face.
Mr. Nott Jr. turned to a baffled Harry and the two boys mentally high-fived.
5 Hours later Harry returned home with his school supplies, a new broom stick and a new friend in tow. It had been an enlightening trip to say the least; it had opened his eyes to just how sneaky acting like a Slytherin was and just how utterly satisfying it could be.
However his newfound discovery of the world of the cunning was bleak in comparison that he now, officially had a first-grade broomstick in his possession.
He couldn't keep the grin off his face and his feet off the ground for three solid days. After which Walburga had decided to put the broom under lock and key until Harry's departure to Hogwarts. Harry had protested, Walburga had not relented and had locked his broom up, Harry had put his ward breaking knowledge to some practical use.