The Boneyard

by Clell65619

The resting place of stories that started out strong before the muse that was driving them took off for parts unknown. All of these are up for adoption, if they appeal to you, and you think you can make them work, have at it. Let me know when you publish, so I can see how they look when they grow up.

19. Back In Black

A/N: I don't own Harry Potter and wouldn't particularly care to. I would like a rental agreement with an option to buy for Hermione Granger. A short-term contract with Nymphadora Tonks wouldn't be turned down. A Long-term agreement with Luna Lovegood would probably be a whole lot of fun. Any time Padma Patil wants to open negotiations, call me and oh for a weekend with Fleur. Oddly Lavender and Padma's sister (despite being her twin) Parvati do nothing for me…

A/N2: This is your standard 'someone from canon goes back in time and takes over their younger body' story. The kernel of the idea came from the inimitable Rorschach Blot from his 'Odd Ideas' files. Rather than the usual 'Harry, Hermione, or Ron' I decided to use Sirius and have him go back to his own body, but keep younger Sirius in the mix. To tell them apart, I use 'Black' for Older Sirius and 'Sirius' for the younger version.

All too often in Fic, Sirius is portrayed as a loveable idiot or the ultimate Emo who tries to hide his pain is 'pranks. Not this time. Older Sirius going to be sneaky, snarky, and more than a little vicious.

This is one of those stories that I play with as the mood strikes, but I hadn't posted anything in a while and thought I'd share. Maybe a review will spark a bit of interest from my Muse.

Back In Black

"Sirius Black."

Sirius looked sadly at the new friend he had made on the train, knowing that he was about to lose James Potter as a friend forever. Potters always ended up in Gryffindor and Blacks always ended up in Slytherin. That was just the way it was.

The eleven-year-old made his way to the three-legged stool and sat down before closing his eyes when the Scots witch lowered the battered leather hat over his head.

~ Well, what have we here? ~ a new voice said in his head. ~ A new Black, eh? Let's see where you belong, shall we? ~

Suddenly, Sirius felt as if a spike had been driven between his eyes.

-oooOOOooo-

Black felt an odd sensation of surprise as he fell backwards from the force of Bellatrix's curse, time seemed to slow, he saw the look of glee on his insane cousin's face, the look of horror Harry's face as Remus grabbed the boy from behind to prevent him from trying to follow Black to his doom, then the stone archway that framed the Veil.

Was this what it was like to die?

-oooOOOooo-

~ Ow ow ow ow ow. ~ Sirius whimpered in his own mind.

~ What the Fuck? ~ Black demanded, blinking his eyes in the darkness. ~Is this what being dead is like?~

~ Oh dear, ~ the Sorting Hat sighed. ~ Castle, I'm going to need a moment ~

"Something wrong Hat?" a woman's voice asked, seemingly coming from everywhere.

~ Time traveler, ~ the Sorting Hat answered. ~ It will likely take a few moments to get everything sorted out. ~

"A time traveler?" the woman asked, amusement clear in her voice. "It seems a bit early for one of them. Time outside of your locus is in lockdown. Excuse me, Hat, but I wasn't paying attention, is the traveler Potter, Granger, or Weasley?"

~ None of those, I'm afraid, ~ the Hat admitted. ~ The traveler is Sirius Black. ~

There was a long pause. Black was seriously considering asking a question when the woman finally spoke.

"Sirius Black?" One could almost hear the apprehension in her voice. "Independently corporeal or in the body of his younger self?"

~ Sharing the body with his younger self, ~ the Hat explained.

"Well, thank goodness for that, I don't know if this reality could withstand two Sirius Blacks operating independently."

~ Hey! ~ Sirius and Black chorused.

"Still," the woman continued seemingly ignoring the paired protest, "Sirius arriving at this time is good news for Melville."

~ Who is Melville? ~ Black asked.

~ The suit of armor on the fourth floor, outside the Charms classroom, ~ the Hat supplied. ~ He had the pool for Time Traveler, not Potter, Granger, or Weasley. Lucky sod. I never win. ~

~ Wait, ~ Sirius asked plaintively, ~ Time traveler? Why would you expect James Potter to be a Time Traveler? He's only eleven. ~

~ Not James, ~ Black interjected. ~ Harry, James' son. My… our godson. ~

~ Right in one, Black, ~ the Hat commented. ~ You've taken to all of this fairly quickly. ~

~ Ah, well, ~ Black mentally shrugged, ~ Hanging out with Harry, I saw some weird stuff, this hardly measures up. Plus, I thought I was dead, turns out I'm not. That's really hard to complain about. ~

~ Oh, wow, ~ Sirius said worshipfully, ~ your memories. You… you are a god! ~

~ What? ~ Black asked looking over to see what his younger self was looking at, ~ Oh, Greta Catchlove, from our third year, yeah, we were pretty great alright. It gets better than just her blouse off in about two more dates. ~

~ A God! ~ Sirius proclaimed as he dove back into his older self's memories.

~ Well, he'll be occupied for a while, ~ the Hat commented sarcastically, ~ so, Black, what should we do with you? ~

~ Well, if I'm getting a choice, put me in Gryffindor like you did last time, ~ Black requested. ~ Hopefully, I'll be smart enough to keep from burning some bridges this time. ~

~ Starting with your family? ~

~ I think I have to, ~ Black admitted. ~ I don't want Reggie to end up dead again, so I'll have to do what I can to make nice with the family and protect him. And speaking of 'family', if you're going to put us into Gryffindor, you'll need to sort Peter Pettigrew somewhere else. ~

~ Oh really? ~ Black could almost imagine the Sorting Hat raising a nonexistent eyebrow at his request. ~ I sort children where they need to go, if Pettigrew needs to go to Gryffindor, he will. ~

~ Fair enough, ~ Black nodded, ~ if Peter needs to somehow accidentally die tonight, so be it. ~

There was a long pause while the Hat absorbed Black's threat. ~ Whatever he might do in the future, Peter Pettigrew is eleven years old and has done nothing to deserve death, Black. ~

~ I agree with you Hat, ~ Black responded, ~ which is why I'm trying to save his life. What he betrayed is based upon secrets he learns now and over the next seven years. Without that knowledge, he cannot commit that betrayal. ~

Again, there was a long pause before the Hat spoke. ~ Castle, I'm ready to proceed ~

"Took you long enough, Hat." The woman's voice answered, clearly amused. "I am so looking forward to this version of Sirius Black. Time is now running normally. Oh, and Mr. Black? The full moon is in three days."

"It had best be… GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat called out.

-oooOOOooo-

~ He looks terrified, ~ Sirius noted to his older self.

~ Only because he is, ~ Black responded before turning to his new dorm-mate and bumping shoulders with the smaller boy. "Talking hat, huh? Never expected that."

"No Sir," Remus said quietly.

Black quit paying attention to the ongoing sorting and turned to face the young man who was going to become one of his oldest friends. "Sir?"

"I'm just a half-blood," Remus whispered, "and you're a Black. My Da' told me what that means."

"Sod that," Black scoffed, earning himself a dirty look from a very young Lily Evans sitting on the other side of Lupin, "you are a Gryffindor. You don't bow to anyone, especially me. I'm Sirius, your dorm-mate."

"Really?" Remus looked at him hopefully. "What about the other old families?"

"Sod them too," Black laughed as Alice Oakby sat between Lily and Remus after her sorting. He looked down the table toward Frank Longbottom and was amused to see the third year was already eyeing the girl who would become his wife.

Then Peter was under the hat.

~ Do you think that the Hat will listen to you? ~ Sirius asked.

~ I hope so, ~ Black admitted. ~ I could kill the adult Peter as soon as look at him, but like the Hat said, that child hasn't done anything. I'll do what I have to do to protect the people I care about, including us, but I hope the Hat puts Peter in a house where he'll be safely away from us. ~

"THIS ONE TO HUFFLEPUFF!" the Hat called out.

"Do you know him?" Remus asked.

Black looked up to see James Potter approaching the three-legged stool. "James, yeah, he's a good guy. Hopefully, he's coming to join us."

"Not him," Remus said shaking his head. "The chap before him. Peter someone. You seemed really tense during his sorting and relaxed when he ended up in Hufflepuff."

~ He's really smart, ~ Sirius noted.

~ You don't know the half of it, ~ Black agreed.

"Met him on the train," Black said, answering Remus' question. "You know the kind of person you talk to for a few minutes and just know you're not going to be able to stand to be around? That was Peter to me." Black threw an arm around Remus' shoulders. "But, you, I took one look at you when you were coming to the table, and I knew I'd found a new best friend. And speaking of new best friends…" he nodded toward James Potter who was rushing toward them with a huge grin on his face.

-oooOOOooo-

One meal, one long meandering trip through the castle, and a long bull session later where the three young men got to know each other later, Black drew the drapes around his four-poster bed closed, and then set to casting silencing and privacy charms.

~ You know so much magic, ~ a very tired Sirius noted.

~ Well, I am a bit older than you, ~ Black laughed. ~ You'll get there, don't worry, I have it on good authority that you're a great wizard. ~

~ So, what now? ~ Sirius asked.

~ Now, we get ready for what is coming, ~ Black explained. ~ There is at least one letter on its way to dear uncle Cygnus as we sit here, more likely two. You saw the way Bella and Narcissa were looking at us. ~

~ Yeah, we'll get a howler for sure, ~ Sirius moaned.

~ Nope, Father will be here to speak with us on Sunday evening. He will be, of course, ashamed of us and the shame we've brought onto the family, ~ Black continued. ~ But I've got a plan to head all that off. Do you know what the best defense is, Sirius? ~

~ A good offense? ~ his younger self asked.

~ Exactly, ~ Black nodded. ~ You and I are going to present perfectly good and logical reasons for the family to want us to be anywhere but in Slytherin, and while we're at it, we're going over Father's head. ~

~ Grandfather? ~ the younger version choked.

~ Yep, ~ Black grinned. He'd forgotten just how intimidated he'd been by the old man at when he had been eleven. ~ And Uncle Cygnus. But forget that for now, we have to be ready to try and help Remus. ~

~ Help Remus with what? ~ Sirius asked.

Black twirled their wand, causing a mirror to form at the foot of the bed. ~ The Castle made a point of telling me… telling us that there was going to be a full moon in three nights, remember? ~

~ Yeah, ~ Sirius admitted. ~ That was weird, but not as weird as the Castle being alive and having a woman's voice. ~

~ Think now, ~ Black said patiently, ~ why would anyone possibly care when the next full moon is? ~

~ Well, they wouldn't unless they were a…. ~ Sirius became very still, ~ Remus is a werewolf? ~

~ Nicest one you'll ever meet, ~ Black laughed. ~ The first time around James, Peter and I didn't put it all together until the first full moon of second year. ~

~ I didn't look at those memories, ~ Sirius admitted, ~ what did you do? ~

~ This. ~ Black closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt himself shifting form.

~ What is happening? ~ Sirius asked in a panic.

~ We found out that Werewolves only attack humans, never animals, ~ Black explained. ~ So, to support our friend, we set out to become animagi. ~

~ That's really rare, ~ Sirius said. ~ So, did you all succeed? ~

~ What do you thi… ~ Black opened his eyes, looking directly into the mirror, only to have his eyes widen in surprise. ~ What the fuck? ~

~ We're a puppy? ~ Sirius asked in surprise, usurping control of their shared body and romping happily around the four-poster. ~ This is so cool! ~

~ This is wrong, ~ Black said, staring at the image in the mirror. The mirror revealed a tiny black fuzz ball. The only distinguishable features of the pup were the tips of its ears, a pair of shining black eyes, a tiny wet nose and a bright pink tongue that appeared to be far too large to fit into the pup's mouth. ~ I was a bloody great Grim, not a fuzzy little … ~

~ How old were you when you managed to change the first time? ~ Sirius asked.

~ Fifteen, almost sixteen, ~ Black responded as he changed them back to their human form.

~ And now we're eleven, ~ Sirius pointed out logically. ~ Maybe this is what a Grim looks like when he's a pup. Besides, you're missing the most important thing. ~

~ I am? ~ Black asked. ~ What am I missing? ~

"Girls love to cuddle fuzzy puppies," Sirius said, speaking aloud for the first time.

Deep inside their shared mind, Black considered that bit of information. ~ You know; I'd forgotten what a little perv I was at your age. Good job, I approve. ~

-oooOOOooo-

Andromeda Black left the Slytherin dorms early, wanting to avoid her sisters and her year mates. There were far too many comments being made about her friendship with Ted Tonks and she really didn't want to deal with them on the first day back.

It was bad enough that dear sweet Ted was a Hufflepuff, but he was also a Muggleborn… a mudblood. Everything she had been raised to hate… yet she found that she really couldn't bring herself to care what anyone else thought. She was still amazed that the family didn't know yet, though Bella had been threatening to tell anyone who would listen all summer. Andromeda was more than a little ashamed of herself that she hoped Sirius' shame would distract everyone from her… indiscretions.

"Morning Andy," Sirius said as he fell into step with her.

"Good morning Sirius," she responded hiding her surprise. How had he found her? "You know; it's generally frowned upon for the houses to mix in the hallways."

"Oh, Andy," Sirius said, linking his arm with hers and offering that beguilingly evil grin of his, "there are always exceptions for family."

"Of course," she agreed. "So, what do you want?"

"What do I want?" Sirius asked in a hurt tone. "No questions about the evil egalitarian initiation rites of Gryffindor that mock pure blood privilege and everything the Black family stands for?"

"Are there evil egalitarian initiation rites in Gryffindor?"

"Not as such, no," Sirius admitted. "Though a fair number of the upper forms, especially those who know our dear Bella, think that I'm a spy for Slytherin house, so I've got that going for me."

"Then what do you want?" she repeated.

"Just to warn you that I'm probably going to be stirring up some shite with the family," Sirius said easily.

"You say that like it's unusual," Andromeda sighed. "Sirius, you've gone out of your way to annoy your parents and 'stir up some shite' as you put it, since you were six years old."

"True enough," Sirius laughed. "But now, I'm extending my reach, and I'm going to try to distract them from me and my shame by throwing a few others to the wolves. I'm sure Bella, and probably Cissy have written Uncle Cygnus about my sorting by now."

"I did as well," Andy admitted, "unlike you, cousin, I at least try to not stand out."

"You did?" Sirius asked in surprise, his grin growing larger. "Excellent, that makes it even better. Thanks, Andy. This means Uncle Cygnus is likely at #12 as we speak, breaking the 'good news'. If I know my father, and I do, he'll be here by the weekend to castigate me for shaming the family."

"You seem unusually calm about that," Andromeda noted.

"No one was more surprised than I was that I ended up in Gryffindor," Sirius admitted. "I was up most of last night trying to figure out what happened, and I think I have. To defend myself, I'm going to have to go on offense, so I'll be writing father today asking him to bring Grandfather and Uncle Cygnus along so we can all talk."

Andromeda stopped in the hallway, pulling Sirius to a stop alongside her. "What are you up to, and why are you involving father?"

"Don't worry Andy," Sirius said, pulling his cousin into the Great Hall for breakfast. "You aren't my target for distraction. Bella and Cissy are. By the time I'm done, Ted Tonks is going to be the family's favorite young suitor."

Andy stood stock still in the doorway of the Great Hall wondering what her cousin was up to, and how he found out about Ted.

-oooOOOooo-

The Headmaster reached down into the trap door and, with a strength that belied his age, lifted Remus Lupin into the room.

"Where are we, sir?" the young Gryffindor asked hesitantly.

"This is a small house on the outskirts of Hogsmeade that has been in the possession of Hogwarts for generations," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "It used to be used for distinguished visitors, but so many have wanted to stay in the castle proper that it has fallen into disuse. As a consequence, it is mostly forgotten, and as such, perfect for our needs."

Remus looked about the small bare room. "Is it a good idea for me to be close to town?"

"You needn't worry Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore continued. "I have taken the precaution of warding this old shack to the gills. There is no chance you will be escaping once your mind is submerged in your disease."

In his heart of hearts, Remus hoped the Headmaster was correct. "You had best be going sir," he said. "It's almost time."

Dumbledore made a show of checking his pocket watch, "and indeed it is. None of the doors will open for you, the walls, windows and ceiling are protected against your strength and claws. The Trapdoor will not open until sunrise. Perhaps it is cruel to say it, Mr. Lupin, but I hope you have a good night."

"Thank you, sir," Remus said.

The eleven-year-old watched as the old man disappeared down the trap door, releasing the canine whine that had been building deep within him from the pain of his impending change once he was sure the trap door was sealed.

He would never be able to repay the headmaster for what the man was doing for him. This chance of normality, the chance for friends. James and Sirius treated him like… a person. It wouldn't last once they knew, it never did, but it was nice while it lasted.

The last twenty minutes until moonrise were always the worst. The pain building to unbearable levels while his mind fought for control against the wolf. Remus lay on the floor and tried to remember everything about the last few days, just in case this was the transformation that killed him. As much as he hated the transformation, there was a small part of him that welcomed the oblivion that came when the wolf assumed control.

An inhuman scream echoed into the night. It was the first of many that would ultimately give the old shack a new name and the reputation for being the most haunted building in Britain.

The wolf rose from the floor to regard its surroundings. Trapped! This would not do. The wolf would be free! The wolf threw himself bodily against the walls of the prison, only to bounce off. Undeterred, the wolf repeated his attack, again and again, and again, until exhausted, the wolf collapsed onto the floor.

"Yap!"

Instantly the wolf was back on his feet, his senses on alert for danger, fangs bared, his eyes sought out whatever had made that sound. There!

A small black fuzzball, with shining black eyes and a lolling pink tongue, sat staring at the wolf in a most disconcerting manner. This was… wrong. Before everything that had encountered the wolf had either run screaming or had attacked. None had ever just sat and watched him.

"Yap!" the fuzzball repeated.

Confused, the wolf sat on the floor and stared back at the yappy thing. The fuzzball seemed to take this as an invitation, rising to its tiny feet and approaching the wolf happily. Once the fuzzball was close enough, the wolf reached out and gently lifted it off the floor to the wolf's eye level. So, small, it would be a single bite. But the wolf was not hungry, and somehow the wolf knew that this was not food.

The Fuzzball slathered the wolf's muzzle with its wet pink tongue, and then, slipping free of the wolf's grip, climbed up the wolf's left arm to settle on his shoulder before the Fuzzball began to nip at the wolf's ear, issuing tiny growls as it did so.

The wolf wanted to be annoyed but was not. This play was somehow soothing. Carefully, so as to not dislodge the Fuzzball, the wolf lowered himself to the floor. The Fuzzball moved to the wolf's right shoulder and continued its attack, this time on the right ear. It was at some point during this attack on its ears the wolf fell asleep.

Once the Werewolf relaxed, Padfoot made himself a small nest of the loose skin in between Remus' shoulder blades and settled down to try to sleep himself.

~ I cannot believe that worked, ~ Sirius said, excited and happy at the same time.

Black just laughed, ~ that was a far less violent version of the first time Padfoot and Moony met. ~

~ I was terrified he was going to eat us, ~ Sirius confessed.

~ He never ate Peter, ~ Black noted, ~ and the rat was even smaller than we are. We'd best get some sleep, Remus is going to have an excuse from the nurse, but we aren't. ~

~ So, ~ Sirius asked with a yawn, ~ what's on the schedule for tomorrow? ~

~ First, we'll visit Remus in the Hospital wing, ~ Black said, ~ then I need to write Father, then another trip to the Slytherin dorms, this time to mess with Cissy a bit. And then… ~

~ And then? ~ Sirius pressed.

~ And then, if there is time, I have to start to try and make friends with the most hateful, self-centered, arrogant, head up his arse, bastard I've ever met. ~

-oooOOOooo-

Father:

I am sure by now you have heard the news of my sorting. Since I have not yet received your Owl, I am assuming that you will be arriving soon so that we might speak.

I look forward to seeing you so that we might discuss the situation I have found here at Hogwarts and the concerns I have for the future of the family. Might I request that you invite Grandfather and Uncle Cygnus to join you? I truly believe that they will be most interested in what I have found.

Sirius looked up from his letter when James entered the dorm.

"What's up, Sirius?"

"Writing home," Sirius said with a grin. "Gotta face my doom eventually, I thought I might as well get it out of the way."

"I was heading down to the Quidditch tryouts," James said hopefully. "Can't try out, but we can see how good the people we'll need to out fly next year are."

"Cool," Sirius nodded. "I'll be down as soon as I get this finished and sent off with an owl. Then we can go tell Remus about the tryouts, which ought to raise his spirits."

"Right," James nodded. "See you on the pitch."

Sirius returned to his letter.

Please tell them it will be well worth their time. Looking forward to seeing you all.

Sirius Black.

~ Seems short, ~ Black mused. ~ What do you think? ~

~ It's longer than anything I've ever written before. What I can't believe is that you're actually asking for Grandfather, ~ his younger self said. ~ He has always terrified me. ~

~ And he always will, ~ Black admitted. ~ When I broke out of Azkaban, my biggest relief was when I found out that I wasn't going to have to explain myself to the old man. ~

Black folded the letter and stood up from his desk. ~ The sooner this is posted, the sooner we can scope out the talent on the Pitch. ~

~ And the players too, ~ Sirius agreed as they made their way out of the dorm and down the stairs to the common room. ~ Would it be wrong, ~ Sirius asked, ~ to use our knowledge of the outcome of the games to expand our pocket money? ~

That made Black laugh out loud. ~ How could that possibly be wrong? ~

-oooOOOooo-

"Yo, Sev," Black called out as he jogged up to match the Slytherin's stride. "How they hanging?"

"My name is Severus," Snape said in a dismissive tone. "What do you want, Black?"

"A chance to talk," Black said with an easy grin, trying mightily to ignore just how much he hated this arrogant bastard… or at least the arrogant bastard he grew up to be. "I'm Sirius, by the way, I was thinking that we ought to form a study group."

"And why would I want to join a 'study group' that contains you and that idiot Potter?" Snape sneered.

"For easier access to Evans?" Black asked innocently, only to laugh when he saw Snape blush. "Seriously Sev, I'm not blind, anyone could see you like her. You ending up in Slytherin and Evans in Gryffindor made that a bit difficult, but there are ways around that."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Snape said, continuing on his way to the Slytherin dorms.

"Sure, you don't," Black mocked. "Look Sev, four days into classes and it's clear that you're the Potions prodigy of our year. James Potter is the Transfiguration stand out, Evans is our Charms Queen, and I, due to family tradition, am the go to source for all things astronomical. Add in Oakby and Middleton's talents in Herbology and we've got a study group that will rule the year."

"I don't need your help, Black."

"No, you don't," Black admitted. "You can continue to stare wistfully at the back of Evan's head during meals and never dare to speak with her. I know that the houses don't mix, but study groups are acceptable exceptions."

Snape stopped in the hallway. "Why are you doing this?"

Black grinned. "Maybe I'm trying to be a bit less of an arse. Maybe I'm trying to make up for how we treated you on the train because James and I were way out of line. Maybe I've figured out that if I don't get some help, I'll never pass potions."

Snape appeared to consider that. "I will discuss the idea with Lily."

"Great," Black nodded at the pair reached the entrance to the Slytherin dorms. "If she's in, could you let Narcissa Black know I'd like a word?"

"About?" Snape asked. "She will want to know."

"Family stuff," Black shrugged. "My cousins are older, but I'm from the main branch. The family rules require me to contact them weekly. Make sure they're happy and all that."

Snape regarded him curiously for several seconds before nodding and approaching the door to whisper his password before disappearing into the darkness that the door opened to reveal.

For his part, Black leaned against the wall facing the door and waited.

~ Are you sure this is a good idea? ~ Sirius asked.

~ You've seen my memories, ~ Black responded. ~ While Narcissa will never be one of my favorite people, she doesn't deserve to end up tied to a bastard like Malfoy. ~

~ So, we're going to fix it? ~

~ We're going to try, ~ Black admitted.

"I said MOVE!"

The shouted word was emphasized by the sound of flesh hitting flesh. Black looked up in time to see Bellatrix falling to the stone floor.

"You've embarrassed me for the last time," Rodolphus Lestrange thundered, kicking the fallen girl savagely. "Being held up as an example while Portland mocked me? We'll see that never happens again, won't we?"

"I'll kill you," Bellatrix gasped from the floor.

"But you can't, can you?" Lestrange asked mockingly. "No, the contract binds you to me, you are mine to do with as I wish."

Black felt a rush of three different emotions. The first came from Sirius, who was worried about the cousin who had always frightened him. The second came from his own soul, as he watched, with more than a little glee, the bitch that had killed him take her beating.

The third, the strongest was an amalgam of the two of them. It was rage, pure white-hot rage that anyone, much less a worthless waste of flesh like Lestrange would dare lay a finger on a Black.

Black's wand dropped into his hand and the tip flared, lighting the hallway as his magic, his rage, began to scream in his ears.

"Lestrange," he said in a quiet voice, "get away from my cousin."

"Oh, look," Rodolphus sneered, making a show of drawing his own wand, "It's a Gryffie. What are you going to do about it little Gryffie?"

Black heard the door to the Slytherin Dorm open behind him, and Cissy's voice ask, "Sirius?"

"I'm going to make sure you never touch her again," Black said, his eyes never leaving Lestrange. "As a representative of the Main Branch of House Black, your Betrothal contract is rescinded."

"What?" Lestrange stuttered.

"Did I use words too big for you, Lestrange?" Black sneered. "Your Betrothal contract is a standard Black Family contract, which includes a clause that allows any member of the Main Branch, upon witnessing improper behavior on the part of the lesser house, to cancel the contract. You can, of course, appeal to my Grandfather."

"You little…" Lestrange raised his wand.

"Thank you," Black whispered before unleashing his attack.

-oooOOOooo-

"Father," Black said standing when his father entered the conference room office. "Grandfather, Uncle."

"Thank you for coming," the Headmaster said from his seat at the table.

"Good to see you again, Arcturus," Horace Slughorn nodded. "You as well Orion and Cygnus. I just wish it was under better conditions."

"What did my son do?" Orion asked.

"Upheld the traditions of his House," Minerva McGonagall said, speaking for the first time since the elders of Family Black had entered the office, "while doing the same for the traditions of his family. You should be proud."

"Proud?" Cygnus asked incredulously, "of a Gryffindor?"

"As much as I would have rather had young Sirius in my House," Slughorn interjected, "the bravery he showed in defending his cousin was beyond reproach."

"Defending his cousin?" Arcturus echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Perhaps it would be best if we were to leave you to discuss family business privately," Dumbledore said as he rose from his seat.

"What is going on?" Cygnus demanded.

"I'm sure Sirius will explain everything," Dumbledore assured him as he ushered his staff members from the room.

-oooOOOooo-

Once the Black Family members were alone, Orion turned his attention to his eldest son. "Explain yourself," He said in an icy tone.

Black nodded as Sirius hid in the back of their shared mind, more than willing to allow his older self to conduct the conversation. "Where should I begin?"

"Try the beginning," Cygnus said slyly. "Why did you shame the family with your sorting into Gryffindor?"

"What?" Black asked in feigned surprise. "I was only following Mother's suggestion."

"Are you claiming your mother told you to go to Gryffindor?" Arcturus asked.

"Not in so many words," Black admitted. "She told me that Slytherin was where a Wizard went to find a proper wife and that the witches in Gryffindor could be had by anyone with two knuts to spend."

The three older wizards sat back in surprise as the boy continued. "Marriage is like years and years away, so I decided to go for the easy pickings," Black paused for a moment as if in deep thought. "I think mother's information is horribly out of date."

"Really?" Orion asked, a grin creeping across his face. "How so?"

"Well, I tried to follow Mother's advice, but none of the Gryffie girls were interested in my offer, and a couple of them kicked my arse for the suggestion," Black explained. "And while the girls in Slytherin might be proper witches, the Wizards' quarters are dens of Mandrakes. I don't care what the family tradition says, Sirius Black is no one's catamite."

"And what makes you think that?" Cygnus demanded.

"Uncle, I have to ask, what were you thinking when you sold Cousin Narcissa to Lucius Malfoy?" Black asked. "Have you actually met him? I got an eyeful of the mincing dandy on the train. The way he rules the Slytherin wizards of his year and others, his constant companions being two part-trolls? His hair and clothes? The way he carries his wand in a walking stick? There was no way I was going to subject myself to that. And what I've learned from my year mates in Slytherin only confirmed my suspicions."

"Are you saying…" Orion asked angrily

"I haven't witnessed anything," Black continued, knowing just how far he could push his father. "However, I do know he ignores Narcissa at all times. I know I'm not as pureblood as you would like, but I can't imagine being bonded to someone who looks like our Narcissa and ignoring her."

Cygnus and Orion exchanged looks of horror. Black schooled his expression to prevent the grin that threatened to expose his satisfaction with the situation. His father's homophobia was only surpassed by his uncle's. Black was, however, fully aware that his grandfather's entire attention was focused upon him. Arcturus had always been able to see through him and his schemes.

~ He knows, ~ Sirius jibbered in the back of their shared mind. ~ he knows, he knows, he knows, he… ~

~ Calm down, ~ Black admonished. ~ When slinging shite, dedicate yourself to slinging shite. That's rule one of a successful lie, at some level you have to believe it. ~

"You've not mentioned the incident that led Minerva McGonagall to praise your 'upholding the traditions' of your house," Arcturus noted.

"Oh," Black said, causing himself to blush. "I found Rodolphus Lestrange abusing Bellatrix."

"Young couples argue," Cygnus said. "It's not unusual for harsh words to be thrown about."

"Lestrange wasn't throwing harsh words, Uncle," Black explained. "He was throwing punches and kicks. The Marriage contract prevented her from defending herself, so she huddled on the floor to protect herself as best she could."

Anger surged through the assembled adults, though the only sign from Arcturus was a narrowing of his eyes. "And your act of bravery?"

"I put both the Lestrange brothers in the Hospital Wing," Black responded with a shrug.

"You ambushed them?" Orion asked.

"When I found him striking our Bellatrix, I challenged Rodolphus, and let him raise his wand," Black said. "Then I put him down. Not everyone has the advantage of being a Black, but I saw no reason to refrain from demonstrating to the fool that he had overstepped his bounds. His brother took exception and got between us, so I extended the lesson to the lesser Lestrange."

"Younger," Orion corrected.

"Excuse me, father?"

"You called the younger Lestrange the 'lesser Lestrange'," his father explained.

"Oh, he's younger, but he also the lesser, he entered into a fight with wand drawn and casting spells. He was far less of a challenge than his brother."

An odd expression, one Black, or indeed, Sirius had never seen before, appeared on their father's face. Could it be… pride?

"I will be canceling the marriage contract!" Cygnus fumed. Crazy bastard that he was, Black had never doubted that he loved his daughters.

"I sort of already did that, Uncle."

That caught his elder's attention. "Explain yourself," Arcturus demanded.

"Well," Black hesitated, "I witnessed his offense toward Bellatrix, and I am of the Heir of the Heir of the main branch, so I canceled the contract. That's what Rodolphus took as a challenge."

-oooOOOooo-

"Cygnus, go to the Hospital Wing and officially rescind the marriage contract," Arcturus directed. "Orion, go with your cousin. The presence of the Heir will remove any possibility of a challenge."

"Yes Uncle," Cygnus said, while Orion rose without a word. Black wasn't sure that they even noticed the synchronicity they had when the Head of House was involved.

Alone with his grandfather, Black concentrated on displaying the 'proper' composure. Feet flat on the floor, no fidgeting, hands in his lap, eyes focusing on the tabletop in front of this grandfather.

"What of your third cousin?" Arcturus asked, breaking the silence. "You ended Bellatrix's betrothal, are clearly opposed to Narcissa's. What of Andromeda and her dalliance?"

"I wasn't aware you knew of Andromeda's friend," Black admitted. "And I certainly wasn't going to bring it up without cause."

"Of course, I know of it, boy." Arcturus sniffed dismissively. "Do you really think I don't know what is happening in Dumbledore's fiefdom? Explain yourself, now. The truth this time."

"Yes, Grandfather," Black sighed, quieting the panicked Sirius in his mind and moving to plan B, the unbridled truth, couched to appeal to the man before him. "Yes, Grandfather. I was sorted into Gryffindor because I asked the hat to be sorted into Gryffindor. I asked for that house because I met James Potter on the Express and made friends, even though he and his family are naively Light in their worldview."

"I knew Charlus Potter for more than sixty years," Arcturus nodded. "He was a good, if as you said, naïve man."

"I've never had a friend my own age," Sirius continued. "I knew he'd never get into Slytherin, and that the education would be the same either way. True, I would miss out on the connections that being a Slytherin would naturally produce, but I remembered that I am a Black, and they would be coming to me, no matter what house tie I wore. Besides," Black said with a grin, "the Griffindor Girls are all kinds of cute."

Arcturus' eyes narrowed. "True enough, what of your cousins?"

"I had no plans to as much as speak to Bellatrix until such time as I am ready to face her in the pit," Sirius admitted.

"You had no problem with her betrothed," his grandfather noted.

"Bellatrix Black is no Lestrange," Black scoffed. "Had she not been constrained by the betrothal contract; he would have been dead before he managed to land his first punch. The Lestrange brothers were no challenge, Bellatrix is a vicious bitch more than willing to bully those weaker than herself. She forced me to duel with her all summer under the guise of preparing me for Hogwarts. Once I started to be able to fight back, she went on to abusing Reggie. That's when I knew I needed to get better so that I could hurt her right back."

"Everything I said about Lucius Malfoy is a fact as far as I can tell," Black continued. "Narcissa is unhappy with his lack of attention. Worse than that he is an ardent follower of Voldemort."

Arcturus raised a single eyebrow. "Voldemort? Not the Dark Lord? When others in the family whisper about him, they all refuse to use his name. Aside from that oddity, his views and goals appear to align with those of the family."

"He is not a lord of any kind," Black sniffed. "I looked. He's English, but there is no record of any Voldemort attending Hogwarts. For all his claims of being a pureblood, I'm starting to suspect he is nothing of the sort."

"He is not," Arcturus confirmed. "Though I am curious as to how you have discovered this."

"It was just a suspicion, Grandfather," Black hedged. "The family has been whispering about him all my life. Once I was here, and I saw the sort who idolize Voldemort, I decided to look deeper. I have been punished far too many times for what Mother calls my sloppy thinking. I have come to the conclusion that this Voldemort fellow is nothing more than a trumped up no one hiding behind a name that is really nothing more than bad Latin. I mean, 'flight of death'? Really? He's an evil bastard, to be sure, but if our family has ever proven anything it's that being Dark does not require being evil. Anyway, Narcissa, as much as I don't like her, doesn't deserve to be sold to an opportunistic dandy like Malfoy."

"And Andromeda?" the old man asked.

"Andy's friend is a decent bloke," Black shrugged. "He's no Black, but outside the family, who is? He is Muggleborn, but he comes from a family with money and more importantly, property. Add to that, he is one of the Muggleborn who tries. He's learned the culture and knows the rules. If Andy decides to keep him, the family stands to profit and expand our holdings, if not, she has her dalliance and moves on to someone the family approves of. Like you and father both did."

"Excuse me?" Arcturus thundered.

"Uncle Alphard tells the best stories when he's had a few," Black Grinned. "Stories about you and…"

"That's quite enough of that!" Arcturus barked before staring into Black's eyes for several seconds without saying a word until he suddenly sat upright in his chair. "You have done well, boy. You have even managed to surprise me today. We will be having a discussion over the yule break, I think, to ensure you remain on this interestingly new path."

Both Sirius and Black echoed the exact same thought at their Grandfather's announcement. ~ Fuck. ~

-oooOOOooo-