I don't own SPN or Harry Potter.
Chapter 7 – once upon a time
It's been a month almost six weeks since the Ministry of Magic has fallen into the hands of the dark. Almost immediately the registration for muggle-born witches started and they read almost every day about some missing persons or in the words of the Ministry fugitives of the law in the Daily Prophet. Like during the Fudges registration the media was under a tight control by the government. It is all a form of propaganda for the dark deeds they do now. At the moment the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place can't do much, besides train, research and learn everything they can.
The positive element is that Grimmauld Place is full of life and family since then. Everyone found a room and even if it took some time that they all managed to live together under one roof. Not an easy task if you look at the inhabitants, you find one werewolf, two pranksters, three hunters and four other witches and wizards in it. Even if they all are more than one label, so was this the label that defines them the most. But being a family was never easy so they had to learn to live with each other, but after some time it started to work, even if they still fight with each other. But somehow they became a family. Understandable considering they live all together and don't have time to do anything else besides being at home.
Even the Weasley Twins fit in like they were always part of the Black family, which of course they were, they are distant cousins, but now they are part of the main family. Especially after they explained to the others what happened at the wedding in the first place. In the beginning everything was fine; everyone acted as if it was normal for Fred to attend with Hermione on his arm. Only after Ron saw them together literally all hell broke loose. It was before the beginning of the party that he yelled at them for turning him into a fool, considering he is Hermione's boyfriend. An element that Hermione more than denied, it wasn't truth in the slightest.
The tantrum got the attention of the matriarch of the Weasley family and she was even more angered than Ran. Not that anyone believed that that could be possible. But she is his mother after all and the apple apparently doesn't fall far from the tree. She of course sided with Ron as Hermione's boyfriend and that was the moment Hermione finally had enough. She yelled at her in front of the whole audience that Ron never managed to get her the love potion, because Harry prevented it every time.
Everyone beside Molly was outraged by this, but she looked like she knew already what her youngest son was trying to do. Arthur even tried to apologize for his son's behavior, but Molly wouldn't let him. Instead she required that Fred ends his relationship with Hermione or he would be disowned. Of course Fred told her to go to hell and would have told her more, wouldn't have Kinsley's patronus arrived in time to warn them about that the Ministry had fallen. Before the four of them were whisked away with the emergency portkey Molly made her threat true and disowned the twins.
They were angered and disappointed with their mother, but more with the rest of the family, because nobody defended them. That lasted only for a week, until a letter form Arthur arrived and declared that they are still part of the family, but didn't have a mother anymore, because she was disowned. It was the first time since Arthur and Molly were married that she lost a fight to him. The declaration of disowning his sons was too much for Arthur. He required that she would take it back and if not she wouldn't have a family anymore instead. She didn't believe that he would put her sons before her, but the love of a parent for his child is stronger than the love for a partner. After she was disowned the only one of her kids, who stood beside her, was Ron. The others didn't want a mother like that and they all had enough of her open favoritism of her youngest son. Since that day the Weasley family exists as Arthur with his five sons and one daughter.
Even if they were part of their own family again, they still stayed at the Black home. Especially after they learned about the training for the upcoming battle and they decided that it would be a good idea to be part of it. Alike the home was more secure than their flat. Arthur even sent a formal apology to Hermione for his ex-wife's and ex-sons actions and hoped that she would forgive them some day. Hermione of course didn't have anything to forgive, because the quarrel was with Molly and Ron and not with the rest of the family.
The twins weren't the only ones whom had to get used to living in the Black home. The Tonks family and Remus didn't have it easy either. Especially Remus felt like walking on eggshells around the brothers or better around Dean. Of course the rest of the house didn't miss it. So after three weeks of no improvement in this matter Sirius started an intervention. He seat Dean down for a talk alone in his study. He confined them together in his study and decided he would only leave after he could make Dean see reason. First he told him Remus story, about being bitten by a werewolf while being only four years old as well as the treatment of his parents, who were afraid of their own son and kept him at arm's length as well as not having any friends till he was eleven years old. That was the moment that Dean learned that every story has two sides even for monsters.
But his pre-justice was still there, even if Dean felt sorry for Remus and pissed at his parents that they would react that way around their son. So Sirius showed him some memories of Remus transformation while he was in his animagus form, but also before that. He learned how Remus loaded himself. He doesn't want to be a werewolf and he hates every second of it. Dean also learnt that Remus was a gentle soul, who would rather hurt himself than anyone else. That explains why he so many scars all over his body.
After that the relationship improved and Dean made real effort to get to know Remus. Surprisingly they got on really well. Dean even let Remus help him with creatures during the training sessions. Human and wizarding monsters are not the same, even if they are the same species, they still differ in matters of how to defend against them or simply how they act around threats and such. Defense against the Dark Arts was always Remus best subject at school and to help them train as well as to train himself for the upcoming fight, gave him the feeling to make a positive impact on the war. They would need every advantage they could get and therefore training was important to all of them. Dueling was Harry's part, while Dean focused on hand-to-hand combat as well as weapons training with guns or knives. Together the three created a diversified training program, which was very demanding for all the participants.
Remus wasn't the only one, who helped them train. Andromeda was a healer in the emergency ward of St. Mungo's and as such very good with potions. She helped Hermione brew and teach the others what they would need to know, about it. Considering that she couldn't get to work since the Ministry has fallen, she needed something to do. Andromeda was a very active witch, especially considering her upbringing, she had a job, which was an exception for someone like her, and she did all the house work alone without the help of an elf. So to say that she needed something to do before going insane would be an understatement. She even came to an arrangement with Kreacher in matters of taking care of the house. She knew that he needed things to do, so let him make breakfast and lunch, while she would cook dinner for the family.
The dinners were delicious and the whole family loved her cooking very much. They told her that behind his back so they wouldn't offend the house-elf. Her cooking was way better than his, but they didn't want to hurt him or better Hermione didn't want to hurt him. Everyone in the family was on her side in this matter. They didn't want to fight with her, because of her opinion on elf-rights. Until dinner she would brew and teach potions. While Kreacher would clean the house, but Andromeda made a sweep through the house every day to control his work and if necessary do it again. Over 60% of the potions they brewed they stocked in the house, but the rest they send to other members of the order. They all were in need of potions like blood repulsing, pain reliever, dreamless sleep or calming draught.
Hermione and Andromeda worked together on the Felicitas potion, which they started four weeks ago. Not that Hermione believes she couldn't do it alone, but she didn't want to risk anything with that particular potion. Alike it gave her and Andromeda time to bond as family. She likes her cousin, who she sees more like an aunt to her, very much and vice versa.
The adaption phase was way easier for her husband Ted. As a muggle-born wizard he got on with the brothers and Jo without problems. He even let Kreacher collect their TV and proved it against magic so that they have more entertainment beside the wizarding wireless or family time or even training. He like Andromeda was a healer, a mind healer; they met at the hospital and fell in love. He taught the whole family even Sirius and Andromeda Occlumency. Even with their pureblood education, he was better in the mind arts then them, because of his natural affiliation to it. He had a better understanding of the topic.
Especially Harry jumped on this idea, even without great enthusiasm. But he knew that he needs a protected mind. So Ted and Harry trained alone, during one of those sessions Harry learned that Sam assumption was right and that a part of Voldemort's soul lived within him. This insight brought on a lot of discussions within the whole family and the original six inhabitants told the rest of the family only the minimum on this matter. The family wasn't so pleased that they only got the minimal information, but they could see that it was important, so Ted constructed mind barriers in Harrys head to weaken Voldemort's influence a bit more beside the occlumency shields Harry slowly build up. They all were very grateful for this. But all, who knew about the Horcrux in Harry, will only feel way after it was vanquished. They all research about it, but until now they come up empty handed. But they still have many books to go through.
The easiest adoption had Tonks. She was an easy going person after all. Even if she hated that she can't go to work, because she loved being an Auror, She used her time to learn more things. She helped with the training and showed all of them some things she learned during the Auror training, like erecting anti-portkey or anti-apparition wards. It was advanced stuff but Dean and Sam worked really hard and got the hang of it really fast. They took to magic like a moth to the flame. After only a short time of training, they learned so much and were very far into their education. Harry made the comment that they don't have to write essays about the theory, but simply can focus on the practical side of magic and that would help them enormous.
All the inhabitants took part in the training and everyone has his part to bring them up to speed or to simply improve their own skills. Sirius showed them transfiguration and as he started the animagus training with Harry and Hermione again, the brothers and surprisingly the twins wanted to take part as well in the training. It wasn't an easy task because first you have to meditate much to find your spirit animal in which you can change into after. Beside Hermione and Sam, who love mediation, nobody was thrilled with the training or even made any progress. The siblings bonded over their increased thirst for knowledge more and as they both found their spirit animal in the same week after only a month of training, they were very happy. Hermione spirit animal was a snow leopard and to the surprise to all of them Sam spirit animal was a Griffin. It is not common to change into a magical creature as an animagus, but it could be a family trait of Blacks, because Sirius form is grim, which is also a magical creature as well.
The other four of course were put out by the achievements of them and worked harder to achieve it as well. But they all share the same trait and that was that they hated to sit still and do nothing, they were way to active people. But they still work on it, so they sit every night through their meditation sessions and search for their animals. A little step for them in the right direction was that they finally found a way into the spirit realm, so that they know that their meditation technique works.
Dean and Sam and Tonks got on like a house on fire, she was crazy and they like that about her. But they also like the rest of them as well and consider them all family. They watched soccer with Ted or listen to Andy teach them about their family history. They had one prank war with the twins all to the dismay of Hermione, who found that childish, but she let them be as long they keep her out of it. Even Remus had a special place after six weeks in their live. Especially Sam and Remus bonded over the fact that they both feel like monsters as well as their love for books.
The relationships that were there before the rest moved in got tighter as well. Harry and Deans planning time for training as well the training itself, helped them to connect on a deeper level. Harry reminded Dean of Sam, he like him was concerned for others and tried to shoulder the world. Not that he could replace Sam as his little brother, but Harry had a similar place in Dean's heart by now. And for the first time in Harrys live, he had someone he could look up to, like an older brother and wasn't the one to who people look up to, that was very refreshing for him. Not that either of them voiced it, they just acted like siblings with their bickering and bander among each other.
After six weeks they have improved their new skillset each and together with Sam they three of them fight like a unit. Put Hermione in the mix and you a deathly weapon. They were in balance with each other. Even if Sam and Dean are wizards they mainly concentrated on their hunter skills and used their guns more than the wands. The same could be said about Hermione and Harry they used their wands more than the weapons. Live long habits can't be erased that easy. Back to back in a circle they would do some serious damage.
But besides the fighting they all enjoy the time they share together, especially Sam and Harry and that not only during their memory sessions. The both of them often can be found together in the library researching and talking about magic, Harry teaches Sam the things he knows about it. Their bond grew and grew, both know that they have feelings for the other, but are not sure how the other would react, so they don't act on it. They are both afraid of rejection.
They weren't the only couple that bonded. Dean and Jo enjoyed their time together as well. But Dean was still Dean and as such in denial of his feelings for her. Even after they left for the first time to get some allies and were on a hunt alone together. It was as simple salt' n' burn, but Jo still got hurt. Dean felt so guilty that he couldn't look her in the eyes for days until Hermione and Jo set him straight that accidents during hunts happen.
In the six weeks they were four times in America to get allies. Bobby was already ready to help even before they all knew and was actively trying to get the MACUSA to help. As a hunter and a squib, they had hope that they would listen to him and answer their plea for help.
During one of this trips Sirius visited Ellen with them, because as Hermione's mother she was part of his family. For him that means he has and wants to protect her. Normally he would suggest the Fidelius charm for the roadhouse, but they needed the income as well as the connection to the hunting world so the charm was out of the question. As alternative he put the floo connection under the Fidelius with Ellen as the secret keeper. He has trust in George's ability to hide the connection, but he knows that the Ministry has ways to find hidden connections. Only hiding it doesn't mean that they will not be found. Every connection will be registered at the Ministry, especially between two countries. With the Fidelius in place, they still will find the connection, but they can't activate it. Hiding it in plain sight, if you want to call it that.
Besides Bobby and Ellen, Dean and Jo could get the promise for assistance from a handful of talented, but most of all, trusted hunters. All in all it looks promising; they would have help in the future from hunters and maybe even from the MACUSA itself as well as their training. The first month working on defending Voldemort was very fruitful if only in a passive way. They all learn new things and use it to their advantage. Even if Dean hated school, he still knows that preparation and knowledge is everything before and in a fight. With many colorful words he is a student again.
But they all need a break some time. So on a Saturday in the early September Hermione was sitting in the library and was reading the book, she inherited from Dumbledore. With all her intelligence she can't figure out, why he would give her such a book. It was about children stories and not very useful in her opinion. Even if the stories where very funny and educational, they still don't help.
The other book they inherited would be more helpful for her. Even if she couldn't read the book about magical contracts until now, because Sirius confiscated it with the words that she had more important worries to think of then too break the contract. He didn't give away if it was helpful at all, but she was sure that it could help.
At least the book about their sibling bond told them some things. Like that they could communicate only with their thoughts after the practice it for a bit. At the moment it only works if their emotions where heightened. A nice gimmick, nevertheless, but the most important part was that the bond really can save Dean. It wouldn't let them die, because only all three parts of the bond have to agree to it. That is because the magic needs a body, a soul and they have to be in balance so that the bond can work its magic.
Magic only lets her most gifted off if she sees fit and not the other way around. She only lets such a bond take place if she loves all the parts of the bond very much. She acts like they were her children and they get her preference to other witches and wizards. She gave birth to them and bestowed them with tasks to make the world, her world, a better place. The bond was a good thing, but they still have to learn more about it.
But her current problem is still the book in her hands. What shall she do with it? At that moment her uncle enters the library to silently spend time with her. Like he was a beacon of wisdom she recognizes the rune in corner of the book for the first time. Ancient runes are her favorite topic and she was very good at it, but for the love of magic she can't figure out, what this rune means. So she asks the only other person in the room. "Sirius?"
"Yeah." Sirius answers as he takes place beside her on the couch.
She shows him the rune in the book as she asks. "Do you know this rune?"
Sirius takes one look at it and of course he knows that rune as well as its meaning. He is surprised that his niece, the book worm, doesn't know it. "Yeah I know it." Before she can ask him what it means, Sirius stands up and walks to the floor as he yells. "Family meeting in the library in 10 minutes, for all." he says in his lord voice so that they all know that it is important and then he turns around to take his place beside his niece again and says. "I will answer your question as soon as the rest of the family is here." He has the feeling that they all should learn about this particular rune and its meaning.
Not only is she part of the Black family history, she is also important for the history of magic itself. It is time that his son and nephews and well as his niece learn some things about wizarding customs, traditions and history. That rune is very important. Hermione sees in his eyes that this rune is more important than she would have guessed. Even if the anticipation makes her squirm, she would wait for the rest, because apparently they needed to know about it as well. So she nods and waits with Sirius for the family.
After some minutes the first members of the family arrived. The first ones were Jo and Dean, shortly followed by Sam, Harry and Tonks. The last ones to arrive were Dromeda, Ted and Remus. The twins were in the lab at the moment working on things from their shop they could use in a fight. To be undisturbed they always put up a silencing ward so nobody could reach them. They wouldn't be here and he hasn't a problem with it, because even if they are family some things have to stay between the main family members. For Sirius that includes Remus, because as head of the house he guess that it only takes weeks until his best friend find the courage to ask for permission for the hand of his cousin in marriage.
Sirius told them all to take a seat. Remus and Tonks cuddled on the love seat, while Sam, Dean and Jo took a couch across from Sirius and Hermione, while Harry took the floor in front of Sam. His back was leaning on Sams feet and both liked the contact very much. Dromeda decided to stand at the moment while her husband took a chair. She positioned herself beside Sirius. As all of them were sitting in a circle around Sirius he orders. "Kreacher some biscuits and tea for all of us, please." After that his attention was on his family, who was interested in what he wanted to talk about. "Hermione asked me about a rune and I thought you all should know what it means." with that he drew the run in the air so that they all could see it.
"The Deadly Hollows" Andromeda says as she recognizes the rune. Besides Sirius she probably was the only one, who knew what it meant.
"The what?" Sam wants to know.
"The Deadly Hollows are an old legend." Andromeda answers mystically.
"One that not many know; only the old noble and ancient houses are aware of it." Sirius answers further.
"Like us." Hermione concludes.
"Exactly."
"What are they?" Dean asks out loud. The faces of the others in the room tell him that they were as curious as him about it.
"Can you read us the story of the three brothers?" Sirius asks his niece without answering Deans question, at least not in a direct way anyway.
For a moment Hermione was perplex, but she figured he had a reason for requesting that. So she took the book and scrolls for the story. After some searching she found it and started reading.
"Once there were three brothers and together they journeyed the world. One day they came across a large, wild river with no way to cross it. The river has claimed many lives before. But the three were magical people and as such could do magic. So they used their wands and created a bridge to cross the river.
The bridge allowed them to cross the river without losing their lives, as they reach the shore on the other side Death appears in front of them. He was outraged, but hid it behind his praising for their abilities to trick him. As a reward he granted them all one wish each. They successfully cheated him and he lost their souls, of course Death doesn't let himself be beaten by mortals that easily.
The brothers accept and thought a moment what they want from him. The first to declare his wish was the oldest of the three brothers. He asked death for an unbeatable wand. Death granted him the wish and made him a wand out of an elder tree, which stood at the shore. He created the Elder Wand for him.
The second brother asked Death to resurrect his lost love. So that he can have time with her again and not to be alone. He granted that wish as well and took a stone to make it possible. The Resurrection Stone was created to bring back lost loves from the grave.
The youngest and last brother was also the wisest and humbled from all of them, he thought long and hard about his wish, before he asked Death for a cloak that would hide him from the world. Death cut a part of his own cloak and gave it to him, even if he wasn't happy about it. The invisibility cloak hid him even from Death.
After he granted them all their wishes he vanished and let the brothers alone. That was where the brothers parted ways. The oldest made his way into a pub and in his arrogance after he fought several duels and won, he declared that he had an unbeatable wand. That night he got to sleep for the last time in his live, he was killed for the wand. The powerful wand couldn't stop it from happening. Death claimed the first brother.
The second brother made his way home to welcome his lost love. They had some time together, before she died because of the plague, but now they would be together again. With the stone he brought her back, but the stone doesn't work the way he hoped, he brought back only her body, her soul stayed behind in Deaths realm. This drove him insane and he took his own live. In the end he was reunited with his lost love again, like he wished. This way Death claimed the second brother.
The smartest of the brothers used the cloak from the beginning and hid himself with it from Death. He heard about the deaths of his brothers and knew that the grated wishes were simple a way for Death to get was he wants. There is no way to cheat Death. Death searched for the last brother, but couldn't find him. The youngest could prolong his death with the cloak and as his own time came he gave the cloak to his son and welcomed Death like an old friend."
After she was finished with reading, everyone in the room felt a little nervous. This story affected them like it really happened. But can that be, because it is after all only a children's book. "What has that to do with the rune?" Hermione wanted to know.
"Everything because let's see: we have a wand." with that he drew a straight vertical line into the air. Next Sirius said. "We also have stone." with that he drew a circle over the lower halve of the line. "And we have a cloak." he finished his statement and the symbol or better the rune with a triangle that included the other two. There in the middle of the room he created the rune with the help of Hermione's story.
The others were awed, but Hermione like always was skeptical. "It can't be that simple." she tells her uncle.
"It is simple and hard at the same time, because knowing what the Hollows are is the simple part, but finding and having all three of them is the hard part." Sirius answers.
Now it was Sams turn to say something. "Are you telling us that those three objects really exist?"
"Yes." Andromeda and Sirius say at the same time.
"What do they do?" Dean wants to know, because even if they were real, how can they help them. The practical use for weapons or artifacts is always important for a hunter.
"If you have found all three objects you would be the master of Death." Andromeda says matter-of-factly.
"I don't believe it." Hermione says before anyone form the others could say a thing to that. How could a children's story include such a legend, a really unbelievable one. Shouldn't it be in a history book if it was real?
Sirius looks at his niece with a smile as he says. "Really, because I remember that you, Ron and Harry were using an invisible cloak at school." His tone was normal and not in any way bothered by her skepticism.
"That is a coincidence. There are more than that particular invisible cloak out there." she points out her argument.
"That is true but I have two reasons to know that it is truly the one from the story." he tells her, but baits her to ask him, what they are.
"Please enlighten us?" she tells him slightly gruff.
"First other cloaks lose their effectivity after time especially after three decades of using. But Harrys cloak still is as useful as ever … and second I know that the objects are real, because they are part of our family history." Sirius states matter-of-factly.
"What?" all in the room besides Andromeda ask shocked.
It was Andromeda, who answered and Sirius was grateful for it, because two people in the know about it makes it easier to convince a crowd of non-believers about it. "The three brothers were form the Peverell family. The oldest one was Antioch Peverell and he is the ancestor of the Malfoy line. Like their ancestor they were and still are very power hungry. The second brother was Cadmus Peverell and he is our ancestor. He founded the Black line with all it insanity. The youngest brother was Ignotus Peverell he founded the Potter line. The cloak was or is a family heirloom to the whole line like the rest of the Hallows should have been for the other lines. But after the wand was stolen it was lost to the Malfoys, even if they still could recreate his impact on wizarding history. They always tried to win it back, some time they succeed, but only to lose it again to someone else. Death follows the wand. We or better some of our ancestors lost the stone somewhere after he got so insane and jumped off a cliff." she finishes her explanation.
"Why would you hide such information away and let it become a children story, instead of history?" Jo wants to know. She always has a good nose for finding information's about important things.
"Let's put it this way, if you learn it through a children story you wouldn't believe it and wouldn't go looking for it, because you believe it is fiction. But you still could preserve knowledge about it this way so future generations still learn about it. What would happen if it would be part of history?" Sirius formulates his question as an answer.
"All would search for it." Sam concludes.
"Because they want to control Death" Hermione's goes on for him.
"But that would mean that Death with a capital D is an actual person and not a legend." Dean states, he isn't sold on the whole Death is a person thing. That is too much, even for a Winchester.
"Why is that so hard to believe?" Andromeda asks him.
He thought a moment about it, before he answered. "I don't know really, but it simply is, for me at least."
It was his brother who asks or pointed him in a certain direction." You know there are a reapers, you have met one yourself, so why can't there be a Death himself, like a boss of them."
"I don't know the concept of an Angel of Death isn't sitting right with Me." he answers him.
The voicing of Death as an angel tells Sam what the real problem of his brother is. He doesn't have faith, he doesn't believe in heaven or in angels. Only in things he can see or touch neither of those he touched. Alike all the things he sees are bad, like demons or hell. "I know you don't believe in this angel, because you believe they can't be real." he points out.
"Oh come on Sammy, we talked about this there are no such things like angels." Dean tells him and the room.
It was silent for moment, because everyone thought about this statement. Sirius was the first on, who found his voice again as he asks him. "Why not?" A little unfair considering he knew that there are things called angels in this world.
Dean looks at his uncle unbelievable. He can't believe why he would ask such a question. But he would answer nevertheless. "Look at all the shit that happened in this world like slavery, wars, drugs, violence and so on. The world is a bad place and if angels would exist wouldn't they make it better?" he proposedly formulates his statement as a question to give them something to think about.
"Angel doesn't mean they are the incarnation of everything that is good." Sirius says with a smile, before Dean could say anything to that, he continues. "Beside the point, there is something called free will."
"What are you talking about?" Dean almost explodes.
"Angels are warriors; they fulfill Gods will on earth with deathly precision. Just read the bible." Hermione answers. She has read the bible, not because her foster parents where that religious. No, because as a bookworm and the child of hunters she wanted to know, where everything that is bad and good comes from.
"The bible is a book written by men and not God, so how can it be true." was Deans counterargument. He may be not religious but he is still smart in his own way and knows that the bible and her content were established during a meeting of men.
"That is true, but why can you believe so easily in hell and demons, but not in heaven or angels." Andromeda wants to know.
"Because I have seen them work and what they can do, especially with my deal and such." Dean answers. Seeing is believing; a slogan, which fits Dean perfectly. But only because you can't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
So Sirius has to show him a least a little bit of it. It may be necessary, because of his wizarding education. He snips his fingers and a tomb of a book appears in his hands. The title of the book is "Legends of old." Every old pure-blood family has this book as part of his inheritance. It is part of the wizarding education for the family members. It can't be found in the library of the house, but only in the study of the Head of house. He was the only one, who can open it. Sirius opens the book and searches for an illustration of the archangel Nathaniel. With his wand and the projection spell he portrays the illustration into the room, so all can see it.
All beside Andromeda, because her education was finished before she was expelled from the family, look with questions at the image. After giving them a moment to study it, Sirius starts to speak. "This is the archangel Nathaniel."
Before he can go on, Hermione interrupts him and says. "But there is no such thing, because there are only Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and Lucifer named as archangels."
He looks at his niece and says. "That is true, the bible after all was written by men, who weren't wizards. Every archangel has special role in the dogma and Nathaniel's was or is the protector of magic. He like us is guided by God and Magic, they live in symbioses in him and with their help he guides us, even protect us. But what did the church do with witches?" he asks his niece in a stern voice.
"The burnt us, witch trails, inquisition and so on." Sam answers instead of her. In his head he silently finishes we hunters still do, because there are still bad witches out there.
"And as such would you name a fifth archangel with connections to magic." Sirius asks them further. He doesn't want to give them all the answers; they have to figure them out on their own, as he had to do.
"No." all in the room say together.
Dean was still skeptical and he voices his concern. "How do you know that what is written in this book." he points at the book. "Is the truth?"
"Good question." Remus voices his opinion for the first time. Angels are even too much for him.
"It was written by him." Sirius simply states. He makes a dramatic paus, before he continues. "It was given to the first wizards and since then they treasure it like it is the most valuable book they have."
"Why?" Hermione wants to know.
"It states the order of the world. … See we have hell with demons, but we also heaven with angels."
"Which role has earth in this?" Sam wants to know.
"Earth and all her living souls is called the in-between, because only the life of a soul can determine which step the next great adventure will bring. Either we go to hell or we go to heaven. Depending on your actions in this live, determines your way into the next." he states matter-of-factly.
"Like the Egypt's … they weighed the heart of the souls after they died." Hermione concludes.
"Exactly."
"Why is that so important?" Dean wants to know, because even without his deal he isn't sure if he would end up in heaven or not.
"Because it is what defines us. Every good deed like every bad deed has his consequences." Sirius declares. He knows that the concept of angels is hard to grasp. Not only of the missing faith, but it is still how the world works, because seeing is not believing. It was hard and easy for him as he learned about this old legend. Part of it was because he was so young, because the normal age to learn about this is the age 21, triple seven. The only exception is the heir of a noble and ancient house. He has to know before he reaches 21, because he has to fulfil his duty as a Head if the old head dies. So Sirius learnt it at 10 because of his youth it was easy to accept, but the hard part was why his whole family would follow the dark arts if hell is the outcome. That doesn't really made sense to him. So he guessed or learned that even if the noble and ancient houses till teach the old ways, they didn't live or believe in them anymore. A thing he wants to change, because he knows that the wizarding world needs to work together to achieve improvement and in his opinion they need some of the old ways to go into the future.
"Why do we don't know that or learn that?" Remus wants to know. He was scholar and he would have studied that if he would have known that such legends where out there.
"You have to be 21 years old and have to be part of a pure-blood family." Andromeda answers him.
"What about the rest?" Hermione asks outraged. She hated that she was excluded from learning things about magic because of her heritage. Even if it isn't true for her anymore, she still is offended.
"It is the way the old world worked." Sirius said, before she could counter anything, he continues. "But we will change that."
"Why 21?" Sam wants to know.
"Seven and three are both magical numbers. Seven is the number of change, change in live influenced by faith. That is the reason why he-who-shall-not-be-named." Sirius hated this euphemism, but it was necessary with the taboo on his name. "Made 7 Horcrux's to challenge faith. Three on the other hand symbols the trinity, everything has three sides. Look at the wizarding world we have on one side the light and on the other the dark, but that's not all, because there is also the in between called grey area if you want to call it that." Andromeda answers for her cousin.
Silence followed and everyone thought about what Sirius and Andromeda told them. They all tried to figure out, what was the quintessence about all this. It was Dean, who had to voice his thoughts first. "So you are telling us, that with every action we take, we have consequences to face and that with that Hallows we could control Death. Who is an angel like Nathaniel and Magic is established by God in a way." He tries to summarize it a bit; it helps him to understand it better.
"Pretty much, but it is more." Sirius looks directly at Dean. "You have to learn that every story is part of history, because let's not forget that story is part of the word history. Everything is connected and part of the world, only this way we can understand it."
Dean wanted to answer, but Andromeda silence him with a glance, because she wanted to add something to Sirius statement. "Siri forget to tell you that your assumption about magic isn't quite correct, because she isn't established by God, but more like an equal. They live in symbioses with each other."
"Thank you Dromeda, sorry I forget that."
"Why is that important?" Sam wants to know.
"As an equal to God she has influence on the world and such determines the faith of some people. You three are the best example." he points at his nephews and his niece. "The three of you are blessed by her and you have some influence on the world."
"Our bond, but why is that so important?" Hermione wants to know.
"We read part of the book, but it wasn't so courteous about that element." Sam continues where Hermione left off.
"That is because it is part of another old legend, which was only written once. I don't know the book, because it is missing, but the story became an oral legend, told from one generation to the next. Siblings of old are very powerful there always are three, two brothers and one sister." Andromeda says and looks at Sirius to start with the story.
For a moment Sirius looked at all of them and their expectant faces, before he starts the story with a smile on his face. "Once upon a time there where three siblings, two brothers and a girl, their little sister. They lived in a small village on a farm they inherited from their parents, who died while they still where young. The oldest was the caretaker of the family and with the help of his two years younger brother they raised their little sister. Who grew over time into a beautiful, smart woman. The three of them loved each other very much.
They shared a secret from the people in the village they lived in. They could do magic. They don't know why they got those abilities, but learned not to question it, it was part of them. But because of the fear of the unknown all the people in the village shared they kept their magic to themselves.
But as one day a prince asked the oldest for his sister's hand in marriage, he had to decline. Not only couldn't they afford the drowsy for his sister, because they work on the farm only get them by. But also he didn't want such a marriage for his sister; she should have the possibility to marry for love. But above all else he knew that he couldn't protect her should the secret be discovered.
No wasn't an answer the prince wanted to hear. As a prince he had his own conception what he could have and what not. He definitely wanted her, so he ordered one of his servants to kidnap her in the middle of the night and to bring her to him. So in the middle of the night the young servant entered the farm house to take the girl, but as he touches her, her magic protects her and flings the intruder into the wall. The noise woke her and her brothers, as they enter the servant was already on his feet and out of the window, before the brothers even could stop him.
They all knew that they were discovered and that fleeing would be their only change to keep them all save. The collected everything they would need, but they were not fast enough, because as soon as the servant reported what has transpired the prince was on a war path. With his guardsmen he came to the house to arrest her as the siblings finally were ready to leave.
The brothers tried to keep her save but the prince used force to execute his orders. She was arrested and escorted to the marketplace where the prince wanted to burn her on a stick. It was dawn and life was already blooming as the prince judged her as witch and as such she had to be burned. They tied her to the stick and set it on fire.
But they prince as well as the present mass of prospectors didn't know that her brother were like her and wouldn't let her go. The jumped on the stick with her as the fire reaches her and them. They didn't feel the pain or fear only worry for their sister. All of them were on fire but their bond saved them, magic was their guide.
But the rest of the onlookers weren't so lucky, the whole village burned to the ground, as they were judged by magic for their actions. The siblings where the only survivors and decided to still go into hiding, but would educate the world about magic under different names. That was the day that Merlin, Morgana and Circe were born."
Silence followed the story; especially the siblings were affected by it. They have to come to terms with the fact that they are blessed in a special way. It almost felt like it was their story that they heard, like it was their first life and now they got a chance for second one. But still some things don't add up. Especially for Sam and Hermione, who have read about the Legends of Arthur, which is originated in the muggle world. They question it, because of one element. "But according to the legend Morgana la Fey was a dark witch?" Sam points out.
"And not only in the muggle world. The wizarding world also sees her as a dark witch too." Hermione continues for him, because that is a point he can't know now, they don't really cover any history of magic in their training sessions.
"That is partly true, that there are still some things missing." Sirius tells them.
"Meaning?" Hermione wants to know.
"That there is always more than one thing to the story and the muggle legend about Arthur isn't correct or better missing some things." Andromeda tells them.
"You see after the siblings started to travel, the met Uther Pendragon and his son Arthur. For Morgana and Arthur it was love at first sight. But his father didn't want a commoner, even someone with magical powers, as an in-law. So he forbade them the contact with each other and pressed for the marriage with Genève … to say that Arthur and Morgana were unhappy, would be an understatement … Her brothers tried to help and befriended Arthur, but it didn't change a thing, because he still was only the prince and the word of the king was the law. Alike Uther had somehow connections to the wizarding world and used love potions on his son to make him amenable to his suggestions and fall in love with his wife. At the same time he tried to poison his daughter in law and put the blame on Morgana."
"So that started the she is a dark witch propaganda, but if we know she didn't do it, why is still considers as a dark in wizarding history?" Hermione wants to know, because she can't understand it.
"Because she got darker with time." Sirius tells her matter-of-factly. Why lie about such things it wouldn't do any good. They need to learn that everyone, who is considered good can turn evil and even if someone is evil he can become good again with the right incentive. True, that happens not as often as the other version, but it is still possible.
"Why?" Hermione tries to dig deeper.
"The reason for it was a broken heart. After Merlin could stop the potions in Arthurs system, which only happened after he finally became King, because Uther had died. But as the King Arthur couldn't divorce his wife, but he took Morgana as his mistress and they lived like that for some years. Until the day Morgana learnt that she had fallen pregnant … Normally a happy occasion, but faith would cross them. Because Genève alike was pregnant with Arthurs child … Until this day Morgana believed that the man she loves would only lay in her bed, even if he had a wife." Sirius stops for a moment. Infidelity is something he never would do. For him love means to be unconditionally and that you wouldn't hurt your lover. Because after you hurt the person you love, it brings that person through the edge and from there it isn't easy to come back from. Even small nothingness's let you fall down a dark path. He may have been a player in his youth, but he never cheated. "So she left him with her unborn son. But Arthur wouldn't let her, considering he needed an heir and it wasn't clear if Genève would carry a son nor if he would survive. So he imprisoned Morgana after he couldn't convince her that he only loved her. But he only kept her in this state until his son was born and took him away from her." he continues. Nothing is more hurtful than taking away a child from his mother. "That broke her." he concludes his explanation.
"What?" Hermione was outraged no-one should go through something like that especially no mother.
"What did her brothers do?" Dean wants to know at the same time. This child wouldn't only have been the son of Morgana, but the nephew of Merlin and Circe and with that he was family. You don't turn your back on family.
It was Andromeda, who answered. She really felt for Morgana as a mother, but her actions can't be justified with that. "Merlin tried to reason with Arthur for Mordred's sake. But it didn't work, because Genève's child died a day after his birth. So the brothers decided to kidnap Mordred and hide him from both his parents, because at this point Morgana has vanquished whole villages in her grieve. She was inconsolable and the darkness poisoned her heart. But the price for Mordred safety was that Merlin had to stay behind and put the King under a memory spell to keep him from looking for his son. … In the end it came to a fight between the siblings. Merlin and Morgana fought and he killed her. He could kill her, because she wasn't considered a sister of the brothers anymore, their bond was broken. But Merlin died with her, because of the guilt for killing his flesh and blood. Circe on the other hand stayed hidden with his nephew Mordred, who he by now called Salazar." That got the rooms attention. They all couldn't believe what they heard.
Surprisingly it was Remus, who voiced his thoughts first. "Are you telling us that Morgana is the mother of Salazar Slytherin and his father was a muggle, even if he was King Arthur."
"Yeah." Sirius and Andromeda answer in tandem.
"Why don't we know that?" Remus asks again.
""Isn't he one of the founders of Hogwarts?" Dean asks after he connected the information's in his head. History never was his strong suit, even if there was action in it, it still was boring. But he knew that name was important and not only because of his connections with Hogwarts. There was something else about him that was important, it was at the edge of his awareness, but he couldn't reach it.
"To answer your question first, Remus." Sirius looks him in the eyes. "Salazar made sure that that information got removed. Only a handful people or families know, now days. The Black family is one of them, because one of our ancestors helped him remove it. Even if he was obliviated after that, we Blacks are cunning as we came." he said with a mischievous smile, Andromeda wore the same smile on her face. "He had left some memories behind in his pensieve, because he knew that Salazar would use the memory charm on him. So after he visited the memories, he stored them in the family vault and wrote all the information down in the diary of the Lord, which is past down form Lord to Lord. But the whole family knew about that, because the ancestors used it to fuel the hatred against muggles this way."
"That is why Slytherin discriminated muggle-borns, they reminded him of what his father did to his mother." Hermione concludes. That turned on a light in Deans head, because that information was what he couldn't reach.
"But wouldn't be Morgana itself be a muggle-born?" Sam wants to know. He still was new to the whole blood status thing, but the legend never gave away where the three siblings originate from, was it the wizarding world or the muggle world?
"That is unclear, but the assumption is that they were purebloods, but decided to leave the wizarding world … We don't know if it is true." Andromeda answers him.
"But an indicator that this is true is that muggle-born siblings are not very common, there are just two cases with magical siblings, who are muggle-borns in the last millennia." Sirius points out.
"Yeah I forget that." Andromeda says.
"Okay, but one of the meanings of this legend beside the bond, is that we all can go dark?" Harry asks. Until now he was silent and worked his way through everything that has been said. To go dark is one of his fears and also one of the insults they always came his way if something was going wrong in his close proximity, like the whole chamber of secrets thing or Sirius escaping form Azkaban and even the whole carrying a part of Voldemort's soul in his mind. Those things aren't helping against his fear. On the contrary they nurture it.
He wasn't the only one with the fear of going dark. Dean felt like that since he knew that Demons were toured souls from hell. He feared that he would become the things he hunted some day and that scared him shitless. A similar line of thought runs through Sams head. To have demon blood in his body felt like the same as having part of a soul from an evil wizard in his mind to him. It was terrifying and he feared that he would go dark someday, because of it. Even Remus felt this fear since he become a werewolf.
Sirius felt some of the insecurities through the house. They are connected, the family and the house. The feelings were transferred to the Head of the house, because the house felt the need that he needed to know what the family members feel in this moment. They need his reassurance. But even without the input of the house, he still would know that his son and nephews fear it. Hell he even knows that Remus fells that way, because he dealt with his angst since they were teenagers, so he knows what to look for. "All of us can become dark, if we are pushed hard enough in one direction or the other. But we as a family won't let that happen to anyone of us." he reassures them by looking from one face to other to drive his point home. He hopes that his reassures helps them.
But of course when was it ever that easy. "But Merlin and Circe couldn't do that for their sister." Harry points out. He maybe not as smart as Hermione or Sam, but he still has his moments, like now.
"That is true, but there is a difference between them and us." Sirius declares in a hard voice.
"Such as?" Dean asks.
"We all fear to go dark and would do anything from letting it happen … or?" He deliberately staged his statement as a question. He wants that they think about it and learn that as long as they will go the path with caution and watch their actions, the other one will not cross them. But they have to conclude that for themselves, because telling them will do them no good. He can't always be there to be their safety net, to believe in them that they really can stay on the good side. They have to believe in themselves first. Only this way his believing in them will work.
They all thought about it and come to similar conclusions. It doesn't matter if they could go dark one way or the other as long as they know that is a possibility they can prevent it from happening. All their lives they all tried to do good and happen to take some bad actions with good intentions, but they always felt guilty for it. As long as they assess their actions along moral lines they should be on the right side. They also know that this family even if its name is Black, would do all to come out into the light.
"Yeah." was Dean short answer for all them, because they all agreed with a nod.
Being good isn't easy, but the whole family would try to achieve that goal whether alone or together. The dark will not welcome them, because they are happy on the light side of things. They ate the sandwiches and drank the tea in silence. It was uncomfortable, but calm to share the fears with the family and learn about history. They all were in their own worlds.
The Black Family once again will define history, but this time it will be on the side of the light. But first they all need to come to terms with what they have learned today and how they can use this new knowledge to create a better world. The first step would be to get rid of Voldemort; all were in agreement on that one. So the Dark Lord should be wary, because the Black Family will be his downfall like faith and magic has for seen it.
PLEASE REVIEW - I hope you like what I came up with.