A.N.: Another update for you all!
Eldest of the Pleiades
Fair Warning
"If we want to reach King's Cross in time, we should probably head off now," Remus said, checking his old pocket-watch, and Sirius was not alone in gazing yearningly at the platters and tureens of food still assembling on the table. They knew Dumbledore was on his way to perform the Fidelius Charm, protecting the location of the property as the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix; they had agreed amongst themselves to meet at King's Cross - and have a little talk with Harry's family.
As he needed to retain his disguise, there were too many children for Remus to Side-Along Apparate with: Sirius transformed into a dog, and they set off on foot toward King's Cross station. He kept pace with Remus, watching Maia and Rigel, who walked ahead with Opal between them, holding their hands, and letting them lift her and swing her occasionally. They navigated the busy streets easily, used the Muggle crossings as if they were second-nature, and barely got a second-glance in spite of Maia's glowing hand; any double-takes were because of the teenagers' good looks, and their laughter as they chatted amongst themselves.
Just by the way they spoke to each other, Sirius could tell they were more than just siblings; they were friends. Remus had told him, last year, that Ellaria had raised them to think of each other as friends, first, then family. It was lovely to see it, though.
By the time they reached the station, Maia had removed her leather jacket, and Rigel was complaining about sweating in all the wrong places because he was wearing jeans - the sun had appeared a couple of weeks ago, and Muggle and Wizard newspapers alike were threatening the hottest summer for decades. They had paused only long enough for Maia to take a pot out of her tiny, Extended handbag and slather lotion all over Opal and her brother, before herself, offering it to Remus, protecting them from the sunlight: it smelled delicately like honey, saltwater, ice-cream and sun-warmed grass - evoking memories of holidays at the beach and summer picnics with the Potters.
King's Cross, always a busy station, and having recently undergone extensive Muggle refurbishments, was heaving with people. The fact that most of them seemed out of the ordinary did not bother the Muggles who, in this day in age, and in this city, were used to absurd fashion trends and unusual appearances, and anyway, barely glanced up from the glowing tablets in their hands to offer their tickets to a machine admitting them to the Underground, let alone gawp at a small family with a birdcage on top of a trolley laden with trunks, or the loudly-laughing cluster of girls appearing out of nowhere, who had obviously taken the barrier at a run, and had spent their train-journey magically altering their appearances so one sported a vibrant fuchsia faux-hawk, and another, a multihued mane somewhat resembling tutti-frutti ice-cream.
Gradually, in pairs and trios, Hogwarts students trickled through the barrier from Platform 9 ¾ with their trunks, cat-baskets and birdcages, greeting Muggle family members, the station gradually emptying, though an onslaught from the Muggle train-service from Edinburgh arrived, everyone dashing for the Tube. Sirius sat patiently, watching, and he thought he saw a young girl who resembled Hermione somewhat, standing with a pretty woman with Hermione's natural curls and her husband, who exuded warmth, his enormous smile glowing from his dark face, and chuckled richly as he played with his daughter.
Beyond them, looking thoroughly irritable and muttering darkly about the lack of seating, the uncomfortable heat and the dangerous excess of foreigners, were Harry's uncle and aunt, and their son, who resembled a small walrus and was steadily eating shrivelled-looking burgers from a brown paper bag, and complaining they weren't big enough, his milkshake tasted odd and they haven't given him enough chips.
It was the red hair and dreadlocks that caught his attention, and he watched Ellaria materialise from Platform 9 ¾ quietly talking with an anxious, pale-faced Mrs Weasley. They were followed by and an onslaught of Weasleys, the twins rambunctious in their enthusiasm for the start of the summer holidays. Ron and Hermione followed, with Ginny panting as she caught up, materialising through the barrier alone; finally, Harry appeared, with the young Auror from the night of the Third Task - Tonks - whose hair, today, was amethyst-purple and curled beautifully to her shoulders. She was dressed casually, and could have been anyone's big-sister fresh from a punk gig; she laughed softly at something asked her by Harry, who gazed at her eagerly; she shook her head at him, shrugging apologetically, and guided him over to the rest of the Weasleys. Mad-Eye Moody - the real one - brought up the rear, a bowler-hat pulled low over his magical eye, and accompanied by Madam Bones in a tailored Muggle suit.
With a shout of delight, the little girl playing with her father ran for the group, tripped, and collided with Hermione's legs, squeezing her ankles hard. The twins laughed, hauling the girl to her feet. She beamed up at Hermione, her body thrumming with excitement; Hermione looped an arm around the shoulders of the girl who was undeniably her sister, as their parents approached, each getting a warm hug out of their daughter. Even over the din, he heard a cat hissing in the basket on top of Hermione's trunk, and he stalked closer, to poke his nose at the basket, chuffing gently. Crookshanks' squashed face appeared, and his hisses turned into deep purrs.
For a good few minutes, there was a general din as the Weasleys called loud goodbyes to school-friends just exiting the platform; Rigel introduced himself to the twins, whom he had heard of from cousins who attended Hogwarts; Mrs Granger talked seriously with Mrs Weasley; Remus chatted with Hermione's father; Ginny was talking animatedly to young Ursula Granger, who sat on Harry's trunk, staring avidly as Ginny told her about the Triwizard Tournament; Mad-Eye berated Fred Weasley for improper wand concealment as a small box of No-Heat, Wet-Start fireworks, which had eluded the end-of-term party earlier in the week, were accidentally set off, to the consternation of passing Muggles and the yellow-vested security guards, and Crookshanks took off, his fur on end, hissing and spitting at the fireworks; he had been aided and abetted out of his basket by Opal, who stood wincing guiltily as Ron tripped over Ginny's trolley to chase after the cat, who streaked past George, between Mrs Weasley's legs, darted out of range of Mad-Eye's staff, but skidded to a halt, lifting his nose, tail flicking warily, as Maia squatted down in front of him, murmuring to him. She held out her knuckles for him to scent, and he purred loudly, allowing her to tenderly stroke his ears. Gathering him up like a baby, Crookshanks purred deeply in Maia's arms as she brought him over to Hermione.
She gave Opal a gentle, authoritative look.
"I'm sorry," the little girl apologised to Hermione, who stowed a reluctant Crookshanks back in his basket.
"We all here?" Mad-Eye grunted. "Shall we get on with it?"
"Yes, I think so," Lupin said, glancing past Mrs Weasley at the Dursleys, who looked positively mortified that such an unusual group of people who were blatantly other had assembled so nearby.
"Harry," Ellaria called gently, gesturing for him, and Rigel grinned as he commandeered Harry's trolley from him, laden with his trunk and Hedwig's cage, Opal perched on the end, beaming as they whizzed towards the Dursleys, as if Rigel was aiming for them like a game of ten-pins. Ellaria led the way, hands on Harry's shoulders as they paused to allow a large group of Chinese tourists past, and stopped short of Mr and Mrs Dursley, who looked horrified that Harry was part of such a group. Most of them had trailed after Ellaria and Harry. Sirius padded up to Ellaria's side, sitting beside Harry like a sentinel.
"Good afternoon," said Ellaria politely, as Mad-Eye stumped behind, and Tonks grinned and started teasing Opal, causing a ruckus when she accidentally dislodged Hedwig's cage, which was luckily caught by Remus before bird and cage could be harmed. "You will not know me; we have never met. I am Ellaria Scamander, Mrs Dursley, your sister and I fought together during the War. She and James named me Harry's godmother when he was born."
Perhaps it was her dreadlocks; or her effortlessly cool clothing; or her mismatched eyes and scars; or her blackness - but the Dursleys looked morbidly offended that she was speaking to them, in exceedingly polite accents of a highly-educated upper-class Englishwoman.
"You will perhaps be aware, Mrs Dursley, of the practical reasons why I was not a greater presence in Harry's younger life…" She trailed off, and the politeness belied a growing anger that seemed to make the air around them crackle. "However, I am very pleased that certain circumstances have allowed me to return to Harry's life. You may remember my husband's escape from the Wizard prison Azkaban, two summers ago? The Muggle news ran reports on him for months. Sirius Black. I understand you are aware that he is Harry's godfather."
Mr Dursley spluttered; Mrs Dursley glanced over her shoulder, as if anxious one of her friends might witness her in such company.
"These are our children, Maia and Raja, and this is Opal," Ellaria said gently, still in the same benign, polite tone that dared the Dursleys to raise their voices to her. Internally, Sirius smirked; Ell was always at her most dangerous when she was at her most polite. It used to infuriate him that she could keep her head in an argument. Rigel, perched precariously on the wheels of the trolley, grinned and smirked as he saluted the Dursleys mockingly; Opal dimpled from Tonks' back, where she had climbed for a piggy-back ride - Tonks' hair seemed to offend Mrs Dursley more than anything else - and, exchanging the tiniest of looks with her mother, Maia raised her scaled and glowing hand to wave with all the elegance of an empress.
The Muggles' eyes bulged at the sight of her hand; and Maia's delicate smile told them all that she was enjoying the Dursleys' reaction to her short hemline, to the colourful and elaborate Zouwu tattoo on her right upper-arm, to her dark skin and nose-ring and intricate braids and multiple earrings and generally being the walking, talking, wand-wielding stuff of the offensively-conservative Muggles' worst nightmares.
"I am delighted that the children can finally meet. It is about time they get to know one another. Maia and Raja will be popping in to Little Whinging off and on throughout the summer…" Something changed in Ellaria then, the crackling atmosphere seemed to intensify, though she stood, elegant and lethal and polite, smiling gently at the Muggles. "My children are wonderfully intuitive…should they have the tiniest apprehension of mistreatment or neglect -"
"And believe me, we will hear of it," Remus said gently.
"- you'll have us to deal with," Moody said.
"Are you threatening me?" Mr Dursley said, loudly enough for passers-by to hear.
"Yes, we are," said Moody, who seemed delighted Mr Dursley had caught on so quickly. Grinning, the scarred Auror pushed his bowler-hat back on his head, revealing his sinister magical-eye as he leered, enjoying the effect on Mr Dursley, who stepped back hastily, goggling.
"And I assure you, we are more difficult to intimidate than your average nine-year-old boy," Ellaria said coldly, holding Mr Dursley's eye, until the enormous man shuddered and looked away, muttering. Mrs Dursley looked flustered and a little embarrassed, but not nearly as much as she should be. "Now…I'd like a moment with Harry, if you don't mind… Maia, Raja…" She beckoned her children, who strode idly past the Dursleys, smirking and antagonising them with their obvious otherness, Rigel grabbing the brown paper bag in Dudley's hand to sniff inside, crinkle his nose in disgust and thrust it back, and Sirius panted as he kept pace with Ellaria, who had steered Harry a few paces away.
"Harry… I'm only going to ask once, because you've proven you can handle yourself, but please…take care of yourself," Ellaria said quietly, keeping eye-contact with Harry. "I don't want to sound like a paranoid Auror, but, with all things considered, I want you to treat every situation with a healthy amount of scepticism. And please don't stay out after dark. Madam Bones has arranged for protection for you and your family in Little Whinging, but you are still incredibly vulnerable. It would not be beneath the Death Eaters to reuse Crouch's ploy and impersonate someone to get to you. So when Maia and Raja arrive via the Knight Bus, I want you to be sure of their true identities before you step foot outside your aunt's house."
"Er - how -?"
Ellaria turned to Maia, who reached inside her tiny handbag, and handed something to Harry, a small palm-sized parcel wrapped in paper with Hungarian Horntail dragons inked over enormous embossed Snitches that shimmered in the light.
Rigel grinned, stepped up to Harry, already taller, and startled the older boy when he shoved his hand through Harry's fringe, pushing his hair away from his face.
"Wow…it really is gruesome!" Rigel said, staring avidly at the raised, pinkish, angry-looking lightning bolt speared across Harry's forehead. Rigel grinned easily. "Is that why you haven't had a decent haircut in years?" Sirius barked softly, amused.
"Leave him alone, Raja," Maia said quietly, rolling her eyes.
"He is right, you do need a haircut," Ellaria observed, as Rigel handed Harry another parcel. "And some new glasses. And clothes that actually fit… We'll sort you out when you come to us… When Maia and Raja visit, you'll ask them what they gave you the first time you met." Harry nodded, visibly embarrassed by the unexpected gifts. "Early birthday presents. And Harry - if anyone but Maia or Raja shows up, anyone from the Ministry, or a newspaper, even Ron and Hermione, anyone unexpected, shut the door, and telephone Arabella Figg. Your aunt will have her number."
"Mrs Figg?!" Harry gaped.
Ellaria chuckled softly. "Yes, Harry. Arabella. And if you stop by her house tomorrow, she's made a chocolate cake. She'll explain Madam Bones' precautions. And she absolutely promises not to inflict more photograph albums of her dead cats on you. Though Mr Tibbs is looking worse-for-wear."
"Oh, no," Harry groaned miserably, making Ellaria chuckle softly.
"Come on…oh, look - it looks like Amelia's niece and nephews are off the train," Ellaria said lightly, as they walked back toward the Dursleys. A very pretty girl with blue eyes and a glossy braid down her back was beaming as she hugged Madam Bones; two boys were talking over each other so enthusiastically, Madam Bones chuckled, beaming indulgently at them.
"God, they look like Edgar," gasped Ellaria under her breath, looking at the boys. For a second, she looked fraught. Beside Madam Bones, an older wizard who shared her jaw stood, talking quietly and urgently with Mad-Eye and Remus, who now had Opal swinging from one arm as he held Crookshanks' cage in the other. Tonks was chatting enthusiastically with the twins, who were creased up laughing, tears in their eyes; and Mrs Granger had to separate her reluctant younger daughter from Ginny, who waved, grinning, as the Grangers turned Hermione's trolley toward the exit.
"Well…it's not for long," Hermione said dubiously, glancing at the Dursleys. "Mum's bought me a stamp book, so I'll write by Muggle post as often as I can - but, week after next, I'll be heading to Bulgaria, Mum and Dad have agreed with Mrs Weasley…"
"You're going, then," Harry grinned.
"Well…it will be fascinating," Hermione said, blushing, as Ron snorted.
"Krum was nice," Harry said. "He talked about his cousins when he was in the Hospital Wing. Reckon he wants them to come to Hogwarts instead of Durmstrang."
"Yes, he mentioned that to me, as well," Hermione said. "Well…goodbye, Harry. Be safe."
"And you - travel safe," Harry said, smiling. "Will you owl me when you get to Bulgaria? I expect a detailed report, you know, no fewer than two scrolls."
"You'll regret saying that," Hermione smiled. She did something she never had before, and kissed his cheek, before giving hugs all around, and catching up to her family, looping her arm through her father's, as Ursula wrangled the trolley.
"We'll come and get you as soon as we can," Mrs Weasley promised urgently, pulling Harry into a fierce hug. "You look after yourself, Harry."
"Enjoy the dragon sanctuary. Just try and look at them the way Hagrid does - they're quite cute, really…once you get past the horns," Harry said, and Mrs Weasley chuckled fondly.
"Well…Charlie's decided to devote his life to them, I may as well see what he's so enthusiastic about, even if it's only the once," Mrs Weasley said. She held his face in her hands for a moment, gave him a wistful smile, and nodded, allowing her husband to shake his hand.
"Listen, Harry," George said quietly, when Fred had finished trying to break every bone in his body in a full-body hug. Harry staggered off to the side, massaging his ribs. George looked sincere and abashed for the first time in his life. "Thanks."
"Just get inventing," Harry grinned. The twins exchanged a grin that seemed to barely leash their excitement, eyes dancing, brimming with mischief and possibility. They could do it, they could pursue their life's ambition to open their own joke-shop.
"Not long, and we'll see you again," Ron said anxiously.
"Count on it," Harry said, nodding, and they shook hands.
Moody gripped his shoulder; Remus winked subtly and gave him a huge hug; and Tonks, the Auror, told Harry in an undertone when she briefly hugged him that, "You're brilliant, Harry. Keep your wand on you, alright."
"I will," Harry nodded.
"Not in your back-pocket, boy," Moody growled, scowling at Harry, who got the sense Moody's magical eye was looking right through him, to his jeans pocket. "What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks."
"Who do you know who's lost a buttock?" Tonks asked curiously, glancing down behind Mad-Eye, pulling a thoughtful face. "Well - Harry, here… Alright, got your owl? Your trunk? Both buttocks still attached? Off you go…"
Anyone he hadn't hugged or shaken hands with grinned and waved as Harry wheeled his trunk toward the Dursleys, who stood mortified but begrudging, waiting for him. Ellaria's and Mad-Eye's threats still echoing in his mind, he grinned and waved at Susan Bones, who was walking out of the station with her parents and Madam Bones and caught his attention, smiling at him. Sirius panted as he kept pace with the trolley, until they reached the car-park and Uncle Vernon's large, boxy car - a shining new 4x4 that was very expensive and which Harry would be privileged to be allowed to ride in on the way back to Privet Drive.
As Uncle Vernon drove off, muttering darkly about the weirdos threatening him and his family, Harry stared back out of the window, where the enormous grey-eyed black dog had transformed into a man, flanked by Remus and by Ellaria, watching them drive away. Sirius, looking very solemn, raised a hand in farewell, and Harry, grinning, waved back.
"He'll be alright," Remus said quietly.
"We'll get him out as soon as we can," Ellaria murmured comfortingly.
"As soon as the place is fit to live in," Sirius sighed. Returning inside, the Weasleys had left, as had Mad-Eye: Tonks remained, chatting animatedly with Rigel.
Tonks glanced over, and said, "Molly was anxious about being in the open. Arthur says he'll stop by later, after everyone's settled at the Burrow. Mad-Eye's gone ahead. Amelia just wants a cup of tea with her niece and nephews before she joins us. Says she'll eat with us."
"Are you staying for dinner, too?"
"I've never got the hang of household spells," Tonks said, grinning easily. "But I can only stand so much cheese on toast, and every time I go over to Mum's she asks when I'm going to start dressing business-appropriately." She rolled her eyes, and Sirius barked a laugh.
"I could tell you stories about your mum that would make your hair turn white," Sirius said, grinning.
"Please do! I've been waiting my whole life for leverage! You've no idea how curious she is about you," Tonks told him, grinning. "When I told her you were innocent…"
"We should go," Remus said quietly, glancing at his pocket-watch. "Dumbledore should have finished by now, he will be expecting us."
There were enough adults, this time: Ellaria took Rigel's hand, Remus took Opal's, and Tonks beamed as she offered Maia hers. Sirius held Crookshanks' basket, and together they Disapparated, reappearing in Grimmauld Place. Though still bright, and hot, the sun had sunk behind a row of townhouses, casting shadows across the street - helped perhaps by Dumbledore, who wore inky midnight robes that glittered softly with silver, waiting, humming placidly as he sat on a bench by the edge of the dry lawn in the centre of the square, looking thoroughly out of place.
Sirius glanced over at the house - his eyes slid from Number 11 to Number 13.
Crookshanks was hissing in his basket; he didn't appreciate Apparating, which was fair. The sound drew Dumbledore's attention, and the ancient wizard rose with an elegance that seemed out of place with his age.
"Good evening," he said, approaching them. Opal was wincing, her fingers stuck in her ears; and Rigel looked nauseated.
"I never get used to it," he moaned, hands on his knees. His mother rolled her eyes behind him, amused, as Maia helped Tonks out of a bush she had stumbled into.
"Dumbledore," Sirius nodded.
"How was King's Cross?"
"Busy," Remus said. "We sent Harry off with the Dursleys, with no issues."
"And I've told Harry to go and see Arabella," Ellaria mentioned.
"Excellent," Dumbledore smiled benignly. "Oh…you will all find the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place." Sirius glanced around, and the silver ouroborous knocker appeared in the centre of a peeling black door. The rest of the house materialised out of nowhere, seemingly pushing the two houses either side out of its way.
Once before, Sirius had seen a home materialise out of nowhere like that… He swallowed, and sighed softly to himself, as Ellaria brushed against him, her fingers finding his, squeezing gently.
They were not the first to arrive: The kitchen was full of witches and wizards from all walks of life, many more than had ever been part of the Order the first time around. There were many new faces, like Florean Fortescue and Madam Rosmerta, who had been brought in only in the last year by Dumbledore himself; but there were familiar faces, too, like Elphias, who greeted Sirius warmly, like a beloved great-uncle who might slip him a bottle of port if he was feeling benevolent. There was Sturgis, and a pile of rags turned out to be, not more washing carried downstairs by Dashy, but Mundungus Fletcher. There were a couple of teenagers Sirius recognised from Hogwarts, from his time tailing Harry; Viktor Krum was talking quietly to a very wan Mrs Diggory; half the Hogwarts teaching staff had gathered, though not Hagrid; and, Sirius glanced sharply at her, wishing she had given him a fair warning, Ellaria's surviving family.
All of them. Her effortlessly cool brother Perseus, her sister Melanthe, who was the height of elegance in a tailored set of robes, perfectly made up as Sirius always remembered her; their partners were with them, and their grandfather, Theseus Scamander, who looked intimidating, no-nonsense and tyrannical, battle-scarred, grumpy in old-age, but was one of the most brilliant minds of the age, and had a heart of the purest gold.
Theseus approached him, rested his hands on Sirius' shoulders to look sadly into his face, and pulled him into a firm embrace.
"Still a hugger?" Sirius mumbled, clearing his throat.
"You've been missed, Sirius," was all Theseus said, and he cupped Sirius' face before pouring him a glass of wine from the decanter on the table, handing it to him. Sirius glanced across the room, where a horde of children and teenagers had increased the volume in the room by decibels.
They were all Scamanders, he thought; children, and young-adults, teenagers. In the faces of some, Sirius thought he recognised children he had long ago babysat - the daughters of Perseus and Benjen's orphaned sons - but there were a few others he didn't know, younger ones. They cheered when Maia and Rigel appeared with Opal, rushing out of their seats, to hug each other viciously and prance about in a kind of war-dance, swarming around their cousins like bees drawn to wildflowers, and Sirius for the first time saw Maia transform, relaxed, unguarded, brimming with confidence and enthusiasm as her cousins vied for her attention with stories and magazines, and Rigel was in his element, laughing loudly and teasing his younger cousins, who were trying to steal from the table, which was groaning with food.
A succulent roast chicken set itself, nestled among the crispiest-looking roast-potatoes, between three bowls of vibrant salads - one corn, one couscous and one cold pasta - and a tiered cake-stand filled with fresh peaches, tiny pinkish-orange pastry parcels, halved pomegranates, sticky balls of stem ginger and pink petit-fours topped with a single raspberry. He noticed a lamb hotpot sat beside a spicy prawn curry; and a decadently savoury dish of fresh egg pasta with a rich meat sauce steamed next to a tiny silver bowl of unusual liquorice pieces; garlicky creamed Brussels sprouts with breadcrumbs and parmesan hissed beside a salad of fennel, red onion, fresh red chillies, radish, pomegranate arils, coriander, feta cheese crumbles and tiny strips of tortilla chips; a tower of Viennese whirls sat beside a beef and barley stew.
"I think," said Dumbledore quietly, and the room groaning with people fell silent, "we are at full-capacity. Before our first meeting gets underway, let us not deprive ourselves of the excellent cooking of Patmore and Roux." He turned and gave the two house-elves at the range a formal bow; they gaped, and beamed, shiny-faced and overwhelmed, curtsying.
"Finishing touches, if you please, Miss Maia," said Patmore, as she set down the last steaming platter of pork-loin medallions cooked in creamy mushroom sauce. They all climbed into seats at the magically-extended table, even the house-elves, who nodded and smiled at the witches and wizards who sat beside them.
"If you'd like," said Maia, surveying the table; she flicked her wand delicately. Snodgrass sighed wistfully as several small, painted vases overflowing with pure white ornamental flowers appeared, nestling themselves on the table with tea-light candles in crystal holders. The rest of the room seemed to darken cosily, a delicate breeze sighed from nowhere in particular, cooling them down as they sat sweating at the table, and out of her handbag, Maia produced the smallest wireless Sirius had ever seen, sleek, with softly curved edges and silver finishes. She pressed a button, turned a dial, and Solomon Burke started playing, according to the Radio Rock disc-jockey.
As ever, Sirius listened out of the corner of his ear to the different Radio Rock presenters and their distinctive programmes, his stomach hurting as memories flooded over him.
"This all looks excellent," said Remus, as Dumbledore threw his long silver beard over his shoulder, so as not to get any food in it.
"I've never seen some of these dishes," Sirius confessed, peering along the table at the vibrant, spiced dishes.
Somehow Sirius found himself sat beside Opal; Maia, sat on her other side, had conjured a tall chair with a small seat, perfectly sized to her. Her legs swung freely as she politely asked for a spoonful of this and that, and Sirius learned through her what the dishes were, and sometimes, where she and her family had tried them, which were Rigel's and Maia's favourites, and which dish Mummy loved.
He learned that Opal had been adopted by Ellaria when she was three years old.
Her hand glowing softly, Maia helped cut up Opal's food where it was needed, and Sirius kept an ear on her conversation with her cousins as they asked eagerly about "a reading - we haven't had one in ages, I've got so many articles for The Talon!" "Have you invented anything new? We need to do a wash-day, I've got new styles to try out!" - while also trying to listen in on Rigel's conversation with Viktor Krum, about the Durmstrang ship and a Bulgarian sweet-shop and the Muggle musicians being played on the wireless.
It was one of the most memorable and unusual meals of his life - and not just because it was the first time in nearly fourteen years that he had sat at any kind of meal with anyone, let alone a small feast. Listening to Muggle musicians, sampling unusual foreign dishes, sharing them with over a half-dozen house-elves, and sat eating, not only with his wife, one of his two best-friends, and some of the most exceptional witches and wizards of the age, but with his estranged children for the first time since their infancy.
When the meal had finished, it was Maia and Rigel who stood up first, without being asked, flicking their wands, so that the dishes started to levitate either to the sink, where soap-suds suddenly appeared, or to the pantry and chilly larder, where the leftovers were properly stored. Everything worked seamlessly, pots and pans and crockery putting themselves away on shelves or inside the butler's pantry cabinets. Sirius was struck by the ease with which the two siblings performed Nonverbal magic, Rigel already far more advanced than Harry, Ron and Hermione, who were all older.
The only things left on the tables were the candles, the flowers, and the jugs of juice and cordial; as teapots and coffee-pots nestled themselves along the table with antique porcelain tea-services, the atmosphere in the room changed.
"Alright…shall we rouse the rabble? Where are my great-grandchildren? Off with you," said Theseus Scamander brusquely, but his lips twitched, giving him away. All but the eldest of his great-grandchildren sprang up from their chairs, grinning and stifling laughter, thrilled to be excused from adult company so the real fun could start. They each kissed Theseus on their way past him; he was adored.
"Mother…" said Maia, lingering by Ellaria's side. Ellaria gave her daughter a shrewd look, as Maia held out her palm with a commanding look. "The cosmos."
"They worked beautifully."
Maia clicked her tongue. "You have so much to learn. Things can always be improved!" Ellaria grinned, digging inside the pocket of her jacket. She revealed the plain wooden box Sirius recognised as the ones housing the glowing marbles that had recorded Crouch's testimony. She handed it over to Maia, shaking her head fondly. "And the bracelet."
"It - "
"The bracelet," Maia said firmly, arching an eyebrow, and her mother relented, removing a beaded bracelet from her wrist, handing it over.
"You won't get anything off that, I haven't been in any decent confrontations," Ellaria told her.
"I know that; I'm going to give it to Antiope."
"Why?"
"She and Leticia will be trying to murder each other by the end of the week. And Leticia has quicker reflexes," Maia said plainly, and her mother pulled a face, agreeing, as Maia's cousin Antiope gasped, offended, her strong jaw dropping.
"That is just rude," Antiope told her, as Leticia snickered. If Maia and Rigel were a surprise, Antiope was a shock; two months younger than Rigel, she had been a tiny thing the last time Sirius saw her. Now she was tall and slender as a sapling, her hair braided and coiled on top of her head, and she shot her cousin the middle-finger as Maia made her way unprotestingly to the stairs. Antiope and her older sister Leticia argued with their mother about staying for the meeting.
"You've not left school; you are not joining the Order," Okoye told them sternly, in her richly-accented voice, giving them the same kind of quelling look Sirius remembered so vividly; she used to use it to intimidate her opponents on family games-night. No-one dared bluff her during cards. Okoye had changed, too; she had shaved her head completely and no longer wore the gold choker-necklace she used to, instead donning matching wrist-guards of enchanted metal and a delicate gold ear-cuff that glinted against her velvety ebony skin. "Go! Help Maia."
"Help her with what?"
"I don't know - target practice. You might learn how to throw up a Shield Charm," Okoye said firmly, and her daughters growled and cast dark looks at Perseus, their father, who oozed cool and laidback charisma and merely gestured them toward the stairs with a tilt of his chin.
The girls exchanged one dark look, sighed heavily, and reluctantly trudged upstairs, muttering darkly amongst themselves; Sirius thought he heard the name Siobhan, and saw their eldest sister sat at the table, looking slightly smug. "So uncool -"
"Just wait until they find out Imposter Mad-Eye put the Imperius Curse on us during lessons - then they'll be sorry!" Perseus and Okoye started in their seats, glanced toward the stairs, then Dumbledore, their jaws dropping.
"Torin, come on," Opal beamed, tugging on the arm of one of the young-men who still sat at the table, leaning back on two legs in his chair, smiling as Opal tugged at his arm. Tall as an oak tree, he had arms like pythons, a brilliant white smile beaming from his dark face, bearded, intimidating and handsome, Sirius gaped at his unrecognisable nephew.
"'Fraid I have to stay with the boring grown-ups," he sighed, aggrieved. "Promise not to have any fun without me?" From the sound of the kids trampling their way upstairs, a party seemed likely.
Opal grinned mischievously. "I promise."
Torin narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you."
"I wouldn't lie to you, Torin; you're my poppet!" Opal said earnestly, her eyes glittering. Torin narrowed his eyes, nuzzling his nose against hers; she giggled shrilly when he grabbed her unexpectedly, wrapping his arms around her, and blew loud raspberries all over her face and neck. She squealed and thrashed as the raspberries tickled her skin.
"Ugh!" Opal shivered and wiped her face on her skirt when Torin released her into Maia's custody.
"I don't like kissing," Opal confided to Maia, making the adults around them laugh, especially Torin. Torin, whom Sirius gaped at, before turning to Ellaria with a What the…? expression, Torin whom they had babysat, taught to fly; tiny, skinny, shy Torin who loved cuddles and at twelve was understandably afraid of the monster under his bed, given how his parents had died.
Torin beamed when Opal turned at the foot of the stairs, sighed, "Bye, Tory."
"Bye, Opie," he cooed back wistfully, waving, and making several of the women sat around him swoon, eyeing him up like a rack of ribs.
"Upstairs to the drawing-room with the lot of you," croaked Kreacher, who chided the kids out of the room, and took Opal's hand as she approached the stairs and started to climb.
"You're her poppet," Sirius smirked at Torin.
"Hello, Uncle Sirius," said Torin, grinning.
"Did Theseus overdose you on Skelegrow?"
And those python-like arms tried to crush every bone in Sirius' body as his nephew grabbed him in a hug that made him stagger back, clutching his ribs: Torin had always been his favourite. His nephew, through Ellaria. There had been Rydstrom, Torin, Siobhan and Leticia by the time Maia was born, he remembered. And more had come after, apparently. Rydstrom and Talon had already been orphaned by the time Maia was born, Rydstrom an angry fifteen and Torin, twelve and traumatised into muteness; they had lived with their great-grandfather, Theseus, who had relied on his grandchildren to help him get through to their nephews when he couldn't. Sirius had encouraged the bond between Torin and Maia; his cuddles with the infant seemed to calm whatever internal battles Torin was fighting.
He was glad at least that now, Torin seemed to have healed. He was laidback and grinning, charismatic and confident. He had the love, respect and admiration of his younger cousins.
A lot had changed since Sirius went to Azkaban.
He had missed…too much.
Kreacher had returned, and taken up a solemn vigil behind Ellaria, before Dumbledore began, closing and magically sealing the kitchen door.
"You might want to double-check, Dumbledore… Maia's had enough time to give even the silverware ears…"
A.N.: So apparently Scamander, from ancient Greek Skamandros, was a river god, and like the river, I like the idea that the family's fortunes ebbs and flows, for example, members of Theseus' family being killed during different wars, but many children being born to the survivors. The family gets smaller and bigger… I've created fourteen Scamander cousins, including Maia, Raja and Opal, of varying ages, though you'll only see glimpses of some, and mention of others.