Genre: General
Ratings: M
Warnings: Domestic Violence, Language
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe and everything within it belongs to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Warner Brothers, and several other entities. The excerpts at the end are from Scamp: Adventures of a Little Puppy-a Walt Disney Little Golden Book by Annie North Redford. Any original characters that might appear throughout this story belong to me unless otherwise stated. This is a labor of love and I'm not making any money from it.
"Now today, as an extra special treat, I am going to teach you all about Gellert Grindelwald, the most powerful wizard of all time…"
Sirius heard his ancestor's trumpet-like voice parroting through the portrait, but his mind was too muddled to register what he was saying. Besides, "Old Grindels" (as Uncle Alphard not-so affectionately called him) had been a household name for as long as Sirius could remember.
The closest Sirius had ever felt to his father had been when Regulus had been four and he had been five. In the evenings, Orion would often call both boys into the study, gather them into his green leather wing chair before the fireplace, and read them bedtime stories. The Tales of Beedle the Bard had been among their favorites, of course, but so had another book: The Glorious Quests of Gellert Grindelwald.
The book-which had originally belonged to Orion when he was a boy-was covered in green, embossed with silver, and had that wonderful smell of glue, ink, and leather that most older books do. Sirius had found its many color pictures even more fascinating than with the story itself, which chronicled Grindelwald'sambitious plans for the Wizarding World and his search for the Deathly Hallows. What the book did not include was the story of his defeat, which took place at least ten years after the book was written. But Orion had never failed to tell the boys how horribly the wizard had suffered at the hands of that "filthy muggle-lover" Dumbledore (who had once been his dearest friend) or how he was still suffering horribly in Nurmengard due to his former friend's betrayal!
When the boys were older, Uncle Alphard had pointedly mentioned that there was yet another twist to the tale, and that Grindelwald's "ambitious plans" for their world had put a great many of its members in jeopardy. Both Orion and Walburga had been so furious with Uncle Alphard for "filling the boys' young, innocent heads with such tripe" that they threatened to blast him off of the family tree. Regulus had refused to believe it, and Sirius pretended that he didn't either. But secretly, he found his uncle's version of the story far more believable than his father's; which, of course, was the same rendition Grandfather Phineas was telling now. But…Sirius was trying to stay out of trouble, so he pretended to keep his glazing eyes focused on the man in the portrait, who bantered on…and on…and on…
By some oversight, Kreacher had left the window open just a bit when he had been cleaning, and the crisp October air seeping through the curtains was intoxicating. Sirius wanted to be outside with every fiber of his being…running, climbing, jumping into huge piles of brightly-colored leaves. Then suddenly, the room grew rather cold, as though a blast of winter air had burst out the window pane. Sirius turned his head, and gasped in surprise and delight as the little ghost slipped through the walls, flittering around the room and filling the air with his tinkling laughter.
The little ghost knelt beside Sirius' desk, looked up at him, and smiled. Regulus cringed, and Grandfather Phineas stopped speaking abruptly and glared at the specter.
"Why are you not in the attic where you belong?" Grandfather Phineas admonished.
"Must I stay there all of the time?" asked the little ghost plaintively. "There is nobody…"
"You know the rules!" Grandfather Phineas snapped. "You must stay where the Ministry tells you to stay!"
"But I'm bored!" the little ghost argued. "I want someone to play with!"
"The correct wording is: 'I want someone with whom to play,' and your predicament matters little to me!" Grandfather Phineas snapped again. "It was you who chose to remain behind, you nasty little squib!"
The little ghost hung his head. "Why must you always be so mean?" he asked wistfully. "I only stayed…"
"To become my greatest curse!" Grandfather Phineas spat. "Now, go back to the attic and stay there, or I'll have you reported to the Ministry!"
Sadly, the little ghost floated out of the classroom, sniffling softly as he slipped back through the walls. "Grandfather Phineas…who is that?" Sirius asked.
"I think you mean 'who was that,' and it is not important! Why do you even ask?"
"Just curious," Sirius shrugged. "I've seen him around here before and…"
"Have you?" Grandfather Phineas snapped. "Do tell where!"
"In the attic, and Bellatrix told Regulus that…"
"Any words that falls from Miss Bellatrix's lips should be taken with a grain of salt!" Grandfather Phineas interrupted. "Remember that, and stay out of that attic, both of you, or I will have your father take the strap to your backsides."
"Yes sir," Sirius said glumly.
"Good. Now, on with our lesson now…in 1943..."
In spite of the risks, Sirius didn't know whether he would obey his ancestor or not. The little ghost hardly seemed to be a threat, and Sirius felt sorry for him. He just seemed lonely, and in need of a friend.
Sirius needed a friend too. Somebody his own age, with similar interests. True, he had Regulus. But Reg was his brother, and while Sirius was fond of him, he resented him at the same time, though he dared not admit it, even to himself. Regulus was clearly the preferred son; by their mother and their father and even by Kreacher-a fact that none of them made any effort to hide. They called him "the good son," and "a true Black," because he generally did what he was told, when he was told him to do it. And Sirius…well, was Sirius. Always pushing his boundaries, always getting caught, and always being chastised for it. Only Andromeda and Uncle Alphard seemed to understand how he felt, and they weren't around very often. Sometimes Sirius found himself wishing they were his parents, even more than he longed for a friend. But most of all, he longed for his family to love him for who he was, and to stop trying to mold him into something he wasn't.
And Sirius wasn't sure he even wanted to be like his parents. And as guilty as he felt about it, he sometimes wondered if he truly loved-or even liked them. He remembered-almost blissfully-the week they had been gone. Granted, he hadn't been allowed him to visit Uncle Alphard, but their absence had still been a welcome reprieve. At least there had been shorter lessons, longer playtimes, and no nocturnal screeching and yelling to keep him and Regulus awake. Even Kreacher had been more agreeable by varying the menu a bit and telling the boys stories at bedtime. He even allowed them to play in the fields in the back of the house, as long as they stayed together and didn't mingle with any of the "filthy muggle children" in the neighborhood…
"And so it was that Gellert Grindelwald was defeated by his nemesis, the infamous muggle-lover Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who later lied before the Wizengamot, which directly resulted in poor Grindelwald being unjustly imprisoned in Nurmengard, where he remains to this very…"
Suddenly, Grandfather Phineas shut his eyes as a small white package hit him squarely in the nose. "How dare you throw salt on me, you vile little cretin?" he snarled.
"Happy to see you too…Great Grandfather," came an familiar voice from the doorway.
Sirius turned, his gray eyes brightening, as he recognized the long-haired man in worn blue jeans and a black leather jacket who stood in the doorway, grinning mischievously at Grandfather Phineas. "Uncle Alphard!" he yelped happily. "UNCLE ALPHARD!"
Sirius bolted from his chair and ran to his uncle, who chuckled as he swooped him up into a giant bear hug. Regulus looked on petulantly until Uncle Alphard hugged him too, but as always it was Sirius who Uncle Alphard hugged first, and hugged the longest.
"So…the black sheep returns to the fold?" Grandfather Phineas said wearily.
"Only for Bella's wedding," Uncle Alphard replied. "Sorry to disappoint you."
But it was Sirius' face, not Grandfather Phineas's, that fell.
"What's the matter, Scamp?" Uncle Alphard asked.
"I was hoping we were going someplace," Sirius said sadly.
"We are," Uncle Alphard assured him, handing each boy a box of chocolate frogs and a bag of Bernie Botts Every Flavored Beans. "To Diagon Alley, for new dress robes."
"Really?" asked Sirius and Regulus at the same time.
"Well, you boys are going to be in the wedding party," Uncle Alphard winked. "We can't have you walking down the aisle looking like a couple of ragamuffins in knickerbockers, now can we?"
"Wicked!" Sirius said as Regulus beamed. "However did you talk Mother into it?"
"I have my ways," Uncle Alphard grinned. "Shall we be off?"
Sirius was down the stairs and out the door before his mother-who smelled as she usually did before her "illness" struck-could screech at him for running in the house. Slamming the door behind him, he flew out the open gate and into the street, where something strange and wonderful suddenly caught his attention.
That "something" had two black and silver wheels and a body that was blue and silver and shiny. Attached to its side was something that looked like a large, bluish-white dragon's egg with a wheel of its very own. Sirius moved closer and noticed that the egg had a leather seat inside. He could only stare, awe-stricken, until his brother and uncle caught up to him.
"What do you think of my motorcycle, Scamp!" Uncle Alphard beamed.
"Is that what it is?" Sirius said, his eyes bulging. "What does it do?"
"Come on," Alphard said. "I'll show you! Reg, you probably better ride in the cart. Scamp, you climb up on the seat behind me."
Sirius scrambled up onto the seat behind his uncle as Regulus climbed cautiously into the sidecar. He heard a click, followed by a loud VVROOOOMMMM!
"Hold on tight!" Uncle Alphard yelled over the roar…and suddenly, they were speeding down the street!
Regulus shut his eyes tightly. Sirius kept his own wide open, clutching his uncle around the waist as he processed the action around him. Down the streets of London they roared, weaving in and out of cars that scarcely seemed to notice them. Never before had Sirius ridden in or on anything that moved so swiftly or was roared so loudly, and he was scared and thrilled at the same time. He hugged Uncle Alphard even tighter, and let out a long scream.
"TOO FAST FOR YOU, SCAMP?" Uncle Alphard shouted, over the roar of the engine.
"YEAH!" Sirius roared back. "MAKE IT GO FASTER!"
"THAT'S AS FAST AS SHE'LL GO!" Uncle Alphard roared again. "BUT WATCH THIS…"
Uncle Alphard screeched out of the city and into the country, slowing down as he turned down an old dirt road. Sirius was worried that the ride might be over, but to his delight Uncle Alphard leaned backwards against him. The front wheel lifted off of the ground, then so did the back wheel…and suddenly they were…flying! And Sirius could only stare in wonder at the brilliant tapestry of country and city unfolding beneath him as the autumn wind whipped through his hair…
They circled around London, then touched down on the outskirts of London. Uncle Alphard looked both ways before flipping off what he called "the invisibility booster," then drove at a normal speed through the streets of London before they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.
"I'll need to send Arthur an owl…tell him this worked!" Uncle Alphard said to himself as he climbed off the bike.
"Who's Arthur?" Sirius asked.
"A friend of mine," Uncle Alphard said. "What's wrong, Reg?"
Regulus was still sitting in the sidecar, shaking. "I…I threw up," he confessed fearfully.
Sirius looked, and sure enough, there was a puddle of puke on the floorboards, which had also splattered Regulus' pants and shoes. Sirius was certain Uncle Alphard would be furious, but as usual the man surprised him.
"Not to worry," he said, helping Regulus out of the sidecar and whipping out his wand. "Scourgify," he said, flourishing his wand over both the sidecar and his youngest nephew, both of which were rendered spotless. Sirius shook his head in disbelief.
"What's the matter, Scamp?" Uncle Alphard asked. "Don't tell me you've never seen magic before."
"No…I mean yes…I mean…" Sirius said, trying to put his feelings into words. "Its just that…"
"Just that what?" Uncle Alphard asked patiently.
"Well, when Regulus told you he got sick, you didn't get all mad and start screaming and everything," Sirius replied.
"I see," Uncle Alphard said, looking thoughtful. "Well, wouldn't it be rather silly to get angry over something that can be fixed with a bit of magic?"
"Mother does," Regulus admitted timidly.
"All the time," Sirius added.
"Well," Uncle Alphard replied, biting his lip, "I'm not your mother, now am I? Come on, boys! We need to stop at Gringotts first, and how about a trip to Florean Fortescues's before we shop for robes?"
"My tummy hurts," Regulus said.
"Ah," Uncle Alphard said, taking a small vile out of his pocket which he handed to Regulus. "Go ahead," he said. "It tastes like peppermint."
Regulus drank the potion, and his face brightened. "Can I have some too?" Sirius asked.
"Only if you get sick," Uncle Alphard replied. "Which I imagine you might, the way you love to eat ice cream!"
"I hope there's licorice mint," Regulus said.
Sirius didn't care what flavors were available. The boys rarely had ice cream, and Sirius had never eaten a flavor that he didn't like. Especially when it was covered with warm melted chocolate, whipped cream, walnuts, with a bright red cherry on top.
Sirius had never seen the inside of Gringotts, and stared in fascination at the strange little creatures he knew to be goblins scribbling diligently in their ledgers and weighing coins in big brass scales. Uncle Alphard approached one of them and asked to be taken down to his vault. The goblin asked for his key, which Uncle Alphard presented, then a second goblin by the name of Griphook escorted them into a cave-like room where a cart awaited on a set of train tracks.
"Inside," Griphook commanded. The four of them climbed into the cart, where they embarked on a turbulent ride down to the vaults.
Sirius thoroughly enjoyed the twisty, turvy train ride, and was wonderstruck at the all the gold, silver, and copper coins filling his uncle's vault. Uncle Alphard took what he needed, and the three of them rode back to the ground floor.
"Don't feel so good," Regulus said. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than he vomited, spewing Griphook with what little remained of his lunch. The goblin snarled, bared his teeth, and swore venomously at the cringing boy in Gobbledegook.
"Oh, I'll clean you up, you creepy little bugger!" snapped Uncle Alphard, whipping out his wand and waving it over the angry goblin's robes. "Now leave the boy alone!"
Griphook glared at Uncle Alphard, but made no retort as he led them back into the main entrance of the bank. As soon as Griphook went back to work, Uncle Alphard knelt down to his youngest nephew's level, lifting his chin so he could look him squarely in the eye.
"Sorry about that, Reg," he said.
"Its-its okay," Regulus said, feigning a smile.
"No, it isn't," Uncle Alphard said. "Sometimes I have a tendency to forget you're…well…a bit younger than your brother and might not be ready for such..."
"No, really," Regulus said. "I wasn't…scared or anything…but I…prolly better not ride on anything else that fast today."
"You're probably right," Uncle Alphard said. Sirius looked disappointed, until Uncle Alphard added, "Lets be off to Florean Fortescues. Shall we?"
Regulus ordered a double decker, licorice mint ice cream cone, while Sirius ordered an extra large knickerbocker glory with extra hot fudge sauce. Possibly guessing that he would need to help Sirius finish the conglomeration (which he did), Uncle Alphard simply ordered a large mug of pumpkin juice, which he shared with the boys.
After they finished eating, the three of them set off to Madam Malkins, where Uncle Alphard helped the boys select matching black robes with silver ties. The robes fit perfectly and to Sirius' delight, were lined with satin and didn't itch his skin. But when Uncle Alphard asked their price, Sirius raised a brow. He knew enough about expenses to know his mother would think these robes far too costly for boys their age. But, to Sirius's amazement, his uncle not only paid for the robes, but bought them some new clothing for every day as well.
"Want to have a look around before we go back?" Uncle Alphard suggested.
"Yes!" the boys replied in unison.
Sirius looked longingly in the windows of Eelyops Owl Emporium and the Magical Menagerie. He loved animals and had always wanted a pet, but his mother, who disliked the messes they made, forbade the boys from ever owning one, threatening to have Kreacher drown any animal they might bring home. He gazed, starry-eyed, at a display of the new broomstick, the Nimbus, that was on display in the window of the Quality Quidditch Supply Store, anticipating the day he would learn to fly.
"I'll buy you a broomstick and a pet when you're ready to go to Hogwarts, Scamp," Uncle Alphard promised. "And the pet can stay with me during holidays. But lets stick with the Comets, shall we? From what I've read about the Nimbus line, they start losing their bristles after the first year or so."
Sirius' face fell. "Father said he wants to send us to Durmstrang," he said glumly.
"He didn't!" Uncle Alphard looked shocked.
"Did too," Regulus said. "Mother doesn't want to, but Father thinks we'll prolly get a better edu…edu…well, that we'll learn more there because the headmaster isn't a filthy blood traitor."
"Well," Uncle Alphard said slowly, "I doubt anything will come of it, especially if Burgie is against it. Anyhow, I need to go to the Apothecary, and then we'll go to Flourish and Blotts.
At the mention of the bookstore, Regulus' eyes brightened. Sirius was less than thrilled, though, as he'd seen enough books to last him a lifetime. But when a sky-blue, gold-embossed copy of Quidditch Through the Ages caught his eye, Sirius had to admit to himself that perhaps he'd been wrong. He leafed through several other books, including a rare copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard that held Regulus in its thrall. By the end of the hour he found himself sitting with Regulus, cross-legged on the floor, in front of the comic book rack, giggling over the latest installments of Looney Nonby v.s. Cornish Pixie and The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle.
"Go ahead and get a few, but don't let your mum see them," Uncle Alphard said. "She never liked comic books, even when we were children." Gleefully, both boys added about two dozen of the comic books to Uncle Alphard's handcart, which, to Sirius' delight, also held a copy of Quidditch though the Ages and Tales of Beedle the Bard.
"Are those for us?" he asked.
"Of course," Uncle Alphard replied. "Who else would I buy them for?"
Uncle Alphard wanted to make one more stop, in Knockturn Alley, and he commanded the boys to stay tight at his side while he did. There, they entered a seedy little shop, where Uncle Alphard asked the owner for a couple bottles of his "finest." The clerk obliged him, slipping what looked like two long bottles into black velvet drawstring bags, for which Uncle Alphard paid him ten galleons. Since darkness had fallen by the time they finished this final transaction, Uncle Alphard suggested that they spend the night at the Leaky Cauldron. The idea thrilled Sirius, but as usual Regulus seemed apprehensive.
"Do you think Mother will be angry?" he asked timidly.
"You let me take care of that, Reg," Uncle Alphard assured him. "In case you haven't noticed, I know how to handle my sister."
The Leaky Cauldron was dark and shabby, but Sirius didn't care. While Regulus picked at his food, Sirius gorged on fish, chips, and treacle tarts-all better than anything he'd ever eaten at Grimmauld Place. He washed his meal down with a large mug of cold pumpkin juice, feeling happier and more satisfied than he had in a very long time as he gazed at the fire crackling in the hearth.
Uncle Alphard rented a large room with two double beds and a small fireplace. He lit a fire while the boys took their baths, and when they were finished, tucked them in and read to them from The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
Regulus was asleep after the first fifteen minutes, and Sirius was having trouble keeping his eyes open. "I was hoping he'd fall asleep first," Uncle Alphard whispered, "Because I have a special book I want to read to you. Would you like to hear it?
Sirius nodded, sitting up in bed so he could better see the pictures. "Now, you must never tell your mother and father I'm reading this to you, but the story reminds me of you and…well, I think you'll like it."
Uncle Alphard opened a small cardboard book with a gold spine titled, Scamp: The Adventures of a Little Puppy. Sirius knew it was probably a muggle book, otherwise he couldn't see why his parents would object to it. The story was a tale of four puppies, three of which were "as pretty and gentle as their mother." But there was also a "fourth little puppy, a Scamp of a puppy," who was always getting into some sort of trouble. But as it turned out, when push came to shove, Scamp was the one who saved the day and marched proudly in front of them all.
Slowly, Uncle Alphard closed the book and turned down the light. Sirius yawned, nestled under the covers, and closed his eyes. The last thing he was aware of was that of a gentle hand ruffling his hair, and of a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Good night, Scamp," Uncle Alphard whispered fondly. "March proudly in front of them all."
Within seconds, he was dreaming…that he was a puppy playing with a wolf cub, a fawn, and a mouse. They were all marching together through a strange and wonderful forest at night beneath a full moon-a brightly lit castle in the background-and he was marching proudly in front of them all.
A/N: I didn't have the book, Scamp: The Adventures of a Little Puppy with me when I wrote the ending, so I probably didn't quote it verbatim. I'll make corrections once I obtain a copy of the book. But…I wanted to hurry and post this update. Thanks.
