Quick A/N: I always thought that a simple house like I imagined Number 12 to be couldn't have been the manor home for the Black family. I always felt like they had a manor somewhere quite like the Malfoys. So let's say that Sirius's father was the Heir Apparent, and Number 12 is where that person lives with their family until the Head of the family dies. Living in the manor would come with the title of Lord Black.

Also, Since Harry is living with Sirius, and has been for a year, Dumbledore was never offered the use of Number 12. Let's just say they've been meeting at Hogwarts or somewhere monthly...Headquarters doesn't exist.

London City Airport – London

With help, Sophie dragged her huge suitcases behind her and followed Sirius to the Taxi Stand. She looked around her in wonder as the looked down at the water and over at the city itself. They rode through London itself, Harry pointed out King's Cross Station as they passed it and just a few minutes later, they ended their half hour journey at a door step. Sirius paid the driver, they unloaded their bags, and Sirius slipped his wand out of his sleeve before walking up a set of stairs and tapping the door knob three times. The door creaked open.

"What's this place, Padfoot?"

"This is one of the Black Properties, number 12, Grimmauld Place. It's in London, so I figured we'd stay here the night and go to the Manor in Wiltshire tomorrow." Sirius replied as they walked into the hall.

It was dark, and Sophie thought, a bit musty; like no one's been there in years. "Sirius, why is this place so…depressing?" she asked.

"WHO DARES ENTER THE HOME OF MY FATHERS?" a voice screeched. Harry's wand was in his hand and at the ready. So was Remus's and Sirius's. Sophie's hands went over her ears. She looked to her right and noticed a portrait of an old woman. She was screaming, her eye rolling back in her head.

"Even dead you live to torture me you miserable old hag?" Sirius snapped, glaring at the portrait.

"YOU! THE SHAME OF MY FLESH! YOU DARE COME INTO THIS HOUSE AGAIN?"

"Don't worry Mother, we'll only be here the night. Harry, Sophie, meet my dear sweet mother," he sneered at the portrait. "Sorry Cublet, but that's your grandmother."

"Oh joy," she deadpanned sarcastically. "Nice to meet you, Nana." Sophie saluted with two fingers at her eyebrow cheekily.

"Such disrespect…you uncultured, filthy blood traitor!" she spat at her son. "I suppose that's the Potter boy then."

"Of course. You remember Remus don't you?" Sirius smiled brightly. "The werewolf?" His mother shrieked again, screaming of Mudbloods and half breeds. Sirius cast a strong silencio and walked away, a smirk on his face.

"I'm so glad she's dead. She was a pure-blood maniac and lived to make my life miserable."

The house was so damp and dark the Sophie seriously didn't want to stay there. There was no electricity. "Uh, where are the lights?"

Sirius lit his wand before he found the lamps along the walls. He tapped one and they all lit. "That a little better?"

"I guess…." She shrugged, still looking around. "Do we have to stay here tonight? Can't we just go to wherever it is you live? What'd you call it, the Manor?"

"Maybe Sophie's right, Padfoot." Harry added. "This place give me the creeps."

"You're right, you two. So, go down those stairs into the kitchen. That's where the fireplace is. Moony, follow them, and light a fire down there. Then we'll go look for floo powder."

Once Remus lit a cheery fire in the basement kitchen, Sophie and Harry sat at the wooden table and waited, playing Rock Paper Scissors to pass the time. Sophie was losing 10 games to Harry's 13, when Remus and Sirius came down the stairs. Sirius tapped all of their luggage and it shrank. Tossing each back to it's owner, he held up a small bag.

"Harry, you first."

Harry threw the glittering powder into the fire place and called out "Black Manor, Entryway!" and disappeared with a loud whoosh. Remus went next, and Sirius held the bag out to Sophie.

"I've never traveled by fire before." She told him.

"It's easy. You throw the floo powder," he gestured to the bag, "into the fire and then step in, calling out your destination. You'll spin while you're in there, and when you feel yourself slow down, just step out. Keep you elbows in tight though or you'll smack them off of someone's fireplace."

"Black Manor, Entryway, right?"

"That's right, Sophie-love. It's just that simple."

Sophie threw the powder into the grate and stepped in calling the address.

Then she started spinning. Fast. She clamped her eyes shut and tried to focus on breathing; she felt like she might throw up. When she noticed she was going slower, she took a step forward and –

She immediately was caught by a smiling Remus Lupin. "Close call, Cublet." He helped her stand up straight, and just as she stepped to the side, Sirius stepped through after her.

"Welcome to Black Manor." He smiled down at her.

Remus left for the library, and Harry headed right to his room.

"This place….is huge." Sophie said, looking around the entryway. "It reminds me of my old school." The entryway was mainly cherry wood. The grand staircase and the floors were all wood. The walls were covered in deep blue silk, and the carpet that ran up the center of the stairs were the exact same color. To the right of the fireplace she came out of was a large door, and to her left, a hallway.

"Down that hallway is the formal dining room, one of the ball rooms, a couple of parlors, and the stairs down to the kitchens. Past those stairs are the doors to the gardens." He led her up the stairs. "So all of the areas that we might use for the public like the ballrooms, the dining rooms, the halls that lead to the gardens, the billiard room, they all have blue carpet on the floor. Up these stairs on the first floor are mainly guest rooms and bathrooms. See how the carpet is still blue?" he pointed out. She nodded. The Library is on this floor as well. He led her up another flight of stairs. "This is where the family sleeps. The carpet is black now, see?" he pointed.

"There's an informal dining room up on this floor that we usually eat in. My office is right there, and my bedroom down this hall. Harry's is at the far end of this hall….and so is yours. He led her down the hall and led her to a door on the right side of the hallway. Sophie's jaw dropped.

The carpet was white, and the walls were a deep violet. A queen sized sleigh bed sat against the wall to the left with a door on either side of it. The wall in front of her had many windows draped in white curtains, and a pair of doors that led out to her own terrace that over looked a garden. The far right wall had a huge fire place and a mahogany desk. The door to the right was a walk in closet with a door that led into a beautiful bathroom. It had a deep sunken in tub, a glass shower, a stand alone sink, and a vanity. She followed the door near the sink back into her room.

"Do you like it?" Sirius asked, smiling at her awe-struck face.

"Like it? Sirius, I love this room!" she exclaimed. "I have my own terrace! And it's bigger than the one at my old house in New York!"

Sirius tapped her belongings and the expanded back to normal size. "I'll leave you to unpack and get settled in. Harry's room in directly across the hall and mine is five doors away from Harry's. Dinner is in about an hour and a half. The dining room is at the end of the hall near the stairs and to the left."

"Okay…thanks, Sirius." She gave him a bright smile before dragging the largest suitcase to the closet to start unpacking. "But first…." She murmured to herself. She pulled out the buffer, her Discman, and the speakers the Hiro'd given her and pressed play. Radiohead pumped out of her speakers and into her room, giving her plenty of motivation to get the dull work over with.

July 29th – Black Manor, Wiltshire

Gingers, was Sophie's first thought when she walked down the stairs into the entry room the next day. A LOT of gingers.

Six people, all with bright red hair were talking amongst themselves and Harry. When Sophie hit the bottom stair, the youngest, and only, female noticed her first.

"Hi, you must be Sophia. I'm Ginny." She smiled brightly. Her hair was slightly darker than the boys' hair, a deep auburn rather than the orangey tint of the others.

"Hey, nice to meet you. PLEASE call me Sophie." She replied with a crooked grin.

"This is my mum and dad, Arthur and Molly, my brothers Ron, Fred and George. Fred and George are the twins."

"Pleasure to make the lady's acquaintance," one twin bowed grandly, grabbing her right hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. The other twin shoved him aside and gave a very flamboyant bow of his own.

"I'm enchanted, mademoiselle." Another kiss was placed to her hand. "Come, let us run away together. I'm much better looking than that hideous beast."

The first twin pushed his brother aside roughly. "He tells naught but lies, my love. Clearly I am the more handsome of the two. Run away with me!" he pleaded.

"You offend my honor! I demand satisfaction!" The first twin cried dramatically.

"Very well! I challenge you to a duel!"

"Are these two serious?"

"They never are." The third brother laughed. "I'm Ron, by the way."

"Frederick Gideon, and George Fabian Weasley, stop that this instant!" Molly snapped. Fred and George, who were rolling around on the floor wrestling, looked up in surprise at hearing their full names.

"I'm sorry dear, I know meeting new people can be overwhelming; and those two did nothing to make this any easier. I'm Molly Weasley. " The mother smiled down on her. She had warm brown eyes like her daughter. Ron's and the twins' eyes were blue though, she noticed.

"Mrs. Weasley, they didn't bother me too bad; actually, I thought that they were pretty funny."

"Oh dear, please don't encourage them!" Arthur laughed.

"So, where are Sirius and Remus?" she asked, looking to Harry.

"Moony had work today, but Padfoot is out in the garden waiting for us. He said he was making sure there was enough food for everyone."

The large group walked out of the Manor and into the sunshine of the gardens. One section was full of nothing but flowers, and strategically placed fountains and park benches. There was a large open field beyond that, and further off, Sophie could see a mid sized pond. Sirius was standing just outside of a large white gazebo waiting on the group.

"Is everyone here, Pup?" he called to Harry.

"Nearly. All that's missing is Mione, but she should be coming soon." Harry replied as everyone took seats around the large table. Sophie found herself with Ginny on her right, and one of the Twins on her left.

"So, which one are you, Fred, or George?" she asked with a smirk.

"If you can't tell, we will never reveal the truth," he grinned at her with a wink. "So, dearest Sophie. Tell us about America."

"I grew up in New York City. It's not the capital or anything, but it's a pretty big city. I THINK it's the biggest city in the country population-wise. There are so many kinds of people that live in the city; black, white, Asians, Latinos, Arabs, Greeks, Polish, Italians, Irish, you name it. I love walking down the street there and just seeing so many different kinds of people, hearing about 4 or 5 different languages being spoken at once."

"I'd love to visit there. It sounds like it would be a lot of fun." Ginny spoke up.

"Yes, it does sound like it would be a very interesting trip." Mr. Weasley agreed.

The group soon broke off, Harry, Ron, and a newly arrived Hermione Granger (Who Sophie dearly wanted to get a hold of to attempt to tame her wild hair) went straight up to his room. Fred and George seemed to hover around Sirius asking quiet advice about things that the clearly didn't want their parents to hear about, while Molly and Arthur took off on a slow stroll through the gardens.

"So, wanna go up to my room?" Sophie smiled lightly, nodding her head towards the house.

The two girls walked into the room and Ginny immediately went into her closet. After turning on music, Sophie followed.

"I love clothes. I may have a little bit of a tomboy thing going on, but I really love clothes." Ginny smiled.

"I'm pretty typical I guess…I'll wear a skirt or heels if the occasion calls for it, but I love my jeans and cargos." Sophie grinned.

"Most of my nice clothes end up being new since I'm the only girl, but I got a lot of hand-me-down jeans, sweaters, and t shirts."

"That sucks. Feel free to borrow whatever you want." Sophie shrugged. "You look like you're about my size."

Although Sophie's chest was quite a bit bigger than Ginny's, and her hips a bit rounder, the two were generally the same size. Ginny and Sophie spent hours trying on clothes and putting together outfits. Eventually Sophie sat down wearing Ginny's original deep blue short sleeved t shirt and a pair of her own low-rise jeans. A black studded belt wrapped around her hips and a simple pair of black trainers were on her feet.

Ginny was wearing one of Sophie's tank tops. It was an emerald green color and had strings hanging from each side that could be pulled to bunch the shirt up to expose a little more skin. The strings were pulled so that the shirt stopped just above Ginny's navel. Black cargo pants with a white studded belt and black flip flops completed Ginny's look.

"Gin, you need to tan." Sophie said suddenly.

"There's never much sun around here." She shrugged. "I don't get tan."

"Well, it's a beautiful day now. Here, go put this on and we'll tan on my terrace." She ordered with a grin, tossing her a two piece bathing suit. It was a simple black suit with pink and purple hearts all over it. The bottoms were shorts which made Ginny a bit more comfortable wearing it.

Sophie changed into a silvery-blue two piece and led Ginny out on to the terrace. Both girls piled their hair up on top of their heads with elastics and lay on large fluffy towels in the sun.

"You must do this often, huh Sophie?"

"Yeah, a girl needs a good healthy tan according to my best friend Cassie. She's a total girly-girl, and I had to put up with it all the time when we hung out together. I get tan enough with skating, boarding and generally goofing off with the guys, but Cassie would bug me when I didn't do girly crap like this with her. But I didn't mind 'cause I love my skin with some color to it…here, put some of this on. It'll keep you from getting too many harmful rays and help you tan up at the same time." She commented, tossing a brown spray bottle towards the redhead.

"What's in it?" Ginny asked as she applied it to her body.

"Can't remember exactly. Zinc, chamomile, juniper berries, mango and avocado essences, banana extract, almond oil and yogurt enzymes. A little bit of vanilla for scent. My cousin….I mean, my adoptive cousin Danny is a potions wiz. A couple of years ago, maybe 6th grade or summer before 7th, Cassie and me fell asleep by her pool and we woke up with a monster sunburn. I mean. We were like, lobsters or something. So, Danny in his entire potion making awesomeness whipped this beautiful spray-on lotion for us and we've been tan and not burnt ever since. It's light, and it absorbs more healthy sun rays even on a cloudy-ish day we can still maintain our tans and be nice and brown. "

"That's really cool. Do you miss them a lot?"

"I've only been gone two days, and I'm already missing them like crazy."

The two girls really seemed to click, and Sophie couldn't believe her luck in finding such a good friend in Ginny Weasley so fast.

The Weasley's went home soon after, and a slightly browner Ginny left happily dressed in her own clothes, a small bag of jeans and skirts borrowed from Sophie in her possession.

Maybe this place won't be so bad after all….

July 30th – Diagon Alley, London

Sophie walked with Harry and Sirius down a street that made Sophie seriously think about a Renaissance Fair Austin'd dragged the group to the summer before. She felt sort of out of place in her tan cargo shorts, her grey Red Hot Chili Peppers tee shirt and a backwards Chicago Bulls baseball cap.

She really did need a lot of things. While Harry only needed to get his books and new robes (he'd grown a few inches), Sophie needed Books, Uniforms, Robes, Parchment, Quills, Ink, and more potions ingredients. She stood in Madam Malkin's on a stool being fitted for her robes when another girl stepped up on the stool next to her.

The girl was very pretty. She had gorgeous deep caramel colored skin and black hair that fell to her waist.

"Hello," she smiled. Sophie nodded back with a small grin. The girl had an Indian accent.

"Hey. Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm starting my 5th year there. I'm Parvati Patil. I'm a Gryffindor."

"Sophie Jo- I mean, Sophie Black. I'm gonna be starting my 5th year this year too. I'm transferring I guess you could say."

"You're the long lost Black Heiress! Oh Merlin, I hoped I'd be able to meet you one day. Were you really kidnapped by Death Eaters?"

"Uh, no." Sophie laughed. "I was adopted and just raised in America. Nothing that exciting happened."

Parvati almost seemed depressed to hear that.

The girls chatted about Hogwarts, and once Sophie was finished, she left to find both Harry and Sirius directly across the street at Quality Quidditch Supplies. When she wandered into the store, she found the two of them staring at brooms. The newest in the Firebolt Series, the Firebolt X had just hit the market along with the Comet 435 and the Nimbus 2003. Sophie laughed at the pair.

"I'm gonna go look around." She told them. She walked around the shop and right in the back corner, she found a display of hoverboards. She marveled over a new deck; this one a little lighter than the one she owned, a slightly thinner frame would make it easier to catch air with.

"I knew I'd find you over here," a voice laughed. Harry walked over to the girl and bumped her lightly with his shoulder.

"Well, I board, I don't fly too often. I am in love with this board." She replied, stroking it lightly. The board was priced at 10 galleons, 8 sickles and 2 Knuts.

"Is that expensive?"

"Moderately, yes. I mean, the new Firebolt costs about 500 galleons, so yours is cheep compared to some of the other things in the store." He mused.

"One galleon equals out to about 7 pounds, and when you convert that over to American Dollars, that's like, 9 bucks." Sophie calculated mentally in her head. "So my new board would cost me about 99 dollars?"

"That sounds about right."

The two decided to leave the board there, and finished their school shopping. Soon they went home, and after dinner and Harry beginning to teach Sophie the game of chess, they went to bed.

July 31st – Black Manor; 1 pm

It was Harry's 15th Birthday. He was having a birthday party with all of his friends coming. This was also a chance for Sophie to get to know some of the people she would be going to school with.

She stood in the Entryway with Harry, Remus and Sirius waiting for the guests to arrive. First out of the fireplace was Hermione who hugged the black haired boy tightly and wished him a happy birthday. Next out were Ron, the twins, Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and next out were three girls and three boys that Sophie hadn't met yet.

"Soph, you remember Hermione and the Weasleys," Harry started. "This is Angelina, Alicia and Katie." He introduced the girls first. "They're the chasers on my Quidditch Team. Fred and George are the beaters."

Angelina was a tall slim black girl with her hair in braids that reached the middle of her back. Alicia was shorter than Angelina with chestnut colored hair that was pulled back in a low pony tail. Katie was olive skinned with dark brown hair that fell to mid back. All three girls were smiling and carrying a present.

"Hey I'm Sophie, glad to meet you." She waved.

"Over here, this is Lee Jordan, the greatest commentator ever to host a Quidditch match."

The tall dreadlocked boy gave her a cheeky wave and a smile from where he was standing with the Twins.

"Seamus Finnegan is in my dorm at school."

Sandy colored hair, hazel eyes, and a bright smile greeted Sophie when she waved to the boy.

"And this is Neville Longbottom; he's also in my dorm with me in Gryffindor."

Neville was tall and stocky built. He had brown hair and a round, kind face. He seemed sort of shy.

"Where's Dean?" Ron asked.

"He couldn't make it. Dean's parents let him go to an Art Program in Italy for the summer," Harry reported.

"So, Quidditch first?" Sirius asked.

Everyone agreed, and Harry and Ron were chosen as Captains.

"Five on Five Quidditch will be played." Lee announced. " We will have two chasers, one beater, a keeper and a seeker on each team. We'll only play with one Bludger. The twins are automatically on separate teams, so Harry, Ron, choose your beater."

Harry chose George and Ron Fred. Harry's chasers were Angelina and Sophie while Ron chose Alicia and Katie. Ginny went to Seek for Ron, and Seamus to Keep for Harry.

Sirius magicked a megaphone for Lee to do the announcing. Hermione and Neville both happy to keep their feet on the ground along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Aaaaaaaand they're off! Angelina takes off with the Quaffle for Harry's Horntails! She passes to Sophie who shoots it back to her quickly! Angelina shoots – OOOOH Good save by Ron! Ron passes the Quaffle off to Alicia who dodges a Bludger, a Black and a Beater to shoot and Score on Finnegan! Better luck next time, Seamus!" Lee called up.

The game was fun, and eventually Ron's Raptors lost to Harry's Horntails 350 to 210. Ginny was very close to catching the Snitch over Harry, but at the end of the day, she just didn't have the experience to overtake the youngest seeker in a century, as Lee put it.

Soon, Food and cake were consumed and Harry opened presents.

Angelina got him new quidditch goggles. Katie gave him new seeker's gloves and Alicia a new pair of arm guards. Ron got his best friend a large box of candy. The Twins and Lee gave him a box of prototype tricks and gags they'd been developing. Neville gave him a book on defense, Hermione a book on hexes and their counters, and Sophie got him a hoverboard.

"I'm tired of skating alone dude." She said simply when he opened it. Soon after, all of the guests wanted a demonstration of what the hoverboard did exactly. Sophie grabbed her own board from her room, and she and Harry went out front to the main drive on the flat pavement. Sophie flew past quickly doing little jumps, flipping her board with her feet, turns and spins. Harry attempted a few jumps, but only really succeeded with two of them. Most of the others wanted to try.

Lee Jordan and the Twins caught on the best. Ginny showed a lot of interest as well, but Neville surprised everyone by being very coordinated at the sport and stating the he wanted to buy a board of his own.

Soon though, everyone had to go home, with exception of the Weasleys and Hermione. Each were given their own rooms (Well, Ron was in with Harry, the twins shared, and Ginny wanted to room with Sophie) and they all went to bed.

Obviously, the party was a huge success.