The next day, Sirius said goodbye to his family and walked into the living room, where he took a handful of floo powder from the container, hesitated for a moment and took a deep breath. The prospect of returning to the house still filled him with some trepidation and anxiety. But since he had promised to be of assistance to Regulus, he sighed and determinedly tossed the floo powder into the fireplace. "12, Grimmauld Place," he said aloud as he did so. Regulus and Gavin were having breakfast when he stepped out into the kitchen. Regulus rose from his chair and gave him a hug. "Brother. Thank you for coming. We were just discussing where to start". "I recommend that we refurbish the rooms one by one. When I returned here after my escape from Azkaban, we worked on all the floors at the same time because we needed sleeping places for those who moved in for a while. It wasn't a very efficient way of working. Besides, I suspect that some uninvited guests, such as Boggarts, have once again taken up residence here. So, let's not divide our forces. Furthermore, a great deal of valuable objects have been removed from the house since I left here after my fake death in the Department of Mysteries. However, when I went to visit our family vault at Gringotts, I discovered that our parents had put a lot of valuable stuff in there because there was not enough room in the house to keep everything. Perhaps you would like to pick out a few things from there. If you have the time, you should go and have a look for yourself".
Regulus nodded. "That's pretty much what we had in mind. We'd like to start with our parents' bedroom. That way we'll have our own private retreat in the house. After all, my current room is far too small for the two of us in the long run". Sirius could feel their quizzical looks as they waited for his reaction. He tried very hard not to show any signs of surprise. Instead, he nodded and explained, "I see your point. But this will be hard enough. When I moved back here, I turned the room into a stable for the Hippogriff. I don't suppose Hagrid would have changed it back to the way it was when he picked up the beast later. Regulus, before we get started, I'd like to ask you a favour. First let's remove the portrait of our mother from the entrance hall. Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of being verbally abused every time I set foot in this house". Regulus laughed out loud. "You are no longer the sole target of her loathing and abuse. Since she discovered that Gavin and I are ... You know. Her insults are vile. We've already tried to remove the effigy. But whatever spell she has used to keep the painting stuck to the wall, it has so far resisted all our attempts to remove it". Sirius laughed bitterly. "I know what you are talking about. You have no idea how much of an effort I have put into trying to get her bloody portrait off that wall. But trust me, I have learned a lot since then. And there is a spell that might do the trick. I am quite confident about it. Well, are you guys ready? Then let's get going". They went to the entrance hall and paused in front of the portrait, which was hidden behind a curtain. Regulus and Gavin stood on either side of Sirius. They drew their wands. "What shall we do?". "Wait and see. If it works, the portrait will burn down. Perhaps there will be no effect at all". He paused, "but it's also possible that the bloody house will go up in flames altogether". He waved his wand at the curtain, which slid aside to reveal the one thing Sirius hated the most of all the many objects in the house. Mrs Black looked down at them in disgust before she began to scream at the top of her voice, "You filth, you scum, I should have strangled you the moment you took your first breath. You're a disgrace to the Wizarding World, that's what you are. Both of you". Sirius raised his wand and pointed it at the portrait. His voice carried all the hatred and contempt he felt for his mother and her kind as he yelled, "Cremo corpus alcis". They stared anxiously at the painting while Mrs Black continued to hurl increasingly vile insults at them. Nothing happened. Then suddenly Kreacher shouted, "Master Sirius, Master Regulus, look there," and pointed to the top right corner of the elaborately carved frame. A tiny blue flame was flickering on the dark wood. It almost went out a few times. Eventually it turned yellow-red, grew brighter and stronger, and expanded into a crackling fire that slowly but irresistibly moved from its starting point around the frame in both directions. In the bottom left corner of the frame, the two flames coalesced and formed a fiery ring around the canvas. The heat from the burning portrait was so intense that the three wizards and Kreacher pressed themselves against the opposite wall and held their breath as they watched the spectacle. Walburga Black, who had not stopped shouting increasingly offensive abuses at her sons, suddenly fell silent.
Sirius folded his arms in front of his chest as the flames finally licked the canvas. He was mesmerised by the scene unfolding before his eyes. Long ago, when he had admired the nightmarish Muggle paintings of witch burnings by Breughel and Bosch in Belgian museums, he had tried to imagine what the bystanders must have felt. Now he knew: a mixture of enthusiastic fascination, wild revenge, and unbridled horror. When Mrs Black gave piercing shrieks and yelled for help, flailing her arms as she was engulfed in flames, Sirius fought hard to resist the growing urge to close his eyes and block out the horrific sight. His mother's deafening screams only subsided when in the centre of the portrait the fire coalesced into a huge single flame. It flared high one last time before dying out. For a moment there was complete silence. They stared at the painting as the top corner of the charred frame turned to ash. A few flakes floated down to the floor. Then the whole painting seemed to disintegrate into ash which completely detached from the wall and avalanched down when Sirius stamped his foot hard on the floor. All that was left of his mother was a pile of ashes. Sirius felt incredibly relieved and satisfied. A fitting end for the last symbol of an ideology and life he had left behind decades ago.
Looking up, Sirius noticed that Regulus' face was streaked with tears. He put an arm around his brother's trembling shoulders and said, "It's all right, Regulus. Let her rest in peace. I have learned from the Muggles that it is unhealthy to hold on to the past for too long. Don't let Mother affect the present. Listen, brother. It was time to draw the line, and you know it. How will you and Gavin ever live in peace in this house if she is always watching you?". Tenderly, he wiped away his brother's tears. "Come, both of you. Now that we've started, let's move on to the bedroom". Gavin stopped him. "Tell me, Sirius, that spell, was it from the Dark Arts?". Sirius shook his head. "Frankly, I don't know. In fact, it was Mercuria who came up with it. When she lived in Antwerp, she wanted to help us in our fight against Voldemort. But then, what could a Muggle do to support us? I suggested that she should go to museums and libraries and look for documents related to magic. Instead, she rifled through old court records of witch trials. What she dug up impressed both James and me. This was one of the many spells she uncovered. Obviously, it was initially meant to burn corpses. So, I wasn't sure whether it would work on objects like this painting. But I was desperate to try it at all costs". He climbed up the stairs ahead of them. When he stopped in front of the door to their parents' bedroom, he turned to his brother and asked: "Have you ever been in here before?". Regulus shook his head. Sirius said, "Neither have I. Except for that brief moment when I turned the room into a stable".
Cautiously, Sirius opened the door and peered inside. An overwhelming stench hit him and made him gag and choke. Since Hagrid had picked up the Hippogriff and brought it back to Hogwarts after Sirius had faked his death at the Ministry, no one had been in here. As expected, Hagrid had not bothered to clean the room. Sirius waved his wand and the smell vanished. Then he turned the stable back into his parents' bedroom. As boys they had been strictly forbidden to enter under threat of severe punishment during their parents' lifetime and now they timidly looked around. Nothing seemed to have changed since their ancestor Phineas Nigellus and his wife had occupied the room. The interior of the house had always seemed outdated. But while over the years at least a few modern objects and pieces of furniture had found their way into the other rooms, in Orion and Walburga's bedroom, the early Victorian era still reigned supreme. Everything was gloomy. The thick night-blue velvet curtains on the high windows and the huge four-poster bed. The faded wallpaper and heavy rugs. The dark mahogany of the furniture. The richly decorated chandelier, which hung from the ceiling and the matching candelabra on the bedside tables. Gavin said hesitantly, "You know, Regulus. Perhaps we'd be better off in your old room after all". Regulus looked at him quizzically and resolutely said, "Absolutely not. This family has cherished the past for far too long. It's time to get rid of all these outdated chattels. We will modernize this house and its interior so that we can feel at home". Waving his wand firmly at the wall behind the bed, he called out "Conversio" and changed the faded floral pattern of the wallpaper to bright ivory stripes. The rest of the day they spent redecorating the bedroom and the adjoining dressing room and bath. They also sorted out those clothes and personal belongings of Walburga and Orion which were to be discarded. Once and again Kreacher sadly caressed some of the objects which Regulus had sorted out. He patted the houseelf on the shoulder and said, "Don't be sad, old friend. If we want our future to be bright, we must make our peace with the past and not cling to unhappy souvenirs", at which Kreacher nodded. Outside the sun was already going down, when Regulus and Gavin were finally satisfied with the result of their effort. The room now bore no more resemblance to the dark, oppressive chamber of before but was flooded with light from the high windows and lavishly furnished with grey modern furniture and thick, soft carpets. "Now it looks like it should do. Let's start with the living room tomorrow. Then we'll soon can welcome visitors again".
Although Regulus and Gavin had invited him to spend the night in his old room, Sirius had decided to return home. Back to his family. It had been a hard day and he felt drained. Physically but even more so mentally. Destroying the portrait of his abhorrent mother and redecorating his parents' bedroom had been by far the toughest challenges he had faced recently. Now he hoped to finally reconcile with the past and make his peace with the house. He planned to apparate home instead of using the Floo network. Therefore he said goodbye to Regulus and Gavin, walked out the front door and took a deep breath. The house still made him feel uncomfortable and he thought he would choke as soon as he stepped inside. After a moment's thought, he decided to have a drink at the Leaky Cauldron before heading home. He apparated to the pub and went inside, ordered a whisky and chose to sit at a table in the back corner, away from the few other customers. He was sipping his drink when he was suddenly jolted from his thoughts by a loud argument. One of the customers was angrily berating a young man. Sirius had failed to notice what the boy had done to incur the guest's wrath. However, he felt sorry for the young man, whose shoulders slumped and whose head bowed as he took the abuse. In a helpless attempt to make amends, the culprit fumbled his wand from the pocket of his shabby jacket, but his hand was shaking so badly that he was unable to cast a spell.
Sirius got up, grabbed his glass, and headed for the counter. There he realised that the young man had poured the contents of his bucket over the guest's cloak, which had slipped to the floor. The boy flinched anxiously as Sirius gently put an arm around his shoulder and, with a wave of his wand, cleaned up the mess and picked up the cloak before addressing the angry customer, "Take it easy, man. Relax. He didn't do it intentionally. Things like that happen. May I buy you a drink? It's a nice day, so cheer up and leave the boy alone". The other grumbled and muttered, "That boy's good for nothing", but then accepted Sirius' invitation with a nod and turned his back on the boy. "What are you having?". "Whisky". Sirius gestured to the innkeeper to bring them two whiskies. The innkeeper called out, "Marius, hurry up, thank Mr Black for his help and then get out of here and do your job". The young man whispered, "Thank you, Sir". Sirius was thunderstruck when the boy looked up at him. There were tears in his eyes. Grey eyes, just like his own. The fine features, the elegant nose, the full mouth, the short dark hair that made his complexion look even fairer than it already was by nature. When he stood up straight, he was just as tall as Sirius. The boy was a Black, there was no doubt about it. Before Sirius had been taken to Azkaban, he had looked just like him. He patted him reassuringly on the shoulder and said, "Now get on with your work". The boy shuffled away. Sirius became aware that his drinking companion had been eyeing him with growing interest. "You're Black? Sirius Black? I've heard a lot about you. You are quite a legend. Returned from the Land of the Dead. That's what I've heard". Sirius made no response and raised his glass. While the other spoke excitedly to him, Sirius watched the young man until he disappeared from the taproom. Even without the help of the family tree his parents had worshipped so much, he knew that Regulus and he were the only two remaining male descendants of House Black.
His father and his cousin Cygnus had been the last of the once numerous members of the proud family to pass on their most ancient and noble name to their children. But Cygnus had sired three daughters, and they had given up their family name on the day of their marriage. Moreover, of the next generation, neither Nymphadora Tonks, the daughter of his cousin Andromeda, nor Draco Malfoy, the son of his cousin Narcissa, bore the slightest resemblance to the Blacks, while his own four boys, except for their mother's green eyes, resembled their father and Regulus like peas in a pod.
Sirius wondered who the young man could possibly be. Either he was a descendant of some distant branch of the family that he could not remember, or he was his son or his nephew, there was no doubt about it. When his drinking companion said his goodbyes and disappeared, he turned to the innkeeper. "This young man - how long has he been working here? I have never seen him before". "Marius? For about three months. Before he came here, he used to live in Hogsmeade with his mother. But she died. I suppose he couldn't stay there any longer. I don't know why. So, he came to London. I felt sorry for him. But honestly. There isn't a lot going on with him. As far as I know, he left school after the OWLs. That's why he's not very good at magic. But he is more than willing to do the menial jobs around here. What was I supposed to do when he came up to me and asked for a job? Send him away? I took him in. You see, I have a soft heart". He turned to his other guests and Sirius reflected on what he had just heard. Then he paid for his drinks and left.
Sirius paused outside the door for a moment before returning to the house in Grimmauld Place. Regulus and Gavin were having dinner in the kitchen. They looked up in surprise as he entered. "Sirius. What happened? You look pretty upset". They giggled. He said, "I want to check on something". He dashed past them upstairs to the room where the tapestry with the family tree was still hanging on the wall. Intently Sirius studied its ramifications. As he had suspected, countless branches had come to an end since some family member in the distant past had begun to establish the lineage. On the tapestry, his family's history could be traced back for nearly 300 years and on several occasions, there had been no male descendant to pass on the name. Furthermore, it was in the nature of things that for lack of a suitable pure-blood mate some of his ancestors had chosen to marry a half-blood, or even worse, a Muggle. As a result, they had, of course, been excluded from the family circle. Theoretically, the boy could have descended from one of those lineages. But though he could not explain why, Sirius was somehow sure that he was a very close relative of theirs. He reviewed what he knew about him. He estimated him to be about twenty years old. His mother had lived in Hogsmeade, but Sirius couldn't remember any woman there who had looked even remotely like a relative. Therefore, the boy must have inherited his appearance from his father. Then only two possibilities really came to mind. He turned on his heels and ran down the stairs to the kitchen.
Sirius sat astride a chair and looked piercingly at his younger brother. "What's the matter with you?". "Regulus. Let me ask you a question and please, brother, do answer truthfully even if it embarrasses you". Regulus nodded in surprise. "Ok. What can I do for you?". Sirius swallowed and then asked, "Brother, have you ever been involved with a woman in your time before you disappeared? In Hogsmeade perhaps?". Regulus lowered his spoon, looking puzzled. Sirius wondered why both Gavin and Regulus were suddenly eyeing him suspiciously. Then Regulus said, "Sirius, you may find my relationship with Gavin...". Sirius said stunned, "That's not the point. Brother, I want you to be happy. And if it's what you both want, I am totally fine with that". "Then what's the matter?", asked Gavin. "I've just met a young man who looks a lot like Regulus and I did when we were at Hogwarts. He's a Black, I'm sure of it. I just want to know... Is he my son or my nephew?". Regulus and Gavin stared at him with their mouths agape. Then Regulus said, "I swear, brother. It cannot be my son. I have never made love to a woman in my life". Sirius conjured up a bottle and a glass. He poured himself a whisky and lit a cigarette. "What does that mean?", asked Gavin. "Could it be your son?". Sirius nodded and told them how, as a student at Hogwarts, he would often sneak out of school and call on the ladies in Hogsmeade. "How did you do that?". Sirius waved his hand dismissively. "I'll tell you some other time". They frowned and eyed him curiously. "What will you do now?", asked Gavin. "I will travel to Hogsmeade. There will be someone there who knows about him. About him and his mother. She died a while ago, I heard. It was after her death that he came to London. I only met him by chance. Regulus, the boy reminded me of a dog that has been whipped. He must have been neglected his whole life. His mother probably didn't care for him. It hurt me to see him like this". Sirius paused and dwelled on the situation. From the depths of his memory, suddenly a picture began to emerge. "Oh, damn it. I saw him. I really did see him". He bent his head until his long hair covered his face like a curtain. Regulus and Gavin did not dare to move and held their breath as they watched him. Finally, Sirius threw back his head. "A few days before Christmas 1980, the members of the Order of the Phoenix, our resistance group, gathered for a secret meeting at Hogwarts. Lily, James, Remus, Peter, and I went to the Hog's Head for a drink before splitting up. I was sitting by the window, and while the others were talking, I looked out at the street and saw Hallie. She worked at the Post Office and was one of the ladies I'd gone to see when I was still a student. We had spent a single night together, by the way. Just as I was about to join in the conversation, I noticed a little boy of about two walking a few steps behind Hallie. She wasn't holding his hand as he followed her. But with his short legs he couldn't keep up and I saw her turn and snap at him. The child looked completely frightened. She continued her way without paying any more attention to him. He tried to follow and even stumbled, but she didn't care about him. When he got to his feet, his clothes were soiled, and he was crying. Whether it was out of pain or because he felt so abandoned, I don't know. I felt terribly sorry for him. I knew how he must have felt. I have had similar experiences with my own parents. Then they would turn a corner and I couldn't see them anymore. At the time, I had the feeling that the scene was incredibly important. And now I know why". "So, what are you going to do next?" asked Regulus.
"As I said. First, I am going to Hogsmeade to try and find out more about him. And then I will have a word with Mercuria in search of a solution". Regulus and Gavin looked at him in stunned surprise. "You're going to involve your wife? What do you think she'll say? I mean, how would you feel if you heard that your husband had cheated on you and now wanted you to take in another woman's child?". Sirius looked at them, confused. Then he threw his head back and roared with laughter. "I didn't know Mercuria yet when I met Hallie. And besides, you two have no idea what that woman is capable of. Without her... well, let's not go there. Anyway, I need her to back me up if I am going to do something about Marius". "Marius is the young man?", asked Gavin. Sirius nodded. Suddenly he was beaming. "Okay, guys. I'm off home now. Don't count on me for the next few days. I need to sort this out quickly. You understand?". He jumped up and went to the fireplace, where he took a handful of floo powder from the container, threw it into the fireplace, called out "Black Manor", made a step ahead and disappeared, leaving Regulus and Gavin sitting speechlessly at the table.
As Sirius stepped out of the fireplace at Black Manor, he briefly considered whether to initiate Mercuria right away. Then he decided to get more information before planning his next move. Loud laughter rang out from the kitchen and when he entered the room, he found his family sitting at the table. Dinky was running small Muggle toy cars across the table and the boys were shouting and laughing as they tried to catch them. As soon as they spotted Sirius, they rushed up to him. "Daddy, you're back at last". Sirius knelt and hugged and kissed them. "What have you been doing all day?". The boys started talking to him all at once and he couldn't understand a word. He was overjoyed at the sight of his children being so confident and happy. It was a boost to his resolve to do something for Marius. "So, boys, let me see your mother". He straightened, took Mercuria in his arms and gave her a tender kiss. Then he sat down next to her. Dinky served his meal. "So, how is it going?". "Quite well. We got the master bedroom all fixed up. Oh, and we managed to detach and destroy my mother's disgusting portrait. You cannot imagine how happy I am that it is finally gone. However, the rest of the house is still in a completely neglected condition. Listen, I must go to Hogsmeade tomorrow. I might stay overnight. There is something I need to sort out". She nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her frown and giving him a sceptical look. For the umpteenth time, he secretly wondered why this woman was apparently able to read his mind. At the very least, she seemed to have guessed that he was up to something. Now that she was alarmed, she would not rest until she had discovered what it was. He would tell her everything in due time, but not before he had worked out a plan. As he thought about it, he grew so tired that his eyes fell shut. He startled when Mercuria put an arm around his shoulder and said, "You belong in bed instantly. Lizzy, will you look after the children? Boys, say good night to your father". They jumped up from their chairs and took turns to kiss him. "Good night, Daddy. Sleep well". Sirius smiled and kissed them in return before he stomped upstairs to the bedroom. He slipped under the covers and fell asleep before his head had even touched the pillow. Thus, he did not notice that Mercuria stood beside his side of the bed for a while, looking down at him anxiously.