Sirius looked up as Jessie walked towards him. He put his arm around her waist and smiled at her. "Sirius, our Aunt Nora has passed away. Jonathan and I are leaving for Wales tomorrow for her funeral. We will be gone for about five days. Anything we need to consider? I mean with Cygnus?". "I can't think of anything to be concerned about. You can go without worrying. We'll miss you, of course". She put her arms around him, and he leaned against her.
The next morning, after breakfast, they set off in Jonathan's old Vauxhall. It was a Saturday, and the wizards flew to Sirius' garage to continue souping up their bikes. Suddenly Sirius jumped up. "Someone has trespassed on the premises. Home, now". They jumped on their motorbikes and raced back. When they reached Black Manor, they saw the gap in the hedge and the open gate behind it. Sirius shot through it and up the driveway to the manor. He jumped off his bike, took the stairs in a single bound and dashed into the house, shouting at the top of his lungs. Andromeda and Sophie were lying unconscious on the lawn. Sirius knelt beside his cousin and shook her. Eventually she opened her eyes, a blink of confusion on her face. When she recognised him, she began crying. "Sirius, they've taken the boys. How the hell they got past the protective spell, I don't know. All of a sudden, they were there. Six of them in all. They surprised us and attacked right away. There was nothing we could do about it. Sirius, what should we do? What if they start hurting them now?". She sobbed heavily. Sirius froze in horror at this. Cygnus would stop at nothing. Only, what was the purpose of his attack? And why had he taken the children with him? Regulus said, "He may need the boys to exchange them for something else. That would be a good sign, don't you think? If he had just wanted to get rid of them, he would have killed them on the spot".
They all stared at him in horror. Lucius nodded. "Regulus is right. He needs the children for some purpose. Which means we just must wait and see. Cygnus will be in touch soon. I'm sure of it". Sirius buried his head in his arms in abject despair. Once again, he had been unable to keep his family safe from harm. This failure ran like a red thread through his life. First Lily and James, then Mercuria, and now their children. The losses he had suffered in his life made his throat tighten and tears well up. Somebody put an arm around his shoulders, and he heard Marius whisper quietly, "This time it will be different. For sure. We will rescue them. They need us. Don't give up". He looked up and said determinedly, "OK. We'll wait". It was easier said than done, though. Cygnus was taking his time. At first Sirius had been hopeful that his son would be back in touch with him soon, but the hours passed and there was no word. They sat together around the table in the living room, jumping up at the slightest sound. From time to time one or the other got up and paced restlessly around the room. They had long since stopped talking, and finally the only sound was the ticking of the clock, which seemed to grow louder and louder until it resounded in their ears like the thunder of a cannon.
From time to time Sirius looked at the clock. The hands hardly wanted to move and seemed to be stuck, and eventually Sirius began to think that time was running backwards. The night went by and nothing much happened. As the sun came up and lit up the room, Sirius looked at the tired, disappointed faces of the others and wondered for a moment if he, too, had red-rimmed eyes and a translucent complexion from exhaustion. Dinky served breakfast, but only Lucius dug in heartily. The others picked at their plates listlessly. Gavin suggested, "Let's use Mercuria's time-turner to bring the boys back. Regulus, give it to us". Regulus took the chain with the piece from around his neck and put it on the table. Sirius reached for it as Lucius shouted, "No, stop it!". "What is it?". "If we use the time-turner now, we'll never know what he really wants. Let's wait and see, hard as it is. If anything happens to the children, we can always use it". Andromeda said, "That sounds reasonable. I think we'll wait first". Sirius nodded and handed the piece to his brother, who put the chain back on. Marius said, 'It may be a while before Cygnus reports. We should use the time. What do you think about a renewal and strengthening of the protection to the estate? In the meantime, I am going to transform myself and look for them". Gavin threw in, "Why don't we all go and look for them?". "Because Cygnus will be coming here. So at least Sirius must stay, and we can't leave him alone. Moreover, I will look for them as an eagle. Cygnus may have guessed that we're all Animaghi by now, but other than Padfoot being a dog, he has no idea what sort of animal our Animaghi are. That gives us a bit of an advantage. They will be on the lookout for broomsticks and motorbikes. They will not be wary of eagles". They got to their feet and walked out onto the terrace. Sirius embraced his son and looked at him. "I have faith in you," he said. Marius smiled, "And I won't be a disappointment to you". He stepped to the balustrade and transformed. With a loud screech, the eagle soared elegantly into the sky, circled over the mansion and then disappeared to the south. The people on the terrace followed it with their eyes until it vanished from sight. In a strained voice, Sirius said, "Our best hopes now rest in you, son. Well, let's strengthen our protection then".
Three days of waiting had worn the residents of Black Manor down. Their nerves were frayed, and they were all feeling miserable. Sirius looked at his brother and Gavin and was afraid he looked as terrible as they were. Unshaven, with dishevelled hair, not having showered and still wearing the same clothes they had put on three days ago. At first, they had held out hope that Cygnus would soon come forward to make his demands known. But slowly, doubts began to grow in them about whether Cygnus really wanted to exchange the children for anything at all. Maybe the boys were already dead by now. When someone rang the bell at the gate, Sirius jumped in fright. "Let them in or meet them outside?". Regulus said: "Let them into the grounds. They won't be able to get into the house anyway, the way it's protected now". Sirius lifted the protective spell and allowed the visitors to pass through. Seconds later, five wizards and a witch landed in front of the main staircase. Cygnus dismounted from his broomstick at a provocatively slow pace. The others followed suit. Cygnus stepped slowly towards Sirius. He turned to face those who followed him. "May I present you: My father and his family. The only positive thing about them is the name they carry. Black. My father is a violent drunkard with a predilection towards Mudbloods. His brother, my beloved uncle, lives there with this wretched character, instead of ensuring the continuation of the line and the good name. My aunt was shunned by the family when she ran away with a Mudblood, and her daughter was married to a werewolf. And last but not least the magnificent Lucius Malfoy. The richest man in the entire Wizarding World. He probably doesn't even have a clue what he's doin' here".
The two groups stared at each other hatefully. Sirius could feel the anger rising in him and would have liked to break his son's neck on the spot, but he pulled himself together and waited. When he provoked no response, Cygnus began to pace up and down in front of them. "Tell me, Father. Did you grieve for your Mudblood wife? She died the way a true Muggle should. On her hands and knees. Begging for her worthless life. And do you know what she said to me? She said, 'You can do whatever you want to me. Just spare my life'. As if I was going to let a Muggle woman get to me". He snorted. To everyone's surprise, Sirius burst into laughter. He threw his head back and the sound of his throaty laughter echoed across the forecourt. "Cygnus, your fairy tales are becoming increasingly absurd. My wife would never have begged for her life, especially not from a worm like you. Your mother was a disappointment to me, and it was for good reason that I only stayed with her once. She knew nothing at all. And she was sickeningly ugly, and if it hadn't been completely dark in the room, I wouldn't have picked her at all. My wife has done things that you can't even imagine in your wildest dreams. She wouldn't even talk to a nobody like you. Don't you remember when she sent you running with that frying pan? I bet you've never run so fast in your life".
As Sirius spoke to him, Cygnus blushed. Now he was trembling with rage. He made a dismissive gesture and began, "Enough. We have your Mudblood brood and the son of the werewolf. I'm a generous man. I'll make a deal with you. Lucius has told me that you keep the things Tom Riddle left in his house. Two of the children and the little werewolf in exchange for all of this". "What are you talking about?". "Well, it is quite obvious. You get two of your sons back if you give me Riddle's stuff. And you even get to choose which two you want". Sirius wasn't sure he'd got it right. "What exactly are you saying?". Cygnus gave a malicious laugh and turned to his companions. "My father is confused. Obviously, the alcohol has already affected his brain". He turned to Sirius and narrowed his eyes. "In exchange for the pieces, I will grant the lives of two of your brood and you will decide which of them will live and which will die".
The enormity of the proposal made Sirius stagger. He was being asked to decide which of his four boys would be returned to him, and which one he would sacrifice? He would have fallen to his knees and begged for the lives of his sons. But he knew it would be pointless. In his abysmal wickedness, Cygnus had hoped for just such a reaction. Sirius didn't know what to do. He could kill Cygnus on the spot, but that would do nothing to bring his children back to him. He had been desperately hoping for a positive signal ever since Marius had left on his quest. But there had been none, and he could see that Cygnus was waiting for an answer. "What now, Father? My offer will not be valid for much longer. In any case, sooner or later I will get my hands on those things. But by the time I do, all your boys will be dead. What are you going to do?". Sirius swallowed. Then he nodded and waved his wand. A small parcel flew out of the house. He caught it with his hand. "And who did you pick?". Sirius' mind raced. Whose name should he give? Procyon. Cheeky, bright, courageous and curious. Of all his boys, the one who was most like him. Asterion. Friendly, reserved, thoughtful, and quiet. A son who had always remained a little bit of a stranger to him. Phineas. Cheerful, adventurous, affectionate. And Alphard. Mercuria's favourite. Alphard, who, when he and his twin were born prematurely, had spent days fighting for his life. Alphard, who had struggled with everything. He learned to walk late and learned to speak even later. He was often sickly, and when he was, Mercuria allowed him to sleep in his mother's marital bed. Sirius had secretly admitted to himself that he had been jealous of his own son on more than one occasion, when Mercuria had favoured the boy over their love games. Alphard, who had watched his beloved mother being tortured to death.
Sirius' thoughts were interrupted. "What is it now, old man? Who did you choose to die?". Faintly, Sirius saw the terror on the faces of his family. Just then, the shrill ring of Mercuria's phone made both groups jump. Cygnus and his people exchanged irritated glances. In his back, Sirius heard someone sprint into the house. Cygnus shook himself and asked again: "Who do you want back?". Out of the corner of his eye, Sirius saw someone step up beside him and winced in disbelief as Malfoy said in his most arrogant and nasal voice, "Young Flint, I'm going to interrupt your conversation here. What would the other two boys be worth to you?", he asked. Cygnus turned red with rage and hissed at him, "Mr Malfoy. You are not up to date. The only good thing my father ever did in his life was my adoption. My name is Black. Cygnus Black". Lucius sneered contemptuously, as only he could. "Mr Flint, it should be common knowledge by now that Sirius, in his boundless generosity, accepted you as his son. But it is also known that you are a bastard. And I certainly do not intend to ignore that fact. No more than any other decent pure-blood family would. Where would we end up if every casual product of a fling claimed equal rights for itself?". He gave an unmistakable snort. Cygnus' face had turned dark red during the speech, and he trembled with anger. It was obvious that he was trying hard to keep his composure. His voice sounded clenched as he asked: "And what do you have to offer me, Mr Malfoy?". Without taking his eyes off his son, Sirius had an idea of what his son was now seeing: Lucius, who was standing at full height, with a raised eyebrow and a wrinkle in his nose as if he had caught an unpleasant odour. His voice was cold as ice when he finally replied: "I could tell you where to find the veil that hides my time-turner, for example".
Sirius could hardly believe his ears. What did that mean? Malfoy had thrown the time-turner behind the veil in the Department of Mysteries when he had saved his life. They had both clearly heard the piece tumble down the staircase into the Land of the Dead. What did Malfoy mean by that? Cygnus considered the offer. "I'll give you another boy". Malfoy gave a malicious laugh. "Don't be silly, Mr Flint. You know very well that the time-turner is the most valuable item that you can possibly get in return for the boys. We want all four plus Teddy. As I'm sure you're aware, Teddy Lupin is the son of my late niece. And as far as family is concerned, I have some very definite ideas about how I want them to be treated. So make up your mind before I lose all interest in your company", he said. Sirius was confused to the core now. What the hell had gotten into Malfoy? Just as it was common knowledge that Andromeda was Lucius' sister-in-law, everyone knew that she was banished from the family when she married Ted Tonks. So why the sudden shoulder-to-shoulder? And what the hell was Malfoy doing here in the first place? It was obvious that he had some sort of plan in mind.
While Cygnus was still considering the offer, Sirius heard Regulus shout from behind him, "He doesn't have the boys anymore. They managed to escape last night. Marius is with them. They're safe". For a moment they all stood there, transfixed. Sirius pulled his wand from his pocket and fired a spell at Cygnus, who jumped aside so that the man behind him got hit. Cygnus and the others leapt onto their broomsticks and rushed towards the gate, followed by the spells Sirius and the others were casting. Another man was hit and fell lifeless to the ground, but the rest escaped. The gate slammed shut behind them and the hedge covered the entrance.
Gavin shouted, "What happened?". Regulus jumped downstairs. He said: "The boys must have escaped during the night. Marius came across them by chance. Not far from where Jessie and Jonathan had gone to the funeral. The boys are in their car with them, on their way home. Marius will protect them. He asked us to meet and to support him. He told us to get on the road right away. It was Jessie's idea to do a phone call here at just the right time". As they ran through the house, Sirius asked, "Malfoy, what was that all about?". Lucius looked at him, baffled. "Buying time? I knew something important had happened when Mercuria's phone rang. Who would call her after her death? The flower lady or Marius. Everyone else would have been using Jessie's number. Worked out, didn't it?". Sirius shook his head in disbelief. After all these years, Malfoy could still surprise him. They jumped on their bikes. Andromeda climbed on behind Regulus. "There is no way in hell I am going to stay here. If you don't take me, I'll follow you with a broomstick. Teddy's with them right now". Nodding, Regulus called to the rear, "Sophie, Kreacher, Dinky, prepare the medical room. Someone may need tending to". They took off the ground and raced south.
Sirius had a rough idea of where Marius and the car would be. He trusted that Marius would not use the motorway but would take smaller roads so that he would be able to take evasive action in the event of an attack. He was putting increasing distance between himself and the others. When he reached the Welsh border, he held his wand up to the sky and sent out a signal that could be seen from miles away. To his amazement, a similar signal appeared on the horizon to the north. The car must have advanced much faster than he had anticipated. Clearly Jonathan had squeezed every ounce of speed out of the old banger. They turned and sped towards the signal. Now the others were way ahead, and Sirius was struggling to catch up. As Marius and the car came into sight, he saw eight assailants on broomsticks attacking the car from either side. At once, Regulus, Gavin and Lucius were engaged in duels with the enemy, while Sirius watched helplessly from a distance, trying desperately to get closer to them.
Sirius saw the car racing down the street at top speed. All of a sudden, two of the wizards pulled down their broomsticks and attacked the car from the front. Marius, who was riding shotgun, cast a spell through the windscreen, which shattered. Another wave of his wand stunned one of the assailants. The car was just about to cross a dip in the road when the second wizard steered his broomstick across the carriageway at the crest of the road and crossed it. To Sirius' horror, he saw the man raise his wand and point it at the car. Suddenly, the car's clutch screeched as Jonathan shifted down and immediately accelerated back up the hill. The car skidded off the road, shot high over the ridge and heavily hit the wizard's broomstick with its bonnet. Surprised by the sudden thrust and jump of the vehicle, the man failed to avoid being struck. The car landed on the carriageway with a loud bang and sped off, while the wizard was torn from his broomstick and fell out of sight. Another attacker had taken up the chase and was level with the rear door of the car. However, Sirius was too far away to intervene. The wizard raised his wand and aimed it at Jonathan, who abruptly hit the brakes, bringing the car to a near halt with screeching tyres and a slight skidding. Simultaneously, the driver's door burst open. The man on the broomstick didn't react quickly enough to avoid the obstacle and crashed into the open door at full speed. The door was partially torn off its hinges and the side window shattered with a loud bang as the wizard crashed through it head on. His upper body was pinned in place. His wand was knocked out of his hand and his broomstick was left on the ground at the point of impact. Jonathan steered the car as far to the right as possible and kicked at the door as several oaks appeared beside the road. Both the wizard and the door were smashed into the trunk of a tree. The door was completely torn off its hinges by the impact and was thrown high into the air, with the unconscious man still stuck in it. Door and wizard hit the ditch heavily. Malfoy rammed his motorcycle into another of the attackers, who was thrown back and lay motionless on the pavement for a moment. His wand spun into the air, disappearing into the undergrowth beside the road, along with his broomstick. The man scrambled to his feet. Confused, he looked around. Sirius pointed his wand at him, when he saw Regulus, who had almost reached the man. At that moment, the loud horn of a lorry sounded and the wizard in the street turned just before the vehicle caught him. It threw him several yards through the air and rolled over him with its eight wheels as he hit the ground again. Sirius didn't have time for a second glance. The others were still some distance ahead. After his stop, Jonathan had immediately accelerated again and was now racing down the road, followed by the remaining attackers and Gavin, Regulus and Malfoy.
Sirius swerved his motorcycle to the ground and took up the chase. The witch closest to the car cast a spell at it. The right-hand rear door burst open and to his horror Sirius saw one of his sons fall out of the car. At such a distance, he couldn't make out who it was. As he accelerated, he saw Jessie throw herself out of the car. She rolled away, jumped to her feet, ran to the boy who was lying unconscious on the ground and gently pulled him up. With the child in her arms, she zigzagged across the pavement and jumped off the road just as one of the attackers whipped his broomstick round, raised his wand and cast a spell at her. Sirius shouted 'Expelliarmus' and rammed his motorbike into the stunned wizard, who hadn't noticed that Sirius was following some distance behind. The man lost his wand and broomstick and clung desperately to the motorcycle's handlebars. Sirius raised his vehicle high up, before he shot a stunning spell straight into the man's face, causing him to fall backwards a few yards, spin downwards and hit the ground hard.
Sirius pulled the bike down and sped back to where Jessie had jumped off the road. She had picked herself up in the meantime. When he stopped beside her, she mounted up behind him. He saw that she was holding Procyon. Sirius leaned low over the handlebars, accelerated, and shot after the others. Gavin, Malfoy and Regulus had by then driven off the other attackers and were riding on the roadway beside and behind the car. Sirius also touched down and caught up with the others. When he looked to the side, he thought he saw Cygnus standing on a nearby hill, watching the attack like a commander but not having intervened himself. So they reached Black Manor and stopped at the foot of the front steps. Jonathan jumped out of the car and opened its doors. One by one he lifted the boys out of the rear and placed them in the arms of the waiting wizards. Sophie helped Jessie get off the bike. She was limping and her jeans were torn and bloodstained. When Sirius took the unconscious Procyon from her, the child's shirt slid up. As white as chalk, Sirius stared at the wounds on Procyon's belly. Jessie cried, "Oh my God, he's hurt worse than I thought. I'm so sorry". Sirius looked at her with tears in his eyes. "It's not from the tumble. They tortured him. A six-year-old boy. What kind of monster does that?". Procyon groaned softly and opened his eyes. "Daddy". Sirius kissed him and whispered, "Precious, it's all right. I am with you. Marius will help you in a second". To Marius he called out, "Come over here right now and take care of Procyon". Marius said, "Let's take all the wounded to the infirmary. I can treat them better there".
The injured were taken to the infirmary that Marius had set up. He ran from one to another, tending to their wounds. Once everyone was cared for, the adults gathered in the living room. Asterion and Teddy had insisted on staying up and were now wrapped in thick blankets. Teddy cuddled up with Andromeda and Sirius was holding Asterion. The boy held him tight, hiding his face against his father's chest. Dinky and Kreacher passed around trays of steaming cocoa, sandwiches, and pastries. At last, Regulus said, "Now, tell us what has happened".