Two days before Christmas Eve, Sirius took Regulus aside and whispered in his ear. When his brother nodded, he handed him a list and a purse. "We can assume that nothing will happen during the day. So Regulus will go to Diagon Alley and do some errands". Gavin called out: "I'll come with you". His siblings joined them, as did Marius and Sophie. Sirius had asked Regulus and Gavin to buy broomsticks as Christmas presents for the boys. The ban on the practice of magic for a young wizard before being admitted to Hogwarts, of course extended to the flying of a broomstick. Young witches and wizards had to be of sufficient physical stature to handle them safely, since broomsticks in kids' sizes were not allowed to be sold due to the age restrictions. Of course, not all parents obeyed this rule, and there was a shop in Knockturn Alley whose owner had specialised in importing illegal children's broomsticks from abroad and selling them under the table. Regulus was not sure though if the man was still in business. After all, it had been more than thirty years since his own father had taken him to choose a broomstick there. They learned that the man had died years ago, but his son had taken over the profitable business. As it turned out, they had known each other from their school days. Thus after the man had expressed his admiration for Regulus' skills as a Seeker, which had won Slytherin the House Cup several times back then, he not only sold Regulus five suitable broomsticks, but also revealed to him some charms that would allow to limit both their flying height and range. Afterwards, they bought the ingredients for some potions that Sirius had written down for them. They had an ice cream before apparating back to Grimmauld Place.

Sirius grabbed the parcels Regulus had handed him and carried them up to his room. "Where are Sophie and Marius?", he asked on his return to the drawing room. Regulus shook his head. "They left Diagon Alley before we did. We thought they had already gone home. At least they didn't say they'd gone elsewhere". Sirius closed his eyes and cursed under his breath. Once again, someone who had put himself in harm's way for no reason at all. Why the hell didn't they just stay with the rest of the group? He noticed the worried look on Jamie's face and tried to sound reassuring, "I'm sure they'll be back soon. Marius knows his way around London, after all. When Mercuria moved from Antwerp to London, he was on summer holiday. He helped her set up her shop and studio. Maybe he wanted to show Sophie something of the Muggle world". Jamie did not look too convinced of this. When they still hadn't returned for dinner, he said to Sirius, "I'm going to look for them. Are you comin' with me?". Sirius nodded and got up, even though he was convinced of the futility of such an undertaking, for where would they look for someone in a metropolis like London without having a clue? Just then they heard the front door open. Footsteps were coming down the hall towards the kitchen. Everyone looked up as Sophie and Marius entered, laden with bags and parcels. They put their shopping in a corner of the room and took a seat. Marius said: "Sorry to be so late. But it seems that tonight is the night, and we had to make sure of that".

Sirius said, "So, tell us what you have found out". "After our visit to Diagon Alley, I wanted to show Sophie Mercuria's favourite coffee shop. So, we apparated down to the street where Mercuria used to live. There's a television in the café, and when we entered, all the customers and staff were standing in front of it, watching a special programme about the murder of a Muggle family. A friend of the daughter's had been trying to get hold of her on the phone for days, but to no avail. Finally, she decided to have a look for herself at the family's home. She knew they had not intended to go on holiday over Christmas. The girl's father is a policeman and, as the family's house is in an isolated area, he offered to take her there in his police car when he got off work. There was no sign of anyone. That was yesterday. This morning they went back to try again and found the bodies of the family. Those had been practically executed and the house ransacked. Sophie and I stood by and watched until they broadcasted an impromptu press conference. Of course, the Muggles did not have the slightest idea as to who the perpetrators might have been. For us the vital information is that the murders obviously happened early this morning. And then there was something else that both Sophie and I have noticed. You have to imagine this press conference as a police officer answering some questions from the journalists present. The man was standing behind a barrier of yellow plastic tape. In the background you could see the house and several people, some of them in uniform, pacing back and forth. While the journalists were interviewing the officer, the bodies were being carried out of the house". "What's so strange about that? Looks like standard Muggle procedure to me," Andromeda observed. "The cameraman was standing behind the journalists. And he panned the camera back and forth. In the process, he had a shot of some of the journalists as well. We briefly saw a man's back, and when he came into the frame, his jacket slipped up. He was carrying a wand in his pocket. I couldn't believe it at first, but Sophie saw it too. We're pretty sure about it. The guy was a wizard. And when he spoke to the policeman, he said his name. Fin Northam". Sirius winced, Lucius looked incredulous and Andromeda shouted, "He's an Auror. He was working with my Dora. Lucius, Sirius, do you remember him? He was the one who warned us about the Dementors at the time, wasn't he? And then we used the time-turner to transfer the casket from Rosier's portrait to Uncle Phineas'. Say you can recall". To everyone's astonishment, Lucius patted her hand reassuringly and said: "My dear, you're right. I do remember it perfectly. He's an Auror, and he warned us back then. He was probably trying to find out what the Muggles knew about the murders". Jamie added, "So now we know where Cygnus and the others have been for the last couple of days. I think you're right. Now that they no longer have a safe place to stay, they will go back to the cemetery one more time and then they will get out of the country for the time being". Grandfather Murphy added, "It looks as if our waiting will come to an end tonight. I suggest we eat a quick supper and then rest until we've been signaled". Sirius nodded. "Lucius and I will stay up and wake you when the time come".

After dinner, the others quickly retreated. Only Lucius and Sirius remained. Sirius summoned for a bottle of whisky and some cigarettes. Sirius poured them in, raised his glass and said, "You know what, Malfoy? It's about to start at last. I can't wait for it any longer. Fighting real opponents once in a while is something different from just training, isn't it?". Lucius shook his head at him. "You've always been a complete madman. Somehow it is a family trait, in my opinion. No wonder it was Bellatrix, of all people, who almost sent you to hell. Narcissa wasn't like that, and obviously neither are Andromeda and Regulus. Although", he paused and thought, "none of these have ever been in a situation where they had to defend their skin. Let's see how Andromeda and Regulus will perform in a battle". "Anyway, I found the time when James and I had to fight you Death Eaters very stimulating. You just had to use all your skills to survive the duel. You know, it's quite easy to fire an Unforgivable Curse at an opponent from ambush. In particular, the Killing Curse. Defending against it requires a lot of shrewdness, agility and a large repertoire of spells to defend against the Dark Arts". Lucius nodded. "You're absolutely right. When I was a young man, I was also very enthusiastic about opposing you Resistance fighters. But things are different now. I can't say I'm excited about the prospect of duelling tonight. On the other hand, I was really fascinated by solving the riddles. And I hope we have much more to discover". Sirius gave him a quizzical look. Then he sipped his drink and said, lost in thought, "I think no matter how this turns out tonight, there are still some secrets we need to uncover. What's the story behind those feathers, for instance?".

Lucius and Sirius had made themselves comfortable in their chairs and were chatting away. He jerked to attention when Lucius suddenly jumped up. "It's about time. Someone is tampering with the tombstone. Wake the others and let's apparate to the cemetery". They gathered in the kitchen. Smiling uncertainly, Marius opened the pantry door and took out a shovel, which he put on the table. "This is a portkey. While you were waiting for the Murphys, we installed it. It will transport us to the cemetery. We will land behind a hedge about 200 yards from Merope's grave. From there we will have a clear view of Cygnus and his people. We can do a stealth swoop and encircle them." Sirius patted him approvingly on the shoulder. "Good job, son. An absolutely brilliant idea. Just one more word on our strategy. Once we reach the cemetery, we surround Cygnus' group. Each must apparate from behind that hedge to the position in the circle that he now has here at the table. Our wands will be in our hands. We will strike without hesitation. Everybody ready?". He looked at them one by one. Each nodded determinedly. "Okay, let's go". The shovel began to vibrate and glowed a bright blue. They grabbed hold of it and were whisked away to the cemetery.

Just like Marius had described, the Portkey had taken them behind a hedge. Through the foliage they could make out a group of people who had formed a circle around Merope's grave, examining the gravestone by the light that shone from the tip of their wands. Occasionally one of them would cast a spell on the gravestone. Sirius signalled for the others to disperse in accordance with the plan. He himself apparated straight to the back of the group, pointed his wand at the nearest opponent and shouted 'Stupefy' at him. The man collapsed unconscious. At the same moment, all hell broke loose. The wands' lights went out, and the scene was illuminated only by the dim light of the new moon. It grew so dark that it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe. Among the graves, Sirius saw figures duelling, but he could not recognise anyone. Loud cries erupted from all sides. "If my father, uncle and brother were to fall, the estate would be ours," Sirius heard Cygnus shout. Smash them all". Sirius charged in the direction of his son's voice. But when a spell whizzed past him from behind by a hair's breadth, he spun round and searched for his attacker. In the darkness, he could not make out exactly where he stood. He parried another spell as it was aimed at him. Now he knew that his opponent was standing at the edge of the path. Leaping over a grave, he called "Incarcerus", but his binding spell missed the man. He sent a knockout spell after him, sweeping the man's legs out from under him and knocking him to the ground. His wand twirled out of his hand and fell on the path. Sirius shouted "Accio wand" and caught it in his hand. Then he lunged at the man, who disapparated before he could reach him.

Sirius whirled round. He could not find Cygnus in the chaos at the side of the grave. As he ran towards the crowd, he continued to cast spells, but to no avail. He saw that Sophie was desperately trying to fight off a man who was attacking her with increasing ferocity. Sirius was close enough to see the horror and desperation on her face as she kept retreating. Finally, she tripped over a root and fell backwards to the ground. She thrust her arms defensively at her attacker. Sirius cast a shield charm on Sophie. At the same moment, he heard a cry of 'Expelliarmus' from somewhere, and the wand was torn from the attacker's hand, swirling through the air. For a moment, the wizard looked around in confusion and then disappeared from view. Sirius helped Sophie to her feet and patted her shoulder encouragingly. He couldn't see who had disarmed and chased away her assailant. Suddenly he spotted Cygnus. He was only a few yards away, on the other side of Merope's grave. He ran towards him, pointing his wand at his son. At the very moment he shouted out his spell, driven by an unbridled rage, he tripped over a pile of rubble, stumbled and fell to the ground. His wand was aimed at the sky and his spell fizzled out without any effect. He leapt to his feet and continued charging. Cygnus turned around and Sirius was now close enough to see the look of disbelief and surprise on his face. As he hurled another spell at Cygnus, the latter barely managed to block it and cried out, "Daddy, please stop. It's me, Marius! Sirius, please believe me!" Sirius stopped sharp, confused, and looked at his son. Now he realised what he'd done. He gave Marius a hug and ran off.

Sirius glanced about. The duellists were scattered all around the grave. It was getting harder and harder to distinguish friend from foe. He spotted Andromeda. She was successfully fighting off a witch, whom she had just managed to overpower. The witch disapparated before Andromeda had a chance to tie her up. The screams of the fighting were drowned out by the nasal sound of Lucius's voice as he continued to cast spells. Grandpa Murphy egged on his family at the top of his voice. Suddenly Sirius caught sight of Cygnus, who was duelling with Regulus. He sprinted at them. As he ran, his breath was taken away when he heard Cygnus shout out 'Avada Kedavra'. The fighters paused for a moment as a flash of green light illuminated the night. "We've killed one, now we're down to two," yelled Cygnus as he stormed off as the battle resumed. Sirius was paralysed with shock and horror. Regulus. His little brother had died. And it was all his fault. Once again it had been his own decision that had caused the loss of life of someone close to him because of his misjudgement. How could he have been so unbelievably foolhardy as to attack a group of trained wizards with a handful of amateurs? Yes, Regulus had once been a Death Eater and an experienced fighter. But that was a lifetime ago. For nearly twenty years he had lived on a farm in Ireland where he did not have to protect himself from Dark Wizards. Why hadn't he simply waited until Cygnus and his group had left the country? On his knees beside his brother, he tenderly stroked his cheek. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, "Little brother, forgive me. Please, forgive me. This is all my fault". He wondered briefly at the blood dripping from a cut on Regulus' temple. Since when did the Killing Curse leave marks - except on Harry, of course, but hadn't he survived it, after all? His heart nearly stopped beating when Regulus opened his eyes and said, "Don't bother, Sirius. My time hasn't come yet. I stumbled and hit my head on a rock the moment he cast the Killing Curse. The curse only just missed me. Help me to my feet, we must stop him. Now". Confused, Sirius reached out a hand to his brother and pulled him up to his feet. They looked around and finally spotted Cygnus duelling amongst the warriors. They started to run, and as they got closer, they realised that he was fighting Marius. As he ran towards them, Regulus shouted, "Nephew, not so fast. We're not done yet". He sent a stunning spell at Cygnus, but it missed. Cygnus turned and stared at Sirius and Regulus for a moment, dumbfounded. Then he called out, "Come on over here, all of you. Now we have the three of them together".

But his cry was in vain, and nobody came to his side. because all his followers were engaged in battle. So, Cygnus stood alone against them as they surrounded him. Marius yelled "Expelliarmus" and caught Cygnus' wand out of the air as it flew towards him. Before his son could escape, Sirius bound his legs with a Bondage Charm. Cygnus staggered and fell to the ground. He immediately transformed into his Animagus shape and turned into a swan, flapping his wings violently in an attempt to take off. Regulus and Sirius exchanged a look. Together, they raised their wands and cast a Restoration Charm on Cygnus, forcing him to change back to his human form. Sirius leapt over to Cygnus, who lay on the ground struggling fiercely, and pulled him up by his collar. "It's all over for you, my son". Suddenly, a large number of wizards and witches apparated onto the scene. Loud shouts of 'Retreat, the Aurors have arrived' rang out. Lucius' nasal voice drowned out the shouts and cries of the fighters, "Back to the house. Now". Sirius shrieked, "Go home, all of you. I'll be right with you".

He apparated with Cygnus to Black Manor. As he pushed open the entrance portal, trudged to the end of the hall and descended the stairs to the basement, his wrath and hatred for Cygnus, who was struggling furiously, grew. As they reached the section of the basement that housed the cells, Cygnus made one last attempt to break free. As they passed, he grabbed hold of one of the door handles and, coming to an abrupt halt, knocked Sirius off balance. Then, with all the force he could muster, he slammed Sirius against the wall of the corridor and charged back towards the stairs. Sirius sprinted after him, catching up at the foot of the stairs. He threw himself onto his son, and they rolled across the floor. Sirius reached for his wand, but Cygnus grabbed him by the arm and tried to wrestle the wand away from him. Finally, Sirius flung the wand down the corridor and punched Cygnus in the face with his fist. Cygnus struck out wildly, but he was unable to land a blow. His son's fierce resistance drove Sirius into a frenzy. He pounded his opponent with both fists, whose initially hysterical screams were soon reduced to a low whimper. When he finally came to his senses, Sirius was on his knees next to Cygnus, breathing heavily and panting. His son was hardly conscious, and the bruises on his face and body told of the severity of the beating. Sirius got to his feet and grabbed Cygnus by the wrist, dragging him down the corridor and into the cell block. He picked up his wand, opened the door to a cell and pushed Cygnus inside. He left him lying on the floor of the room and closed the door behind him, sealing it with every protective spell that came to his mind.

Exhausted, Sirius returned to the stairs and climbed into the hall. Alarmed by the noise of the fight, Jessie, Jonathan and the boys had run into the hall and were now standing by the door to the cellar in their nightgowns. With sleepy faces, they stared at him questioningly. None of them moved or even dared to say a word. "Everything went well," Sirius muttered, smiling wryly at them. Nobody was really harmed. Why don't you all just go back to sleep? I must leave again. We'll see you tomorrow". He entered the living room, opened the Floo Network and travelled to Grimmauld Place. He was greeted exuberantly by the others as he emerged from the fireplace. They had opened several bottles of champagne and were in full celebration of their victory. "Sirius, here you are at last. We've already had a toast to our success. We have driven them away. What a night we had. Here, have a drink." Grandfather Murphy pushed a glass into his hand and raised his own, "To our great victory." The others echoed, "To our great victory." Regulus moved next to him and put an arm around his shoulder. "Everybody's fine. A few of them had minor bruises that Marius tended to. What about Cygnus?", he asked. "Securely confined to a cell at Black Manor." Sirius noticed the curious looks the others gave his shirt. He looked down at himself, only now realising that his clothes were stained with blood. He took out his wand and wiped the stains away with it. "I had to persuade Cygnus that the cellar was a good place for him". He smiled, tormented. Nobody had the courage to ask for details.

They celebrated until the break of dawn. With each glass of champagne, they embellished their stories with more breathtakingly colourful details until they had completely erased the setbacks they had suffered and remembered only their boundless superiority. Eventually they were so tired that they went to bed one after another. Regulus was the only one to remain in the kitchen with Sirius at the end. He filled two glasses and handed one of them to his brother. Then he suggested a toast and took a sip from his own glass. "I just wanted to let you know you that I love you very, very much, brother. I never got the chance to tell you that before. You mean a great deal to me. Even back in the days when we were just kids. I wish we hadn't lost so much time apart. So I am glad Cygnus could not kill me. Although it's only thanks to my clumsiness that I'm still with you. If I hadn't tripped... He would have got me. I wish that we will enjoy the time together that we have been granted". He smiled cheerfully and sipped his glass again. Sirius rose and clinked his glass against Regulus' and emptied it in one go. "I have the same wish, brother. I really do." They embraced and Sirius felt a warm sensation run through his body, a happiness he hadn't had with such intensity since James had passed away. When Regulus walked to the door and disappeared, for the first time in a long time, he just felt happy and euphoric, and all worries were blown away.

It was late in the afternoon when they all gathered in the kitchen to say goodbye. Sirius had invited them all to spend Christmas at Black Manor, but Grandfather Murphy had refused. "We had everything prepared for the festive season before we got here. I'm sure there will yet be plenty of opportunities to celebrate together. We'll be in touch with you. I'm sure this was not the last time these people gave us trouble. We will be ready to deal with them if they show up again". They climbed into the fireplace and disappeared. Jamie was the next to leave the house. He hugged his daughter and Marius and shook hands with the others before leaving. "My family is waiting for me. I'm sure they're worried about me right now. Perhaps Sophie and Marius will come and visit us soon. I am going to stay fit and watch the coastline, even if these people are gone for now". Sirius glanced at the others. "What about the rest of you?" Gavin said, "Regulus and I are going to stay here for the night. See you tomorrow for breakfast". Andromeda nodded. "I'll be comin', of course. I'm sure Teddy's waiting for me". "Lucius"? "I am coming too, I just don't feel like spending the holidays in the company of a couple in love, because it will be more than boring". So they said goodbye to Regulus and Gavin before heading home.