As you can see, I will be keeping to my two-week schedule, though I think that Sunday night might not be a good moment to update as almost nobody reads at that moment but oh well!
Special thanks to Blitzstrahl for pointing Dorea out to me and giving me a bit of background information... you might see that I've included a bit more than that seeing as I had nothing to do this afternoon (total lie, I'm procrastinating) so here it is! All of it is accurate, or as accurate as J.K. Rowling gets on the wiki -some of the years and dates are a bit iffy, particularly with Cygnus and Bellatrix like he counldn't have had her at 13, but he had Andromeda at 17 and they look really alike and 17 is when they come of age so... in my opinion they're twins- and came up with this! If anyone gets confused I made a family tree on paper which I could sent a picture of to their email.
Lots of love to all my readers!
Harry listened half-heartedly to mrs Weasley's orders as she organised her children, Hermione and him into small squads for the cleaning of Grimmauldplace. Sure, he'd forgiven them for keeping him out of everything, but he hadn't gotten over it. Plus, the barrage of information he'd gained the previous night -not only the Black family tree but also what they'd told him of the Order's plans right after that- was still bouncing around in his head. He couldn't concentrate.
There was a knock at the door and Sirius popped his head in the room.
"Molly, could I borrow Harry for a bit? It's important." He inquired, still sounding slightly bitter over the discussion he'd had with her at dinner.
Mrs Weasley nodded, waving Harry off with a quick flick of her wrist and a smile, and turning back to the other teenagers.
Harry stood and went into the hallway with his godfather. For a second they just stood outside the door while Sirius attempted to start speaking.
"I... realise that everything I told you about the family last night might have been too quick." He grimaced. "It's all more complicated than what I told you and we missed quite a few parts. If you'd like we can go keep looking. You can ask anything you want."
Harry blinked. The man had seemed very reluctant to talk about it before so he'd assumed that they wouldn't address it further. "Are you sure? Cause we don't have to, it's not really any of my business-"
Sirius' barking laugh cut him off. "It is your business, Harry. I'll show you why, come on."
He wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and dragged him up the stairs. The door was easily pushed open and they stood in front of Sirius' burned tapestry face. Sunlight streamed through the window so they could see everything clearly.
"Look Harry, that-" He pointed at a young face next to his. "Is my brother Regulus, Death Eater git who was adored by my parents, though he was alright when we were kids. That's my dad, Orion, and my mother Walburga, both utterly mad. That's my uncle Cygnus the third, Walburga's brother and Narcissa, Andromeda and Bellatrix's father. My dad's sister Lucretia married into the Prewett family, and that was Molly's family... I think she might have been Molly's aunt, but we can't see the Prewetts on here. She never had any kids."
"That's Pollux...Cygnus, Walburga and Alphard's father, though Alphard was blasted off for being a blood traitor...then there's Pollux's siblings; Cassiopeia, who never married, Marius-" A scorch mark. "And Dorea, all children of Cygnus the second."
Harry's eyes trailed over their faces, carefully mulling through his words so as not to get confused. "Why was Marius blasted off?"
"For being a squib. 'S far as I know he was hidden in an apartment somewhere in muggle London until he turned 18 and was abandoned for good." Sirius looked at the scorch mark with slight apprehension.
"Now if you look over there-" He pointed. "That is Arcturus the second, Cygnus the second's brother and father to Callidora, Cedrella and Charis. Callidora married into the Longbottom family by way of Harfang Longbottom... might be mrs Longbottom's parents, so Neville's great-grandparents. Charlis married the then patriarch of the Crouches..." His fingers trailed down his relatives to Barty Crouch jr and a shiver crawled up Harry's spine. "Then there's Cedrella-"
"And why was Cedrella burned off?"
"Oh, she married a blood traitor. They were just as unacceptable as a half-blood, muggleborn or squib to my parents and grandparents."
The name next to her said Septimus Weasley.
"You're related to the Weasleys too?" Harry blinked. "Really?"
Sirius smirked. "Somehow all pure-bloods are related, there's Yaxley blood, Crabbe blood, Bulstrode blood... But keep looking Harry."
The boy's eyes turned back, searching for a few seconds before finding the next name. Dorea Black. A golden line linked her to a man with dark hair. The name under him said... Charlus Potter.
With wide eyes he looked under them. Two scorch marks. The names under them were Lily Evans and James Potter. Below was his own face staring up at him.
"Me? We're related too?" Harry swallowed. "Why didn't I see this?"
His godfather scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I suppose you were too busy with me being related to Malfoy. Though technically he's your distant cousin too and so are Annabelle and Tonks... The Weasleys are your slightly more distant relatives and the current Crabbe boy and so on, but they're still there. I'm your second cousin once removed." He squeezed Harry's shoulder. "I met your dad on the Hogwarts Express, though we were already going to interact a lot since he was my second cousin and in my same year... Ron is your third cousin."
Harry took a deep breath, sinking slightly to the ground. If he'd thought last night's information was a lot, this was... wrecking. Malfoy and Lestrange were his cousins? He was related to the people who tortured Neville's parents? ...he was related to Neville and Ron? His family cast each-other out like that... some even killed each-other? ...was it possible that...?
"What happened to my grandparents? Aunt Petunia never wanted to talk about her parents but... what happened to Charlus and Dorea? Why are they still on there? These people rejected and killed their own family?" He was short of breath.
"Okay, Harry. Stop there." Sirius started rubbing circles on his back. "You need to calm down, I'm not telling you anything otherwise."
Harry glared at him through shaky breaths. It took a while for him to calm down but eventually he nodded at the older man.
"First of all, the Potters were always 'grey', if you will. Not dark wizards like the Blacks, not light wizards like the Weasleys... kind of like the Bones. Dorea... she never told me how she was raised and I never met her before meeting James but I guess she must have been more open minded than most Blacks. So when they got married nobody really cared. The Potters were very respected no matter what, so all Blacks were alright with it and she wasn't blasted off.
"As you know, James was completely in love with Lily. At the time Voldemort was gaining a lot of strength so, in order to 'get their family in line' many pure-bloods were cutting people off. Then when James and Lily got together, someone from the family, I'm not sure who though if someone told me it was Bellatrix I wouldn't doubt them, burned down Potter Manor with James, Dorea and Charlus inside. I was there too, I'd already run away from here by then. They were killed a few months later so blasting them off was no longer necessary; they'd been taken care of by other means... as for your dad... well, mum wasn't a very nice person, as you might notice." Sirius sighed. "But I'm digressing... Where was I?... It wasn't until we got in touch with Lily again that she told us they'd also gone after the Evans. Both her parents were killed."
"Dumbledore told me I had no living family... He lied, right?" He swallowed.
Sirius sighed. "Yeah, though for what I wouldn't know."
Harry closed his eyes, dropping his head in his hands. "Keep going then." He mumbled.
"Well... as for you other questions..." He placed a hand on Harry's head. "Some way or another people seem to get into their heads that you only deserve to be part of a family if you stick to their principles, no matter how twisted those are, and children are often raised with the idea that blood family is all one has. They can't fathom having a family that isn't related to them, though if you look at us it's hard to find someone who isn't related to you one way or another. The ones who pluck up the courage to deviate are cast out and hung to dry. Others become so desperate to stay and be approved of that they do terrible things and start to believe they are correct." One more sigh escaped him. "Such was the case with my little brother Regulus. Smart kid, good kid, but scared to death of my mother when he was young. Later he forgot he was a afraid, but he also forgot he was first Regulus and then Black."
"I'm sorry." Harry mumbled. "He died, right?."
"Yeah. He's very dead. Poor Reg." The man swallowed. "But I'm telling you this to show you that... you are related to many people and technically they are your family but you don't feel that way for them so you don't feel the need to comply with what they think. Others are not so lucky, they forget that not all blood-relatives are family and forget themselves too. Don't be angry at them, Harry, not these people who are so terrified of being alone that they follow like sheep. Don't hate these poor cowards, pity them."
They stayed seated on the floor for the rest of the day. The rest of the holidays Harry would suddenly just jump up and run back up to the room, fingers trailing over lines and finding more and more names he had hoped not to find linked to him. He always came back looking more and more uncomfortable.
Draco knew he was staring. He didn't care. It was disgusting. It was also justified, he supposed, the man must not have had any ice cream in over a decade.
Still, watching Barty gorge himself was not on his to-do list when he got up this morning. No, it had only included going to Diagon Alley with his cousin, meeting up with their friends and doing their shopping for school.
By now they'd gotten their new books, their potion supplies, their new robes and more writing equipment. Everything was packed and payed for and stuffed into a small bag with an undetectable extension charm. So now they sat in Fortescue's taking a break from the heat and the crowd.
Anna sat to his right, flipping through the DADA book with a disgusted look on her face. Her skin was red and she was fanning herself with her free hand. She'd had to wear long sleeves and dark colours even in this dreadful weather.
To Anna's other side sat Theo, who was chatting with Blaise about something or another, probably politics. Blaise was holding hands with Daphne, a development all of them had seen coming and were not at all impressed by -for people who were so smooth the awkwardness had been glorious, they'd been stuck in a 'will they, won't they' since the Yule Ball-, who sat next to her sister Astoria -about to enter third year- and was talking to Pansy about Adrian Pucey. Draco had told Pansy to stay away from Pucey, the guy was a slick git when he wanted to be, but did she listen? No. So there she was complaining about how the bloke was unpredictable. No fucking shit.
Greg and Vince were quietly eating their ice cream, sometimes commenting on the flavours to Barty. Because of course Barty had to come. Of course he'd stuck to Anna like a sticking charm. And of course he was transfigured into looking like someone their age to fit in. Like someone who looked like a fifth year walking with fifth years but not buying the supplies necessary for fifth years wouldn't stand out. Of fucking course.
The man got on Draco's nerves. He was... creepy, for lack of a better word. He stayed too close to his cousin for his tastes, though he knew it wasn't what people usually thought. He called her 'Baby Annie' for fuck's sakes. He was there when she was born.
Clearing his throat, the blond looked around. "Do we have to get anything else?"
Anna nodded. "Yeah, a pair of two-way mirrors. I'm going to need them this year."
"Alright. Anything else for anyone?" He asked.
At everyone's negative answers his cousin closed her book. "Then I'll just pop by Wiseacre's. I'll be right back."
"I'll come with you." Draco offered. "Some cousin time is in order, don't you think?"
She laughed. "Yeah, come on."
Barty stood to follow them and both of them exchanged a slightly exasperated look. Not even Theo had stood to come along, not when they'd quite clearly stated they wanted to go alone.
"Just drop it." Anna muttered. "It keeps him calm for some reason."
While Draco sighed she turned to peck her boyfriend on the cheek lightly. Then he took her hand and pulled her along, defiantly ignoring the older man's presence. He stuck to them, quietly giving them some space. At least he wasn't completely tactless.
Diagon Alley was crowded and hot. People mulled about in multi-coloured robes, holding or levitating parcels and calling out to one another. Strong smells poured out from open doors and windows and mixed with the smell of sweat and perfume around them. The energy around them was almost tangible and it seemed to infect them because their steps sped up and their faces lit with reasonless enthusiasm.
When they entered the shop there were already a few people inside, all of them waiting to be helped by Wiseacre. He was still the same as in her first year, plump with red curls popping out from under a cap, smiling and talking happily and kindly.
Anna suddenly turned to Barty. "Barty, could you get the mirrors from Wiseacre?" She placed her money pouch in his hands. "I need to look for something else for a second."
Barty pursed his lips, looking around as if to check the security of the shop, before sighing and doing as he was told. "Just because it's you Annie." He answered cheekily before heading over to the desk.
Then Draco was hastily pulled over to the back of the shop, where there was nobody else. She was looking at him intensely.
"How well do you think you can pretend to admire someone?" She inquired.
"What? Why?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Not even you would be able to stand Umbridge. But I need people close to her and Merlin knows I'd end up cursing her if I had to do it." She insisted. "Do you think you could?"
"What's that supposed to mean? Not even you?" He spluttered. "I'll have you know that that woman sickens me."
"Really?" She deadpanned. "I'd have thought you agreed with everything she says."
"I do! It's just that she shouldn't be so open about it, just because you think something doesn't mean you should say it. Particularly if it makes enemies out of useful people. Some propriety is in order, you know." He scowled. "And you even dare mention how I treat the Weasleys."
Anna rolled her eyes. "Fine. Do you think you can get close to her and stay there or not? To keep an eye on what she does?"
Draco smirked. "Yes, I can do that. I'm glad you're finally acknowledging my abilities."
She snorted. "Right. Just keep me posted."
"Do you think we should tell Harry? He seems really jumpy lately." Fred whispered, turning around in his bed to face his brother. "We didn't tell him all of it because we panicked but... he's not alright.
In the other bed, his twin's eyes snapped open. "No. Shouldn't tell stuff we don't know anything about."
"We do know, though. Connors is Annabelle Lestrange and she used him and she's a Death Eater... and Sirius is taking her side." Fred argued.
"No, he's not... and, you know..." George huffed. "Mom was pretty mad at Dumbledore, said it was all his fault. What d'you think she meant by that? And what did they mean by taking her away again? That's more than a little suspicious, Fred."
"Hell if I know." The older of the two hissed. "So that's what you think we should do? Find out everything beforehand and tell Harry after? Isn't that just withholding information that might be very valuable to him? It'd take ages to find everything and even then it might not all be true. What if she keeps using him like that while we're busy?"
"Then we just have to keep her away from him, find out as much as we can and then confront her... maybe that part is a bad idea. But until we know the truth and can give him an unbiased answer we shouldn't say anything. It wouldn't be right otherwise you know? Everyone's saying he's supposed lead us at some point, and while you and I don't really think so we can't be sure, so we can't just give him one side of the story. Might end up dooming us all."
Fred huffed. "I'm the older one. I'm supposed to be smarter and right all the time."
"Sucks for you, brother mine." George snickered.
"... Think Bill will spill the beans?"
George rolled his eyes at his brother's choice of words. "Nah, don't think he will. We might be of age but we're not adults. He won't want us properly involved yet, neither will any of the others. Except maybe Sirius, though you heard how defensive he was on the subject."
"Think we should ask him? He'd be the one to know most about her, I reckon."
"Don't have much of a choice."
The twins sighed in unison.
"Guess we'll also be borrowing Harry's map for a while then? Just to keep track of her... and to shield him until the time is right."
"He'll be pissed. You saw how he got now, guess what'll happen then."
"He'll skin us."
"Definitely."
With grimaced hidden in the dark they turned around to sleep. "Cheers."
They tracked Sirius down the next morning as he was heading downstairs for breakfast, still rumpled and yawning. Like they expected, he didn't take their questions too well.
"No." The man bit, turning away and stomping further down the stairs.
"But Sirius-"
"No."
"Come on."
"No."
"It's important-"
"No!" Sirius turned and grabbed their arms, pressing them to the wall behind them. "I am not telling you anything. You don't need to know anything!"
"Yes, we do." George hissed. "We go to school with her, okay? We didn't have a clue Connors -sorry, Annabelle-" He corrected at the tightening of Sirius' fist. "we didn't know Annabelle was up to anything! Someone needs to keep an eye on her, to make sure she doesn't do anything that bad again. It's just... Mom said something about taking her away and that it was Dumbledore's fault. What was she talking about?"
"I'm not-"
"Or we'll tell Harry." Fred countered. "If you don't tell us anything, we'll just tell him the incredibly incomplete and biased information we have."
"And if I do tell you? You'll just tell him anyway." Sirius mumbled, pulling them into his father's study and slamming the door shut behind him. "What then, huh? The reason I'm not telling him is that I don't want him hating her over something she had no control over. What'll happen if you tell him so prematurely?"
"Not hate her?" The youngest asked incredulously. "She used him to bring back You-Know-Who! She pretended to be his friend! It got Cedric killed and who knows how many other people will die as well!"
Black shook his head. "No. Yes. I mean- yes, she did that. There's no denying that, but it's all much more complicated than that." He scowled at them. "She told me herself when she thought I was a dog that... No, okay? I'm not going to tell you anything."
"But Sirius, this is important!" George countered. "Besides, along with keeping an eye on her... we could keep you updated! Make sure you know how she's doing and stuff! But we can't if you don't know what to look for!"
Sirius looked at them for a second, eyes narrowed and wary. "Not everything, not the..." He mumbled, then breathed deeply in and out. "But maybe just enough for you to understand what actually is going on with this kid. You're not children anymore, you should learn to look underneath the primary facts. Look at the whole picture... Might be even good for both of them in the end, they need someone to eventually mediate..." He seemed to be talking to himself. "But not now." He snapped as he looked back up at them.
The twins huffed. "When?"
"When Tonks is also present. She's also Annabelle's cousin so she deserves to know... might also pass on some stuff to Andromeda, her mother... Anna's other aunt." Sirius grabbed the backs of their heads. "Be patient. We'll talk again when she shows up... at the end of the week."
Platform 9 3/4 was overflowing with people. The Order and their children were pressed to the back as mrs Weasley made sure they all had everything. Sirius sat in his dog form next to Harry, who's hand was clenched so tightly around the handle of his trunk that his knuckles were white, and Tonks was standing next to the twins, whispering something to them as their eyes snapped among the faces of the students. Hermione pretended not to notice.
Mad-eye was discussing something with mr Weasley and Kingsley was listening along, nodding on occasion. Mr Weasley seemed to disagree with them, if his stiff posture was anything to go by, but he didn't say anything. There'd been some tension between most adults that summer, but the Weasleys seemed to be on the same side as Sirius and Tonks, Remus must have sided with Sirius because he'd been trying to keep his old friend calm all the time he was at Grimmauldplace... not always to a success seeing as Sirius sometimes snapped and left the room and crashed would be heard, but at least he tried.
"Harry, are you feeling alright?" Hermione asked, grabbing his arm to pull his attention.
Her friend had been strange all morning, all holidays to be honest, but now it went a bit further. She'd seen him hand over the Marauders' Map to Fred and George that morning before leaving -he'd said they needed it for a few projects that he didn't name- and when he'd come back from his quick chat with Sirius somewhere in the station he'd folded something and put it in his pocket. He didn't mention what it was, though he usually told her and Ron everything.
Now his eyes were trailing up and down the platform as if he were looking for someone.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." He answered, turning to look at her with an uncertain smile.
Hermione frowned. "You don't seem fine. Do you want to talk about something?"
"Yeah mate." Ron piped in from Harry's other side. "We're here for you, you know?"
"Did you know we're distantly related, Ron?" He burst suddenly, though he seemed to be trying to change the subject.
"What?" The redhead asked, his siblings turning around to look at him in surprise.
"Your grandmother Cedrella was cousins with my grandmother Dorea... apparently, or maybe second cousins? ...no, just cousins I think." Harry shrugged. "I'm also related to Sirius, Tonks and Malfoy."
Hermione raised her eyebrows. "You're serious?"
"Yeah, still processing everything... Shouldn't we just get on the train?" Without waiting for them, he grabbed his trunk and Hedwig's cage and started pushing his way forwards.
Padfoot was hot on his heels, as were the twins and Tonks. Hermione pursed her lips in suspicion but headed towards the train as well.
"Don't you think Harry's being weird?" Ron muttered. "I mean, weirder than you'd expect after what he went through."
She nodded. "I don't know what's going on with him. Though I think letting him work things out for himself might be a good idea."
Ron gave her a look that said he wasn't sure but he didn't contradict her.
By the time they'd caught up, everyone was saying their goodbyes. Mrs Weasley sent them off with a slightly more watery smile than usual, mr Weasley hugged his children tightly and passed on Bill's love, Tonks grinned at all of them but she wrapped her arms around Harry. Mad-eye and Shacklebolt merely clapped them on their shoulders and Padfoot insisted on jumping up and licking their faces. Hermione wiped her slobbery cheek with a pout. Dogs.
"Shall we find a compartment then?" Harry called over the loud noises around them.
"Sorry Harry." Hermione called back. "Ron and I have to go to the Prefects' carriage first. We'll find you later."
She could see the flash of annoyance pass over his eyes but he nodded and turned to the other Weasleys. Fred and George grinned identically and nodded.
"Yeah, mate. Gin and us'll come with you. Let's leave the ickle prefects to their ickle carriage."
Harry snickered and moved into the train, the others following closely behind.
Hermione turned to Ron, who grimaced back at her. Then he shrugged and urged her on the train. They headed the other way.
Anna looked up from where she was explaining a bit of magic to Vince and Greg as the compartment door slid open. Draco and Pansy stepped in and let themselves fall across from her, scowls on their faces.
"I'm guessing it didn't go too well?" Anna asked.
"You could say that." Pansy snapped. "Granger was staring at me through the whole thing as if she thought I'd stolen the spot from you! And you didn't even ask me about making me prefect! This is time I could be using for my O.W.L.s, or even better, to stop us all from getting killed!"
Anna winced. "Sorry about that... I should have told you but it was more of an on the spot idea. I'll help you with Transfiguration?"
Pansy rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I love you, Anna."
"Who loves Anna?" Blaise interrupted, prancing in followed by Daphne and Theo. The blonde sat with Blaise next to Draco but Theo sat in the spot Vince shuffled out of.
"Theo does." Pansy grinned, to the couple's visible mortification.
Anna cleared her throat. "Are you going to tell me about the meetings or...?"
"Right." Draco drawled. "Nothing special, Potter didn't get the badge though I suppose Dumbledore's trying to do the same as you're doing with yourself, keep him out of the limelight. Other than that, Macmillan, Abbott, Weasley, Granger, Patil and Goldstein. Nothing we can't handle, though Granger's going to be a pain."
Anna pursed her lips. "Find out which of them believe Harry or not and... cause some discord."
Draco raised an eyebrow. "You're going after Potter?"
"No." She snapped. "Maybe a bit... I know it'll be bad for him but the Dark Lord wants him to feel isolated this year, Merlin knows why, so I suppose I should do something. I don't know how much Snape reports to him or Dumbledore and even if he has said the old man has not interest in me I'd rather stay out of his way."
"You're not worried about why either of them are behaving like this?"
Anna shrugged. "A bit but Dumbledore won't want to touch and innocent muggleborn orphan when he'd got Fudge breathing down his neck, let alone one who lives with Fudge's richest benefactors. And He won't make a move on Harry yet, he needs to lay low." Then she frowned. "This doesn't mean that I'm giving you free reign to bull him, Draco."
Her cousin rolled his eyes. "I'll be decent to your delicate flowery toy, Annie, don't worry."
"You don't get it." She hissed. "He's a horcrux, I need to have him close so that I can destroy it when the time comes. He won't be close to me if you keep bothering him."
"And you want him to be your bestie." Theo stated.
"Do not."
"Do too."
Anna set her jaw. "Theo, did you do as I asked?"
"As a matter of fact I did." He stretched his arms and put one not so subtly around her shoulders. "They're all in. Bole, Higgs, Harper, Bletchley, the Carrow twins, Pike, Burke, Montague... you name them, if their parents know you, they're your network."
"You made sure to tell them to never talk to me in public until I say it's allowed? To only talk to to you after hours?"
"Yes. Nobody will implicate you or me any more than necessary." He soothed.
"Good. Blaise?"
"Told my kids to keep track of who believes who... and to stay out of Umbridge's way." He sighed. "They're not happy about her, though. All of them know who she is."
"Nobody's happy about her, that's the point." Anna muttered. "Daphne?"
"Talked to Tracey and Millicent, they agreed to get close to her and report to me... on one condition... each." The blonde bit her lip.
"Those are?"
"Tracey wants to be on the Quidditch team... Millicent wants you to make sure the Dark Lord gets her uncle Gerard out of Azkaban." Daphne shrugged.
"What's he in there for?" Anna rolled her eyes. "He's no Death Eater."
"Actually, he was." Her friend countered. "But he got caught for something else... embezzling I think."
She groaned. "Fine, fine. I'll talk to uncle Lucius, fuck if I'm going to ask the Dark Lord to get an embezzler out of Azkaban. Troublesome girl, expensive girl. She better be worth it." The she turned to Draco. "Who's Quidditch captain this year?"
"Montague." He muttered. "Failed his N.E.W.T.s."
"Is Tracey any good?"
Draco shrugged. "She's decent, Graham won't mind much and Snape will be glad we have a girl on the team, which we haven't had since second year."
"Then make it happen."
"You got it."