Harry lifted the fork to his mouth and froze mid bite as he blinked. Something sent a shiver down his spine from somewhere deep within.
"You okay, 'Arry?" Fleur asked him as she noticed his odd stop as she was pouring pumpkin juice.
"I feel like I'm about to get hit." Harry spoke clearly and straight…before looking down and just starting to eat his lunch.
"Well..shouldn't we leave then."
"No….this happens more than people think."
"What do you mean?" Fleur rose an eyebrow.
"Three."
"Three?" Fleur, now completely confused, began to lay her fork on her plate.
"Two…"
"Okay now you are slightly freaking me out 'Arry." Fleur laughed awkwardly.
"One, duck."
"Duck? What do you mean "du-" Fleur was cut off as Harry pulled her upper body forward and let the solid object, later identified as a Quibbler, smacked into Harry's face and fell to the floor. "Oh that's why."
"HARRISON JAMES POTTER!"
"How did you know she would do that?" Neville asked from across the table.
"When you're friends with Hermione…and are me..you get use to it." Harry admitted before taking a drink and turning. "Yes, Hermione?"
"Do you wish to explain this?" She rushed downward and grabbed the Quibbler and slapped it down infront of him. ""Harry Potter Promotes The Use of Consensual Marriage Contracts". This was from that meeting you had with their father, isn't it?" The Patils simply took a seat beside Harry having followed Hermione here, and gave him a peck on the cheek each.
"Luna was there too."
"I can clearly see that Luna was there too!" She snapped at him and breathed in. "How can you promote them? They are barbaric!"
"Nonconsensual ones, yes." Harry noted. "Tell me, did you read it?"
"Of course I did, Harry. I also noticed you didn't agree to be with them."
Harry nodded before wiping his face. "Yes. I said no. But not because it was a marriage contract but because it did not benefit Parvati or Padma. It benefitted their father. There was barely anything in the actual paperwork about what would be given to them as part of the dowry and their growth to being recognized as adults that a marriage would cause. It was written as almost a merger of Potter into the Patil family. As I said it is in my view that the contract should benefit both parties that are involved in it as we are the next and continuation of our families."
Hermione stared for a moment before continuing. "What about how it binds the participants?"
"EhHm." A voice coughed behind them causing the both to turn and notice Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkenson. "Well it seems you're starting to take your role as a former heir more seriously, finally Lord Potter."
"Heir Malfoy, Heiress Parkinson." Harry commented before Hermione could say anything. "I'm guessing you both observed the Quibbler today."
"Well when an up and coming Lord who has been the definition of Half and Mud-...Muggleborn equality promotes something as PureBlooded as that of Marriage Contracts, it's good to make note of it." Pansy spoke.
"And to your question Granger, We each have clauses listed to protect the other in case of mistreatment on the other's account. Including ways to break the contract."
"He's not allowed to lay a hand nor word against me unless I am to be physically harmed by him or his family."
"Vice versa as well. It is true some don't have that liberty and I do not believe in Mud.." A step on his foot cut him off from Pansy. "Muggle born equality due to my father, but I will never do something to bind her to myself ... .unlike others."
Harry looked at him for the longest time as if reading something on his face before looking over at Hermione. "See. And like I said if they want it down the road then it will be discussed but not for now."
"Alright alright. I still don't like it but it seems like I have to accept your point of view Harry." Hermione finally conceded before sighing.
"Thank you Hermione." Harry hugged her with one arm before beginning to eat. He nodded to the leaving bodies of Draco and Pansy, his eyes staying on Draco for the longest time.
"What is it Harry?" Fleur asked as he leaned back some.
"Just the way he talked there….it felt….odd."
"What do you mean feel?" She asked and it got the looks from the other girls. "Like he knew someone personally in a deal that was the definition of binding. Someone he cares about."
Sirius bounced his knee for a bit as he swirled the glass in his hand.
"Just tell him."
"Tell him what? " He turned and looked at himself in the mirror. Sirius glared at the man there who was staring back at him in annoyance. "That his best friend for years is actually split mentally and spiritually in two?"
"Yes."
"How does one casually bring this up in conversation?!" He snapped at the image who was leaning against the wall. "Not to mention he'll start asking about Harry and all the things he's been doing and what I did."
"I mean… he already has started asking about it and what you did."
"Not the point!" He snarled. "I CAN NOT TELL HIM THIS!"
"Why?!"
"BECAUSE I'M SCARED TO LOSE MY LAST FRIEND ALIVE!" He snapped at the reflection.
"Sirius…." Sirius' ears snapped to attention and both he and his image looked over at Remus who was standing in the doorway. "I…I heard screaming and…."
"Relax Moony, I was just convincing him to spill the beans." The Reflection smirked as he saw Remus jump, seeing the reflection move.
"You knew he was there….that's cheating." Sirius snarled at the Reflection who held up his hands in defense. Remus just stared for a long moment trying to figure out what was going on before grabbing the wall to stabilize himself.
"Someone better start explaining…..after i get a drink." He turned and left the two. About an hour later they were sitting in the kitchen area having the Reflection bouncing off a mirror that had been taken from the bathroom. "Alright. I have my drink." He held up the glass of firewhiskey. "Now start explaining."
"Where to start…" Sirius pulled his hair back and leaned back for a moment as if looking through a book.
"The family." The shade responded. "It's the best part Siri.'
Sirius nodded before looking up at them. "They're right." He leaned forward. "Tell me Remus what do you know about the Black Family and the History of the fabled Black Madness?"
"Just heard it was false. That it was either members of the Black family being insane or did things that seem insane." Remus admitted. "I'm pretty sure the joke was that your mother was full of it in comparison to….to Bellatrix." He shrugged. "What of it?"
"Yeah, I remember those jokes. I remember them quite well." Sirius rubbed his head softly before looking over at him. "Well. It's not so much false. The truth is The Black Madness is real."
"What?" Remus stopped as his cup was rising to his lips.
"The Black Madness is a real thing…and our family has used it in the act of hiding the true nature of it." Sirius looked at him. "In a time long before that of my grandfather Arcturus it is said that the Black Family made a deal with beings of an ancient nature. Andromeda knows more than I do. It changed how our magic…..reacts with the world. It's different for each one of us. Nymphadora became a Metamorph with barely scratching the surface of what it can do for her abilities. Arcturus, my grandfather, gained the ability to act almost like a Veela in the ability of convincing others in his political career. Andromeda…Andromeda gained a sixth sense. She can literally sense the truth in people. If she pushes it she suspects she could drag it out as if she was a vapor form of Veritaserum. Ciss….Narcissa was a force of healing nature before she was married off. Simply taking her hand would cause her magic to rush out and heal ... .Andi used to say it was proof she was destined to be an amazing mother. And it wasn't just physical injuries…it was also those of the mind and soul itself."
Sirius paused as he brought up a cup to drink, shuddering from the taste for a moment and the memories that were dragged up allowing Remus to ask. "Your mother?" He nodded.
"The bad thing about the Black Madness is that it doesn't agree with everyone. When it affected Mother…it was bad. We found out the truth about inbreeding then. That inbreeding caused the magic to become….volatile. She wasn't the first but…my hope is she will be the last."
"What do you mean?"
Sirius sighed as he ran a hand through his hair again. "Harry is a Black by god father recognition and thus is adopted…and the only other living Male is Draco Malfoy."
"And Nymphadora…."
"Born of a Muggleborn and a Pureblood." He nodded.
"But you still have years left to live."
"Remus….I'm sterile." Sirius admitted. "It was because of what happened last year. When the dementors sucked the soul from my body it did something to my magic as well. It was a few short moments but….it killed the chances of it."
"Could we ask Narcissa to…"
"No. For one she hasn't spoken to me since her marriage. Either she is unwilling…or unable. And two….We know it wont work. Before we graduated a member of the Unspeakables heard of her abilities and asked to see if they could help fix a line who was gonna die out….It didn't work. The best we could figure out is that…it was death in some shape and form. Her abilities can not affect that which is dead. Apparently a soul being removed from the body is equivalent."
"So…You are essentially the last living male Black."
He nodded. "Besides Draco of course but he is afterall a child and he is also primarily a Malfoy first. A new line will be created from Harry…a new age of Blacks." He chuckled. "But as I was stating before Bellatrix well….her's were odd to say the least. But there is a reason she was the best duelist in Voldemort's army. Her magic literally changed the spell she was using. She could have been saying a stunning spell and a corruption hex would be launched from it. She was the definition of dangerous with a wand….it's why she stopped casting stinging hexs… They kept changing." He laughed a little before finishing his glass and refilling it.
"Did James know?"
"No….I never got to tell James." Sirius admitted. "My own is…" He nodded to the shade which had been silent the entire time they were having this conversation. "Padfoot."
"Padfoot? You mean your animagus form?"
"In a way… when my madness formed we were working on our animagus progress in school. It turned out that it affected me in an odd way."
"I Appeared." The reflection spoke now known as Padfoot.
"In essence it is a shadow of my soul. Almost a split of myself in a way. Our theory was-"
"Our?"
"Yes our and if Sirius will stop beating around the bush he'll say." Padfoot smirked.
"Our theory is that he is my nature. My recessive traits that I don't show too often but most know I do actually have. My seriousness, my faithfulness… so on and so forth the things that people said I wasn't but truly was as you know." Sirius smiled. "It's how I stayed up on my studies while fooling around. He essentially would study or was out in the woods while I was studying."
"So you are separate entities."
"No. We are tied together. As he is the true embodiment of my magic…He can not survive long away from my body. If something happens to me they disappear." Sirius explained. "We can separate and work diligently but we will at some point be reconnected and we will both be exhausted afterward. "
Remus looks down before looking back up. "Harry?"
Sirius looked at Padfoot who nodded to Remus. "Yeah….we sent him a book of ancient magics and made note of a ritual. A ritual that awakened the Black Madness within him….for his safety."
"Safety?" Remus looked at him. "How did you know it wouldn't drive him to hell like your mother?!"
"Due to his heart. No matter what the Madness could do to him….Harrison James Potter is a pure heart. No matter what he feels, goes through, or suffers. He is what all who gain power should be measured by. " Sirius noted and lifted his glass looking at it. "He's a good person….A good man."
Remus looked at Sirius for a long moment before letting in a shuddering breath. "But what did the ritual do to him."
"I don't know Remus. I don't know at all. " Sirius sighed as he wiped his head softly before hearing a chuckle. He glanced over and saw Padfoot smirking at him. "What?"
"You forgot something and someone who does."
"What? Who?"
"The what is simple. The Book of Madness. A detailed history of every occurrence that self updates….and the whom is Andromeda Irma Tonks nee Black."