After another gut-wrenching apparition, Harry, Dumbledore, and Sirius found themselves in the middle of a sidewalk in London. A previously cast 'notice-me-not' charm by the headmaster had cleared any concern of any muggles noticing the trio appear out of thin air. Sirius had completed some cosmetic charms to alter his appearance so that in the event that he was uncovered, it would not be as readily apparent who he really was. There was still a significant amount of danger in the mission, as anyone sneaking into the ministry would be investigated, but every precaution that could be taken was being taken.

Sirius quickly swung the invisibility cloak over his head and vanished from sight. The plan was relatively simple, which both adults assured Harry was a good thing. Dumbledore would lead the way to the entrance of the Ministry of Magic with Sirius directly behind him. Harry would bring up the rear walking closely to Sirius to hopefully discourage anyone from trying to cut between himself and the headmaster. If they could hold that formation, the trio would hopefully make their way into and through the atrium without issue. Dumbledore estimated that the atrium would be the area where they were most likely to have an issue so if they could get through without setting off an alarm, they would be in a good spot.

The headmaster led the trio to what looked to be an entirely dysfunctional telephone booth on the side of the street, before sliding the door open and gesturing for Sirius and Harry to head into the small booth in front of him. Harry privately wondered if the booth would hold all of them, but was amazed when he entered and found a large spacious room, that clearly defied the rules of physics.

"Sir?" started Harry. "How?"

Dumbledore stepped into the telephone booth and looked around. "What we are observing right now is the effect of wards and ancient runes." As he made his way towards the phone on the wall, he gestured towards the corner where the wall met the ceiling of the telephone booth. "As you can see here, these runes power and maintain the wards that stop muggles from noticing the booth, as well as the various charms and spells required to maintain a larger space and make this booth function as an entrance to the Ministry of Magic."

Sirius' disembodied voice spoke just to Harry's left, "Your father was exceptionally gifted with runes. Runes and Transfiguration."

Harry was thrilled to learn even the slightest fact about his father. "Really? I had no idea," he murmured. He looked up at the ceiling and around the booth in awe before continuing in awe, "I love magic."

"As do most of us wizards," laughed Dumbledore, as he dialed a number into the phone. "Six-two-four-four-two."

Harry once again jumped when he heard Sirius say, "Magic."

Dumbledore held the phone against his robes and turned to Harry. "Remember the plan. Stick right behind me, and everything will go fine. We will head straight for the lifts."

Harry nodded, as he clenched his hands to try and wring out the nerves in his body. He desperately hoped to get through the next couple of hours without Sirius getting into trouble.

Harry barely registered the phone's operator asking Dumbledore what the purpose of their visit to the Ministry of Magic was, but he tuned back in to hear Dumbledore's response. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, and Harry Potter. We are here to visit the Office of Family Affairs. We have an appointment with Mr. Dedalus Diggle." Harry's eyes widened when the telephone spit out a pass with his name on it.

Harry Potter

Office of Family Affairs

Level 5

Dumbledore waved his wand and the pass attached to Harry's lapel. The operator spoke out of the phone's speaker, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic!"

Harry stared around in wonder as the telephone booth started descending like it was a lift. After a few moments, the windows of the booth showed the expansive lobby of the Ministry of Magic. Huge black and green stoned arches separated an entrance area with an expansive lobby. Red and gold offices filled up the walls of the lobby, each stacked neatly on top of the one below it. Each office seemed to have a window that overlooked a large golden statue in the lobby. Harry could just make out the individual witches and wizards working in each office if he looked closely enough.

As the lift reached the ground, Dumbledore walked to the door of the telephone booth, and simply said, "Stick closely Harry. We will be headed for the lifts on the far wall."

Harry nodded and peered around the headmaster, at the lifts which had ornamental gold latticework blocking the entrances. Harry felt Sirius slide in between himself and the headmaster, and his breath quickened. Taking a deep breath, Dumbledore stepped out of the lift at a quick pace and headed straight for the lifts on the far side of the lobby. Harry almost had to jog to keep up with the older man's long strides. Logically, it made sense for the trio to have a quick pace, as people were less likely to interrupt someone who looked like they had somewhere to be. There was some danger that the quicker movement would call more attention to Sirius being under the cloak, but according to the plan, his godfather would cast a disillusionment charm, and a sound-damping charm on himself under the cloak. Harry was frankly unfamiliar with both of the charms, but the names seemed to be self-evident, so he hadn't asked many questions earlier.

Harry stuck close to Dumbledore as they made their way to the far end of the atrium hall, and into the circle where the lifts were located. Dumbledore waved at a large imposing man as they neared the lifts. "Ah! Good afternoon Kingsley. Going up?"

Harry marveled at the headmaster's ability to maintain a calm demeanor when they were in such an open space with Sirius hiding under the cloak within the Ministry. "Professor Dumbledore! I am. What brings you to the ministry today?" came the good-natured response from Kingsley. Harry held his breath just hoping for the bell of the lift to ring signaling they could leave the atrium.

"Come now Mr. Shacklebolt, I haven't been your professor for at least a few decades now at least. You must call me Albus." The headmaster stepped slightly to the side and waved his arm towards Harry, before saying, "Just taking young Mr. Potter here to the Office of Family Affairs.

Harry nodded stiffly, bowing his head slightly to Kingsley Shacklebolt, "Good afternoon sir." He tried his best to hide the nervousness he was feeling, after all, it wasn't every day that he snuck a wanted criminal into the very place that was so fervently trying to find him.

Their conversation was interrupted by the slight ding of the lift bell signaling it was ready to be boarded. Harry stepped onto the lift first, with Sirius presumably following him closely. As Harry reached the back of the lift he turned around and saw Dumbledore hovering a few steps in front of him, leaving a small gap for Sirius. The headmaster politely informed the lift attendant that they were headed to level five. A few floating pieces of paper floated onto the lift on their own, and Harry studied them curiously making a mental note to ask about them later. Harry let out a long breath, as his heart hammered in his chest. He knew that the hardest part of the mission was over, but he was still extremely worried that his decision would lead to Sirius being captured. He didn't think he'd be able to breathe properly until they were completely out of the Ministry.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped onto the lift after them and spoke softly to the lift attendant, "Level one, please. Going all the way to the Minister's office this time." Turning back to the headmaster he continued, "I've got to brief the minister about security for a press conference happening soon." Harry swayed slightly as the lift lept backward before rising steadily. He noticed the practiced ease at maintaining balance on the lift that everyone else seemed to have. Harry once again found himself uniquely unfamiliar with wizarding travel.

Dumbledore nodded politely, before turning slightly towards Harry, "Kingsley here is an Auror. Magical Law enforcement." Harry's breath caught in his throat. Sirius was mere feet away from one of the people desperately searching for him all over the country. He jerkily nodded and stared at his feet, hoping that Kingsley would not catch onto his nervousness.

Kingsley huffed slightly, "Some days I feel like a glorified bodyguard."

There was a sudden jerk as the lift stopped ascending and pulled forward to an exit. A soft ding echoed around the lift, before the same voice from the telephone box loudly announced, "Level five. Department of International Magical Co-operation. Office of Family Affairs. Office of Magical Trading Standards." Harry let out a breath and focused on maintaining a precise distance behind Dumbledore.

After saying goodbyes, the trio exited the lift and headed down a small corridor with doors on the left and the right. Glancing in the offices with the doors open, Harry could see that the doors on the right seemed to overlook the atrium of the Ministry building and the ones on the left seemed to have some type of magic window that seemingly had a different picture for every office. Some offices had a forest, others had stunning mountain peaks, and others had sprawling meadows. Dumbledore slowed finally and tapped on a door leading to an office on the left.

After opening the door he gently spoke, "Good afternoon Dedalus. How are you today?"

An older-looking man wearing a violet tophat jumped up and vigorously shook Dulbledore's hand. "Albus! How are you today?" he waved excitedly at Harry. "Come in, come in." The man was clearly a ball of energy and was enormously excited to be helping today. Harry didn't think he'd quite met anyone so twitchy before.

Harry stopped dead in his tracks. "I remember you!"

Dedalus laughed and exclaimed excitedly, "He remembers me, Albus!"

As the door closed, Harry said, "You once referred to my Aunt and Uncle as 'Harry Potter's relatives' in a store. I don't think I'd ever seen them so shocked." Harry remembered the vicious beating he'd received from his Uncle following the incident. Uncle Vernon had never gone clothes shopping with Harry again, and he'd started getting his cousin's large hand-me-downs as a result of the incident.

Dedalus nodded emphatically, "Yes! And once in the Leaky Cauldron too!"

Harry saw a shimmer of light, and suddenly Sirius, or rather, the slightly altered Sirus appeared before their eyes. Dumbledore waved his wand conjuring a few chairs, and sealing the door. He spoke gently as he settled into his seat, "We best not dally, we should get started."

Sirius spoke up, "Thank you for helping us Dedalus."

The elderly man waved it off, "Think nothing of it. As Dumbledore says, we must choose to do what is right, not what is easy. This was the right thing to do." Dedalus Diggle pulled out a golden dish of sorts with two sides that swirled together in the middle. Each of the sides seemed to be entirely separate except for the small circle in the center where they met. Harry could see a small silver line, running along the bottom of the swirls, as if it was a pathway to the center of the dish. "The process is actually fairly fast and doesn't require much beyond a little cut on your fingers."

Sirius grinned, "What's family without a little pain eh Harry?"

Dumbledore gently smiled and said, "Remember how we discussed every magic having a cost, Harry?" Harry nodded. "Well, this little ritual, has two sets of costs. First is the union of pain and blood. This is the cost to start the ritual. The second element is what is expected of each of the parties. The adopting family must take on the adoptee like they are one of their own, and provide protection and shelter for the adoptee." He paused and stroked his bread briefly before continuing, "And the adoptee must accept the rights and responsibilities of the adopting family. Basically, the two sides must agree to put their best foot forward to become a family. If the magic detects any deception away from these desires, the ritual simply fails."

Harry nodded. He had, of course, looked into the process at Hogwarts after Dumbledore had mentioned it the other day. It was nice to understand the magic behind the process fully. Dedalus spoke up, "If you are ready, we can begin." He handed a golden knife with all sorts of runes on it to Sirius. "Do you Sirius take Harry to be a member of your family with all the rights and privileges therein?"

"Of course," murmured Sirius. "The Black Family will look after Harry as if he were one of our own." He slowly slid the knife across his ring finer fingertip and splashed the resulting blood onto one side of the golden dish.

Dedalus reached out and took the knife from Sirius, before turning to offer it to Harry. "And you Harry, do you accept the rights and privileges of being a member of the Black Family?"

"Errr…Yes," said Harry awkwardly as he cut his own finger. Ignoring the slight pain, he squeezed out a few drops of his own blood on the opposite side of the golden dish. His eyes widened as the blood spun around on each side of the dish unnaturally fast along the silver lines toward the center.

The moment the blood touched there was a brief golden flash of light, and Dedalus clapped his hands, "All set then! We just need to sign a few forms and we will be on our way, hopefully before this big announcement of the Minister's."

"That's it?" deadpanned Harry. He had expected something more flashy, or lengthy. "I don't feel any different. No swearing on magic or long drawn-out incantations?" He signed a few pieces of paper that got shoved in front of him before passing the quill off to Sirius.

Dumbledore chuckled, " I'm afraid not. Magic has a way of revealing the true intent of the users. No need for a declaration or anything. Magic already knows."

Harry nodded. "As you said the other day, magic is alive, and shapes the world around us. That makes sense." Intellectually he understood what Dumbledore was saying, but he could scarcely believe that there wasn't some long drawn-out chanting or flashes of light. The whole event seemed rather anti-climactic.

Sirius finished signing his forms and handed the Quill back to Dedalus. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a separate stack of parchment. "I also have these forms to file with the Ministry. I'm formally trimming the family tree so to speak."

Dedalus nodded and tapped them with his wand before the parchment flew off to a filing cabinet at the side of the office. "That transports them directly into the archives, unless someone knows exactly what to look for, I doubt anyone will ever know you've been here." Sirius simply nodded in thanks.

Dumbledore stood up motioning for Harry and Sirius to do the same. "Thank you, Dedalus, but we must head out now. Sneaking into the ministry is challenging, but getting out without incident is even harder." He turned to Harry and beamed. "Besides, I think you have a new home to explore!" finished the Headmaster with his eyes twinkling with merriment.

Cornelius Fudge stood on a large platform in the atrium of the Ministry just in front of the Fountain of Magical Brethren. The ornate golden statues rising up behind him were the perfect backdrop for today's monumental announcement. With this speech, Fudge hoped to go down as one of the most extraordinary Ministers of Magic ever. Long gone would the days be of people within the ministry talking behind his back about Dumbledore or Barty Crouch being better picks to run the ministry. Today he would cement his place in the history books.

Fudge slowly raised his wand to his throat and cast the amplification charm. "Today marks the start of a historic new program within this Ministry of Magic. For years, Squibs have been shoved to the side of society with no place within the magical world. Today we start a new campaign for the squibs of our world. Today we start a campaign to give squibs Magic of their own right," boomed Cornelius Fudge from his podium in the lobby of the Ministry building. Several flashes of cameras went off capturing the moment of the announcement. "This is a historic campaign that could not be done without the direct financial involvement of Lord Malfoy and the entire Malfoy family. Squibs and magicals all over the world owe a thank you to this fine, upstanding citizen. Without his help, we would not be able to undergo this massive project." Cornelius turned to his left and shook Lucius Malfoy's hand, holding it briefly for the cameras to once again flash and capture the moment of the handshake.

Lucius for his part smiled widely and waved to the cameras. "Think nothing of it. Consider it an investment into the future of the wizarding world. This is for every family out there that has struggled with this particular issue in the past."

The press core exploded with questions, each member trying to shout out a question over the others. Cornelius knew that this press conference would send waves throughout the British magical population, and likely the rest of the world. There were several members of the press from the International Confederation of Wizards, so this news would rapidly circle the globe. Should this endeavor be successful, the British Ministry would be pushed back into the global spotlight that they had fallen out of in recent years.

Cornelius never noticed the duo of the Headmaster and Harry Potter quietly walking past his press conference, nor did he know that his number one public enemy had just come into and out of the Ministry with relative ease. All he saw was his dreams of coffers filled with gold, and the power he'd wield when he was the most respected minister in the world.

The Greengrass fireplace roared to life, as Cyrus strode out of the flu entrance with practiced ease. "Griff!" he called out summoning his personal house elf.

With a pop a diminutive elf appeared next to him, "Master Cyrus calls for Griff?"

"I need you to summon Annabelle and Daphne to my office. Now!" Without sparing the elf a glance, he strode off towards his office. Cyrus was deeply concerned with what he'd found out today in the Ministry and wanted desperately to get any information he could.

"As Master wishes," said Griff as he snapped his fingers and faded from view.

Cyrus swept through the halls of his Family's manor, still processing both bits of knowledge he'd received this morning at the Ministry of Magic. He'd first gone to see a large press conference that the minister had called for a 'big' announcement. He did not anticipate seeing such a public declaration from Lord Malfoy. Cyrus had fully expected whatever games Lord Malfoy was playing to stop when he demanded a public declaration of support for the Moderate Faction, but apparently whatever scheme was pushing Lord Malfoy was still in play.

He sighed as he reached his desk, sliding into the comfortable chair at the desk with practiced ease. While he awaited his wife and daughter, he mulled over the results and possibilities of today's press conference. He knew, naturally, that Lord Malfoy would ask to make a formal alliance soon, and there was not much he could publicly do to stop the alliance from happening, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that there was a more significant play happening here from Lucius.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of his beautiful wife and daughter. "Good afternoon, thank you for coming to see me. I apologize for taking your time, but there are crucially important matters we must discuss. I suspect the future survival of our family and its history depends on it." He suspected this might be laying it on thick, but he did want to impress upon them the seriousness of the situation at hand. Cyrus had devastating news to deliver, and he wasn't really quite sure how to do it.

Daphne and his wife, Annabelle, both took a seat across the table from him. Both looked wary given the severity of the warning he had just bestowed upon them. Annabelle spoke up, "Of course dear, what's going on that you are home so early from the Ministry?"

"Today, Fudge, and Malfoy announced a campaign to discover a cure for squibs." Daphne said nothing, but Cyrus could tell she was quite shocked by the progressive move from Lord Malfoy. Her eyes widened and she immediately stared off into space as if she was mentally trying to connect the elements in play. He'd long been training her to see implications beyond what was presented at face value. Where other children got more time to play, Daphne and Astoria had been given lessons from himself and his father before him. The Greengrass family stood at the head of the moderate faction, in part, due to the extensive political training that its scions went through.

Annabelle gasped, "That's going to get him removed from the traditionalist faction."

Cyrus nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Indeed, he's far more serious about this transition than I had believed." He looked up at the ceiling, pausing before raising a more serious concern. "I suspect that he will demand a formal alliance now."

"Surely you don't mean a marriage contract?" asked his wife. Daphne shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It pained Cyrus to see her so uncomfortable with the idea, especially knowing what he had yet to tell her. Cyrus knew he was a business-like man, but he did love his daughters and wished nothing but the best for them.

"Unfortunately, I do think this is part of his ultimate goal. I've suspected it from the moment the press conference revealed his financial assistance with the effort to cure squibs." He sighed and ran his hand down his face, "Politically it doesn't make any sense, but if we consider the possibility that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has actually returned, it does make some sense. If Lucius can gain control over the moderate faction, and another supporter retains control over the traditionalist faction, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will control well over half of Wizengamot, and thus be able to control the Ministry response to his return." Such a move would be disastrous for any response to deal with a power-hungry Dark Lord. Cyrus knew that this would put a significant target on the Greengrass family if the rumors about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returning were true.

Daphne spat, "So what!? I'm supposed to play the traditional pureblood wife and do nothing while you are bait in a trap? I'm not stupid, I know exactly what it means when you say Malfoy will try to get control over the Moderate Faction… He's going to try and kill you! Both of you!" Her eyes sparked furiously as she finished her statement, and Cyrus was relieved to see the fight so intense in her response.

Cyrus held up his hands, "Please… calm down. This will not be your burden to bear. Astoria will willingly be betrothed to the Malfoy Scion." Remembering his discussion from the end of her year, he continued, "You've told me yourself that she seems smitten with the boy." She nodded briefly but crossed her arms across her chest, clearly still in plain disagreement with the arrangement.

"And what about Astoria? Are you just going to leave her to the Malfoys?" exclaimed Annabelle. Cyrus knew this was not what his wife wanted for his children, but there was always a distinct possibility of it given the Greengrass Family history and prominence in the Moderate Faction of Wizengamot.

Cyrus sighed and felt sick to his stomach. "Not quite. We can put protections into the contract that will keep our family safe. We can push out the actual date of the nuptials, and see if we can get Lord Malfoy to play his hand before he is ready. Worst comes to worst, we can buy our way out of the contract. Astoria will not be married off against her will." Taking off his glasses and pinching his nose he continued, "Besides, I haven't even told either of you the worst part yet."

Daphne erupted, "What could be worse than you pretending to sell off one of your daughters like property so you can be bait in a political trap?"

His wife laid a gentle hand on her arm calming her. "Daphne!" Came the sharp warning. Turning to him, Annabelle spoke gently, "Cyrus, what's going on?"

"I went to the Office of Family Affairs, after the press conference, as I suspected this marriage arrangement would be part of the ultimate play by Lord Malfoy. I wanted to ensure that I had the necessary documentation if needed." Cyrus's stomach felt like it was twisting in knots. "Astoria as we know is quite eligible, but Daphne is not."

"What does that mean?" asked Daphne her eyes wide as she stared back at Cyus.

Annabelle gasped, turning slightly to Daphne, "It means you are already spoken for… You are already betrothed."

"I'M WHAT?"

Cyrus held up his hands to try and calm his livid daughter. "This was not my doing. It is an old contract from the late thirteen hundreds. A member of the Black Family saved a member of the Greengrass Family in the Hundred Year's War between England and France."

Daphne slumped back into her chair, "The Blacks?" she asked weakly. Cyrus could see her thinking and tracing family trees in her mind. "Is Draco Malfoy not the scion of the House of Black?"

Cyrus shook his head, "He would be normally… if Sirius Black died without an heir. However, to the best of my knowledge, Sirius Black is still very much alive."

"How can you be certain of that?" asked Annabelle.

"I held a paper of record for an adoption ritual in my hands this morning with his name on it. He officially magically adopted Harry Potter this morning."

"Harry Potter!" Daphne slid down in her chair. "How could this happen?"

Cyrus sighed. "I only stumbled on it by chance. If I had not known, we wouldn't have found out until Daphne turned seventeen." He paused and frowned before continuing, "I doubt the boy even knows."

Daphne seemed to be reeling from all of the information he'd just put on her shoulders. "Potter? I will have to marry Potter?"

Cyrus sighed and slid down his chair ever so slightly, "I'm afraid I don't know yet. I have the family barrister looking over the contract now." He frowned slightly, "I must advise hope, but older contracts are much harder to break typically." Daphne said nothing, and just merely nodded her head as a lone tear ran down her face. She began to sniffle and refused to meet his eyes, instead looking down dejectedly at her lap.

Annabelle reached over and pulled his daughter into a hug as small sobs began to escape her. "We'll sort this out, Daphne." She turned to Cyrus before continuing, "We will do whatever we can to break this contract won't we dear?"

Cyrus merely nodded, understanding the tone of the question meant it wasn't really a question at all. Not that he needed any convincing. He'd always wanted to avoid the idea of an arranged marriage for his children. He knew logically, that there was still an increased chance to have one for his children, given their position in Wizengamot, but he still found the practice to be distasteful as a whole. Sadly, in particular, the Traditionalist Faction of Wizengamot still used them reasonably routinely.

Daphne seemed to be collecting herself, as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. She stopped suddenly, and asked, "What was Harry Potter doing with Sirius Black?"

Cyrus leaned forward and leaned on his desk. "That's one of the many things I've been trying to discern since I read the contract." Frustrated, he slammed his hand down on his desk, "I hate making decisions without information." His hand throbbed as a result of his action, but Cyrus just gritted his teeth and bore the pain in his hand as he ground out his frustration. Suddenly he couldn't take sitting down anymore and stood up to begin pacing behind his desk. "None of this makes any sense! Sirius Black is back with the Light Faction and Dumbledore, despite being a mass murderer, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may have returned and may be making a play for the Moderate Faction of Wizengamot, and Malfoy is committing political suicide! And to top it all off, somehow we find ourselves in the crosshairs of all of this at the same time!"

Annabelle stood up, before walking over to him and pulled Cyrus into a gentle hug. "We will make do." She laid her head on his shoulder and patted his arm gently. "We always do." Daphne stood up hesitantly and came to hug both Cyrus and Annabelle.

Cyrus let out a deep breath, and murmured, "Patience in all things. It is the Greengrass way." He had allies in Wizengamot on both sides. He had ways of getting information. Cyrus was going to find out what was going on with Malfoy, Sirius Black, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Harry and Sirius stood in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place holding a bit of rope that Dumbledore had turned into a portkey for them. Dumbledore had needed to talk to a few members of Wizengamot following some big announcement in the Ministry that morning. With a sudden lurch and a tug behind his navel, Harry was pulled into a spinning circle of magic.

Harry and Sirius had distinctly different exits from the portkey. Sirius gently landed, after walking down gracefully out of the magical opening in the sky, whereas Harry was flung violently into the ground landing on his back with a resounding thud. He saw stars in his eyes as he stared up at the brilliantly blue sky. Sirius's face swam into view above his head staring down at Harry with a grin on his face, "Shut up. I don't wanna hear it."

Sirius laughed, "You are genuinely terrible with magical transportation aren't you?"

Harry groaned as he sat up, reaching up to adjust his glasses which had been knocked slightly askew. "Blimey, it's beautiful!" Where Grimmauld Place had been dark and dreary, the Ancestoral home of the Blacks was sprawling and peaceful. The manor itself externally looked a bit ornate and stiff in Harry's opinion, but the grounds spread out over the rolling Yorkshire Dales. Gentle slopes of vibrant green gave way to small hills in the distance. Individual plots of land seemed to be segmented by rocky fences, but the landscape was vivacious and stunning.

Sirius reached down and helped pull Harry up, "It is. I didn't grow up here, but we did visit this section of the family a few times."

Dusting off his pants, Harry turned towards the pathway that led to the front door of the Manor. "Shall we?"

The duo made their way up the long gentle pathway to the front entrance of the manor. Sirius stopped and pointed out the property boundaries, as well as the exterior wardstones. Given his growing fascination with the subject, Harry was quite keen on taking a closer look at the wardstones when he got a chance. About twenty paces from the front door, Harry felt a wave of magic rush over him as if he were stepping through a bubble, and entering an enclosed area. "Did you feel that?" he asked Sirius.

His godfather just turned slightly and looked at him, "Feel what? I didn't feel anything." He drew his wand and held it at his side, ready to spring into action if needed.

Harry didn't immediately respond, but rather took a step backward, once again feeling as if he was going through some incorporeal barrier. "Right here! There's some type of magical barrier?" He began to step forward and back feeling the barrier wash over him as he stepped to and fro.

Sirius also took a couple of steps backward focusing on perceiving something he couldn't see. He frowned. "I feel a faint tingling on my arms maybe, but nothing strong."

Harry nodded, "I think it's some kind of inner ward system. Maybe around the house has stronger wards than the grounds?"

Sirius shrugged, "I don't know too much about warding. I reckon it would have rejected us when we first passed through it if there was an issue. I should think it'd be safe to go into the house."

A few more quick steps and the duo arrived at the ornate front door. With a gentle push, Sirius opened the door, and a stunning marble foyer greeted the duo. The house looked fairly dusty as if it had been unattended for quite a few years. There was a sitting room to the left of the duo, and a dining area through an opening to the right. A vast marble staircase that rose along the walls of both sides of the foyer seemed to lead to the second level. It seemed to need a few repairs, as sections of the marble looked chipped and damaged. In between the mirrored staircases, was a hallway that went further back into the house. Magical portraits seemed to cover the walls of the foyer much like the grand staircase at Hogwarts.

With a start, Harry realized he could do magic here. He raised and brandished his wand, "Evanesco!" The gentle coat of dusting on all of the furniture lifted off slightly and then vanished. With a grin at Sirius, he said, "I forgot I could do magic here!"

Sirius brandished his wand, giving it a gentle wave as the stone repaired itself on the stairways going up to the second floor. "There's a dueling room somewhere straight ahead, along with a library, which we will have to be careful about looking into, as there are some dangerous books in there." Harry merely nodded as he looked around the expansive foyer. "It's not that I don't trust you to be careful what you read. There are just actual books that will harm a reader unless they are read correctly."

Harry nodded. "Understood. I won't go looking at books without you."

The duo continued around the first floor cleaning the respective rooms as they entered them. There was an extremely out-of-date kitchen that needed extensive repair that was beyond a simple Reparo Charm. Harry took slight interest in a stone oven that seemed to run off of runes, but it didn't seem to work anymore.

The duo briefly explored the library that seemed to thankfully have fewer dark magic books than the Black Library at Grimmauld Place. Together they selected a few books on magical theory and meditation for Harry to start looking into.

They stuck their heads into the dueling room, but there wasn't much to do as the room was mostly empty. Sirius had waved his wand lazily cleaning the undisturbed layer of dust that seemed to cover the room. Harry could tell that there was a barrier around the walls of the room, but he couldn't tell what it was doing. The walls just seemed to shimmer ever so slightly and gave off a vaguely magical feel.

With a grin, Sirius spoke, "Want to go take a look at the rooms upstairs and see if anything strikes your fancy?"

Harry only nodded, slightly overwhelmed by the emotions swirling through him. He'd never had the chance to pick out a room before, and the fact that Sirius was giving him this chance meant the world to Harry.

As the pair climbed the stairs in the foyer, Sirius pointed out the various famous witches and wizards whose portraits littered the walls of the entrance hall. Quite a few were dozing off, but a few seemed to regard the duo with disdain.

"To the right here, is the master suite. I'll be staying in there," said Sirius with a grin.

Harry peered through the doors to see an enormous room with a huge bed centered squarely in the room. "I reckon you might need the space….What with all the female company you keep," said Harry slyly.

Sirius laughed, "Just you wait for me to be a free man. I will woo every available woman on the British Isles."

"I hope I'm around to warn them," said Harry with a slight grin. He flinched slightly as Sirius clapped him on the back.

"I'll not take any sass from a young man whose romance disaster has been strewn all over the front page of the national newspaper."

"Leave it to someone of your exceptional intelligence to believe The Daily Prophet." His smile faltered briefly. "I've fancied one girl, and that was a disaster. I'd rather not think about it," finished Harry with a grimace. He didn't really know how he could possibly face Cho now, knowing that he'd be the indirect cause of her boyfriend's death. Cho was still pretty, but Harry doubted the two would ever be able to get past the trauma of Cedric. Even beyond that, it wouldn't feel right to Cedric's memory in Harry's opinion.

Leaning against the door frame Sirius said, "Don't you worry Harry, I know the Potter way…Someone will come sweep you off your feet."

Harry looked at Sirius dubiously. "If you say so."

"That's enough mopping around. Let's go pick you out a room for our new home!" said Sirius excitedly. Harry's heart swirled with emotions at hearing the phrase 'our new home'. Swallowing thickly, he turned to follow Sirius down the hallway. There were dozens of rooms to choose from, but Harry eventually decided to pick one with a big window overlooking the grounds. After spending so much of his childhood locked in a cupboard under the stairs, he thought it would be nice to have such an open view of freedom.

There was a nice soft bed, that was much larger than the one he had in Privet Drive or Hogwarts. Harry pulled out his shrunken trunk from his pocket and restored it to its normal size at the foot of the bed. He sat down briefly looking around the room in awe, and with a twinge of trepidation. This was much nicer than anywhere he'd lived before, and he didn't want to be a burden for Sirius. "This is all so…nice," he finished lamely.

Sirius was leaning against the door frame at the entrance to the room. "Well, it'd be unused if we didn't take advantage of it." He seemed to sense Harry's semi-reluctance. He walked across the room to the window and stared out of it. "The Black family has been a dark family for so long in British wizarding history. This place has brought so much evil into the world in the past. I'd like for some good to come from here."

Harry nodded. "I can understand that."

Sirius turned to Harry and smiled warmly. "Think of it like a small prank on our ancestors. They'll be rolling in their graves." With one last chuckle, he turned and walked back to the door of the room. "I'll give you a little bit to get settled in, and then maybe we can see about having some dinner and trying out the dueling room since you can do magic."

Harry beamed. "That sounds wonderful."

Cyrus Greengrass stood in the attached cambers to the Wizengamot chambers where he'd agreed to meet Lord Malfoy to discuss his transition into the Moderate Faction of Wizengamot. He suspected that Lucius would demand a formal alliance by way of a marriage contract, so he and his wife had worked with their barrister to write up an extremely strict contract. Any attempt to harm the other family would cause a breach of contract that would cause all earnest money in the contract to go to the harmed family. Additionally, they'd put in morality clauses, as this was tied to a faction change. If the Malfoy Family began to act in a way too extreme, the contract would be voided. Finally, there was a standard buyout clause that allowed either side to simply purchase their way out of the contract if desired for a considerable amount of galleons. Cyrus was completely willing to payout the buyout clause if Astoria desired for him to do so.

A sharp rap on the door, followed by the entrance of Lord Malfoy brought Cyrus back to the present, as he focused on his new visitor. Today was an extremely important meeting for both sides, and the very future of the Greengrass line depended on it. Cyrus was acutely aware of Lucius' actions during the past war, and if there was a chance that the Dark Lord had returned, he was playing with fire, that could very well extinguish the Greengrass line if the terms of the marriage contract were not iron tight.

"Ah. Lord Greengrass, it's good to see you in such good… health," said Malfoy with an aristocratic drawl in his voice.

"Lord Malfoy, it's good to see you," started Cyrus. The slight wordplay was not missed by Cyrus, and he suddenly had a distinct feeling of dread. "I saw your public declaration. Very bold. What drew you to the cause of the squibs?"

Lucious stared at Cyrus passively, and spoke silkily, "We are all aware of the problem that exists in pureblood circles. Not speaking on it, or doing anything about it will simply see our history and traditions disappear."

Cyrus nodded. On the surface, that argument made significant sense, but he knew that the traditionalist faction would much rather ignore this issue. The question now was how to determine the exact plan of Malfoy. He was guaranteed to be pushing another unseen angle. "Indeed. That's long been a stance of the Moderate Faction in Wizengamot. I recall both of us having disagreements on this particular topic in the past. Would you care to enlighten me on what changed in your stance on the subject?"

Lucius simply replied, "It was time to examine what was being said for politics, and what the core issues are that are facing our society today."

"I see. Well it's good to see you've been thinking along our lines," said Cyrus before gesturing towards the empty seat across from him. "Please take a seat, and let's discuss our business for today."

Lucius sniffed slightly at the power play which dictated rank between the two, but did not object. Cyrus took a breath as he slid into the seat across from him. Lucius smiled viciously and spoke, "Well I've acquiesced to your request for public action. I believe that we are now at a place where we could discuss aligning our bloodlines. Surely you can see the benefits of our two great lines joining forces, politically and magically."

The duo had arrived at the crux of the dilemma facing Cyrus. Without knowing Lord Malfoy's full plans, he would have to make a gamble. He naturally, being a Slytherin through and through, had a plan, but it could backfire. If the Dark Lord had indeed returned, then Cyrus would be able to demand anything in the marriage proposal and Lucius would be forced to accept. The elder Malfoy would not be allowed to fail a direct order of his master. However, if the Dark Lord wasn't revived, Lucius would fight tooth and nail at the provisions of the planned contract, and the proposal would likely be seen as a political affront, damaging his standing within his own faction. "I imagined that was the next step for a faction change. I had our barrister draw up a marriage proposal just this morning in case that was the next step for us." Cyrus pulled out a contract and handed it to Lord Malfoy. "Please take your time and review this contract."

Cyrus sat back in his seat and intently watched Lucius as he read through the contract. He could see the negative reaction to sections of the contract. There were demands in the contract that pushed out the date of the nuptials, provisions that demanded financial compensation in the event of an egregious breach, and provisions that demanded a large sum of earnest money be held by a third party. Any of the provisions alone would be a stretch in a realistic contract, but this was Cyrus' plan. If Lucious Malfoy wound up accepting any of these provisions, then he was likely working under someone else's orders.

Having finished reading the contract, Lucius looked up and drummed the top of his knee. "Some of these provisions are quite stringent…" he trailed off expecting an answer.

Cyrus leaned forward and looked directly at Lord Malfoy. This was the moment of truth, would he accept, or completely call off the talks? "Indeed. The Greengrass Family is one of the oldest and purest lines. We have stringent clauses in our contracts, simply because we can afford to be picky." It was a true statement, but a flimsy excuse for the harsh provisions.

Lucius blanched ever so slightly, "But these terms are excessive without need."

"Lord Malfoy, This contract is our two houses putting our best foot forward. I can personally guarantee that no Greengrass will harm a Malfoy unless provoked. I have complete and full control over our ancient and noble house." Cyrus grinned sharply, as he stood up and looked down at the younger wizard, " I should think, that if you are being truthful about turning over a new leaf, then it should be relatively easy for you to do the same."

Lucius sighed, "Yes, of course. But I must protest the usage of your youngest daughter in this contract. Surely it would make more sense for both of the eldest scions to be wed?" Cyrus' eyes widened as he took in the information. Malfoy accepted the terms and only complained about which daughter had been selected. This meant, that his primary goal was to enter the contract and shift factions no matter the cost. It meant, that Voldemort had probably indeed returned, and was probably making a play for control of Wizengamot. It meant that he needed to strengthen the wards surrounding his estate, as they were surely targets of the Dark Lord, who wanted control at any cost.

Cyrus still very much doubted the integrity of Lord Malfoy and did not want to reveal more about his mysterious findings from earlier than strictly necessary. "Alas, this is out of my hands. I've been informed that she has already been betrothed to another."

Lucius tapped the top of his signature Slytherin cane. "Bethrothed?"

"Indeed. I do not yet have my hands on the contract, but I'm told it's an old contract, and I dare not express much more, lest I potentially violate the terms. Suffice to say, unfortunately, that my eldest is unavailable for a contract until I am able to thoroughly inspect the contract."

Luckily Lucius seemed to buy this and nodded firmly. "Let us hope that the contract winds up being beneficial to the Greengrass line." He looked down at the contract and sighed, clearly unhappy with the terms, but was resigned to signing it. "We have a deal. Our houses will be tied together." With a flourish, he pulled out an expensive quill and signed the marriage contract.

Harry Potter sat crosslegged outside on the grounds of the Black Family estate. He'd found a nice hill that overlooked several of the sprawling fields. A gentle breeze was sweeping from behind him over the top of the hill and down on the fields below. He could distantly make out the plants and flowers swaying gently in the wind. He'd picked out this place to practice meditation following his conversation with Dumbledore before they left Hogwarts.

Sirius had helped him pick out a few books on the subject earlier in the library, and Harry had done his best to read them, but as with most things magical, he didn't have much patience for the textbooks, and much preferred to attempt the practical side of the magic. According to a couple of the books, being more in tune with his magic would help him feel the magic in the world around him. Harry was curious about that subsection of magic as he seemed to instinctively feel some bits of magic surrounding him. Sometimes he felt nothing at all, but other times he felt a hint of a tickle as he walked through powerful wards.

Dumbledore had indicated that feeling and becoming one with magic was intoxicating, so it made sense to Harry that he so desperately wanted to figure out how to feel and reach out to the magic around him. It was like a sweet dessert that he needed to have again. No matter how many times he had it, he needed to taste it again.

Harry focused on the feeling of the wind blowing against his lower back. Feeling each oscillation of the air blowing against his skin, he focused on slowing down his breathing. Closing his eyes he tried to clear his mind and slow down his heartbeat. The more he tried to not think about anything the more a random thought would pop into his mind. It had been an eventful few days since he and Sirius had arrived at the ancestral home of the Black family so it was proving challenging to slow down his mind enough to focus on meditating.

Sighing, Harry once again focused on the wind on his back. The wind reminded him of soaring through the air on his broom. On a whim, Harry decided to follow the memory of flying on a broom. A brief memory of the Headmaster telling him to follow whatever made him feel at ease had spurned the decision to follow the feeling of being on a broom. He rejoiced in the freedom of the memory of flying on a broom for the first time. He reveled in the memory of flying during quidditch practices and games. Harry could feel the electricity of the hairpin turns, the harrowing dives, and the thrilling maneuvers.

Suddenly, Harry had the strong urge to fly, so he waved his wand and said, "Accio Firebolt!" Nothing seemed more important at that moment than getting on his broom and feeling the wind in his face.

Opening his eyes, Harry reached out and grasped the handle of his Firebolt as it arrived to him. He didn't really know why he had such a strong urge to fly at the moment, but he wasn't about to fight it. He loved flying and the freedom it represented to him. It was a mixture of the two things that he loved most about the magical world. Freedom and raw magic. As a child without knowledge of magic, flying was a far-fetched idea that lived only in the land of make-believe and stories. When he entered the magical world for his first year, he was thrilled with the idea that witches and wizards could simply soar through the idea with the aid of magical objects.

He swung his leg over the broom and took off, reveling in the blinding speed of the Firebolt. Smiling slightly, Harry allowed his consciousness to be overwhelmed by the feeling of the wind swirling around his head. His heart soared with every twitch of the broom and jumped with every dive. Opening his eyes upon his broom Harry could tell there was a purpose to his flight. He was suddenly acutely aware of his own magic and how it seemed to be reacting to the sensations and emotions he had while flying. He flew lazily without direction, simply taking in the feeling of being on the broom, and the way his magic seemed to be pulsating gently in time with the wind buffeting his face. There was harmony in the magic, flowing gently, through him as he soared through the sky.

Harry wasn't sure how he knew to fly, he just instinctually did. His magic called out for him to loop, dive, and weave. He could feel a slight pull from his magic telling him to vear left, pull up, drop down, and spiral around the yard. He simply followed the whims of his desires and magic and let himself fly freely, without burdens. Dive after dive, he listened to his gut and the gentle nudge of magic on when to pull out of the dive. He flew closer to the ground than he ever had during one of his matches. His muscles strained as he yanked the broom up, his fingers damp with sweat and the moisture from the morning dew on the grass of the estate.

Harry smiled broadly. This was beautiful. This was freedom. This was magic pure and simple. This was magic, in its rawest form, Harry could feel it almost sing to him as if he could feel every part of it move with him and around him. Harry had been excited to go to the wizard world and get away from the Dursleys, but for the first time, Harry was excited about learning magic on a raw personal level. He was excited to see what it could do, what it could allow him to do.

Sirus Black was adjusting to life with Harry faster than he had even hoped. Despite their unhappy upbringings, he knew that they were learning to trust and love each other. He knew that it would be a long battle, but he'd seen Harry's growth emotionally within the last week of being at the estate. He knew that with time, both of them would heal from the scars that they each bore.

Presently, he was enjoying a cup of tea on the back patio of the house, reveling in the sunlight and serenity of the view. He'd just finished breakfast with Harry, and his godson had departed to the fields to attempt meditation. Sirius swelled with pride as he recalled the work ethic of his godson and the progress he'd made in just a few short days. He'd studied, dueled, and practiced almost every waking moment of the last week. There was a fire that burned brightly within him, and Sirius was glad on some level that something motivated his godson to this level. He suspected it had something to do with the events of the third task, and the knowledge that such events had drastic effects on Harry pained Sirus. Obviously, there was little he could do to shield Harry from the events as a wanted criminal, but Sirius so desperately wished he could have done something, anything to shield Harry.

His brooding was interrupted by the sound of Harry blowing past the house on his firebolt. Sirius leaned back in his chair, simply taking in the sight of Harry flying. While it was not what he had thought that his godson was doing, Sirius could not deny that he was a natural flyer. Just as James had been before him, Harry belonged on a broom. In a world without darkness and war, the duo would have been quite the duo flying. There was simple grace in the movements on the broom. No sharp movements of the body, yet gentle motions seemed to have drastic effects on the trajectory of the flying. Swallowing the emotion of this moment being stolen from James, he did his best to focus on Harry.

He could clearly see the relaxed look on Harry's face, the sheer joy and freedom that he felt on a broom. Suddenly, the broom shot up into the air at blistering speed, before sharply rotating and transitioning into a dive seemingly straight towards the earth. Sirius' breath hitched as he watched Harry pull out of the dive at what seemed like the last possible moment. He could clearly see the exhilaration on his face, and it brought Sirius great joy to see the positive emotion on Harry's face.

Over and over, Harry ascended into the sky, only to flip over and go into a deep dive. Each dive seemed to get sharper and sharper and come closer and closer to the ground. Sirius began to worry about the danger of this reckless style of flying. He watched as Harry shot into the air once more, but this time he noticed that Harry's eyes were closed as he rocketed towards the clouds. He could barely make out his face as Harry transitioned into a dive once again, but Sirus could clearly see that his eyes were closed as if he were taking a kip on the couch.

Sirius jumped out of his seat and started running out to the field where Harry was flying. He could still see plain as day that Harry's eyes were distinctly closed and showed no signs of opening. It wasn't that he was unconscious or anything, he just seemed to be flying with his eyes closed.

"Harry!" shouted Sirius in an attempt to get him to open his eyes, but Harry either didn't hear him or ignored him. He plummeted towards the ground at an alarming speed, and without opening his eyes, he suddenly pulled up on his broom inches off the ground with a huge smile on his face. Harry opened his eyes and slowed down as he flew towards Sirus, saying nothing as he hopped off his broom, landing next to Sirius with practiced ease.

Sirius was gasping for breath as he had just run across the field and still wasn't physically healed from his time in Azkaban. "Are you mental?" he gasped out between breaths.

Harry laughed, "Some days, I reckon so."

With his heart still hammering in his chest Sirius continued, "You can't just do that. You can't dive with your eyes closed. If you hit the ground at that speed, I'd be cleaning you up with a bucket."

Harry scratched his head. "Yeah I guess that wasn't the brightest idea, but I wanted to test something out."

"Of all that is holy…" swore Sirius. "You wanted to test something out?"

"Yeah," answered Harry a bit sheepishly. He swung his broom over his shoulder and started walking towards the house. "I wanted to see if magic could tell me when to pull up."

Chasing after Harry, Sirius exclaimed, "Magic isn't going to… What? It's not alive Harry!"

"Funny, I had a similar conversation with Dumbledore last week," said Harry with a grin. "He seemed to think that magic was very much alive."

"It doesn't work like that!" exclaimed Sirius as the duo arrived on the patio at the back of the house.

Harry slid into one of the chairs that overlooked the dales behind the house. "Doesn't it? Every dive before that one, I was flying purely on instinct, and listening to what my magic seemed to suggest," said Harry.

Sirius sat down in the chair next to Harry and ran his hand through his hair to get it out of his face. He had no idea what Harry was talking about and how he could listen to his magic. "Why don't we start from the beginning?" he asked.

Harry leaned back in his chair and scratched the top of his head with his hand. "I err... I went to meditate, but I couldn't clear my mind like the books suggested." Sirius simply nodded and motioned for Harry to continue. "I focused on the feeling of the wind and got a strong feeling I needed to fly."

"A strong feeling?" queried Sirius.

"I know it sounds stupid, but I was thinking about how much I loved flying while trying to meditate and I got a…er really good feeling about it. So I did it."

Sirius sighed. He was clearly out of his depth here, as he'd never heard of magic suggesting things to people. At the same time, he knew that he wasn't an expert by any means, so the duo would just have to ask Dumbledore. "I don't know enough about magical theory to even guess. I reckon we can ask Dumbledore when we see him next at Grimauld Place."

Harry nodded as he stared off into the distance. "Make sense. I feel good about this Sirus…" he trailed off in thought before continuing, "I've never felt closer to magic than I do right now. I think that's the point of studying magical theory. To understand the Nature of Magic."