His grandfather's study looked exactly as it had the last time Sirius had entered it.
There was a roaring fire in the hearth to his right. A wide cherry desk filled the top right hand corner of the room; a matching table ran the length of the right wall and had an old pensieve as the central ornament. A tall cherry cabinet filled half the wall space floor to ceiling to his left; it would be locked but the secrets within might be valuable containing blackmail material and intelligence on a number of individuals and families. Apart from the cabinet and two tall windows on the right wall, the rest of the walls were floor to ceiling bookshelves stacked tightly with books.
Remus was going to have a cow when he saw the books, Sirius thought fondly.
He finally stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind him. He made his way over to the desk and was surprised to see it was clean, devoid of dust and debris. There was an empty inkpot, a gleaming silver letter opener and a single envelope addressed to him.
Sirius felt his heart leap in confusion and astonishment. His grandfather had to have known about his imprisonment – there was no way that he could have assumed that Sirius would be the next Head of the House…
He approached with trepidation and sat down in the worn leather chair. He picked up the letter and opened it.
"My Dear Grandson,
You will have many questions and I request that you bear with me through this my last letter for I am not long for this Earth and I know I will not see you again.
On November 2 nd 1981 I visited the Ministry where Bagnold took great delight in telling me that you had been imprisoned in Azkaban on executive order for high treason, the murders of James and Lily Potter, the murders of some muggles and Peter Pettigrew. I left Bagnold determined that I would see justice done; the House of Black's reputation had taken a hit with the defeat of the Dark Lord and the triumph of the Light over the pureblood agenda, but I knew I could probably prevail on Albus Dumbledore to at least get you a proper trial where I was sure the truth would out. I know you, Sirius; I never believed you were guilty.
I also planned to lend my support (although in a very discreet way) to the Longbottoms who I knew were to have custody of the last of the Potters (I refuse to use the appalling appellation that our world has called him). I could guess at why Albus had made the decision to leave him with his blood relatives but a child of his power has no place with muggles.
Why then, you may ask, did I leave you both all this time in such wretched hells?
Why indeed, thought Sirius darkly.
"When I arrived home that day, I found an old friend of mine on the doorstep; a true Seer by the name of Oona O'Neil. She and I had been in Slytherin together. Over tea, she explained that she had the night before dreamed two possible futures.
In the first, I continued with my original plan and fought for your trial. Unfortunately, in such a future, our world was doomed by my doing so. You refused your role in the House of Black and only credited Albus with helping you achieve your freedom. Although the WOO awarded you custody once you produced the will (the Longbottoms' fate was not revealed only that they were not able to take Harry), Albus convinced you that Harry was safest with his muggle relatives. While you were eventually reunited, your relationship was irreparably damaged by your insistence that he remain living with them. He didn't trust you, and ultimately the war faltered on this breech of trust allowing the Dark Lord to win. Eventually, the Dark Lord's indiscriminate killing attracted the muggles' attention and the wizarding world was eliminated through one of their weapons (while I initially scoffed at this, my research since has upheld the truth that the muggle world holds weapons capable of such a feat).
In the second possible future that Oona dreamed, I discontinued my efforts and retreated. You remained locked away in Azkaban and Harry in the muggle world until his Hogwarts education began. Then, you escaped from Azkaban. The rest was unclear to Oona with multiple paths possible but in one you became Lord Black and rescued Harry, obtaining custody of him and taking him away from the muggles. Your relationship was built on a foundation of trust that strengthened those that would oppose the Dark Lord. And there was, Oona said, the possibility and hope that the Dark Lord would not win."
"Dear Merlin's wrinkly arse!" Sirius sagged in his seat, wrenching his eyes away from the letter to stare unseeingly at a distant corner of the room. He couldn't quite comprehend his grandfather's words. He had met Oona once at some gathering for his grandfather's, he was sure of it; a mature Irish lady with black hair and laughing blue eyes who had told him that he would become a dog with the heart of a lion. He hadn't understood – he'd been eight, nine? – but in hindsight her words had been prophetic correctly predicting his school House allegiance and his animagus form.
The two versions of the future written out in black and white sent shivers down his spine. The first because he could so easily see that if he had been freed within weeks of being put into Azkaban, he would have angrily denied his grandfather any credit or gratitude. He had been so naïve and stupidly righteous in his faith in Albus in his youth and so it would have been easy for Albus to have convinced him that the greater debt was owed to him; that Harry would be happy and safe in the muggle world under the blood protection. And Albus would have had years to manipulate Sirius, and probably Remus too had they reconciled (although that wasn't guaranteed), into blindly following him, and thus not acting in Harry's best interests but to further Albus's agenda for Harry.
Just the thought of it had his skin crawling.
But the second version of the future also disturbed him because there was only the possibility of hope and winning not a guarantee. It was, he mused, better than an apocalypse but he would have preferred some indication of success other than vague hints.
His eyes drifted back to the parchment he held.
"It must be patently apparent which path I chose to take.
I would apologise for your suffering but I won't ask for a forgiveness that I do not deserve. An apology wouldn't lessen or excuse my culpability in your wrongful imprisonment or in Harry's situation since his life with the muggles has not been easy according to my investigations. As much as I despise Albus Dumbledore, I agree with him that sometimes sacrifices are required to save the world, but unlike him, I believe it is only right to take responsibility for the hurt caused and our role in causing it."
Sirius was torn between anger that his grandfather hadn't tried to find another way and a strange kind of pride that his grandfather hadn't tried to dismiss just how much hurt had been caused by his decision. His grandfather had been a ruthless bastard but he had always owned the decisions he had made. And…
He sighed heavily.
He wasn't entirely certain he wouldn't have made the same decision in his grandfather's shoes; years of misery but eventual rescue versus guaranteed doom? Indeed, if he'd been told he had to stay in Azkaban for thirteen years to prevent an apocalypse he might have agreed to it. But to make a decision that would mean Harry would suffer…no. There had to have been a third option, Sirius told himself briskly, even if his grandfather had never tried to find it.
"I wish I could have explained this in person but Oona informed me that either path would evolve without me; I would live for less than ten years more. Once she had left, I called my personal Healer and he confirmed that I had the early symptoms of the degenerative wasting disease Oona had predicted. My body would waste away (and it has, I am bedridden these days) but my mind would remain as it always was until the end .
I was coming to terms with the news about my health when the arrest of your cousin, her husband and his idiot brother combined with your situation left the House of Black's reputation in tatters. (I would have made reparations to Augusta but I feel she is more likely to accept them from you – if you haven't already offered her a formal apology, I would encourage you to do so. She was the power behind her husband and will make a formidable ally.)
I had a choice then; I could remain in public for as long as I could and try to rebuild the House of Black or I could spend the years in isolation doing as much as I could to ensure that you would have the resources you and Harry needed to defeat the Dark Lord when you finally escaped.
Again, it must be patently apparent which path I chose to follow."
What?!
Sirius blinked heavily and reread the last part of the letter. Why? Why would his grandfather have made such a choice? Nothing had been more important to him than his reputation and the House of Black…
And it still was, Sirius answered his own question with a surge of cynical surety. His grandfather must have known that rebuilding in the wake of the LeStranges and his own incarceration would take years – probably years he didn't have physically. No, option two would mean his grandfather could convince himself he was doing the right thing while hiding his disease from everyone.
"Self-serving old…" Sirius muttered under his breath.
"There are many things to tell you but where to start?
Firstly, I would talk about the House of Black. You will have realised I left you as Heir and hopefully assumed your rightful place as the Head of the House. I'm certain you will have adopted Harry and made him your Heir but if you haven't, you should. Do what you wish with Bella and her husband.
Lucius Malfoy has already wormed his way out of trouble but he was Marked and quite frankly has illusions of grandeur. He has consolidated some power among the old Black alliance by the time you read this. He will do anything to save his own skin. You may find some of the information gathered on him useful to keep him in line. Narcissa wasn't Marked and could be useful to you; she has a head for politics. Their child, according to my sources is a spoiled brat; I leave his fate to you.
The rest of the minor lines I have ignored to date given my belief their squib blood or undesirable matches weaken the overall strength of the House of Black."
Sirius snorted. That right there was a major political difference between himself and his grandfather. Well, he didn't care about those things; family was family.
"However, my acquaintance with Lily Potter changed my mind about the latter so I leave it up to you to determine their inclusion or exclusion.
Speaking of which, my next topic is Harry."
Wait. What?! Sirius frowned heavily. When had his grandfather and Lily become acquainted? And he suddenly remembered Bertie's memory of his grandfather seeing Lily when Sirius had been captured; of promising Harry the family magic.
"Sirius, you should get Harry's health checked out as soon as you can. I had a wizard private investigator track down Harry in the muggle world once he was of school age and to say his report was alarming would be an understatement. The muggles have badly neglected him. The man I hired was so incensed about the state of the boy when he returned to deliver his findings to me that I had to obliviate him so he wouldn't do something rash and bring Albus's attention to my interest in Harry. I did have the situation reported anonymously to the muggle authorities but they failed to do anything of substance.
Secondly, he is a powerful wizard and will need training. I have left memories in the bottom drawer of the desk that you need to see. If you do nothing else, Sirius, please watch these memories."
Sirius paused in his reading once again and unlocked the drawer. He withdrew what looked to be a custom made box filled with vials of silvery memories. He sighed and set it on the desk top. He picked up the letter again.
"In the middle drawer of the desk is all my research about family magic – you will understand the importance of this when you have watched the memories."
His grandfather had researched family magic? Of course, he had seen Harry's affinity for himself. He unlocked the middle drawer and drew out three journals filled with notes; two rare books and a thick folder of parchment.
Remus was going to drool, Sirius thought bemused.
"Lastly, the top drawer contains all the information I could gather about the Dark Lord – his real identity, likely boltholes, his secrets. I fear he retains an existence thanks to making a horcrux – Regulus asked me about them before he disappeared. I have included all my research on these foul things in his file.
I hope I have provided enough for you to win against the bastard."
Sirius scrambled for the top drawer and once again found a veritable stack of paper. Clearly, his grandfather had used his isolation well. He returned once more to the letter.
"You were always my favourite, Sirius. You are an intelligent, powerful wizard with strong values and ideals. Beyond the bloodline it was the reason why you were always my Heir. I failed to rein in your mother – I had thought formally making you Heir would be enough to curtail her insanity – and I regret that more than I can say. If you had come to me that night rather than the Potters, Sirius, I would have chosen you, protected you.
You have a weighty responsibility with young Harry. He will need you and I know you will not falter in caring for him and guiding him.
Know that I have been and always will be very proud of you, my Grandson.
May Merlin and Morgana bless you both.
Your Grandfather, Arcturus Sirius Black."
His eyes were stinging with unwanted tears by the time he finished and Sirius dropped the letter back on the desk while he brought himself under control.
A knock had him surreptitiously swiping at his eyes before he called for his visitor to enter. It was Remus.
His friend's eyes narrowed on him immediately. "Are you OK?"
"Fine." Sirius answered brightly.
"Uh-huh," Remus said knowingly, "I believe I've heard that 'fine' before when you got ambushed by your brother and friends, and almost ended up in the infirmary for a month because you ignored the fact that one of your ribs was broken."
"None of my ribs are broken now." Sirius said irritably. He waved Remus over to the desk and pointed at the stack of information. "My grandfather's research on family magic."
As he predicted, Remus was happily distracted.
"Merlin!" He exclaimed, picking up one of the books reverently. "This is incredible! Minerva, Bertie and I have been searching high and low for a copy of this book." His head snapped around to Sirius. "Why would your grandfather have it?"
"Probably because one of these memories," Sirius tapped the box he'd unearthed, "will be the one Bertie played for me in the pensieve."
Remus nodded slowly. "I wouldn't mind seeing that memory." He frowned. "There's more?"
"Here." Sirius handed Remus his grandfather's letter and moved away, ostensibly to examine the books but really to hide.
Eventually, he heard Remus clear his throat. "We should probably see if this Irish Seer of his is still alive."
"Yes."
"Sirius…"
"Don't, Remus." Sirius ordered briskly. He shook himself and turned back, avoiding the sympathetic eyes of his old friend. "Where are Harry and the others?"
"Out in the garden in the old Summer pavilion." Remus said. "The house elves brought elevenses. Do you want to join us?"
Sirius shook his head and retook the seat behind the desk. "I should go through the memories."
Remus nodded, understanding without Sirius saying anything that he wasn't in the mood to rejoin the family and act as though nothing was wrong. "Right, well you set up the pensieve and I'll go and tell Andy to take over the tour. I'll be right back." He started for the door.
"Remus, I can go through the memories myself and…"
"Don't be stupid, Padfoot." Remus cut him off and caught his eyes firmly. "You're not going through them alone."
Sirius didn't really want to argue; wasn't sure he could with the lump in his throat so he settled for a sharp, brief nod. Remus hurried out and Sirius went about setting up the pensieve, losing himself cleaning the bowl and ensuring the runes were good to prevent himself from thinking about his grandfather's letter.
"If you had come to me that night rather than the Potters, Sirius, I would have chosen you, protected you."
He hadn't even thought about going to his grandfather in his flight from Grimmauld Place. He had taken the Knight Bus to the Potters' place, hiding his injuries as best he could. He had walked up the long driveway with nothing but the robes on his back and his wand. He had managed to ring the doorbell and then he had collapsed. He'd regained consciousness, sobbed his heart out on Charlus Potter's shoulder, been ushered into bed where a Healer had taken care of the worst of the damage and Dorea had fussed over him before a sleeping potion had been poured down his neck. He'd woken the next day with James sprawled on the bed next to him, snoring away. Three days after that, Charlus had brought him his possessions from Grimmauld and told Sirius that it was official; his grandfather had agreed that Sirius would stay with the Potters. Charlus had sent them to the French chateau for the Summer.
Sirius took a shaky breath. He had later learned from his brother that his grandfather had confined their mother to Grimmauld Place for her actions. He had assumed at the time that his grandfather had only punished her because she'd gone after the Heir not because she'd gone after Sirius. Maybe he had been wrong about that.
"Ready?" asked Remus gently, startling Sirius out of the past and back into the present.
"Yes," Sirius said before he sighed, "no."
"We don't have to do this now." Remus pointed out in the same gentle tone.
"Yes, we do." Sirius countered. He squared his shoulders and opened the box of memories. The vials were set out neatly in holders and numbered. He picked up the one marked '1' and poured it into the pensieve.
Remus nodded at him and they entered at the same time.
The memory was the same as the one Bertie had shown him on the day of Harry's adoption and blessing – only the viewpoint differed. Sirius watched amused as Remus clutched at his arm as Harry took over Lily, as he took control of the family magic. As Sirius arrived back and his grandfather swooped over to tend to him, the memory faded and they were pushed back out into the study.
"Merlin!" said Remus awestruck. "You told me and I believed you but to see it!"
"I know!" Sirius agreed. It was his second viewing but he was still blown away.
"Yes," Remus continued, "that right hook of Lily's was just miraculous!"
Sirius's head whipped around to Remus's mischievous 'gotcha' face so fast that Sirius felt a rush of dizziness. He did the only thing he could do; he burst out laughing. If the giggles at the end edged hysteria, neither he nor Remus commented about it.
"Thank you, Moony," Sirius said eventually, as he straightened up and brushed away the tears of laughter that had eked out the corners of his eyes, "I needed that."
"Shall we take a gander at number two?" Remus gestured at the box and a moment later Sirius had emptied the pensieve of the first memory and they were diving into the second.
They landed in a St Mungo's waiting room. Sirius's grandfather sat on one uncomfortable chair by the door while on the other side of the room, Bertie, Albus, Bagnold and Crouch conferred in low voices. It took a moment for Sirius to figure out that Charlus and James would probably be with Lily who must have been taken off to a Healer after Harry's impromptu take-over. The four officials seemed embroiled in a heated discussion with Bertie on one side and the rest on the other. A shiver of foreboding ran down Sirius's spine.
"May I sit with you?" Lily's sweet voice yanked his grandfather's attention away from the group and he rose to his feet automatically, his wand already out and transfiguring the seat next to him into something more comfortable even as he gestured for her to take it.
"You are recovered?" Arcturus asked politely as they sat down.
Lily nodded, a faint hint of a blush on her cheeks. "Thank you for your understanding about my son borrowing your family magic."
"It is his family magic too." Arcturus said mildly.
"You've," Lily unusually stumbled over her words and had to start again, "you've made him your Heir?"
"Sirius is my Heir but he will be Sirius's." Arcturus informed her as though the matter was a fait accompli.
"Even though he carries my blood?" challenged Lily in a way that Sirius remembered well.
Arcturus made a vague hand wave. "The only blood he carries that matters for the family magic is Black."
Lily rubbed her protruding abdomen. "Then why all the fuss about purity of blood?"
"Those of us in magical families with generations dating back years who have created and maintained the traditions of our society wish to protect them." Arcturus explained with more patience and less vitriol than Sirius had expected. "Marrying someone who shares the same history and culture helps in that protection. New magical people tend to want to challenge the status quo."
"If the status quo isn't challenged occasionally, how will society move forward? Grow?" Lily argued passionately. "Traditions and culture are important but a society will stagnate if it clings so furiously to the past that it doesn't allow for a future."
"And there is the crux of the political argument at the heart of the wizarding world." Arcturus tapped his cane lightly on the floor.
"So you agree with Voldemort's position that all muggleborns should be killed?" Lily asked pointedly.
Arcturus tilted his head in her direction. "The Dark Lord wishes to kill us all, Madame Potter, not simply the muggleborn."
"Call me Lily," she said absently, continuing to soothe the stirring baby within her, "and if you know that, why do you support him?"
"I neither support nor oppose him." Arcturus replied sternly. "Do not confuse the House of Black with the antics of those that have taken the Mark."
"Ouch," whispered Remus, "I'd forgotten just how sharp a tongue your grandfather had at times."
Sirius nodded. Lily was embarrassed; her cheeks aflame.
"My apologies, Lord Black." Lily inclined her head, her red hair cascading forward.
Arcturus huffed but nodded. "Accepted." He sighed as though disgruntled. "I cannot blame you for your confusion when most of the younger generation have lined up under the Dark Lord's banner and embarrassed the House." He cast a look towards the door and the rest of the hospital outside. "All except my Heir, of course."
Pride was evident in Arcturus's voice.
Lily smiled. "Sirius is one of the most stubborn men I know." Her smile fell away. "Charlus and James went for news."
Apparently Arcturus picked up on her evident worry as much as Sirius did. "Sirius is a survivor. He will recover."
"He'll be staying with us."
There was another faint hint of a challenge in her voice but Arcturus bowed his head in agreement.
Lily's eyes flickered to the group on the other side of the room. "They're talking about my son, aren't they?"
"I'm afraid so." Arcturus said. He played idly with his cane – a sure sign that he was internally agitated. "The boy will be a very powerful wizard. They will wish to use him for their own gain, even Albus Dumbledore, and they all are refusing to acknowledge Bertie's authority to restrict their knowledge of the event." He cocked his head. "Bertie has been arguing that it is too dangerous in these times for them to retain the knowledge especially when the child is not yet born."
Lily paled. "I wish I could obliviate them but I couldn't take on three by myself, and Albus; he's another four wizards just on his own."
Arcturus glanced over at her sharply. "You agree they shouldn't remember at all?"
Her green eyes met his determinedly. "Protecting my son is more important than their memory of the event."
Sirius wondered whether Lily had known of the prophecy at that point.
"You're a father," Lily continued, "would you not do everything you could do to protect your child?"
Arcturus was about to respond when Charlus and James entered. Their faces showed a modicum of surprise at seeing Lily seated with Arcturus and they both walked over quickly.
"Sirius?" asked Arcturus immediately.
"In a healing coma." Charlus said succinctly. "He was tortured badly and he will need extensive therapy to walk again but he'll be fine in the long term."
"That's a relief." Lily leaned into James who had sat beside her, placing his arm around her shoulders.
"A word, Charlus?" Arcturus motioned to an empty corner of the room.
Charlus nodded briefly, bemused.
Arcturus erected a privacy ward. "Lily has expressed concerns that the Ministry will seek to use her son and not comply with Bertie."
Any hint of Charlus's usual good humour disappeared and his brown eyes hardened. "Your observation?"
"Confirms her fears may be valid." Arcturus said without turning toward the group. "They have been in a huddle since we arrived and Bertie is quite clearly the only one arguing that they should restrict the knowledge."
"Bastards!" muttered Charlus. "So we're obliviating them?"
"We'll need to use the family magic," Arcturus said quietly, "Albus is too powerful."
Charlus nodded.
In a move that surprised Sirius never mind the collective in the waiting room, Charlus and Arcturus turned as one, his grandfather taking down the privacy ward at the same time as they both called their family magic forth.
"Familius magicus protectus!"
The snake and griffin erupted into being, shocking the life of the room's other occupants.
"Dad, what are you…"
"Leave them, James!" Lily restrained James as he made to stand up.
Charlus and Arcturus pointed their wands in unison. "Bind them."
Sirius could see the alarm enter Albus's eyes, the movement to bring his wand to bear…
But it was too late.
The snake surged forward to bind the three that had been selected.
"Obliviate them! You will remember instead that Sirius was found by the family magic as called by Arcturus and myself." Charlus ordered.
The griffin flew at the three bound, blinding them with a fierce light. A moment later, it was over.
Albus blinked. "I'm sorry, I can't seem to recall…"
"I was just saying Sirius will be fine, Albus." Charlus said soothingly. "Thank you for your concern though but if you need to get back to Hogwarts, we understand."
"And I should return to the Ministry." Bagnold said officiously. "Crouch, we should get back to work rather than lollygagging around here."
Bertie remained behind as the others took their leave and departed. He had kept silent but looked over at them suspiciously. "Am I to be obliviated too?"
"Only if you intend to use the boy for your own purposes." Arcturus replied.
"You have my word that I won't." Bertie sighed heavily. "The others…they will need watching once the boy's powers are known."
"And we shall watch them." Charlus said. "We'd like to count on your support."
"You have it." Bertie said simply. "I should head back before they begin to question why I remained with you."
Arcturus lifted his cane. "I shall walk with you."
Charlus cleared his throat. "You could stay, Arcturus. Sirius will wake by morning."
"And he will not want to see me." Arcturus said simply.
"Lord Black…" Lily rose from her chair awkwardly but offered her hand. "Thank you." Her gratitude for his action in protecting her son shone from her expressive eyes.
"Yes, thank you." James added stiffly.
Arcturus nodded an acknowledgement at James but he took Lily's hand and kissed her knuckles. He straightened as he let go and smiled at her. "My dear Lily, since your son will be Lord Black one day, you should call me Arcturus."
The memory ended; Remus and Sirius fell out of the pensieve.
Sirius thrust a hand through his hair and tried to gather his fragmented thoughts. "He told Lily to call him Arcturus."
"I know you said Bertie told you they ganged up but to see it…"
"He told Lily to call him Arcturus." Sirius repeated.
"And it wasn't the first time the two of them worked together," Remus added, "you could tell that they'd done it before but when and where and to whom?"
"He told Lily to call him Arcturus."
Remus scowled at him. "Merlin, Sirius, there are more important…"
"We already knew what the memory showed us," Sirius shot back, and there were personal aspects of the memory that he didn't want to think about too closely (that his grandfather had waited for news, that he'd been concerned, that he'd clearly understood Voldemort's agenda better than anyone else at the time), "but the fact that my grandfather asked Lily to call him Arcturus is important!"
"Why?" asked Remus confused.
"Because it means he considered her family bar the oath." Sirius said agitatedly.
"And that's bad because…"
"Not bad so much as…unbelievable!" Sirius whirled away to pace the room. "All my life, my grandfather told me that he would never accept a muggleborn into the House of Black! Andy was disowned by him because of Ted, for Merlin's sake!"
"You have to admit, Padfoot, that he hinted as much about his opinion of Lily in his letter." Remus tried to soothe him and failed.
"Why?" The word burst from Sirius without thought. "Why didn't he ever tell me he'd changed his mind when he was alive and I wasn't locked up? He could have told me!"
"And would you have listened back then?" asked Remus pointedly.
Sirius opened his mouth to argue and shut it again as he shook his head. "He was right, you know. If he'd stayed until I was awake, I wouldn't have wanted him."
Remus nodded slowly. "Why don't we look at another memory?"
Sirius acquiesced because it was better than having to deal with his relationship with his grandfather. The third memory dumped them into the same study but sitting across the desk from Arcturus was Charlus.
"I brought a photo." Charlus said proudly, handing over a wizarding photo that showed Lily propped up in bed with baby Harry in her arms, James sat beside her, and both of their attentions captivated by their sleeping child.
"What have they named him?" asked Arcturus, his eyes never leaving the small features of the babe in the picture.
"Harry James Potter." Charlus said with a smile.
"She really insisted on going through with that muggle name?" Arcturus complained as he made to pass the photo back.
"You can keep the photo," Charlus said, taking a sip of his tea, "and Harry is a family name – it's the name of Lily's favourite grandfather so it is in keeping with our tradition of naming sons after favoured forefathers. It's better than Pronglet which James insists on calling him." He set his cup down. "Sirius will be named godfather."
"He'll make a good godfather." Arcturus said proudly. "He all but raised Regulus until he went to school."
Yes, thought Sirius darkly, and then his mother had gotten her claws into his younger brother and things had never been the same between them.
Charlus sighed. "I wish you would reconcile with him, Arcturus."
"I agreed that he would stay in your care years ago, Charlus. I am content." Arcturus said firmly. "His recovery goes well?"
"He's not back at work and he's still walking with a cane but yes, he's doing well." Charlus informed him. "He was questioned closely about the deaths of the ten Death Eaters found at the place where they think he was held by Crouch and Bagnold. Albus was unsurprisingly disapproving about the loss of life."
Arcturus snorted. "I fail to understand how he thinks the Light will win if he's not prepared to fight back."
"You know Albus." Charlus said almost absently.
"You're worried about something." Arcturus said, straightening his robes.
Charlus sighed heavily. "James and Lily aren't telling me something, but I think they've joined Albus's not-so-secret Order although they haven't explicitly said so to me."
"You think Albus is meddling in their decisions?" asked Arcturus bluntly.
Charlus raised both his eyebrows in a silent 'seriously?' query. "When isn't Albus meddling, Arcturus?" He shifted suddenly and gestured at the photo. "Let's forget about Albus's machinations. My grandson is much more interesting. You can't tell from the photo but he has Lily's eyes…"
The memory faded.
Sirius dumped the next memory into the pensieve and took a deep breath before he and Remus tackled it. Both Remus and Sirius tensed as they realised they were in the front parlour of Potter House during the Yule holiday of nineteen-eighty.
Lily sat on one overstuffed armchair; Harry was asleep in his bassinet beside her. Arcturus sat across from her. Green and red tinsel decorated the mantel; a tree laden with glittering and sparkly ornaments took up a whole corner, and there were already presents wrapped in shiny red and gold paper under it.
"Thank you for allowing me to visit, Lily," Arcturus said, "and to offer my condolences for Charlus's death in person. We didn't get a chance to talk at the funeral."
"James needed me." Lily said simply. Her hand crept to Harry and she smoothed his blanket.
"How is James?" asked Arcturus politely.
Lily sighed. "He's taken Charlus's death very hard but he's distracting himself with Yule; he wants Harry to have a good first Christmas even if Harry's too young to remember any of it." She grimaced as she reached for the mug of cocoa next to her on the coffee table. "He's also resigned as a Hit Wizard since the estates will take up all of his time. He and Sirius went off to Gringotts this morning to sort everything out."
"And how is Sirius?"
"About the same as James truthfully." Lily said bluntly, sipping her drink before placing it back on the table. "Sirius considered Charlus the father he would have chosen for himself and Charlus…Charlus was happy to play that role for him."
Arcturus nodded. "And you?"
Lily's eyes shone with tears. "I miss him."
He offered her a clean handkerchief and Lily took it dabbing at her eyes so her mascara wouldn't run.
"Lily…" Arcturus began gently, "I'm not sure if you were aware but Charlus and I met regularly after the events where Sirius was rescued from the Death Eaters."
Lily nodded and gave a watery smile. "Who do you think made sure he had the photos?"
"Thank you for those," Arcturus said softly, "I had the one of Sirius and Harry framed."
"Harry loves him already," Lily's smile lit up her face, "did you know Sirius was the only one home when I went into labour? He ended up being the one in the labour room with me."
Arcturus shuddered delicately. "It was the practice when I was a young man to be far from the actual birth as it was possible to get."
"I couldn't have done it without Sirius supporting me through it." Lily said simply.
Sirius felt his own eyes prickle again with tears. Remus placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.
"Lily, Charlus was worried that the obliviation had failed with Albus; that he was taking an unusual interest in Harry…what are your thoughts?" Arcturus got to the point of his visit.
"He visits Harry once a week but I know from Alice he does the same with Neville." She gestured with the handkerchief. "We joke that he's picked the pair of them as substitute grandchildren as he's not likely to have his own."
Arcturus nodded slowly. "Well, if you're comfortable with his interest…"
Lily shrugged and a small frown flitted across her face for a moment. "In hindsight, I'm not sure we had to obliviate him. James and I…we've spent a great deal of time with him recently. He's a good man, Arcturus."
"Even good men have their own agendas, Lily." Arcturus advised her and held up a hand when she made to disagree. "I will say no more except this: the House of Black will always recognise the House of Potter as extended family. If you ever have need of help, I hope you'll consider coming to me."
Lily smiled. "Thank you, Arcturus."
Sirius exited the memory and found Remus looking as disconcerted as he felt. Sirius silently handled replacing the last memory with a new one.
They were back in Arcturus's study only it was Lily in a dark cloak sat opposite Arcturus. She looked pale and Arcturus poured her a glass of Firewhiskey, pushing it across his desk. Sirius realised with a start that a framed photo of a young Sirius holding a baby Harry took pride of place on his desk.
Lily drank down the liquor and pointed at the photo. "I'm surprised you have it displayed so openly."
"To anyone who isn't me, you or your husband, the photo appears to be that of my late wife." Arcturus corrected her, surprisingly gently.
"Oh." Lily looked lost.
Sirius's heart clenched with fear for her; why did she look so upset? And why had she gone to his grandfather rather than James?
"Did you know my parents died two weeks ago?" Lily asked, her eyes on the empty glass she held.
"I had heard a rumour to that effect." Arcturus replied. "My condolences on your loss."
"It was a house-fire. It's been ruled accidental in the muggle world but a spy informed Albus that it was Death Eaters." Lily stated bluntly, slamming the glass down on the desk and wrapping her cloak more tightly around herself. "Bastards!"
"What do you need from me?" asked Arcturus.
"I need a way to protect my sister and her family." Lily said, finally raising her head, her green eyes ablaze with anger and determination. "Albus says there is nothing that can be done because they're muggles but I want to place wards around her home and I know the Black wards are considered the best."
Arturus looked at her for a long moment. He got up and retrieved a book from a shelf on the far side of the room. He handed it to her. "The blood wards described within will keep your sister safe but they are considered borderline illegal these days. The House of Black is fortunate that most of ours were lain down before the Ministry started to object to blood magic. You shouldn't be discovered in placing them since the Ministry only monitors wand magic in muggle areas."
Lily clutched the book to her. "Thank you." She sighed heavily, obviously hesitating over saying something else; indecision written across her delicate features. Finally she heaved a sigh. "Arcturus, do you believe in prophecies?"
"To some extent," Arcturus allowed, "I have a friend who is a Seer and she is usually very accurate about her dreaming. Other than that…" he did a half-shrug in a dismissive gesture.
"There is a prophecy that might concern my son." Lily said quietly. "Albus saw fit to tell James and I about it the night he informed me of the truth concerning my parents' deaths. He believes that our families are being eliminated to get to us, that we should go into hiding."
"I would be happy to offer my home to you, Lily." Arcturus said.
Lily smiled and it alleviated the pained look she wore. "Thank you, Arcturus, but nothing's decided and if you took us in, it would mean declaring your side once and for all; you would find yourself a target for the creepy bastard."
"I can handle Albus." Arcturus said dryly.
Lily laughed at that before she sobered again. "I'm so scared for Harry. We probably will go into hiding but…I just don't think it's going to be enough. Call it maternal instinct but I can't help feel that I need to do more to protect my son."
For the second time, Arcturus rose and raided a bookshelf, pulling down three old books which were handed to Lily.
"My wife followed the Old Religion and these contain witches' magic; spells that can only be cast by a mother or a woman." Arcturus said. "Perhaps you will find what you need in them."
Lily's face brightened. "Thank you." She sighed and got to her feet. "I should get back before Harry turns Sirius's hair pink again."
The memory ended. Sirius and Remus were cast out of the pensieve again.
"Your grandfather gave Lily the spell that saved Harry!" Remus said sinking down into one of the nearby visitor chairs.
Sirius sank into a chair beside him. "I can't believe she came here! What was she thinking?"
"They clearly had a very civil relationship, Sirius." Remus said absently. "Do you think James knew?"
Sirius shook his head. "He would have told me if he had, and he certainly would have told Lily to have stayed away from my grandfather. So it's just as well he didn't know, isn't it?" He said. "The books my grandfather gave her helped her keep Harry safe." There was a note of wonder mixed in with a touch of bitterness in his words.
Remus ran a hand over his face. "Are there any more memories?"
"One."
"Do you want to stop and join the others for some lunch or continue?" asked Remus.
"Continue." Sirius muttered.
The last memory was the most shocking. It was clear that at the time of the memory Arcturus was bed-ridden; he was propped up in a large four poster shakily drinking tea as a house elf showed his visitor into the room.
Ollivander, the wand maker, greeted Arcturus happily and took the seat Arcturus pointed toward. He agreed to refreshment and another elf arrived with a freshly brewed pot of tea.
"Thank you for coming, Master Ollivander."
"You have been secluded for many years and your letter asked for my knowledge, Lord Black." Ollivander smiled at Arcturus, his silver eyes glittering. "I admit to some curiosity."
"What do you know of the Tale of Three Brothers?" Arcturus asked.
Ollivander's bushy white eyebrows lifted half-way up his forehead. "The child's tale?" His expression became slightly mischievous. "I take it you wish to quiz me about the Elder wand?" He settled back in his chair. "And if I tell you what I know?"
"You will receive the copy of Alrac's Wand making Lore from my family library." Arcturus offered smoothly.
"And if I were to tell you that it will not aid you in recovering your health?" Ollivander posed the question quite seriously.
"My research is to benefit the last of the Peverells not myself." Arcturus replied.
"The Potter boy?" Ollivander's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Interesting. But then it would explain the photo by your bedside."
Sirius glanced to where Ollivander's gaze had darted and found the photo of himself with baby Harry on his grandfather's bedside table.
Arcturus chose to stare the wand maker down rather than answer.
Ollivander's lips twitched. "I accept your terms."
Arcturus inclined his head.
"The Elder Wand is also known as the Deathstick. It is said to have been crafted by Antioch Peverell." Ollivander began, enthusiastically. "It is purported to be a wand wrapped in a wand wrapped in a wand. The root of the Elder tree was the inner core soaked in Peverell's blood and covered with runes of power. The bark of the Elder tree was wrapped around the core, covered with more runes that conveyed accuracy and balance. Finally, this was placed within the hollowed out core of an Elder branch and fashioned into a wand. Only one mark was made on the outer wood; the invention mark of the Peverells."
"There was no other magical core?" inquired Arcturus.
"It is all supposition as nobody knows for certain. Because of the tale that has Death gifting the wand there are those that believe the rumour that the inner core was a thestral hair but I consider that a story." Ollivander's thin hand waved in the air. "If it is made entirely of wood, it would make the wand very unique. The other main difference is that normal wands choose the wizard or witch who has the best affinity with the magical element at its core, but their allegiance can be borrowed or stolen if they are a near match to someone else, or if there is a close relationship between the two users. It's why families that struggle financially will often reuse their ancestors' wands, for instance. But the Elder wand's true allegiance is said to be only with the line of Peverell."
"But in the tale, the wand transfers its allegiance to someone more powerful once Antioch used it to kill someone and boasted of it?" quizzed Arcturus thoughtfully.
"Pish and tosh nonsense." Ollivander dismissed with another wave. "Antioch was killed in his sleep and the wand taken; it isn't sentient. It couldn't have known the danger, woken Antioch up and killed the thief all by itself. It is a powerful wand, a most unusual and unique wand, but it is only a wand."
"Do you know where it is?" Arcturus asked.
"The last rumour that was told to me that I believed had any kind of veracity was that Gregorovitch had it." Ollivander smiled. "He's always been fascinated by the topic. He's tried on four separate occasions to replicate a non-core wand and hasn't been able to achieve any success."
Arcturus smiled at Ollivander. "And where do you suspect it actually is now?"
Ollivander smiled back, recognising that Arcturus had seen his evasion and hadn't fallen for it. "If you want to find a powerful wand, you need to find a powerful wizard. And if you want to find this powerful wand, it is wise to look at the last time two powerful wizards came to blows. The history of the wand is drenched in bloodshed."
His gaze sharpened on Ollivander suddenly. "Dumbledore? He won the wand from Grindelwald?"
Sirius's mouth dropped open. Albus? Albus had the Elder wand? Well, that explained his position on searching it out when the Resurrection Stone had been found.
Ollivander spread his hands out in a 'I don't know' gesture. "My theory only although I believe it is the reason Albus never personally challenged You-Know-Who in a one-to-one battle."
"He didn't want to take the risk of losing its allegiance to the Dark Lord." Arcturus said.
"Exactly." Ollivander replied. He blinked, his silver eyes shifting to see something in his own mind. "I suspect the wand will make its way to the Peverell child in good time."
"What about the other Hallows?" Arcturus asked. "Do you know where they are?"
"The other what?" Ollivander asked, seemingly surprised at the question.
"The other Hallows – the cloak and the stone." Arcturus expanded.
"Ah," Ollivander gave another smile, "I'm afraid I can't help you there. They're not wands and I have no interest in them."
"You're not interested in the notion that if all three are reunited, the holder becomes the Master of Death?" Arcturus countered.
Ollivander burst out laughing. "Dear me, Arcturus, the tale is fictional! Death did not gift the artefacts to the Peverells! They created them. Bringing them together creates a powerful arsenal but one to master Death itself? I rather doubt that."
Arcturus huffed but he gestured weakly. "What does the wand lore say about the Elder wand and the Peverell family magic, or family magic in general?"
"Ah, now that is a much more interesting question." Ollivander paused to take a sip of his tea, set it aside again and sat back. "The most credible account that I've come across of the origins of family magic tells of the wizarding world on the brink of collapse as Camelot fell, beset by power-hungry wizards and witches who wished to fill the vacuum and by muggles that feared them.
Thus, Merlin invited thirty families with the most powerful wizards and witches among them, and cast a spell of protection; a spell that bound and sacrificed their most powerful member who, instead of dying, transformed into the guardian spirit totems that embody family magic. Merlin was then able to direct all these spirit totems in concert to hide magical folk from the muggle world and eradicate the evil from within the wizarding. Once done, Merlin disappeared – it is said that he died in the effort – and the thirty families formed the Wizarding Council and began the wizarding society that would evolve into our world today."
He paused. "Soon, they each realised that the most powerful wizard in each generation of their family was bound to the sacrifice, able to call upon the family magic with the price being they added their own magic on dying; family magic became insular, each seeking to protect their own pool. And over time the thirty families drifted in politics and values. Yet, the pool of magic available to help protect the wizarding world remains and theoretically the most powerful overall in each generation should be able to call upon not only their family's magic but that of the others."
"What of those families that have died out such as Hufflepuff?" asked Arcturus.
"The magic is still there in the ether to be called upon." Ollivander stated and shrugged. "One presumes the most powerful within the families would be able to call it."
"But no-one knows for certain if this is true?" Arcturus checked, bemused.
"There are many origin stories." Ollivander said. "Who knows which is the truth? My preference is this one."
"And what of the Elder wand and family magic?" Arcturus pressed on.
"The account of the Elder wand that I believe is a very old one that was made by a French wand maker called Lumiere who claimed to have spoken to Ignotus about Antioch's invention personally. It is from this account that the description of the non-magical core originates." Ollivander took a breath. "I admit that I only took a passing interest in the rest but I believe it talks of a Dark Wizard called Severn…"
Arcturus made a noise. "Like the river?"
"Like the river," Ollivander agreed, "and the Peverells created their…artefacts to fight this wizard, calling upon their family magic to assist. Lumiere theorised that the reason why nobody else could replicate the Elder wand was because its magic was gifted to it by family magic." His lips twitched. "Did you know the Peverell totem was purported to be a Thestral? The totem changed when they took the name of Potter and became a Griffin."
"I see." Arcturus leaned back. "So the defeat of the river in the tale is actually the defeat of the Dark wizard using magical artefacts that are created from their family magic where the totem is symbolic of Death. And thus the tale emerges of the three brothers defeating a river and receiving gifts from Death. Did the account say how the artefacts were used to defeat the Dark wizard?"
"It may have done," Ollivander gave an unconcerned shrug, "I wasn't really interested in that part."
Arcturus nodded. "Thank you, and – I'm sorry." He whipped out his wand. "Oblivate! You came to examine my wand and have found it to be in excellent condition. In future should anyone ask about the Elder wand, you will say only what the Tale of Three Brothers imparts and the rumour that the wand was with Gregorovitch. You will say you do not know anything else about the other Hallows as they have nothing to do with wands."
Ollivander blinked at him.
He dropped his wand. "As I was saying, thank you for coming out, Master Ollivander, but I fear I need to rest now." He motioned an elf popped in ready to escort the wand maker out.
"Of course, Lord Black, I will take my leave." Ollivander was soon gone from the room.
Arcturus picked up the photo and gently smiled at Sirius's happy face as it beamed down on a giggling baby Harry. "I don't have long and I have done all I can. The rest is up to you, my boys."
Sirius stumbled as he exited the pensieve and he groped for a chair. He sat down heavily.
"Well, I can go to Ollivander and ask him about his source for the family magic story." Remus babbled. "And I can get Bertie onto the Lumiere story, I'm sure. Maybe the DOM already has a copy of it. Actually it could be in that stack of paper about the family magic in your grandfather's desk and…"
"Albus has the Elder wand." Sirius interrupted sharply. "He has a Potter family heirloom in his possession and obviously he doesn't intend to give it back!"
Remus sat down with a thump. "Sirius, it's not that simple and…"
"Oh, I get that it's not simple, Remus!" Sirius lurched to his feet and started pacing. "You know, back then, I always thought that Albus didn't confront Voldemort because he was old and was better suited to running things than field action! He certainly corralled enough into the Order to do the fighting for him! And then I found out about the prophecy and I thought maybe that was the reason! But no! He didn't confront him because he has a wand that doesn't even belong to him!"
"Sirius…"
"He could have given James the wand to store in the Potter family vault! Nobody has it then! Nobody uses it! Just like we did with the stone!"
"Sirius…"
"He could do the same now!" Sirius continued. "He doesn't have to use that wand! And it doesn't even belong to him and he knows it!"
"SIRIUS!"
"WHAT?"
Sirius whirled around, breathing heavily. Remus looked calmly back at him and pointed at the chair. Sirius flung himself down into it with a scowl.
"I don't disagree with you in principle." Remus said, rubbing his chin. "Albus has to know what the wand is and its history. He was quick enough to recognise that the stone belonged to Harry so he must know that in principle and certainly from a sentimental viewpoint, Harry is also the rightful owner of the wand. However…"
"The International Law of Conquest, I know." Sirius said quietly. "Albus won the wand in a duel. He was entitled to keep it."
"And he could argue, probably very successfully, that the wand's ownership is entirely subject to that law since it has had many owners and they have changed usually through a duel." Remus sighed. "If you wished to challenge him, the alternate argument is that the wand was stolen from its original rightful owner and is effectively hot property."
Sirius grimaced.
"But since Albus must know all this," Remus stressed, "I believe he probably has a reason for keeping the wand from Harry beyond a desire to keep the wand in his possession."
"No doubt it's to keep the wand from falling into Voldemort's hands," Sirius said, "I can see that! All he had to do rather than lie to me was to say 'I have the wand and you'll agree that until Voldemort is defeated by Harry, it would be best for me to keep it' or some other argument he has up his multi-coloured sleeves! It's just…he's keeping secrets again! Deciding he knows best!" He threw up his hands. "It drives me bonkers!" He noted Remus didn't argue with him.
"Are you going to tell Harry?" Remus asked, eventually.
"I'll show him the memories once Simeon leaves." Sirius couldn't help the tiny flinch at having to face them again.
Between the revelations that his grandfather had cared about him but that his grandfather had also conspired to keep him and Harry in their respective prisons for so long, that he had known and liked Lily and she had known and apparently liked him…well, his mind healer was probably going to earn his salary ten times over in his forthcoming session. And then there was Albus creating problems again.
"Harry can decide whether we confront Albus or not about the Elder wand. At the end of the day, it is Potter property, he needs a say in deciding what we do."
Remus winced.
Sirius sighed because he agreed with him; it was not going to be a fun discussion when Harry realised Albus had kept something from them – from Harry; something that was potentially useful if they could work out how all of the three artefacts had been used to defeat the Dark Wizard Severn. Harry had forgiven Albus once; Sirius wasn't sure he'd forgive him again.