Sirius Black and the Matters of Family

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/41529132.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: F/M, Gen
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Relationship: Sirius Black/Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius
Black & James Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin, Sirius Black &
Harry Potter, Lily Evans Potter & Harry Potter
Character: Sirius Black, Lily Evans Potter, Harry Potter, Original Potter Family
Characters (Harry Potter), Original Black Family Characters (Harry
Potter)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, James Potter & Lily Evans
Potter Live, Sirius Black Free from Azkaban, Wrong Boy-Who-Lived
(Harry Potter), The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, wizarding
world politics, Wizarding World Reformation, Pureblood Culture (Harry
Potter), Sirius Black is Lord Black, Romantic Sirius Black/Lily Evans
Potter (eventually), Out of Character James Potter, Family Magic, Blood
Magic
Language: English
Series: Part 1 of Bonds of Blood
Stats: Published: 2022-09-06 Updated: 2022-11-03 Chapters: 2/20 Words:
5875

Sirius Black and the Matters of Family

Summary

Sirius had always been the antithesis of everything his family stood for but when the time
comes to embrace his lineage and hopefully use his influence as Lord Black to help reshape
the Wizarding World, Sirius decides to take it. He could never have predicted how that
single act would change his friendship with James Potter, nor what the consequences of that
change would be.

Notes

(Summary subject to change)

Listen James is going to be wildly out of character in this fic, but there's no bashing. He's
just going to make some decisions that he normally wouldn't in canon and then he'll have to
deal with the consequences of that. This is going to be a Sirius/Lily story because I want it
to be. If you don't like it, you don't have to read it.

This is a Harry has a twin/Wrong Boy Who Lived story, however that won't really come up
until we start following Harry's POV, which will not be happening until the sequel of this
fic. This story is about Sirius, Lily, and their lives together as they raise Harry in a changing
wizarding world.
 Runes and Ruminations

July 31, 1981

It was madness, this ritual that Lily was attempting. Sirius understood her reasoning, of course. He
would never doubt the love that Lily had for her children, nor would he delude himself into
thinking that Lily was anything less than an extremely capable and talented witch. He could,
however, remind Lily time and time again that the magic she was attempting to evoke was not
child’s play.

“I am aware of that, Sirius.” Lily said, her tone forceful but not unkind. Her red hair was twisted
into a bun at the nape of her neck, held in place by her wand. She was dressed only in white cloth
bindings that covered her most intimate features. There were dark red stains against her pale skin,
though none as concerning as the lines drawn across her wrists and the fingertips that dripped into
the last rune.

“There is a reason bloodmagic is highly regulated, Lils. This is dangerous.” Sirius, also dressed in
only a white loincloth, was attempting for the 12th and final time to convince Lily to look for less
extreme means of protecting her sons. “The spell itself will leave your magical core exhausted for
days, not to mention the sacrifice you must make, which we will never be able to anticipate or
prevent. You are already hidden behind powerful wards, and you'll be tucked away behind the
Fidelious inside two weeks. Why do you insist on doing more?”

“You heard the prophecy, Sirius. I refuse to let my children be the pawns in a war that they were
never meant to fight in. It is bad enough that they will have to be raised in a war. If there is
anything I can do to spare them the pain of what is to come, you know that I will.” Lily’s hands
stopped bleeding and she carefully raised them, stepping over the bloodrunes to exit the casting
circle and clean herself up before the ceremony could begin.

“You are protecting them! You’re fighting, you have been fighting. Voldemort will lose this war,
Lily.”

“I am not fighting, I am hiding!” Lily took a deep breath, casting a glance to where her two sons
were slumbering only a few feet away, the sleeping draught in their blood keeping them quiet and
peaceful. “Dumbledore convinced James that our best option was to hide and you know that once
James has his mind set on something, he is impossible to convince otherwise.”

“Is hiding so bad when it is keeping you safe?”

“It is,” Lily wrapped white cloths around her wrists, not daring to use any magic in the room that
she had spent so long preparing. “This is not the life I wanted for myself, Sirius. This is not the life
I want for my children. They do not deserve to be hidden away for their entire lives and we both
know what will happen to them if James and I do not survive this war.”

“Do not speak like that, Lily,” Sirius said. “You will survive, we all will. Wars take time to fight,
we must all make sacrifices.”

“I know and that is exactly what I am doing.” Lily placed her hands against Sirius’ shoulders, her
palms cold against his skin. Sirius looked deeply into her green eyes and knew that he had no
chance of convincing her to do anything than what she had already planned. This was the Lily that
had existed for all of their time at Hogwarts, the fierce, outspoken young woman who was unafraid
to reach for what she wanted. This was the Lily that James had fallen in love with and married.
This was the Lily that Sirius would do anything for, even if he would never be able to tell her the
true reason why.

“You know that I support you Lily,” Sirius kept his hands at his sides, his playboy attitude falling
away in the same way that it always had with Lily. “I just want you to understand what you are
doing.”

“I do understand, and I know I have your support. You are the only one that can help me with this.
We both know that James wouldn’t be willing and even if he was, he wouldn’t act without
consulting Albus first. I have no doubt that Albus would play to his own agenda.”

“Dumbledore is a good man, Lily. He is the leader of the light.”

“I don’t disagree, but he is also a cunning politician and blinded by his belief in the Greater Good.”
Lily shook her head, removing her hands from Sirius’ shoulders. “Please, I don’t want to have this
argument again. I have already gone round and round with James.”

“Where is Prongs, anyway?” Sirius took a half step back, using his words and the space he created
between himself and Lily to center his focus.

“Finalizing the plans for us to be placed under the Fidelius. Since Peter is acting as our Secret
Keeper, and the wardstones have already been placed around the cottage, your presence was not
required.”

Sirius tried not to let that remark sting. He knew that Lily did not mean for her words to harm him.
It had been his idea after all to switch the role of secret keeper to Peter, though he couldn’t pretend
that it didn’t hurt for James to agree so easily.

“It is nearly time,” Lily said, bringing Sirius back to the present. “Help me with the boys.”

Sirius followed Lily to where two boys were sleeping in their conjured carriers. The boys were
nearly identical when they slept, a very slight difference in the coloring of their hair the only
indication that they looked different at all, a difference that was hard to see in such low lighting.
The younger of the twins, Harry, his hair was jet black while the elder son, Johnny, had hair that
was only a half shade lighter. The real difference in their appearance was only visible when they
were awake, their eyes almost shockingly different. Johnny had inherited James’ hazel eyes while
Harry had the same killing curse green as his mother did.

Sirius lifted Harry into his arms and followed Lily, holding Johnny, into the carefully crafted rune
circle. They both were careful not to disturb the drying runes on the stone ground. Even the
smallest mistake would undo all of the work Lily had done for the past few hours. The boys were
placed in the center of the circle, their cloth wraps removed so that both boys were fully exposed to
the air around them and to the magic that Lily would be enacting. With Harry and Johnny secure,
Sirius took his position behind Lily.

“Do not interfere,” Lily instructed as she felt Sirius grip her hips, his long fingers pressing into her
skin gently. She heard Sirius voice his agreement and then, softer, she said. “Don’t let go.”

“I’ve got you, Lily, I promise.” Sirius said. He squeezed Lily’s hips gently in silent affirmation.
Lily nodded once and then slowly lifted her hands, holding each one palm down over one of her
sons.

Then, in a low voice that became increasingly more strained, Lily began to chant.

Sirius could not understand the words though he knew what Lily was invoking through them.
Protection, strength, security. It was a plea born of love and made in desperation, repeated over and
over and over again. The blood runes began to glow a dull red after the second repetition, growing
brighter and brighter as Lily's voice grew louder. Sirius could feel the magic in the room beginning
to swell and forced his own magic to settle inside his being. He would not risk letting his magic
interfere with Lily’s ritual. This was a ritual that only one with a blood connection to the recipient
could perform. As much as Sirius loved Harry and Johnny like they were his own, he could not
help Lily in this.

As the spell continued to grow in power, Lily became increasingly weaker. Sirius guided her to
lean back against his chest, lending her his strength so that she may complete the ritual. The runes
continued to brighten, the red light nearly blinding but Sirius forced his eyes to remain open. He
looked over Lily’s shoulder to see the boys still sleeping peacefully and, as the edges of the circle
began to recede, the red light began to wash over the twins’ skin. Lily’s chants began to quiet again
and Sirius could feel the magic of the ritual receding, burrowing into the twins as the light faded
from around them.

Lily collapsed as the spell ended, only remaining upright due to her position resting against Sirius’
chest.

“It worked,” Lily said, her voice hoarse. “It worked.”

“It did,” Sirius adjusted his hold on Lily, lifting her up and holding her more firmly against his
chest. Her skin was warm against his, comforting. Despite knowing that it was wrong, a betrayal of
his closest and best friend to even think of such things, Sirius couldn’t help but to revel in the
feeling.

Sirius was careful as he moved Lily outside the circle and set her down gently on a conjured pad of
blankets and pillows before making the same trip twice more with Harry and Johnny. Both boys
were still sleeping peacefully and Lily seemed to lose the tension remaining in her body when she
felt her children nearby. Sirius let the woman rest and recover while he cleaned the chamber,
healed Lily’s wrists and undid the extensive concealment wards he had put into place while Lily
had been reviewing the runes. That done, Sirius carefully levitated the three resting Potters and
maneuvered them out of the chamber, guiding them along a steep, twisted staircase.

They emerged in the basement of Black Manor, the ancestral home of the Head of House Black.
The Manor itself was far less kept than the chamber, having been abandoned nearly four years ago
when Sirius' grandfather had died. Cygnus Black had not been a kind man but he was firm in his
belief that tradition should be followed and that family should always come first. It was for those
reasons that although Sirius had been blasted off his family tree by his mother when he ran away,
Sirius was still the eldest Black male heir and had thus been named as Lord Black after his
grandfather passed. Sirius hadn't accepted the responsibility in full as of yet but it had been simple
enough to get the records and deed for Black Manor from Gringotts.

James had been pushing for Sirius to officially claim lordship since James himself had been acting
as Lord Potter since just after they graduated from Hogwarts. Lily had said that they needed
someone like Sirius on the Wizengamot. A wildcard, different from his family but no less
powerful, no less influential than any other sacred 28 family. Sirius had never wanted the seat on
the Wizengamot but he couldn't entirely ignore the political skills ingrained in him from birth nor
was he being too prideful in admitting that he knew he would do well in politics. Still, Sirius had
always been more interested in fighting outright rather than fighting with words.

Sirius laid Lily and the twins down gently on a mattress that he had prepared earlier, in the room
that would have been the den if Black Manor was still habitable. He was sure that the twins would
remain sleeping until morning but Lily had given him very specific instructions to wake her, with
potions if necessary, no more than an hour after the ritual. She needed to return to Godric’s Hollow
before James did. Neither of them really liked keeping a secret from James but both Lily and Sirius
were aware that James would never be okay with the magic they had just invoked, no matter how
helpful it could end up being.

Sirius woke Lily with an extra strong potion sent directly into her stomach. The witch was still
groggy, her movements slow and sluggish as Sirius helped her dress again in light robes. Sirius was
careful with his movements and had to keep silently reassuring himself that the exhaustion was
normal, a byproduct of Lily exerting all of her magical will over her boys. He couldn’t help the
concern he felt as he saw the usually bright, fiery woman that Lily was dimmed to barely conscious
exhaustion. Once Lily was dressed and standing on unsteady feet, Sirius turned his attention to the
sleeping boys, conjuring a joined carrier for the two of them that he buckled them into with
practiced ease. With all three Potters secure, the boys in their carrier and Lily leaning heavily
against his side, Sirius apparated them all to Godric’s Hollow.

It was so late into the evening that it was better to call it morning and Sirius considered them rather
lucky that James had not yet returned from his meeting with Wormtail. The wards around the small
cottage welcomed Sirius easily, recognizing him as part creator and part friend, as he, Lily, and
James had constructed the wardstones that rested at each corner of the property and weaved
together all the protective wards they knew over the land and house. He maneuvered the boys and
Lily into the house, instructing Lily to head to the master bedroom and change into her sleep
clothes while Sirius tucked the children into their cribs.

He was able to transfer Johnny into his crib, after sliding a soft onesie over the boys’ form, without
waking him. Harry, on the other hand, awoke as soon as Sirius lifted him out of the carrier, bright
green eyes nearly glowing in the dim light of the half moon spilling in through the curtains. Harry
fussed a bit and it didn’t take Sirius long to discover that the issue had not been him picking his
godson up, but the full nappy that needed changing. Sirius did so quickly, humming softly to keep
Harry in the half-asleep state he was in so he could rest more easily once he was dressed and placed
in the second crib. Sirius hung around the nursery for a moment longer, to make sure both boys
were settled in and to steel himself to walk into the bedroom Lily and James shared, before he went
to check on their mother.

Lily had followed Sirius’ instructions and dressed for bed. She was resting beneath the blankets
when Sirius pushed open the half-closed door, fighting the sleep that she so desperately needed.

“You’ll be alright then, Lils?” Sirius asked softly, perching on the edge of the bed. Lily offered
him a sleepy smile and reached for his hand.

“Thank you, Sirius,” Lily said. “I couldn’t have done this without you. You don’t know how much
it means to me to be able to protect my family.”

“I’d do anything for you Lily,” Sirius said and then cleared his throat. “And James, of course.”

“I know,” Lily smiled as if she knew a secret that Sirius didn’t and squeezed his hand. “I’m so
tired.”

“Rest, Lily,” Sirius said. “The boys are safe, sound asleep in their nursery, and James will be home
soon.”

“And you?” Lily asked, blinking slowly as though the weight of holding her eyelids up was too
heavy to bear.
“Me? What about me?”

“Are you going to rest with me?” Lily frowned slightly when Sirius shook his head.

“I have a few things to do before I can rest, and I’ll probably have even more to do after.” Sirius
smiled impishly. “Once the Fidelius is in place and I get the address back from Peter, I’ll come
visit you again.”

“Promise?” Lily’s eyes were fully closed now, the only indication that she wasn’t fully asleep was
her low voice and the strong hold she kept on Sirius’ hand.

“I promise.”

Satisfied with his response, Lily released her hold on Sirius and finally let sleep claim her. Despite
knowing that it was best for him to leave quickly, Sirius remained, guarding over the exhausted
witch as she slept. As his thoughts turned to the war effort, as they so often did, Sirius considered
his next steps. His work in the Auror Corps was valiant, if a little reckless, but didn’t seem to
matter much these days. The Death Eaters were frighteningly good at evading capture and the few
that they did manage to catch had no useful information. What was worse, it seemed that a great
deal of the battle was being fought on a political stage.

It wasn’t just the elimination of all non purebloods that Voldemort wanted, but a reformation of all
of Wizarding society in Britain. Voldemort craved power, power that no one could strip away from
him because it had been freely granted. Power that came with the Wizengamot passing bills that
aided Voldemort’s efforts without actively hindering the efforts of the Aurors or the Order.
Carefully worded bills that seemed innocent enough and, when presented the right way, even
seemed to be good for the people. Of course there should be more regulations on integrating
Muggleborns into society, they couldn’t let them trample all of their traditions after all. Of course
the Hogwarts curriculum should be a little less rigorous, it was difficult to find competent teachers
during a war after all. Of course werewolves should be reclassified to be even more dangerous and
further alienated from polite society.

These were all issues that Sirius, as an Auror, couldn’t dispute. But, perhaps, as Lord Black, Sirius
could do something. James wasn’t wrong in his assertion that the Black name was still heavily
influential, and that there would be a lot of political attention on Sirius if he was to accept the title
properly. Sirius was the black sheep of his family, but if he joined the Wizengamot, publicly allied
with House Potter, and actively participated in the council sessions, he could help turn the political
tide. The Grey families might be persuaded to vote for Light if Lord Black did so.

By the time Sirius left, disapparating from the bedroom as soon as he heard the front door open, he
had already made up his mind.
 Lord Sirius Orion Black

August 1, 1989

Sirius was at his London flat for less than an hour, only long enough to shower, trim his beard, and
eat some hastily warmed leftovers, before he was making his way to Diagon Alley. He had three
stops that he would be making that day, to Gringotts, then the Ministry, and then back to Black
Manor, and he didn’t want to waste any time. If he was going to present himself at the next
Wizengamot meeting, set for the second of September so that any members with children of
schooling age could see them off, he needed to be fully accepted into his new role well before
then.

Diagon Alley was nearly empty at this early hour of the morning, only a few drunken teenagers
stumbling about, probably just of age and trying to take what little joy they could during war times.
Sirius silently wished them well as he strode by. Gringotts was always open, the guards posted at
the door ever present and stoic as Sirius walked past. There were only two goblin tellers open at
this time, one on either side of the long aisle that made up the Gringotts foyer. Sirius moved
quickly to the nearest teller.

“I request a meeting with the Black Family Account Manager,” Sirius stated after returning the
goblin’s brusk greeting. “As early as possible.”

“What is the purpose for your meeting?” The goblin asked, quill scratching roughly against the
parchment on his desk.

“Inheritance and title verification,” Sirius said. “I intend to take my place as Lord Black.”

“Very well.” The goblin finished his writing and placed it into a wooden box on his desk, where it
seemed to dissolve into thin air. “Account Manager Durkin awaits in his office. Follow your escort,
please.”

Sirius turned as the goblin gestured to his right and found another goblin waiting for him at the
entry to a side hallway. Sirius walked quickly to keep up with the fast creature, the path already
somewhat known to him as it was the same he had taken when he came to claim ownership of
Black Manor just a few weeks ago, while he and Lily prepared for the blood magic ritual. The
walk only took about five minutes and then Sirius stood before a simple, dark oak door. The goblin
knocked twice, sharply, and then spoke rapidly in the language of the goblins. The door was pulled
open from the inside a moment later and Sirius was ushered through.

“Young Heir Black,” Durkin greeted Sirius smoothly. “I must say I was quite surprised to see your
request cross my desk. I had thought you were planning to abdicate your position to your heir.”

“Circumstances have changed,” Sirius shrugged, though he knew that wasn’t exactly true.
Everything was the exact same as it had been the last time Sirius had sat in this room. The war was
still being fought, Sirius was still feeling fairly useless in the overall scheme of things, but he was
also still dedicated to Lily, and to Harry, and Johnny, and James. Really, the only thing that had
changed was Sirius’ mind, but he supposed that was enough.

“You wish to claim your title today.” Durkin stated. Sirius nodded though he knew it wasn’t a
question. Durkin’s expression didn’t change as he reached for a black velvet bag that sat on his
desk. It was a bag that Sirius recognized and so he wasn’t surprised when Durkin lifted a shining
black plated ring from the inside.
The Black Signet ring was rather simplistic as far as signet rings went. It did not bear the great
gemstone or shining gold band that most other families had. Merlin knows James hated wearing the
Potter ring, an overly large ruby embedded in a gleaming golden band that was wrapped in
diamonds. The Black ring was, as its name suggested, of a darker variation. The ring itself was
constructed of obsidian, with a wide band that bore the family motto, Toujours Pur, inlaid in silver.
The face of the ring was encrusted with five small black diamonds that formed the shape of a star.

Durkin set the ring aside and reached into the bag again, this time revealing a small dagger that
was wickedly sharp, shining silver forming the blade and the handle made of a deep black onyx.
Sirius had only seen the knife once before, when he had to take an inheritance test to prove his
lineage before he was allowed access to Black Manor.

“You, Sirius Orion Black, as the eldest male heir of the primary family line, have been named as
Heir Apparent to the position of Lord Black,” Durkin began ceremoniously. He gestured for Sirius
to stand and they moved to a small round table where there was a roll of parchment resting along
with a silver bowl that held a red hand towel. “By your lineage, you must prove that your claim is
legitimate. Do you agree to the testing of your bloodline?”

“I do.” Sirius presented his right hand to Durkin, holding it above the parchment. Durkin rested one
clawed on Sirius’ wrist and with the other held the blade diagonally over his palm.

“By your blood, let the truth be revealed.”

Sirius didn’t flinch as the dagger cut deeply into his hand, giving no reaction beside a short hiss
between his teeth that he immediately cut off. He did a count to seven in his head and then lifted
his hand away, reaching for the towel with his other hand and using it to wrap his hand. The
wound would heal once the test was complete, leaving only a faint scar as proof of the damage.

The family tree that was traced in his blood was familiar to him, even if some of the names that
had been blasted off the official tree were still there. There was a truly sickening amount of inter-
family unions, but there was no denying that Sirius was a full-blooded Black, through and through.
As the Black family refused to pass the title of Head of House onto a woman, Sirius was the only
legitimate heir, also proved by the parchment. He didn’t let his eyes linger on the name of his only
recently lost brother.

“The truth has been made known,” Durkin said once the parchment was finished mapping out the
extensive family tree. “Sirius Orion Black, you have stated your intent to claim the title of Lord
Black. As stipulated by your family charter, your lineage has proven you worthy. As Lord Black,
you will be the Head of House Black, responsible for all of those who share your blood and whom
you call family. Do you accept this burden?”

“I do.”

“Claim your signet ring.”

Sirius lifted the obsidian band and slid it into place on the pinky finger of his right hand. The ring
resized itself to fit and a pulse of warmth pulsed through Sirius’ body. The cut on his hand healed
instantly.

“With the claiming of your ring, you are hereby named Lord Sirius Orion Black.” Durkin finished
the short ceremony with a small bow. “Congratulations, Lord Black.”

“Thank you,” Sirius said. “I intend to take up residence at Black Manor as soon as possible. Can
Gringotts assist in the facilitation of restoring the Manor to its proper order, reestablishing the
wards, and the purchase of half a dozen house elves?”

“Yes, Lord Black,” Durkin said, as Sirius was certain he would. He knew very well that the goblins
would most likely be able to accomplish all of the tasks he set for them within the day, especially
when considering that it was barely dawn, but he was not going to order them to do so. Goblins
had never taken to be ordered around by wizards and Sirius had no intention of being put on
Gringotts’ black list.

“Please do so, I’d like to move in as soon as possible. Of course, money is not an issue. I give you
full authorization to charge the Black Vault for your services.” Durkin nearly grinned at the
request.

“It will be done by evening, Lord Black.”

Sirius did grin then, happy that his assumption had been correct. Durkin provided a contract that
detailed the services Gringotts would provide to Sirius and outlined the cost, which Sirius signed
quickly, and then he was off to his second stop of the day, detouring into the Leaky long enough to
grab something a bit more fulfilling before he went to the Ministry.

The politics of Lordship were more tradition based than anything else and tradition stipulated that a
Lord of an Ancient and Noble House was to first claim lordship over the family and finances and
then file the claim with the Ministry. A representative would be dispatched to Gringotts to verify
that the Claiming had taken place and then the new Lord or Lady would be allowed to claim their
Wizengamot seat, if they had one, at the next regular session. Sirius wouldn’t need to spend too
much time at the Ministry and so he hoped that he wouldn’t run into anyone there. Luckily because
of his status as newly trained Auror, Sirius was able to bypass the security measures on the first
floor set in place for visiting wizards, and make his way to the lift without incident.

The elevator was a bit crowded, as it usually was, but the crowd had thinned by the time the lift
reached the Department of Inheritance. As one of the oldest departments of the Ministry,
established shortly after the Ministry itself so that all of the families involved could assure their
future social and political standings, the Department of Inheritance was surprisingly well kept. The
short hallway was decorated with ornate paintings and the floors were so shiny that Sirius’ shoes
squeaked every other step. There was a glass pitcher resting on a table in the small waiting room,
matched by a set of four small glass tumblers around it. The table was just as ornate as the
paintings. It made sense, Sirius figured, for a department that would probably only ever deal with
snot-nosed, filthy rich Purebloods to be as impressive as the family’s it served.

Declaring his Lordship was a simple matter all together. He signed a piece of parchment that
declared his intent to enter the Wizengamot, pressed an imprint of his signet ring into silver wax,
and signed another parchment that gave the Ministry permission to request his Lordship Claim with
the Goblins of Gringotts. The whole process took less than half an hour and then Sirius reversed
the journey he had made to get there.

He knew that he would be expected to make an appearance at Grimmauld Place once his parents
learned of his new title, but Sirius was happy to delay that encounter for as long as possible. He had
no desire to listen to his mother scream at him for running the family name and generally being
unworthy of existing. So instead of returning to his childhood home, Sirius traveled to his new
home.

It was nearing mid morning when Sirius apparated into the grounds that he had left only a few
hours before. Already he could see the difference in the Manor. There was a small troop of goblin
ward crafters that Sirius could see standing at the large wrought iron gate that marked the
beginning of the property and Sirius knew that there would be more goblins interspersed around
the edges of the property as the ward line was established. Once the goblins were done with the
rudimentary wards, Sirius would go around and add his own on top of them. The grounds of the
Manor were in the process of being cleaned as well, though not by goblins. A team of herbologists
had been hired, Sirius could identify them by the green robes they wore, and they were spread
across the lawn. It was under their guidance that the dilapidated yard would become the grand
garden that Sirius remembered as a child.

Satisfied by what he could see happening outside, Sirius made his way to the doors to the Manor
and strode inside. As soon as he stepped in, Sirius was met with the sound of six consecutive pops
of apparition. When the sound dissipated, Sirius found himself looking at a troop of six house elves
standing proudly before him.

“You six must be the new house elves of Black Manor,” Sirius said. The elves looked positively
giddy at his attention.

“Yes Master,” one of them spoke up, female by the high pitch of her voice. “I is Tippy, and this is
Marly, Keeler, Farly, Choory, and Raken.” Each elf bowed as their name was spoken. “We is
happy to serve the great House of Black, Master.”

“I am happy to have you here, Tippy,” Sirius said kindly. “What are each of your specialties?”

Sirius listened to each elf in turn before giving them their assignments. He named Tippy as his
personal elf, while Keeler and Choory were assigned to the kitchen, Raken happily took his
position in maintaining the yard, and Marly and Farly accepted their roles as general housekeepers.
They would each begin with their official role after the manor restoration had been completed.
Before they popped off to get to work, Sirius transfigured the dirty rags they wore as clothes into
sleek, black tunics, with the crest of House Black inlaid over the front left breast.

While the Manor was being fixed up, Sirius headed up the stairs to the third floor where the family
rooms would be housed. The master suite was stationed at the end of the hall on the third floor and
consisted of a bedroom, washroom, office, and private sitting room. These rooms were set aside for
Sirius to use for official House business and would have been the first collection of rooms made
ready for Sirius to use. There were many things that Sirius had to do, afterall.

Sirius ventured into the office first and seated himself at the sturdy desk there. The furniture had
been restored to its customary dark finish and the velvet chair was once again plush and
comfortable. Sirius plucked a quill from the holder on the desk, dipped the tip into the ink, and
began to pen one of several letters on the prepared parchment.

The first letter he had to write was easy, an invitation to James and Lily to visit him at Black
Manor for dinner, at which time he and James can discuss formally aligning their houses. For the
next several letters, Sirius first had to consult a few other roles of parchment to decide what sort of
missive he needed to send.

To the houses of Malfoy, Lestrange, Nott, Parkinson, and Rosier, Sirius sent a notice of his new
position and requested a meeting with the head of each family to discuss their continued
partnership both in the Wizengamot and in any other endeavors. Sirius was well aware that he
would need to tread carefully in these meetings. While no family had outright said so in any public
forum, Sirius knew that Malfoy and all his underlings were supporters of Voldemort and he had
reason to believe Malfoy, Nott, Rosier, and Bellatrix Lestrange were all members of Voldemort’s
inner circle.

To the Abbot, Greengrass, and Longbottom houses, Sirius sent his desire to meet and discuss the
possibility of alliances, assuming that their goals and ideals lined out alright.
Finally, Sirius penned his last letter to Albus as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and then set his
quill down. Composing all of the letters had taken quite some time and it was now mid afternoon.
Sirius finished eating the lunch that Tippy had brought him earlier and then stood from the desk.
With the letters in hand, Sirius made his way back downstairs. He admired the restored Manor as
he walked, happy with the work that had been done.

Sirius made a quick return trip to Diagon Alley to send off his letters and select a new owl for his
own use. He named the dark colored eagle owl Osiris and then returned to his new home. The
Manor was empty now that the work had been completed so Sirius spent some time walking the
grounds. The stables were empty, any animals that his ancestors had kept were long gone, but the
structures were restored to their previous glory, as were the gardens, pathways, and greenhouses.
The inside of the Manor had been restored as well and Sirius made his way through the rooms. He
made a mental note to sort through the books in the Library at some point, maybe with help from
Lily or Remus. The Manor was well done, even if it was much too large for Sirius alone. He could
only hope that maybe one day, Sirius would have a family of his own to run through the halls.

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