Listen: I know you're very different in many ways. But you have to understand that from Grandpa's point of view... you're both pieces of shit. © Rick and Morty
***After the "warm" welcome I received at the door, everything seemed to be continuing as expected, but there didn't seem to be any more surprises in store. I followed the old man into his mansion. The heavy entrance doors were guarded on both sides by grotesque chimeras. At first, I thought they were statues, but when the statue with the jackal's head turned its head slightly, following me with a hungry gaze... Well, what else could you expect from a chimeraologist?
Inside, the mansion was... well, just like Black Manor. Gloomy, gothic, dangerous. And very expensive. Even a blind man couldn't mistake this house for the abode of a light magician; the dark, oppressive aura would be unpleasant for anyone. Except for us, of course, although the feeling was still quite peculiar. Immediately behind the door was a large hall. Carved mahogany panels, a moulded ceiling generously decorated with gold and... an umbrella stand in the shape of an ugly troll's foot. And, in my opinion, it was the second foot.
"Deriger!" With a soft thud, an old, wrinkled house elf in a black tunic with a recognisable coat of arms appeared next to Pollux. "Set the table. You sit down."
He was already addressing me. The elf bowed silently, and while I took off my outer garments, wondering what the conversation would be about, everything was already prepared at the small oval table.
"First, help yourself, then we'll discuss our sorrowful affairs... heh heh," said old Black, pouring himself a glass of red wine and inhaling its aroma like a connoisseur. Poseur. As for me, I just sat down at the table, folding my arms in front of me expectantly. "So, straight to the point?" The old wizard seemed satisfied, narrowing his eyes. (Although he didn't look that old; Pollux looked fifty at most.) "Well then, Lord Black, let's get down to business." Although Deriger's cutlet was finger-licking good... So, what do you know about Geller Green-de-Valde?
"Hmm... Perhaps we can skip the history lesson?" My mood, which was already at the level of polished lacquered parquet, plummeted even lower. "Still, I would like to hear answers to my questions, not..."
"While you are in my house, you will observe the bounds of propriety, Lord Black," Polux interrupted me, mockingly emphasising the word "lord." "Especially since the answers to the questions written all over your face are directly related to the answer to my question. So. What do you know about Gellerte Grinde-de-Valde?
All right, if the old man wants to play hinty-hinty... What do I know about him?
"A powerful dark wizard, considered the strongest and most dangerous until the arrival of Voldemort. He created his own group of wizards. He participated in World War II on the side of the Third Reich. Defeated in a duel by Albus Dumbledore in 1945, for which Dumbledore received the Order of Merlin, First Class. Imprisoned in his own prison, Nurmengard, which he built for his ideological enemies..." I began to list what I knew, but was stopped by Pollux's raucous laughter.
"A dark wizard? They teach that in history lessons now?" The old man even put down his glass so as not to spill it while he laughed. Meanwhile, I slowly blushed against my will. I'm not very good at history, especially since it was taught by a ghost who didn't tell us anything except about the Goblin Wars.
"Well, he definitely used dark magic," I tried to justify myself, but this only provoked another wave of laughter, which I waited out in silence. If he wants to, let him tell the story himself. Finally, the old man calmed down, took a sip of wine, and continued.
"All right, don't sulk. In principle, it's a common mistake among laymen. Gellert, surprisingly, was never a dark wizard. Yes, he used some dark spells, but he was generally a fairly ordinary battle wizard, albeit a very skilled one." Pollux paused for a few seconds, thoughtfully swirling his wine.
"What does Grindelwald have to do with this?
"Don't interrupt your elders, you'll hear more," the old man gave me an angry look. I responded with a look that said, "Okay, I'll shut up." "So that's what I was talking about... Ah, yes. Gellert. Well, he was never a dark wizard... Although after certain events, rumours did start, yes. But first things first.
After the First World War, the magical community was greatly alarmed by how inventive Muggles had become in killing their own kind. Gunpowder weapons, bombs, self-propelled metal carts, flying machines... And although wizards were little affected by the war, the objects of the magical world were mostly hidden in peculiar spatial lacunae, and protective spells successfully dealt with gunpowder charges... But the cruelty and destructiveness shown by Muggles towards their own kind could not leave anyone indifferent. From pathetic but amusing simpletons, the muggles slowly but surely turned into a potential threat. This became especially clear after the world war. Hmm...
The old man looked thoughtfully into the fireplace, clearly remembering something of his own.
"It was clear that this problem had to be solved. The issue was raised at the international confederation, but... Even at that time, the confederation had no real opportunity, or perhaps no desire, to change anything. The discussion led nowhere, stuck in the usual political squabbles and intrigues. The magi decided to wait and see.
At the same time, in the absence of any action on the part of the governments of the countries, figures emerged who offered at least something. Some believed that it was necessary to isolate themselves even more from the world of Muggles, tightening the secrecy statute and erasing any mention of magic from the Muggles' memory... Others believed that the Muggles should be brought under complete control. They wanted to prevent a repeat of what had happened and rule the Muggles from behind the scenes, preventing the emergence of even more powerful weapons. Many, many people supported this idea...
It was then that a decisive, charismatic leader emerged, whose ideas found understanding among many prominent families...
"And that leader was Gellert Grindelwald," I finished for him.
"Yes," confirmed Pollux, "At that time, he was a charismatic young wizard. A master of combat magic, he came from a well-known family and already had many supporters. And when he gained the support of other, equally renowned families, he easily seized power, first in Germany, then began his victorious march across the world. War broke out. By that point, many had realised that his ideas were not limited to enslaving Muggles and revealing the magical world. No. He wanted sole and unquestionable power, immortality. And he was ready to do anything to achieve this. Realising what was hidden behind the slogan "for the common good", some tried to escape. But it was already too late.
The last words sounded unexpectedly bitter, and somewhere inside me, a guess dawned.
"And how did our family feel about Green-de-Wald's ideas?
"As straightforward as could be, grandson," my grandfather smiled sadly. "As straightforward as could be. At first, when Gellert was just starting to gather supporters, our family, partly out of necessity and partly not, gave him our full support. Money, connections, people. Of course, not everyone supported the head of the family's decision, but no one dared to oppose him. Until the moment when Grindelwald's true motives became obvious even to someone as stubborn as Arcturus.
"What happened next? I remember my father's stories about how you fought against Green-de-Wald. But I didn't know why...
"What could he possibly know, a ten-year-old brat," snorted Pollux contemptuously. "If it weren't for the war, I would have raised him myself, and he wouldn't have grown up such a weakling!
After a moment's pause following his sudden outburst, the old man continued.
"It was a terrible war. While the Muggles in the Forties were holding on to their coast, things were worse for us. There was no united front. Attacks on estates and magical neighbourhoods took place almost every day. Our house was besieged dozens of times, and many of our family died defending it. Such incidents occurred everywhere until the old Rodas united and cast a protective spell over the entire coast. Then the war moved to Greece, then to Syria.
Iceland, Iran, Africa, even Russia, we've been everywhere. When the MCM finally got its head out of its ass, where it had been all these years, and started actively fighting back, we started crushing Gellert's supporters wherever we could... Although, I have to say, without the help of the Russians, we would have had a hard time.
Then the ridiculous duel between Gellert and his old friend Dumbledore took place, and the war seemed to die down.
"What do you mean? That's it?
"Well, the Russians spent a couple more months beating up Gellert's most ardent supporters and his Hitler puppets, and the rest began to surrender en masse to 'justice'. Ha! They didn't even give them all life sentences. Grindelwald was put in prison, which they built for him. I just don't understand why he hasn't escaped yet.
"Because the Elder Wand is now with Dumbledore," I said quietly, suddenly remembering a detail from the film.
"So that's where it turned up..." said Pollux, squinting. "Well, now a lot of things are becoming clearer. In any case, after the war, I'm tired. I couldn't stand watching your father push his children into the hell of another war with his own hands. Unfortunately, Arcturus disappeared, and Orion, as the direct heir, had every right to take over.
"And you...
"Yes, grandson, I'll help you," Pollux replied to my unspoken question. "We are family, after all.
"Ah...
"But on one condition," Grandfather said with a sly smile. "Actually, two. First, you need to brush up on your magic. Your skills are laughable. I understand that Azkaban is no resort, but still. And second, I've wanted to spoil my great-grandchildren for a long time...
"GRANDFATHER!
***
We talked with Pollux for a long time. I told him about the situation with Harry, my guesses about Dumbledore, about Andromeda, and about my life in general... I must say, he already knew a lot. It's not clear where he got it from, but he knew, confirming my guesses. He then agreed to return to the house on Grimmauld Place, but only after some planned experiments. Grandpa promised to help me improve my combat magic and advised me to read some books from the family library in the meantime.
I returned home after dark. Harry was resting in his room, and Lucky, the rascal, was lying on the bed at the boy's feet. Well, I still needed to talk to Medea. After giving instructions to the house-elf, a series of apparitions led me straight to the Tonks' house. For a change, I even decided to enter through the door.
"Who's there?" After a short knock, heavy footsteps could be heard on the other side of the door. Ted Tonks, and it was indeed him, was a tall, burly man. He had soft features, slightly bushy eyebrows, a slight stubble and deep-set eyes with wrinkles around them from frequent smiles and laughter. He had red, closely cropped hair. He was dressed in a dressing gown, and in his hand he held a wand, pointing it straight at the stomach of the uninvited visitor.
"Sirius?!" He didn't recognise the visitor at first.
"Ahem... Ted. Perhaps you could lower your cane?" I said cheerfully, raising my hands. "You see, I'm unarmed."
I was being a little disingenuous here; my wand was in my hand, in a special case hidden by the thick sleeves of my coat.
"Yes, of course!" Ted put his cane behind his back and suddenly opened his bear-like arms wide. "Come here, I'm glad to see you, Sirius!"
"Hey, easy there! You'll strangle me!" Ted was incredibly strong, and he seemed genuinely happy to see me. When Sirius left his family, he was a frequent guest at the Tonks' house, visiting his niece. Ted and I developed a warm, friendly relationship.
"Come on in, don't stand there! Meda and Nymphadora will be here soon, let's go shopping," Ted stepped aside, letting me into the house. "Coat here... yeah... Good to see you, mate. Meda told me everything, and we were rooting for you at the trial.
"Thanks," I said, taking off my coat.
"Come in, make yourself at home. I'll put the kettle on," Tonks darted into the kitchen, while I settled down on a cosy sofa in the living room. "Help yourself."
"Thanks," I blew on the hot tea, inhaling its tart aroma. It smelled nice. At least I didn't smell any strange "additives." On the other hand, why would he do that?
"So, tell me how you've been, what you've been up to since you got out. I bet you've been to every brothel in London by now!" Ted winked at me, taking a sip from his mug.
"I haven't had the opportunity yet," I smiled politely, grimacing inwardly. Old Sirius hadn't left me with a very good reputation. A joker, a prankster, a ladies' man — that's all well and good, but not very suitable for the current situation. "Right now, I'm mainly dealing with legal issues and the affairs of the House.
"Ha! I sense that our dear ministry owes you a large sum," Ted grinned.
"And not just the ministry..." I confirmed, remembering a certain lemon wedge lover.
"Wait, did you say Rod's affairs?" asked the elder Tonks in surprise. "I thought you left the family, didn't you?"
In response, I silently showed him the Head's ring.
"Hmm..." Ted pondered, and we sat in silence for a while, sipping our tea. The awkward pause was broken by the sound of a door opening.
"Ted, we're home!" a familiar voice rang out from the hallway.
"We're home, Dad! Look what Mum bought me!
"Yes, sweetheart, I'm coming!" Ted moved towards the hallway, and I decided to follow him. "We have guests today..."
"Uncle Siri!!!" — a small hurricane named Nymphadora (who is not Nymphadora at all) literally swept me off my feet.
"Hi, sweetie," I spun her around the room, ruffling her ever-changing hair. "Wow, you've grown! You're heavy... ouch!"
"I'm not heavy!" Nimfa instantly puffed up and hit me on the shoulder with her fist.
"All right, all right," I laughed. "You're just a little chubby. By the way, I have a Christmas present for you. I hope you don't mind if I give it to you early."
I took a small box out of my pocket, which Tonks immediately opened.
"Oh, cool! Is it a music player?" exclaimed Nymphadora, immediately putting on the headphones."It's a magical version that lets you listen to every song you've ever heard, plus you can insert regular cassettes..."
"Thank you!!!" I was interrupted by another round of hugs.
Finally, when the excitement of the first meeting subsided, the four of us sat down to drink tea. A casual conversation began over tea. Nymphadora talked about how things were going at school. I learned that Ted was still working in a low-level position at the Flying Powder Network's Management Centre. (As far as I remember, he had been working there for nine years. And behind all his feigned indifference, I couldn't help but feel resentful that he hadn't been promoted in so long. I'd have to make a note of that.) I, in turn, jokingly told them about my struggle with the Ministry and how I had taken Harry in...
Then, after Nymphadora ran upstairs to try out her gift, it was time for a serious conversation.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush," I began, setting my cup aside. "I want you to consider joining the Black family. My... parents did something very wrong fifteen years ago. I don't condone their actions, but I'm trying to make amends.
"That's all well and good, but why should we?" Ted said slowly, frowning and ignoring Meda's hand as she squeezed his palm reassuringly. "Fifteen years ago, Andromeda and I had nothing when she was thrown out onto the street like a dog! Do you remember what those times were like? We were left alone with a baby in our arms. But we survived! Yes, it wasn't easy, but now we have our own home. A wonderful daughter. A job. So tell me, 'Lord Black', why do we need your family?
At the end, Ted couldn't hold back and raised his voice, but immediately regained his composure.
"I'm sorry.
"It's okay, I understand," I replied calmly. "You're within your rights. As I already said, the decision made by our parents, Andromeda's and mine, was, to put it mildly, ugly..."
"How could it be..." Ted started to say.
"Don't interrupt," I said, raising my voice slightly. Then I continued, carefully choosing the right words in my head. "Yes, it was difficult to call it beautiful. But I, in turn, want to correct what my family did so unwisely. Doesn't Andromeda deserve it? Or take you, Ted. Do you really want to work until you're old, cleaning fireplaces? I remember you once dreamed of a career as an artefact maker, and that's entirely possible. Not to mention that belonging to the oldest and most noble family will open all doors for you at the Ministry. And Nimphadora? For goodness sake, Ted, you know how unstable her gift is. If we don't do something now, it may be too late. We can give her a chance at a better life, as one big family!
After these words, Ted blushed and clearly wanted to say something harsh, but Meda beat him to it, gently interrupting her husband.
"You understand, Sirius, we can't give you an answer right away. Please give us some time.
"You have all the time in the world, little sister," I smiled, rising from the table. "I hope you'll come visit me at Christmas. I think Tonks can take Harry under her wing for a while. He doesn't have any friends in the magical world yet."
"Yes, of course," Meda smiled gently again. "Right, dear?"
"Yes, we'd love to," said Tonks, who had cooled down, and held out her hand to me. "See you soon, Sirius. I'll think about it."
"Come on, brother, I'll walk you out," said Medea, putting her coat on and taking me by the elbow.
We went out onto the terrace. It was quite cold outside. Snow was falling. Its white flakes danced playfully in the lamplight, settling on the ground like weightless fluff.
"Please don't be angry with Ted. You remember what his parents said to him when he asked for my hand. Things like that aren't easily forgotten," she paused for a moment, admiring the snowflakes. "But I think he'll agree."
"And you?" I turned to face her. "Do you want to come back to the family?"
"Silly Siri," Meda laughed suddenly. "You're so grown up, but so silly. We've always been and always will be one family."
Giving in to impulse, I picked her up and spun her around on the night terrace. Just like when we were kids.
***
The entire story has already been written at:
patreon.com/posts/reborn-as-sirius-142654970