Hadrian Rigel Caelan Black
This is the story of Hadrian Rigel Caelan Black. Born November 7th 1978, he was automatically recognised as The Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, mostly due to the fact he was the only child born to the direct branch at the time of his birth – and it stayed that way, as his Uncle Regulus died a few months after his birth. He was the son of Sirius Black and Charlotte McKinnon, but this fact didn’t really mean anything except that he’d become an orphan not long after his birth. Such a powerful pureblood from such ancient lines, and Hadrian didn’t even have a parent to share his life with.
The closest thing he had to a parent was Remus Lupin, his Godfather who’d taken him in a bit after his mother had passed away and his father had been convicted and sent to prison for a crime no-one was even sure he’d committed or not. He’d been two years old at the time, and he’d found himself with no one. The Magical Child Services, or MCS, had found his paternal grandmother an unfit guardian after evidence of abuse had come to light (and that had, unfortunately, happened after Hadrian had lived with her for six horrible months, which was how the abuse evidence had been discovered, but that was a story for another time). He’d then been sent to live with his paternal great-grandfather (as all his mother’s family had been killed in the tragic McKinnon Family Massacre, including his mother herself). Lord Arcturus Black; however, was too old and too tired to raise a three year old, so he’d enlisted the help of Hadrian’s werewolf Godfather, Remus Lupin. Remus and Arcturus had come up with a schedule alongside Sirius’s cousins Andromeda Black-Tonks (who’d never been disowned as Walburga had liked to brag, but had just distanced herself from Walburga Black, Cygnus Black – her father – and their toxic thoughts) and Narcissa Black-Malfoy.
The schedule established was simple, to Hadrian at least. Remus got (secret and slightly illegal, but Arcturus Black had stopped caring about the law when it came to his family – look what happened to his grandson when he had respected the government) primary custody with weekends spent with Arcturus but having Remus as a caregiver until Hadrian was old enough to take care of himself. Narcissa and Andromeda would have Hadrian stay with them during the week of the full moon and on some weekends, alternating who got guardianship every month.
It was a bit chaotic, but Hadrian got to be close with various members of his family and didn’t feel as large of a loss for his parents’ absence as he might have, had he been isolated and removed from everyone (which would’ve happened if Hadrian had continued living with his awful grandmother). This custody agreement caused many changes to Hadrian’s opinions and personality as time went by.
He found himself falling in love with dying his hair after seeing his Metamorphmagus cousin Nymphadora Tonks change her hair colour according to her mood. He became obsessed with fashion after going shopping with his Grandfather and meeting one of his business partners with his sons, following which he started going shopping regularly with his aunt Narcissa and her sons Draco and Valerian (before Valerian fell into his coma), and he found calmness and relaxation as he sat in the living room and read quietly with his Uncle Remus, who became more like a father to him than Sirius Black had ever been (but to be fair to his father, he hadn’t gotten the chance to be a father before everything had happened). And the biggest thing he’d come out with was impeccable magical control and being able to use a sword and bow and arrow, skills his Great Grandfather had started teaching him at the ripe age eight.
The one thing that caused issues was when his powers started to emerge. As opposed to his cousin, who – unbeknownst to their family – had his Family Magicks manifest in the form of a three year coma, Hadrian’s powers showed in nightmares and sudden outbursts, which was another sign of a powerful Black Family Gift. He’d get these outbursts pretty frequently, and especially in times when he was extremely emotional. Luckily, his great-grandfather knew the signs and started teaching him occlumency and other methods to control his emotions and thus his powers. Now, the only times they did burst out were when he’d get nightmares. His room would be engulfed in darkness suddenly and shadows would rise and fall around his bed, some going to surround him in a dark shield. It would sometimes take his uncle hours to get him to calm down and wake up. Hadrian always felt guilty after these surges, as he knew how worried they made Moony, but Remus always reassured him it was fine; that he loved him and that this didn’t change whenever Hadrian’s powers went out of control, that this just meant that he would become a powerful wizard when he was older.
These outbursts weren’t ideal, but Hadrian had been raised well, and he was so different from the typical pureblood heir that people had thought he was a muggle-born with a similar last name when he’d finally gone to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which wasn’t too farfetched. His parents hadn’t talked about having a son publicly before their… disappearance and the last name ‘Black’ was pretty common in the muggle world, but not the magical one.
At the school, he met some great people, but still missed his cousin Valerian Malfoy, who he’d grown up with and was the same age as him, but had fallen into a coma before they’d been able to go to Hogwarts together. His first year passed without much trouble, but it was in his second year that things started taking a turn.
This is where we get to see some glimpses from Hadrian Black’s chaotic childhood.
January 11th 1989
A scream rang out around the house and Remus woke up with a start, getting off the bed and running towards the room he knew the sound was coming from.
Opening the door, he found the bed surrounded by a black dome of pure darkness, and he could barely see the person inside it, tossing and turning in obvious anguish.
“Not again….” The man sighed out, sweeping back his sandy blonde hair with his hand before approaching the dome.
“Hadrian! Hadrian you have to wake up! It is okay, you’re home with me. Nothing happened. You are safe!” Remus said loudly, banging slightly at the magic until he felt a small part open, letting him slip in and go comfort the boy physically. This meant a lot to Remus, as it meant that even when the boy was distressed and unaware, he subconsciously trusted Remus around him.
He pulled Hadrian into his arms, running his hand through his Godson’s hair until he was breathing properly. His eyes suddenly snapped open and he stared a moment at his surroundings before sobbing in relief. As his tears fell, the shadow dome did as well until only his room was left.
Remus just held him tight and continued murmuring comforting words until the boy finally calmed down.
“I am so sorry….” Hadrian sobbed out, and Remus just shushed him and patted his back.
“Nothing to be sorry for Hades, it’s just your powers acting up. That’s never going to be your fault.”
They stayed like this until Hadrian finally calmed down and went back to sleep, but Remus knew he wouldn’t be able to, not anymore.
He needed to talk to Arcturus Black; this couldn’t go on anymore.
Raising Hadrian Black hadn’t been easy by any means, but the boy made the sacrifices and late nights worth it. Remus had never thought he’d be able to raise any of his friends’ children, especially after Dumbledore had discouraged him from pursuing any kind of relationship with Harry Potter, his best friend James’s son (and outright stopped and/or hindered every single attempt Remus made to get in contact with said boy). But then, Arcturus Black had sent him a letter requesting a meeting for an important issue. Remus hadn’t wanted to go, but he felt he owed it to the small boy he’d been named Godfather over and his mother who’d been one of his closest friends, and his father… or who Remus had thought he was.
A few hours after receiving that letter, Remus had found himself the guardian of said little boy, and had received money for his care and anything he might need or want; a custody schedule had also been established and Remus had even been given a job under the House of Black, and that had been that. From then on, Remus hadn’t looked back.
It was extremely difficult, especially once Hadrian started showing signs of his powerful magic, but Remus made it work, and he didn’t regret a single minute of his life after that.
The next day, or rather later in the morning (Hadrian had woken up around two in the morning), Remus found himself in Lord Arcturus Black’s office, discussing Hadrian’s magical progress with the man.
“This has to stop. Hadrian isn’t getting enough sleep at night, and it will get harder to handle when he goes to Hogwarts next year.”
“I’ll work with him more. Perhaps I may need to teach him Occlumency sooner than I’d planned.”
“If it helps, then fine. Anything to get him to sleep a full night.” Remus said desperately, and Arcturus sighed softly.
“I’ll see what I can do. I may also need Narcissa’s assistance.” The man mused, rubbing his chin in thought.
“Thank you Lord Black.” Remus said gratefully, even though he felt it was the man’s duty to do these things.
“Of course Mister Lupin. My great-grandson’s well-being is very important to me as well.”
July 4th 1989
“Again Hadrian!” Arcturus called out, and Hadrian turned to stare at him incredulously for a moment before going back to his task, which was beating up the moving dummy with his very sharp katanas.
It’d been an exercise his great-grandfather had been teaching him since he was around eight years old, and he was becoming pretty good at handling the dual katanas gracefully.
He executed the move perfectly, slicing the dummy in half. Arcturus only gave him a slight nod in approval before motioning for him to continue. Hadrian just sighed before doing as he was told, and moving onto the next move. It was exhausting work, but worth it as he raised his stamina and reflexes.
After an hour or so of that, Hadrian started working on his magic. He started with light meditation after the adrenaline spike the sword fighting had caused.
“Alright,” Arcturus began in a calm tone, “start with making a small spike in front of you.”
Hadrian took a deep breath, searching inside himself to access that small part of his core reserved for his Family Magic. As his eyes opened, the irises turned a very eerie black colour, and slowly, a small spike rose in front of his.
“Elongate it.” Hadrian did as he was told, and the spike grew to be about sixty centimetres long (23.6 inches for the citizens of the US). “Good, now expand it into a shield to cover all of you.”
Hadrian’s eyes sharpened from their relaxed state and the small black spike settled into the ground before a round dome-like shield hid him from the world. It was the same as the one that usually rose when he had nightmares, but this time Hadrian had done it willingly and knowingly, which was much more… relaxing in and of itself. It felt good to be in control.
“Good job. Now lower it.” And Hadrian did exactly that, the shield dissipating seconds after his great-grandfather had given the order.
“Good work Hadrian.” The praise had Hadrian grinning broadly, and that grin widened when he heard a clapping sound and turned to find his Godfather applauding his success.
“Great work Hades!”
“Thanks Uncle Moony!” Hadrian exclaimed, blushing a bit at all the praise.
It was nice to see pride in his guardians’ eyes.
December 22th 1989
It was a bit after Hadrian’s eleventh birthday, and he was on a rare outing with his great-grandfather.
“Remember Hadrian, these are important allies of ours, so we need to show them respect. We might hold primacy over them, but they are still very helpful to us.”
“Yes, Grandfather, I know.”
And Hadrian truly did know the importance of this particular family to his own. While holding primacy meant that a family was indebted and thus completely loyal to an older house, in this case the House of Black, these families that were allied with his were still very useful. The family they were visiting that day, The Elegant House of Viola, wasn’t just in charge of his family’s various tailored robes – as they were the owners of renowned tailors Twilfitt and Tattings through the House of Black’s sponsorship – but they were also very good at gathering information when it was needed; even if it came from obscure places.
The Lord of the Family, Klein Viola, was a very intelligent man, and had been a friend of his Great-Grandfather’s for many years; the two had practically grown up together. Because of this and the meeting they were currently heading to, Hadrian had taken it upon himself to do a small background check on the family, just to know what he was walking into and how to act accordingly.
He found that the man had three sons. The oldest, Tristan Viola had just graduated from Hogwarts School and was working as a designer in his father’s shop, the second oldest, Alexander Viola was a fifth year at the same school and seemed to be quite gifted with numbers, as evident by the fact he was in charge of the family business’s finances and investments, while the youngest, Jeffrey Viola was just starting school but had been learning the family’s ‘information gathering’ methods for years now, making him the best of the three at that part of their families’ agreement. The youngest son would be the one Hadrian would interact with the most due to their similar ages, and would probably be his go-to person among the family, even if he wasn’t the heir.
Hadrian was prepared for anything, to the point where he had even put on his best robes; they were a very dark grey that complimented his silvery eyes and half black and half white hair and were fitted at the top and flared at the bottom, where they split to show Hadrian’s simple black slacks. His aunt Narcissa, who was arguably the most fashionable person Hadrian knew, had picked them out herself, and Hadrian felt very confident in them, that is until he found himself face-to-face with Lord Viola and his three sons.
The oldest had brightorange hair that was obviously unnatural, shining chocolate brown eyes and was wearing a bright green shirt tucked into black dress pants. He had a chunky silver necklace on his neck and a matching bracelet on his wrist. His face was much thinner than his brothers’ and he was very lean.
The middle son was dressed in a full suit like the one he’d seen in his Uncle Remus’s closet but in all white, and the jacket was buttoned all the way with a matching… something underneath. He also had a necklace on, but his was very thin, and he was wearing a single ring that looked to be the family’s heir ring – similar to Hadrian’s own signet ring but thinner and in a bright gold – but Hadrian couldn’t tell from that far away. He still had some baby fat but his sharp jawline was very obvious, and so were his broad shoulders; his eyes were a bit lighter than his older brother’s and his hair was raven black.
The youngest was the one who had captured Hadrian’s attention in the first place. He looked like a perfect mix of his older brothers, with a sharp jawline but lean frame and the same black hair as Alexander’s. His eyes, though, were a dark blue, and he wasn’t wearing anything Hadrian would’ve expected. He was dressed in simple black pants – Hadrian believed they were called jeans – with a black top tucked in and a jacket Hadrian had seen many times on his own father in photos, a leather one that hugged his shoulders but was chunky due to the many silver studs on it. He had, interestingly enough, earrings on – simple silver ones like the ones he’d seen his cousin Dora wear sometimes, and a disturbing amount of chunky rings on both hands.
He was… not conventional by any means but he looked good in his outfit. Hadrian wondered what people at Hogwarts thought of this, and if they’d even seen the boy wearing this kind of outfit.
“Arcturus! Always a pleasure to see you, especially with how rare it is nowadays.”
“Yes. It has been a rough few years, but it is nice to see you as well Klein. This is my great-grandson Hadrian.”
“Ah.” The older man, who had greying black hair and was dressed in a simple three-piece black suit like the ones Uncle Lucius wore on rare occasions. “It is so nice to meet you, Heir Black. I am Lord Klein Viola and these are my sons.”
The man gestured at the three boys beside him.
“My eldest Tristan,” pointing at the orange-haired adult, “my middle son and heir Alexander,” the one in the white suit, “and my youngest Jeffrey.” This time he put his hand on the shoulder of the boy in the leather jacket.
“A pleasure to meet you, Lord Viola. And your sons.” Hadrian said with a bow to his head. He was of a much higher standing as the Heir Black, so he didn’t need to bow, but he was still required to show respect to the man as he was a Lord while Hadrian was just an heir.
“Hadrian,” Grandfather said, and Hadrian turned to look at the much taller man who still had his rigid posture despite his age, “why don’t you go with Lord Klein’s sons while he and I discuss some business matters.”
Hadrian understood the words loud and clear. They need privacy, but Hadrian would be informed later. He could entertain some heirs until then.
“Of course Grandfather.”
The three led Hadrian to a side room with chairs and couches, which they all sat around.
“So Heir Black, why are you wearing such boring clothing?” Tristan asked, and Hadrian was taken aback by both the frankness and the topic.
“Tristan!” Alexander exclaimed before turning an apologetic look towards Hadrian. “So sorry for my brother, Heir Black, I’m afraid he can be a bit blunt at times.”
“It’s alright. And please, call me Hadrian. If we continue with politeness, I’m afraid the conversation will get quite dull.” The three laughed at that while their oldest nodded in agreement. “As for your question, well, how else am I supposed to dress?”
Hadrian was genuinely curious about this, as the three looked very nice in unconventional clothes, and he could tell they’d seen this curiosity, for they all lit up.
“Well….”
“Follow us.” The youngest said, speaking for the first time since Hadrian had entered their shop, which was very elegantly decorated in shades of white, black and azure.
The three led him to what appeared to be a walk-in closet, as it had racks and racks filled with clothes of different colours, textures, styles and lengths. It was interesting, and Hadrian found himself drawn to one filled exclusively with leather garments. Pants, jackets, and even tops, and of different colours as well, not just black.
“The muggles got one thing right at least; their fashion.” Jeffrey explained, causing Hadrian to turn towards him. “We take their designs and change them to fit Wizarding culture. Some of this stuff was imported from their world, while the rest was designed and created by us in-house.”
“I want to try everything.” Hadrian said with a giddy grin, his eyes already shining as he thought of all the possibilities.
And that was the start of Hadrian’s clothing obsession, and subsequent rebellion.
If he returned that day with over fifty bags filled to the brim with clothes and henceforth didn’t wear anything that wasn’t created or sold by Twilfitt and Tattings, well, that was his business, even if the professors at Hogwarts hated him for never wearing the school uniform.
23th December 1989
Christmas was in two day, but Hadrian couldn’t find it in himself to be festive when he knew exactly where he was headed on this day.
He’d just turned eleven the month before, and Hadrian knew exactly what that meant….
It was time to see his father in prison.
You see, Hadrian’s father, the infamous Sirius Black, had been staying in Azkaban Prison since Hadrian was about two years old. He’d been sentenced there for being a follower of Lord Voldemort and having a hand in the murders of Lord and Lady Potter, who just so happened to be Hadrian’s second set of Godparents (yes, he had two sets). Hadrian had never truly believed this, but there was nothing he could do, as he was but a child, and his great grandfather, the current Lord Black, tried his best but couldn’t get his father a retrial. Remus, Hadrian’s other Godfather, had tried to stay objective and not ruin Sirius’s image in Hadrian’s eyes, but it was hard when he’d never met the man and didn’t remember much about him.
Because Hadrian had been too young before, he couldn’t visit the man in his cell, but now that Hadrian had turned eleven and had passed his first magical majority (there were three that happened at ages eleven, thirteen, and seventeen) which had stabilised his Magical Core a bit, he could finally pay him (and Hadrian’s other imprisoned relatives) a visit.
“Are you ready Hadrian?” Madame Amelia Bones, the Current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and his father’s old Auror partner, asked him. The two were standing in front of the floo in her office as it was one of the only ways to get to the prison. The other way was by boat, but Hadrian had recently discovered that he got extremely seasick, so that wasn’t a viable option.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Hadrian said with a small smile, trying to hide his nerves as his Great Grandfather had taught him.
“Let’s go then.” The woman said, extending her hand as she gave him a comforting smile. She was able to tell he was anxious, which meant Hadrian hadn’t been as successful as he’d thought in hiding his emotions.
The two walked into the fireplace, and Madame Bones dropped some of the green floo powder in the fire as she yelled “Azkaban Prison!”
With a swirl and a lot of green fire surrounding him, Hadrian found himself walking into perhaps the darkest place he’d ever been too, and that included the ever miserable 12 Grimmauld Place (which was as dreary and dull as his Grandmother had been before her death). Hadrian couldn’t help taking a deep breath, feeling a strong connection to the place and the creatures that roamed it, which wasn’t all that surprising since he’d been born with the darkest gift in Black Family history – the shadows were quite literally his friends.
“Come on then. Your father’s cell is on the upper floors.” And with that, the two started walking through the prison and up its stairs. It was obvious to Hadrian that Madame Bones did not think it was a good idea to bring a child to this hellhole, but Grandfather had insisted that Hadrian do this, and it was hard to defy or oppose Lord Black when he had an idea in his mind. Hadrian thought it was because she was afraid he’d be traumatized by either the conditions of the prison, the prisoners themselves, or the Dementors that patrolled at all hours of the day, but little did she know that Hadrian had seen a lot worse, either during his training as Heir Black or in his… power-induced dreams, which were dark and gruesome.
As if sensing his inner darkness, the Dementors left the duo alone, allowing them to move around uninterrupted. They reached the last level, the one with the best security for the most dangerous inmates, and Hadrian started to see familiar faces he vaguely remembered from his childhood.
“Haddie, is that you?” A voice called from beside him, and he turned to his right to find Rabastan Lestrange looking at him from his cell.
“Hey Uncle Rab.” Rabastan had been a very close friend of his Uncle Regulus’s, and Hadrian vaguely remembered the man babysitting him alongside his Uncle the one time Regulus had been allowed near him (which had happened behind his father’s back and only due to his mother’s sheer will).
“Hi kid….” The man said with a soft smile that couldn’t quite hide the darkness in his eyes and his gaunt face. “You here to visit your dad?”
“And Aunt Bella, if it’s possible.” Hadrian explained simply, ignoring Madame Bones’s incredulous and shocked expression.
“Yeah, they’ll be a few cells down, right next to each other.” Another voice said two cells after Rabastan’s, and Hadrian moved over to find his Aunt’s husband, Heir Rodolphus Lestrange, smiling a bit at him. Hadrian had met the man at a few family events that his mother had insisted they go to, and he remembered that the man had been very nice to him, if a bit mischievous. It seems the mischief had almost completely left him as Azkaban’s darkness consumed him.
“Thanks Uncle Dolphus.”
“No problem kid. Glad I could see you all grown up.”
“Yeah….” Hadrian sighed out, giving him a comforting smile before moving on, waving to the two men as he walked away.
He was glad Madame Bones hasn’t questioned his actions yet, and he wanted this family meeting to be done at his own pace and with his own words, without anyone pressuring him to say or do anything he didn’t want to. Which is why what he did next was also crucial.
“Hey, Madame Bones.”
“Yes Hadrian?” The woman said, looking down to make eye contact with the boy.
“Could you stay here while I talk to my father and aunt? I’d rather do this with as little audience as possible, no offence of course.”
“I- are you sure? Azkaban is a dangerous place to be.”
“Yes I’m sure. Don’t worry, I can take care of myself. Besides, my family’s magicks will forbid them from doing anything to harm me.”
“If you’re sure….” Madame Bones said hesitantly, nodding but looking uncomfortable at her decision.
“Thank you!” To assuage her fears, Hadrian gave her a bright smile, which she hesitantly returned.
With a deep breath, Hadrian continued walking on his own. It didn’t take long before he reached one of the cells he was here for. Wandlessly erecting a silencing ward and using his powers to hide his presence from the other prisoners in the area, Hadrian softly called out to the woman who was curled up away from the cell door.
“Aunt Bella.” That title seemed to snap the woman from her daze as she turned rapidly towards the voice, her eyes widening at the sight of her baby nephew in front of her. She ran towards him and clutched the bars as she took him in.
“Haddie….” She sighed out, his old childhood nickname coming out of her almost subconsciously (no one had called him that since his mother’s passing). It was a little known fact, but Charlotte McKinnon had actually become pretty good friends with the three Black sisters after marrying into the family, which is why Hadrian was so close to the three throughout his childhood. His Aunt Bella had especially been dotting towards him and his two cousins, Valerian and Draconus Malfoy.
“Hi Aunt Bella.” Hadrian greeted, smiling softly at the woman. She looked almost nothing like he remembered her. Her once luscious and curly raven black hair was matted and knotted from being unwashed, her usually sharp cheekbones were almost hollow and even her figure looked weak, completely different from the powerful and sometimes scary Aunt Bella he remembered from his early childhood. The only thing that was the same was her stormy grey eyes, and even these had a… madder gleam to them, much stronger than Hadrian remembered.
“Dear Merlin, what are you doing in this place?!” She almost screamed, clutching at the hands he’d moved towards her.
“I’m just visiting you and Dad. I’m finally eleven, Auntie.”
“You are?” She gasped, shocked at the news. “Wait! That means Vallie is almost eleven too! And the little dragon….”
“…Is almost ten, yes.”
“H-how are they? How are you?” She asked in an almost desperate tone, and Hadrian smiled at her in comfort.
“I’m alright. Trying to get control of my powers but Grandfather is helping me. Dray is also doing good, a bit spoiled but he’s a pretty happy kid. Val…. Well….”
“What?! What’s wrong with him?!” Bellatrix Black-Lestrange asked, desperate to know anything about her nephew, worried that something was wrong with him.
“He’s in a coma…. No one knows why and there hasn’t been a cure yet. We’re all looking, but… it’s been futile so far. I do see his… magical spirit when I use my gift, and he seems conscious of everything and aware of life, but we don’t know why. I… haven’t told Aunt Cissa about the last part yet. She stopped using her gift after you went to prison, and I don’t want her to force herself to do so just to talk to her son.”
“That…. It sounds familiar but I don’t know where…. It could be a Black thing, I’d look in Uncle Arcturus’s book collection if I were you.” Bellatrix said sadly, trying to help as much as she could while behind bars.
“I’ll see what I can do. Thank you for the advice!” Hadrian said with a smile that his aunt hesitantly returned.
“Anyway… how’ve you been, hmm?”
“I’ve been… good I guess. My powers manifest in really… traumatizing ways but I’ve been slowly controlling them. Other than that, nothing really dramatic or life altering has happened since the war.”
“What about… Andie…? How is she?”
“She’s alright. So is Dora. Grandfather welcomed her back into the family after the war and she’s been doing a lot of work as our Attorney. I stay with her a few days every month, and she seems to be… happy to be helping the family, even after everything. Her and Aunt Cissa are still in contact and see each other at least once a month for tea, much to Uncle Lucius’s horror, but he can’t really do anything about it.” Hadrian said, laughing at his words.
“Good. I’m glad they’re close… even after everything. Take care of them and yourself, alright darling? Don’t listen to everything your Grandfather says about being the Black Heir. Enjoy your childhood like we couldn’t.” Bella said softly, reaching through the bars to caress his cheek softly with her calloused hands.
“I will.”
“Now go see your dad. You two probably have a lot to talk about.”
“Yeah….” Hadrian sighed at her words as he pulled away, giving her hands a final squeeze before letting the ward and shadow barrier fall with one flash of his eyes. The two shared a small smile before Hadrian moved to the cell next to the woman’s.
It seemed the man inside hadn’t realised someone was there as he was still in his Animagus form, which was a very large Grimm that could be mistaken for a dog if one wasn’t educated enough. The creature raised its head as it realised someone was there, and Hadrian let himself make contact with the silvery grey eyes in front of him as his own turned a menacing black that blended with his pupils. Another shadow barrier surrounded him and the cell’s bars, so that no one could see inside or hear what was happening.
Slowly, the Grimm walked towards him as if in disbelief that Hadrian was actually there. In almost slow-motion, the Grimm transformed to a man that Hadrian was both familiar with, and not at all.
Looking at the man’s photos from his youth, Hadrian could see himself in them. In his silvery grey eyes, his sharp cheekbones and jawline, and in half his hair, which was as dark as the man’s. But the person that stood before him was nothing like that. This man had shaggy black hair that was matted from not washing it in who knew how many years…. His silvery black eyes had a shadow over them that wouldn’t go away – the glint of mischief that used to be there having disappeared with his prolonged imprisonment. Even his facial structure, which Hadrian was sure he’d inherited from him, was gaunt and hidden behind a bushy beard.
Needless to say, Hadrian did not see himself in this man, not like how he did when looking at his pictures.
“Hades…. Is that truly you?” The man, Sirius Black, asked in a breathless tone.
“Yes it is.” Hadrian said with a blank expression. “I- I really don’t know what to tell you.”
And Hadrian really didn’t. He’d thought that as soon as he’d see the man, he’d feel many emotions. Longing maybe, anger definitely, maybe even love…. The anger was there, so was the love, but Hadrian couldn’t help also feeling numb to it all….
“Whatever you want. You can let all you anger out. I know you must have a lot of thoughts.” Sirius said desperately, looking at Hadrian like he was trapped in a desert and Hadrian was his first sight of water in years, and maybe he was…. Who knows?
“I am angry. Y-you… you left me. After you promised you wouldn’t, after you promised I wouldn’t lose another parent…. You left… for the bloody Potters. A-and… I’m not mad that you w-went to U-Uncle James that night, I’m not. B-but… why did you leave? Why g-go after P-Peter? Why?! Revenge?! For y-your dear b-best friend?! What a-about me?! I am your s-son! Do I not h-have a right to y-your time?! To you’re a-attention?! Why did I have to lose my father just so you could avenge y-your d-dear f-friend?! W-was I not… enough?!” Hadrian shouted, desperate to get his feelings out to the point where his voice cracked at the end as he broke into sobs.
Sirius’s expression slowly broke, heartbroken over his son’s despair and the fact it was all his fault…. He sobbed alongside his son, repeating apologies over and over as he reached through the bars to wipe at the boy’s face to clear it of tears.
“I’m sorry, Hades. I’m so sorry…. You are enough! You’ve always been enough. I was j-just too much of an id-idiot to see it. I’m so sorry I left you all alone darling. I promise, I’ll be by your side if I ever get out of this hellhole. I’m so sorry Haddie Bear.”
Hadrian’s head snapped up from where it had been looking at the floor, and he made eye contact with his father. He… hadn’t heard anyone call him that in almost a decade. Most people called him Hades, Uncle Remus called him Hads and his great grandfather would never lower himself to using nicknames. Haddie Bear… that was what his mother had called him. His Mama in all her smiley, blonde glory had insisted on calling him that, even when his Auntie Marlie would make fun of her for it, she wouldn’t care. His father was the one to come up with Hades for a nickname, always insisting Hadrian would be his cute little dark prince, but his mother hadn’t cared for the name, always calling him one thing only.
Hearing the name after so long made something in Hadrian break, the part that had longed for a life with loving parents who’d raise him as they wanted, for a protective father and a nurturing mother. He broke down then, loud, heaving cries breaking out of his trembling lips as his knees buckled and he fell to the ground, Sirius following soon after. Hadrian couldn’t help clutching at his father’s dirty robes through the bars as he sobbed in agony, leaning his head on the bars as he felt trembling fingers run through his hair.
“I-I missed you Da. Why did you leave?” Hadrian said in an almost childish voice, but he didn’t care as he clutched at the man.
Sirius smiled a broken smile at his son, leaning as far as he can to wipe at his flowing tears.
“Dad’s sorry he left Haddie. I love you, and… I missed you too.” Sirius said, emphasizing his point again.
“W-would you hate me if I went to Slytherin?” The question had Sirius barking out an incredulous laugh.
“Hate you?! For Slytherin? Why would you think that?”
“Uncle Remy told me you hated Slytherins.” Hadrian said softly, staring at his father as he waited for an answer.
“I mean… it’s the concept of the matter darling. I wouldn’t like it, sure, but I’m certain you’ll prove my pre-conceived notions wrong, won’t you?” Sirius said with a laugh, and Hadrian nodded in determination.
“Yes I will.” The two shared a soft laugh at that before Sirius’s expression darkened a bit again.
“I know you’ll… never probably forgive me for going after Peter when I had you and- when I had you to think about, but….”
“When you had me and Harry to think about.” Hadrian continued for him with a small smile. “I don’t hate my God-brother, Da, and you can tell me about him. And… you can ask me to take care of him when he comes to Hogwarts you know, I won’t get mad or shout in betrayal. You’re allowed to worry about him like you worry about me. He is your Godson and he has no one in the world except us now.”
“What did I do to get such an understanding and kind son, hmm? Anyone else would’ve gotten hurt by me asking this.” Sirius said with a proud smile, his eyes finally shining a bit after staying dull for years.
“But I understand, because I was in his position too, before Uncle Rem took me in with Grandfather’s help.” Those words were like a bucket of cold water was spilled on the man’s head as he stared at his son in horror.
“W-what do you mean b-before? Where… where did you stay before Remus took you?”
“Where do you think the Ministry would take me after my father was taken to Azkaban?” Hadrian asked back with dark eyes and a furious scowl on his face.
“No….” Sirius whispered in pure fear. “Not her….”
But all Hadrian could do was nod to confirm his father’s worst fears.
“Did she… did she do something?”
“Oh, she was very… happy to see me. But, don’t worry Dad, I took care of her when I could.” Hadrian said darkly, his lips forming a smile that showed all his teeth, a smile that Sirius was all too familiar with. After all, a father can recognise his own darkness in his son.
“I- I don’t know if I should be horrified or proud that you did what I couldn’t do.” Hadrian just nodded his head and changed the subject.
“Is there anything you can tell me that I can use to help get you free? Any hints or details?” Hadrian asked, slight desperation in his tone.
“I don’t know…. I can tell you that Pe- Wormtail is alive and in rat form, and that… I never got a trial.” Sirius whispered the last part, but Hadrian heard it clearly.
“WHAT?! What do you mean you never got a trial?!”
“Look into it. You’ll see I’m right.” At that moment, the father-son duo heard the sound of footsteps coming towards them and a distinctly female voice calling Hadrian’s name.
“I have to go.” Hadrian said, frowning at the words.
“Go! Stay safe and take care. I love you.” Sirius said softly as Hadrian’s eyes glowed black once more and the barrier that had been hiding them from the world fell.
“I love you too Da.” Hadrian said softly as Madame Bones walked around the corner and towards them. Sirius gave the woman a fake grin while Hadrian masked his emotions behind a blank expression.
“There you are! Hello Sirius.”
“Amy.” Sirius greeted, bowing his head a bit at his old partner. “How’ve you been? No longing for your old partner?”
“None at all.” The woman said darkly, but the two Blacks could tell she was lying. They didn’t comment on it though.
“Aww, that hurts.” Sirius said dramatically, clutching at his chest.
“Come on Hadrian. Time to leave.” Amelia urged, and the boy turned to give final goodbyes to his father.
“I’ll… see you later Dad. Maybe.”
“Yeah, Kid. Come visit again sometime.” The two squeezed their hands where they were clutched together before parting; Sirius waving goodbye at his son’s retreating back.
“Was the conversation enlightening in any way, or did he just ramble on about random things?” Amelia asked, curious about what the two were talking about for so long.
“No, it was useful. It gave me closure at least.” Hadrian mumbled, still thinking about what his father had told him.
“I’m glad.” Amelia replied as she patted the boy on his shoulder, letting him wallow in his thoughts. Unbeknownst to her, Hadrian was devising plan after plan for his dilemma.
Maybe there was hope for his family after all.
Hadrian was a Black to the core and he followed his family’s wills and lessons to the letter, and the one rule he followed above all else was his family’s hidden motto, which he’d carved into his heart from a very young age.
It wasn’t Toujours Pur, though that was important (and Hadrian didn’t mean blood purity, but moral purity and pure actions). No, it was a lot simpler than that.
La famille passe en premier. Family comes first. Always.