James Potter was accustomed to many unorthodox things. He had grown up in Potter Manor surrounded by magic and his acquaintance with the supernatural force only deepened upon his arrival at Hogwarts. He had always had a passion for humor, most notably for managing to pull off large scale humiliations or "pranks". Teachers with vibrant colored hair, students skin turned blue, ghosts turned tangible. Yet, in his eventful career of mischief, nothing had surprised him. Nothing had truly left him stunned. That changed when his best friend, Sirius Black, tumbled out of his fireplace one early summer morning in a flash of green fire. The boy writhed.
"Padfoot? What the hell are you doing here?"
The boy didn't move. The young Black scion was curled into a fetal position which, granted, was already strange for a twelve-year-old boy, but it was the noise that drew a sharp inhale from the Potter heir. Sirius was sobbing. Hysterically. James had never once seen his friend cry. In their five years of friendship, Sirius had never showed any sign of utter dispair, he never even frowned. His past actions certainly betrayed the teen sobbing on his lion-fur carpet. James immediately went to aid his companion, picking him up and placing him in an armchair, whilst all the time crying frantically for his mother and father: Fleamont and Euphemia Potter. Two soft pops alerted him to their prescence behind him, subsequently followed by inquiries which were immediately silenced by the Black's half-suppressed sobs. Euphemia gingerly approached Sirius, conjuring a glass of water and clearing his tear-stained face with an orange-scented handkerchief. After a few seconds of soft consoling, Sirius lifted his head to reveal two bloodshot, puffy gray eyes.
"Woah, mate," started James in a facetious tone. Euphemia smacked him on the back of the head. "Are-are you okay...?"
"M-m-my m-mother," Sirius stuttered. "Cr-cruciatus curse."
James' features darkened. Euphemia shrieked in anger; berating the poor boy further whilst Fleamont cursed violently. Most of her questions were meaningless until she choked and let out a sob.
"What of your brothers, boy?" Sirius let out a sob as another tear rolled down his pale face. Fleamont took action immediately, casting a Patronus and alerting the other aurors ("I need a battalion of aurors at Black Manor immediately.") Sirius' lip trembled and a new wave of tears flew down his face.
"I-I didn't look back. Regulus and I had already linked our fireplaces and P-Proximas-" Sirius let out a sob at the name.
***
Walburga Black opened the door to their palatial manor with a smile on her face and a relaxed demeanor. Fleamont Potter snarled as he jabbed his wand into her neck. "Where are the children?" said the auror through his teeth.
"Lord Potter!" the woman exclaimed with a cheery smile. "A pleasure to see you as always."
"Walburga? Who is at the door?" the voice conveyed youth. Fleamont's presumptions were confirmed when he saw a tall boy who looked to be the same age as his own son. It was scary how much his facial features differed from those belonging to Sirius. The latter had lightly tanned skin with rowdy hair and a warm inviting smile that always made Fleamont chuckle. This boy made Fleamont shudder. This boy was deathly pale with high cheekbones and the most dangerous pair of luminous golden eyes the man had seen. His hair, which was combed to the side, was slightly wavy and curled delicately at the end of each strand.
When the teen had seen the auror, he adopted a charming smile that reached anywhere but his eyes. "Auror Potter," said the boy with an elegant nod of his head. His voice was intensly charismatic and it made the Potter Lord sick. "What brings you to our place of abode?"
"Prox?" another voice inquired. "Who are you speaking to?" Another boy joined Proximas, bearing considerably more resemblance to Sirius than his brother, and the teen rested his elbow on his younger brother's head. The sight would've made him smile, if he wasn't currently looking at a family of monsters.
"What of my children?" spoke Walburga innocently.
"Sirius!"
This was when he finally saw the Black Lady's eyes darken. She raised her nose slightly higher in the air and sniffed. "I was under the impression that Sirius was at your manor."