Papers in a Candy Tin
The Last Will and Testament of
Sirius Black
Dated and Witnessed this: Twenty Second day of July
I, Sirius Black, being in as sound a mind as I’ve ever been, hereby state these are my earnest wishes and not made as the result of any spell, charm, hex, confoundment, jinx, enchantment or curse on me, the quill with which this parchment was scribed, or to the parchment itself. I also state that there has been no pressure placed upon me as to the dispersal of the items listed below.
(If there’s been any coercion brought to bear on the creation of this document, it’s all been on my part, in that it’s my request that the solicitor preparing it refrain from any excessively excessive large words or legal language that might cause its length to be of such magnitude that, by the time it reaches the conclusion, I’ll’ve forgotten what I meant to do at the beginning, or that the witnesses who are hearing it read in preparation to affix their signatures to its bottom, must be waked from stuporous sleep before they can do so. (Got that, Julian?)
That being said, I leave any suspicious objects, notably any remaining in the glass case in the downstairs parlour at Twelve Grimmaul Place, in custody of Allastor Moody for inspection and disposition by whatever representatives of the Aurors Office at the Ministry of Magic he deems trustworthy. If he is unable to assume the task, I ask it be turned over first to Albus Dumbledore and, if he is likewise unable to undertake it, then to my dear cousin, Nymphadora Tonks. (Sorry about the long name, Cuz. Julian insisted. Says it’s a formal legal document.)
All papers, parchments and books I leave to Remus Lupin for study and safekeeping. (And dusting.) If he’s unable to take them, they are to go to Hermione Granger when she comes of age.
The property at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place along with the furnishings, pictures, silver, china and crystal, I bequeath to my beloved Godson, Harry Potter, with deepest apologies. I also ask that Harry take custody of the hippogriff, Buckbeak, who traveled here and lived with me in hiding. Buckbeak has taken quite a liking to him. I trust Harry to take good care of him, to see him well fed and exercised and, if he’s in no position to do so, that he find him a good home- in the good country air with Rubius Hagrid, perhaps. Also to Harry, I bequeath all the galleons held in my vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, as well as the contents of the vault listed in the name of Alphard Black, my uncle, who passed his estate on to me, which is why there’s no record of him on the moldy old tapestry I’ve also foisted off on poor Harry.
To all of you I bequeath my fondest memories and hopes for the kinder, fairer world that James Potter and I envisioned together so long ago.
Prepared and presented for signature by: Julian Mariner, Esquire,
Of Meriwether & Mariner, Solicitors
Under the Auspices of Wizarding Law
Signed:
Sirius Black
Julian Mariner__
Witnessed:
Remus J. Lupin
Hessia Nightingale
Please Place this Envelope at the Bottom of the Stack
Read this letter last!
No date
Godson,
This letter is no fake, although the paper is different and the handwriting is not mine.
I’m not certain it will reach you. It’s a desperate gamble, but more than worth a try. My first hope is that I grabbed it up with all the parchments, envelopes and bits of the Prophet filling the cave I shared with my feathered friend (the one it’s not wise to keep waiting). That I didn’t throw it in the fire in my hurry to clear out of there. Second that, despite the paper and the writing, I trusted the feel of the thing enough to follow my own instructions and stash it in the bottom of this candy tin. Third, that my friend, whose writing this is, has gotten everything down the way it was intended, then found the place to bring it.
I don’t mean to be vague, but I don’t know what the climate will be while this note lies in waiting for you and it will not be in my power to add any safeguards to it except keeping things general (using no names in it or places) and hoping you will catch my meanings anyway. All that said, I hope you’ll show this to someone you trust. Check it for residue of confounding charms, illusion powders or any other dark spell or substance. Decide whether it seems genuine. If you believe its real, or at least close enough to it to be worth investigating, please, please follow these directions.
East of the town where your parents lived is a winding road going up a hill. At the bottom is an old stone cottage with a low wall round it. You may recognize it by the cluster of rowan trees where the wall curves away from the road. Lift the corner-most stone and find a packet of papers hidden beneath it, wrapped in the black cloth of a Wizard’s robe.
Vellum sheets, like some old books in your school library. Not parchments. They contain the last writings I’ve done for you about my life. I want very much to put them there for you to find, but there’s no guarantee on that either.
I don’t know when you’ll read this, but the packet should be sought only after you finish your sixth summer term at school. Why this is so will be explained in its pages, not here. Suffice it to say there is no Magic that will have them there any earlier than that, so no excuses for skipping class. Ha ha.
If this reaches your candy tin, but there’s no packet waiting under the stone, don’t go searching further for it. (No guarantees, remember?) It won’t be anywhere that can be found. In that case, please know that the most important thing written between every line of it is how proud of you I am, how much I love you and what a joy it has been to be your Godfather and your friend.
Padfoot