one
Harry had gotten to Grimmauld's place safe, sound, and fully briefed on the order. Sirius couldn't wait another moment to greet his godson when he arrived and swiftly pulled him into a tight warm embrace. They stood there together for a moment, a blissfully peaceful moment, before pulling apart.
Sirius needed to know everything. He had heard what happened with Voldemort and that poor kid Diggory, just seventeen and dead, but that was the harsh reality of it. Sirius understands the tactics Voldemort is carrying out, he knows that he will not stop to get what he wants, and nobody will stand in his way.
He knew this first hand. James, Lilly, Mary, Marlene, Dorcas, Alice, Frank... Regulus. He was lucky to have gotten Remus back in his grasp. He didn't realize how lonely he had gotten until he was suffocated by people again, a feeling he used to enjoy.
Just then Mrs Weasley came bustling through the doorway.
"Harry dear," She said as she clasped him tight, "Ron and Hermione are upstairs. Please don't be too harsh with them they were sworn to secrecy." Once she was gone Harry and Sirius were left alone.
"I'll talk to you later Sirius," Harry said and rushed out.
Life was better at the order. Sirius had his little routine: Help find all the dark books in the library, walk around London as Padfoot then come back to headquarters and attend the daily meeting. He enjoyed it, although it was a bit limited, but now Harry was back they had so much to discuss.
He needed to give Harry the mirror. Sirius wanted to get as close to Harry as possible, maybe he was trying to cling to the last piece of James he had, and maybe it wasn't healthy for Sirius but he didn't care.
that reminded him. When Sirius had first gotten hold of the second mirror he had given it to Remus, he needed to get it back from him. Sirius climbed the staircase he had run up and down a million times to find Remus and Hermione in one of the studies that was cluttered with papers and books.
"Well hello, you two." Sirius startled the pair and they swiveled around to meet him. "What are you doing? Standing in a random study"
"Molly found a wardrobe. She thought it might have a Boggart inside so she called me here to have a look, Hermione was just accompanying me." Remus replied.
Sirius nodded, Orion liked to lock him in cupboards with a Boggart as punishment so it wasn't surprising for someone to have found one.
"Go on then," Sirius gestured to the wardrobe, "Open it up."
Remus slowly unlatched the wardrobe and pulled it wide open. Nothing sprung out like a normal Boggart would, no, a long dark creature with spindly legs and thin arms fell out of the wardrobe. It looked like a dementor had come and sucked the life out of it. It didn't have any eyes, just deep gaping black holes, and it didn't look like it had bones either.
Hermione gasped. "Is that..?"
Remus nodded in reply. "Yes I think it is, I don't understand how that would be possible. It can take well over a few thousand years to kill a Boggart, and that is accompanied by extremely dark magic as well."
Sirius immediately knew. "Welcome to the Black family house. You forget that the Blacks were all Dark." He said and levitated the Boggart's body back into the wardrobe.
Remus swallowed awkwardly before saying, "Yes, I suppose that's true. But it would still take many years to accomplish and Molly said it was moving just yesterday, it doesn't add up Sirius." It was almost like time was tampered with, but Remus doesn't add that part. Before any more inquires Mrs Weasley called everyone down for Dinner.
The dinner was spread out on the table and Sirius took his place next to Nymphadora. He had enjoyed getting to know his Neice, she was light-spirited and could always cheer up a room. Harry on the other hand was glowering at his two friends. He was obviously, and rightfully, upset that they didn't tell him anything. Sirius didn't have any worries though, the trio were fast friends there was no way they could be split up in one day.
After dinner and the order meeting, Remus and Hermione went back up to the study followed by Ron and Harry so Sirius thought it only right if he tagged along too.
Once they got there Remus pointed his wand at the wardrobe. "Here look at this" He opened the wardrobe and was met by a cloudy sky and a full moon.
Before Sirius could think he jumped in front of Remus and yelled, "FLIPENDO!" and knocked the boggart back into its container, locking it inside.
For a minute they stood in silence until Harry muttered, "What the fuck?" He quickly turned to Hermione, "I thought you said it was dead!"
"It was! Just a few hours ago, Harry I swe-" Before Hermione could complete her sentence Sirius shushed her.
"Shhh, listen." They listened and all they could hear was a faint,
Tick
Tick
Tick
"That sound was not here before," Remus said. It started to get louder and louder.
Tick
TICK
TICK
Before the blink of an eye, the sounds stopped and something wooshed into the room like someone had apparated. But that would be impossible, The wards in Grimmauld Place were too strong for any stranger to apparate inside. But this was no stranger.
Dark, damp curls, pale skin the sharp jawline that was widely associated with the Black family.
Regulus Black.