Take Two

12/07/1996 (12:30 AM)

Harry along with Ron and Hermione have gathered in the Black family library.

Like usual he and his friends arrived here after midnight to gain whatever knowledge they can get which can help them fight the war (in Hermione's case), to study different offensive and defensive spells (in Harry's case), and surprisingly Ron focused his attention on the Wizarding law books claiming they should know about it. After their individual studies were done for the day, they practiced duel two against one, with Harry teaching them the new spells that he was learning.

Some day they would take a break to eat or wander around the empty house. Once Harry came across Black's room whose door was shut. What intrigued him was that the door has a message pasted on it stating - Do not enter without the express permission of Regulus Arcturus Black. 

Harry's first thought was that Regulus sounded like a right poncy, pompus, pureblood git; some combination of Ron's brother Percy and his school rival Draco Malfoy, but then he remembered Black saying that wizarding world and its habbit to draw judgements on the basis of blood or appearance or first look or surname. Then he tried to think rationally of why there be any need for a teen to place such message on the door. Surely purebloods respected privacy of their kids and its not like Walburga will stop just bacause of a message board, if she is going to invade her sons' privacy then nothing and no one would stop her. That only leaves Sirius because he remember his godfather telling him that his father (Orion) was an absent parent. So it must be to stop an annoying older sibling from entering his room. Must be like the twins causing troubles for Ron.

His hand itches to open the door and ask the young black about it. To just talk to him. Learning about his childhood days which in no way relates to the war or politics or sides of fight, just a young little boy, maybe living a carefree childhood. 

But what does Harry himself know about carefree childhood, when he himself has not experienced one. Pressured to mature earlier then necessary. To smell the mood of his aunt and uncle to know if he will get food that night. Having no luxaries toys or clothes despite the trust money his parents have left him. No hugs and kisses and reassurance. No rebellions, cause stepping out of line was not tolerated.

Harry was sorted a Gryffindor in Hogwarts and all his actions later on indicated his recklessness and chivalary but before being the Harry Potter of the wizarding world, he was just Harry, a resourceful, self preserving kid whose only ambition was to get meals daily and used cunning to get as little punishment as possible. Who was determined to get scott free from Dudely 's bullying.

Maybe he and the young Black were not so different afterall. Both trying to keep their head down and follow orders.

He was brought out of his inner musings by the sound of throat clearing. He looks up to see Black standing there with his hands in his pockets, appearing a little uncomfortable now that he has the undivided attention of the three occupants of the room.

"Hey mate". Ron greets him, also catching the awkwardness in the room. He and Hermione also greets him with a smile, which he returns and nods in Ron's direction.

"Hope I am not disturbing you three". He asks. they shake their heads and motion for him to continue. "I was wishing to discuss about the Veil situation".

After recieving their agreement he sat on one of the couch. And opens some books and notes on the table.

"I have read through the books you lended me, some material was also available here in the library. The conclusion which I came up with is that it is doable." He tells them in a nuetral tone.

"We now have you so thats solved the problem of having a close family member for the ritual but what about that unfininshed business matter." Hermione inputs.

"Here in this book ," He passes a diary-isque book (Which must be from the Balck Library because its not from the books that Hermione gave to Regulus) towards the middle of the table, where a short para is highlighted, "It says that having 3 relatives works the best in the ritual, making it fool proof."

"Where will we bring the other two relatives from?, Mate you are'nt thinking about Bellatrix are you." Ron jokes.

Black rolls his eyes. "The books you have read says the person calling must be closely related and here this book says 3 relatives present makes the ritual strong. So combining those two, I will be there as close family member but if we bring three more black relatives then our chances of success are higher. So I was thinking my cousin Cissa............"

"If you are suggesting Malfoy and his mother then think again, they would sooner see us all dead then helping us in any manner." Harry snaps at him. What is Black playing at?

"Is this your master plan to bring your death eater friends in and what, take the boy who lived to your lord, so that he forgives you for your treachery." Ron says, angry even at the mere mention of there nemesis.

"Boys, let us all stay civil please." Hermione says, sensing the change in the rooms temprature.

Black clenches his jaw, mercurial eyes alight with fury. "No, first of all, I was suggesting you to be one of the relative Weasely, in case you have forgotten, your grandmother Cedrella Weasely was a Black by birth. " He grits out. "Secondly, I have already told you under an Oath that I am not a Death Eater, nor do I want to ever be associated to Voldemort, so what do I have to do to get it through your thick skulls. And thirdly, you don't know anything about my cousin Cissa, so you better keep your trap shut. And lastly do not take my politeness for my weakness, otherwise I will have to show you why BLacks are so feared for." He says in a carefully nuetral but cold voice, breathing heavily from anger, cheeks red.

Harry thinks Black looks strangely alive in his indignation and much better then his usual carefree, indifferent and well mannered self.

The lamps around the room flicker and air turns colder. Harry gets a distinct implication that the House is not happy with the occupants criticsing the family that lived in it, to which it is loyal and has surved for generations.

"Black,,,umm .... Regulus, we are sorry for implying that. Please calm down. Its just that none of us have any good experience with any of the Malfoys. We just know Lucius Malfoy is a death eater ready to kill 6 school children on his master's order and Draco Malfoy bullying children in the school and sprouting slurs. But you are right, we do not know anything about Narcissa Malfoy, we just projected our knowledge of the other two Malfoys and her sister and assumed she must be the same." Hermione tries to placate him, once again being the voice of the reason.

Black takes a deep breath and stares at all three of them to check for their intensions and relaxes a little when he finds their expression to be sincere.

"So you want me to participate in the ritual? " Ron asks after a minute, resuming the conversion.

"Yes, and while any of your siblings will also work for the the other two relatives in the ritual, It would be better to bring different branches of Black family member for which I was thinking about my cousin Cissa, but I know she is honour bound to her husband, so I have already discarded that as an option as she will not be able to keep it secret."

"What about your cousin Andromeda, she is on our side." Harry asks him.

He sighs. "Last I talked to Meda, I was 8 and she was 18, now I am 16 and she is 45. I don't know if she will listen to me. Blacks are already paranoid bunch and adding to that the fact that she knows I was dead, she will think I am came back using some dark evil ritual to help death eaters in war efforts.When in reality even I don't fully understand my supposed revival. So unless any of you know her personally, I don't think she will be ready to listen to me."

All three of them shake there heads, having never met the woman personally.

"What about Neville Longbottom, his great grandmother was also a Black. Right." Hermione suggests after some thinking.

"Do you guys know him. Will he agree if you ask him.?" Black says.

"We can talk to Neville." Ron says. Their friendship with the soft, kind hearted Gryffindor has grown since last year due to DA and the events of Department of mysteries. You don't fight together in a life threatening situation and come out as just simple friends. The bond forged in such conditions is for a lifetime.

Black Nods. 

"What about Tonks, she is a order member. She can help and we have met her." Hermione suggests once again.

"Meda's daughter?" Black asks.

"Yes her. I talked to her a few times last summer and during winter break. And she was the one who took me to hospital, after that spell from Dolohov, We are friendly, I can talk to her."

Black stares in a distance, maybe thinking about his cousin' s daughter, His 23 year old second cousin, who he had probably never met.

"But she is an Order member, what if she tells someone about our undercover mission or about Black here?." Ron says.

"Not to mention that she is an Auror, what if she thinks this is all illegal and has to inform her boss or something?." Harry says.

"No, this ritual is not illeagal technically. Basically there are no instances of this being performed in wizarding Britain so there is no law governing it. Thus, this ritual will be ruled by laws of International Confederation of Wizards, and the other times it was performed around the world there was no issue raised, or any of the party hurt. Thus this ritual is legal as per ICW." Ron says.

Harry is really impressed by his friend's newfound interest in legal matters, his dedication in helping Harry in bringing his Godfather back and his sincerity in his work. Judging by Hermione's impression, she is also thinking along the same line of thoughts. She is looking at Ron as if he has hung all the stars in the sky. 

All four of them think on what can be done.

"Also was'nt Andromeda disowned, so even if we can convince Tonks to help us, is she even eligible to be called as a relative of Sirius." Hermione muses.

"No, thats not a problem beacuse even if magically she was disowned, biologically they are still and will always be a part of this family." Black answers coming out of his thoughts. 

"You can try and appraoch her as a cousin of Sirius's and daughter of Andromeda's, In that way she will listen to you in her personal capacity and not as Auror tonks or an Order member. Ask her if she can help in the matter. But do not mention me to her until she takes an oath. Make sure that even if she denies helping you, she atleast does not go running to Dumbledore or any of your parents or relatives telling them about your midnight rendevouz. Use your mind, try to play the emotional card. Do not over share. Do not make her suspicious.The same goes for your friend Longbottom. Be careful." Black says slowly as if explaining to a bunch of toddlers, reminding him of Hermione when she is in her lecture mode.

"Merlin, there's two of them." Ron mutters pointing towards Hermione and Black. "Hermione are you sure, you are not some long lost relative of Blacks. The similarirties." He shudders playfully.

Hermione rolls her eyes at the red head's comments. Black observes them as if trying to understand the trio's group dynamic. "I sound like that Ronald only when you two are not using that brain of yours and running head first into situations." She huffs.

Ron and Harry looks towards her inncocently as if they do not understand what is she trying to say.

"ohh honestly you two. Anyways, so Black this moves the matter of the people who will be performimg the ritual. But about this unfinished business." Hermione prompts Black.

Black bites his lips and contemplates his answer. "I can not answer that question. Unfinished business is a personal matter and no one but Sirius can know what were his goals which now remail unfulfilled. Though the only thing I can come up with, which will work is this matter is his unfinished busniess as the heir to the house of Black."

"But he was disowned." Harry interjects.

"Yes, he was disowned by my father who was the Lord Black at the time and made me the Heir and next in line. But after my death in 1979, later my father's death in that same year, my grandfather once again became Lord Black. Then when Sirius was sent to Azkaban and maybe due to grandfather's depleting health and him thinking that Sirius has sided with the Dark Lord, he must have welcomed him back to the family and made him his Heir again. That is how Sirius was able to enter Grimmauld Place. "

"Okay. But I don't suppose he will be much too happy with being bought back to life only to be stuck with Black family business." Harry says carefully so as not to insult Black again.

"No I don't suppose he will be. But it would be helpful if he became Lord Black."

After seeing confusion on their faces he continues, "Black family used to carry a lot of power once. At present, I can only imagine Lucius Malfoy enjoying being in the league in the wake of wreckage of my family and also vying for Black family seat now that Sirius is gone."

"But having political power is a smart decision if only my brother puts his Gryffindor pride aside for just a second. Just think about it, if at any time news had gotten out that the Dark lord that so many purebloods are aligning with is a Halfblood. Then so many deaths would have been prevented not by fighting the death eaters but using cunnings to shorten the supply amongst deatheaters. I can only imagine for how long Dumbledore has been sitting on this knowledge and not spreading it."

"There are many things that needs to be controlled politically in the times of war. I know my brother is going to hate it, because he is not a planner or a strategist, he is a fighter. But sometimes war are not won through swords and on the battle grounds but through behind the door workings. Besides this I cannot think of anything." He concludes.

"I think this makes sense in a way. I mean the ritual requires members of his family to participate in. Thus it will help bring a Black family member using other black family members for a black family business." Hermione says.

"Also its not like he has to follow through, he can say, sorry not interested once he gets back." Ron jokes.

The house shakes a little at that, expressing its disagreement. Harry supresses a chuckle.

"Okay, okay, sorry Grimmauld." Ron says trying to calm down the house, raising his hands in surrender. Black also appears to be amused by his friend's antiques.

"And the books we read also stated that the people who came back also did not tell about the unfininshed business bit, stating that it was their family and House matter, so maybe we are on the right path." Hermione says appearing to be excited at the prospect of their plan moving forward.

"The black family magic will also provide a guidance beacuse there is no Lord as of today and their has not been an upstanding Lord of the House of Black in the recent generations. My father left familial, political and societal matters in the hands of my mother and focused solely on finance and business aspect of the house. So for all intent and purpose mother was the head. My grandfather and great grandfather and other recent heads were too resistant to change with change in society. Remember the Gift that Mother Magic gave to the Blacks it was that Blacks will recieve fortune for working for Magic, magical beings and magical society. But at the end they lost their direction and claimed that the Blacks stood for blood purity but in reality it was never purity of Blood but the purity of Magic."

"Sirius as hot headed and brash as he was, atleast had the most right idea about equality among magical beings. He had a way with magical creatures as well. In a way due to his resentment towards our family he started supressing that part of himself that was from Black family magic, because as a child I remember his grip on elemental magic was strong for a child but till the time he left, he lost his touch upon instictual magics."

"In an ideal world he would have stayed the Heir and then became the Lord Black and lead the house in the right direction, no one could have objected orders of the head and our family would not have reached to its rough end. He could have also helped his friends and muggles and muggleborns as a whole in this fight against Voldemort that way in a much more strong, strategic and powerful way. But alas my brother was a thorough Gryffindor till the end and fought his Slytherin cunning even from himself to never see light of the day." Black says, lost in his memories of past.

Ron clears his throat to gain Black's attention. "Soooo,,, this is the route we are following then?" Asking all of them.

"My brother is going to hate me for this but I do not think there is any other option available to us." Black says resigningly.

"No, I also want Sirius to come out of that limbo and not be struck there for eternity. If this is the way then we will follow through." Harry says hoping to instill some confidence in Black.

Hermione also nods her approval. "We wil talk to Neville and tonks and then meet again and also the ritual requires.........."

Whatever she was going to say is interupted by the sound of Mrs. Black's shrieking picture alerting them to someone's arrival.

"Kreacher, apparate all of us in my room quitely and turn all the lamps off in the library. Also remove all traces of us four from here. Quick." Black wispers.

Who has come so late and more importantly were they going to be dicovered by this new arrival.