Chapter 113 - Trouble in Paradise (2/2)

”What about those three?” Terry mumbled with a mouthful of food.

”Nope, none of them did,” Lupin confessed before taking a spoonful of his food. Terry and Lupin fall silent as they fill their rumbling bellies.

Almost finished with her meal, Rowan happens to glance up to find Sirius staring rather baffled at his younger brother further down the table. ”What's so surprising?” Rowan asked as she tore off a piece of the perfectly soft roll.

Sirius tears his eyes away and says, ”He's made friends all on his own.”

”Did you expect him not too?” Rowan said with a frown.

”Well, he's in Slytherin and he's a Black!” Sirius exclaimed.

Rowan narrows her eyes and frostily says, ”If I recall correctly there happens to be a Black that is Gryffindor. And as for Slytherin, what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

Seeing Rowan's cold gaze, James instantly nudges Sirius with his elbow. ”I'm sure Sirius, doesn't mean anything by that, do you, Sirius?”

Sirius winces in pain at the sharp elbow nudge into his ribcage. Rubbing his side, Sirius says, ”I just meant I didn't think he'd make friends with a muggleborn. I know for a fact that gangly boy isn't a pureblood. The rest of them sure are purebloods, but he's not.”

”For someone who supposedly does not care about blood purity, you seem to care an awful lot, Sirius Black,” Rowan pointedly retorted. Sirius flushes red as Terry, Lupin, James, and Pettigrew share uneasy glances sensing that things were about to go very wrong.

”Well, isn't that what Slytherins only care about, blood purity? Because that's what Salazar certainly did!” Sirius snapped back.

”And?” Rowan arched her eyebrow.

”He was a bloody purist!” Sirius sputtered.

”In an era, where witches and wizards were being burned at stake! I do not believe his views were wrong, but rather his actions were.”

”Are you saying that you're fine with muggleborn wizards not being allowed into Hogwarts?!”

”No, that is not what I said. I said I understood his desire for blood purity at a time when the entire muggle world was violently turning against wizardkind.”

”Stop it, Sirius!” James finally said as pulled Sirius back by the shoulder into his seat. ”You know Rowan isn't like that, she's a half-blood for Merlin's sake!”

”Okay, that's enough!” Lupin said as he motioned for Pettigrew to clamp his hand over Sirius's mouth to stop him from saying something foolish in his anger.

Sirius seems unable to stop as his mouth runs off on its own. ”But James, she's in Slytherin!” A pin drop can be heard as Pettigrew claps his hands onto Sirius's mouth too late. Even Pettigrew looks appalled as Terry narrows his eyes darkly at Sirius. The entire Great Hall is silent as everyone turns their heads in the direction of the commotion.

”So, it that you truly think of us, Slytherins, Sirius Black?” Rowan icily said. ”It would seem that my brother is no longer in need of your so-called friendship.”

Rising to her feet, Sirius opens his mouth to speak, but Rowan cuts him off. ”I would like to remind you of one very critical fact. Yes, it is true that Salazar Slytherin left because of his pureblood ideals. But he also taught the greatest wizard that the wizarding world has ever produced, Merlin Ambrosius. Many seem to conveniently forget that not only was he a Slytherin, but he was the fiercest muggle protector of them all. We Slytherins may be a great deal of many things, but weaklings, we are not.”

Rowan paused for a breath, Sirius tries to speak for her to only coldly continue ”Allow me to remind you of two more important facts. Though Slytherin has indeed produced dark wizards, we have no more than the three other houses. Azkaban is not solely comprised of Slytherins, but rather of house members belonging to the rest of the three houses.

And, though our house is many things it most certainly did not produce the darkest wizard of all time, Gilbert Grindelwald. But rather Durmstrang did. And yet, I do not hear nor see others accusing Durmstrang of solely producing dark wizards, but rather we Slytherins. So, tell me, Sirius Black, who is the hypocrite now?” Turning on her heels, Rowan rapidly strides away as Terry gets to his feet.

”You know Black, I am many things, but I would never treat a friend like that,” Terry coldly said.

”Good day everyone,” before returning to the Slytherin table. Whispers suddenly fill the hall as some of the Slytherins wear triumphant expressions on their faces, while others are filled with mixed feelings of pride and fascination.

”Just what is wrong with you, Sirius Black?” The loud booming voice of Lily can be heard as she marches right over to give Sirius a piece of her mind.

”But I-,” Sirius tries to speak and explain himself to only meet the eyes of Severus. Severus's opal eyes seem entirely cold as he turns his back on Sirius and walks over to sit with Terry at the Slytherin table.

Sirius flinches at the hurt seen in Bethanie's eyes as Tiffany and Silvia drag her away and back to their house table. But the worst is the disappointed gaze of his younger brother, who quietly says goodbye to his friends, before walking back to Slytherin with his head down with shame and mortification.

”You fix this now, Sirius Black. Or else you won't be welcome here anymore,” Lily growled, before stomping back to the stunned figures of Willa and Mary. Seeing Sirius's gaze, Willa gives Sirius the two fingered salute and turns her back on him. Even Mary curls her lips in disdain and offers him her cold stark back.

”I didn't mean too,” Sirius lamely said as even Pettigrew shakes his head at Sirius's gigantic blunder.

”You really messed up, Siri,” James finally muttered at seeing Sirius's fraught expression.

”Aren't you going to apologize, Sirius?” Lupin unhappily asked.

”I-. I-,” Sirius is unable to finish his sentence as Lupin narrows his wolfish eyes. ”You don't even know? Don't you know how cruel of that was of you, Sirius?! You always complain about by ostracized for being a Gryffindor in your family, but aren't you always doing the same?!”

Seeing Sirius looking all miserable, Lupin leaps to his feet. ”Until you apologize, Sirius, we are not speaking terms,” Lupin plainly stated.

Sirius hurriedly protests, ”But Remey!”

”No, buts! Are you coming, Pete?” Lupin asked as he stared at the mousy boy with chocolate-colored eyes.

Pettigrew glances at Sirius and James for a moment, before saying, ”Rowan and I don't like each other very much, but she's never treated me like that, Sirius. And besides she's a girl, you're supposed to treat them nicely. My mother taught me that.” Pettigrew climbed to his feet and quickly trotted alongside Lupin as they both left the Great Hall.

”And you, James?” Sirius desperately asked as he gazed up at his best friend.

”You really cocked it up this time, Siri,” James sighed again. ”But I'll stick by your side even if I think you're a real cockup.”

”Thanks, James,” Sirius slightly sniffed as he glanced at his half-eaten plate of food. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, a tiny 1st-year girl by the name of Letitia Bones began to rant at him and call him all manner of names for being a prejudiced Gryffindor.