Chapter 159: Anger Issues (1/2)

”So you and my mom were friends?” Harry asked Aurelia, as Bill, Mr. Weasley, Charlie and Leyla started a discussion about goblins; and Fred, George and Ron were hearing a story from Mundungus.

”Yes. We were best friends in school.” Aurelia said. ”Lily was very upset when I couldn't make it to her wedding. But she understood that I had loads of work at that time.”

”Like she believed that.” Sirius injected. ”Everyone knew you were against James and Lily's marriage, even Lily herself.”

Harry looked bewildered.

”Sirius!” Remus looked alarmed.

Aurelia's face twisted, and it looked like she was going to snap at Sirius, but then she spoke very calmly, ”I was never that much childish, Black. I'm not that kind of friend, who'll skip her best friends wedding just because she doesn't like the man her friend is marrying. But tell me, Black, were you and your friends likable enough during Hogwarts? No offence Remus.”

”Not taken.” Remus said smiling.

But Harry seemed to be taken a big offence.

”What do you mean?” he asked Aurelia, looking a bit angry.

”Oh, ask your Godfather, what I mean Harry.” Aurelia chuckled. ”Haven't you told him anything about your little group, Black?”

”He did. The Marauders. I know.” Harry said confidently.

Aurelia this time smiled a little more.

”It's a start Harry, a good start.” she said. ”But you see, James and Lily's history doesn't end at the Marauders. There's lot to it, isn't it Black?”

Sirius looked away but Remus smiled and nodded, ”True.”

Ginny, Hermione and Chris looked at each other. They were planning to ask Sirius about Regulus Arcturus Black and there was a chance.

”Sirius, can I ask you something?” Chris said.

”Yes, Chris?” Sirius replied.

”Well... the other day we were cleaning the drawing room, and there was a tapestry.” Chris said. ”So I was just curious, who's Regulus Arcturus Black?”

It was a bad idea. Sirius looked more disdainful than before.

”My brother.” He said with a ugly expression. ”I guess you didn t find me in the tapestry, did you?”

Hermione and Ginny shook their heads together.

”I used to be.” Sirius gave a bitter laugh. ”My sweet old mother blasted me off after I ran away from home.”

”You ran away from home?” Harry and Chris said together.

”When I was about sixteen,” said Sirius. ”I'd had enough.”

”Where did you go?” asked Harry, staring at him.

”Your dad's place,” said Sirius. ”Your grandparents were really good about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son. Yeah, I camped out at your dad's during the school holidays, and then when I was seventeen I got a place of my own, my Uncle Alphard had left me a decent bit of gold, after that I looked after myself. I was always welcome at Mr. and Mrs. Potter's for Sunday lunch, though.”

”But . . . why did you . . . ?” Hermione asked.

”Leave?” Sirius smiled more bitterly. ”Because I hated the whole lot of them: my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a Black made you practically royal . . . my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them . . . that's him, Regulus Arcturus Black.”

”But then what happened to him?” Chris said.

”Stupid idiot . . . he joined the Death Eaters.” Sirius replied quickly. ”But he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort's orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It's a lifetime of service or death.”

”Maybe there's more to the story.” Ginny muttered.