After escaping Hogwarts on Buckbeak, Sirius had a thought his canon self never had. This one realization leads him to the only logical conclusion he could render. It was time to stop running from his responsibility’s and his destiny. It was time to complete the Black Lordship Ritual…
P:A ritual of Madness.
He frowned as he struggled through the decaying halls of Blackwall, the ancestral home of the Black family.
None of the main line had lived here for decades, his grandfathers both living in their own properties, grandfather Pollux, uncle Cygnus, or Cygnus the third, uncle Alphard, and his horrible mother had resided or grown in Grimmault place, meaning that Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa had as well.
Plus, when his father had married back into the line of Cygnus the second, he too had moved to Grimmault place, from his proper Home in Blackwall.
Arcturus, he later found out, had been so disgusted with his own son that he banished him from this place, and as far as he knew, Sirius was the only one to return to these halls from Arcturus line.
Arcturus too, had left the grounds at some point to live at Summerset cottage, located about half way from Blackwall to London, to be closer to the ‘unruly children’ of the black family.
Some time in between regulus dying and his own imprisonment.
He loved his time at Summerset, and would have gone there first in any other time.
To his knowledge, only his great aunt Cassiopeia, who had become the steward of House Black after the session of Orion to Sirius as heir, had resided in the family home for the last 20 years.
Of course, Cassiopeia had passed away just two years ago, the last of the names blacks not imprisoned.
Pollux had died at Grimmault, just as his son Cygnus who followed, and his daughter Walburga who proceeded him.
Aunt Lucretia, who was also the aunt of Molly Weasly, passed a few months after Cassiopeia, warm in her bed, Molly now the last remaining Prewett by blood, meaning one of the children would be taking her place as the head of the Prewett family.
His money was on Charley, as Bill was the heir of house Weasly, but he had heard mention of the twins taking the house as they were named in likeness to Fabian and Gideon.
Made more sense logically too. Two male members to repopulate instead of just one. A thought for later.
He supposed that Callidora or Cedrella might still be alive. He hadn’t known though, he supposed he could ask Arthur, she was his mother afterall, through her marriage to Septimus Weasley… actually, he should check anyway; because while he knew Arthur was the third child of septimus, he was now likely the head of House Weasly, the only male of the children to survive the Blood War.
Callidora being Agusta’s sister in law, so she could be alive and held up at the Longbottom family lands…
But back to the reason he had returned to the damnable grounds of the Black families native home land.
He found himself at a cross roads, one he never, ever thought he would face before.
He was openly defying the order of Albus Dumbledore.
After Harry and Hermione had released him from his temporary prison in the tower, he had been instructed, via the most polite howler he had ever received, to go to Grimmault place, and utilize the protections there to hide until Albus could find evidence to clear his name. IF he couldn’t stand that, he was to go to the continent or to an overseas black property and lay low there until further notice.
In any other life or timeline, he would have done so, likely going to the black owned secret island in Canary chain, since there was a small settlement there that could get him what he needed…
But he had a thought on the way there…
He had been contemplating how long it would take for albus to find evidence of Peter’s survival, memories or what not, and get him free.
In another time, he would think that it would only take weeks…
But… Albus hadn’t even looked into the fact that he hadn’t had a trial…
And after snape corroborated that petegrew had been a death eater AND that he had in fact not been? Albus still hasn’t done anything…
Even when he was being held for the ministry at hogwarts, Albus, as chief warlock, hadn’t recinded the kiss on site order…
No, now albus hadn’t once helped him, until the warlock had sent CHILDREN to free him.
Harry. He had sent harry on a mission to free a man who was imminently facing dementors, again…
In fact… Had it not been dumbledore that vouched for snape?
Had it not been dumbledore that indirectly held Sirius in Azkaban for TWELVE YEARS?!
Had it not been Albus whom cast the fidelius?! Albus KNEW he wasn’t the secret keeper!
Albus KNEW that he was Harry’s godfather!
Albus KNEW that petunia, that ripe cunt, HATED magic and everything magical, that she HATED James. That there was no chance in hell that harry was safe there.
Oh sure, no death eaters would be able to find the lad, as cotty as the old warlock was, he was brilliant, and the blood wards were a work of art, he had inspected them himself before harry blew up his aunt… But Petunia and her borish asshole husband treating a clearly magical wizard, even one of the same blood, with anything resembling love?
It was as if Albus didn’t care about anything other than keeping Harry alive.
The incident in his first year with a possessed Quirll? Well thank Snivilus for gloating about Harry nearly dying then, otherwise he’d have never known.
Then there was the chamber incident.
The prophet had covered it up, but the weaslys winning the prophets yearly lottery wasn’t by chance, they were bribed off after Ginny Weasley almost died due to the ministery removing Albus and Hagrid without due cause and nearly getting the girl killed in the process…
In fact, once again, it hadn’t been a teacher or Albus himself that had saved the day in their own school… it was HARRY!
And suddenly, everything Snapped into frame.
Sirius may have been the least intelligent of the marauders, arguably now that Peter had revealed he had fooled them for nearly a decade, but he hadn’t been the fifth best student in his class theoretical wise for nothing.
Sirius was hyper intelligent, but he had been surrounded by some of the brightest minds the wizarding world had ever seen. Hadn’t helped that he didn’t really much care for any class that didn’t get him closer to being an auror…
Did Sirius hold O level newts in defense, potions, charms, and transfiguration? Sure, and a E in ancient runes too, since you needed 5 and he found the subject fascinating, but only those. Everything else he left an owl level, where sure, he had Os in 9 subjects, but he had been focused on becoming an Auror, so his last two years in school were rather sparse compared to James and Remus, both of who had 7 O level newts, with James perusing a mastery in Transfiguration and, to his knowledge, Remus earning his mastery in Defense.
Yes, Sirius was a top five student in his class, a class of over a hundred if he recalled correctly… he was number 5 though…
James was working towards a transfiguration mastery during his seventh year, same for Lilly in charms, and she was to start potions mastery with Slughorn as soon as he was done teaching Snivilus.
Snivilus, for as much as Sirius LOTHED the greasy git, was a genius in potions and in defense.
…Pretty smart all around, though he’d never admit that out loud…
Remus was all around well read and was at his best in defense, it was only his monthly missed classes that kept him from being top theoretical student. Remus placed second, behind only Lilly. James and snape had traded off the third and fourth spot, but James finally took third upon graduating. Sirius had been firmly planted in fifth ever since the end of 5th year.
But that didn’t mean Sirius was stupid.
Brash, arrogant, foolhardy, yes.
But not stupid.
Arcturus had trained him since the Age of 6 all the way until he had run away from home his fifth year. A decade of learning, studying, obsessing, over the most powerful Black in generations had led to him being an incredibly sharp mind, one that he had, in his youth, focused on petty subjects and goals…
But that same mind, rattled and rubbed raw from a dozen years of dementor exposure, had now laser focused the best it could on one thought.
Albus Dumbledore was not his friend, not his Ally. The man was using him, and the man was using everyone around him to march to some goal that no one would ever know until it was over.
That didn’t sit well with Sirius Orion Black.
Trusting Dumbledore, as far as he could tell, had gotten James and Lilly killed, had gotten him twelve unearned years in Azkaban. Had caused Harry a life of nothing but hardship.
He was no one’s fucking puppet, not anymore.
So… here he was, walking through Blackwall, heading for a room he had never once truly considered using before.
A room his grandfather had shown him only once, and he was only ever inside once.
The Black family ritual chamber. That one time had been when he was eight, when he took the Heirship ritual.
Yes, Grimmault Place had a ritual chamber as well, but it was barely a cheap imitation of the one that made up the bulk of the lowest basement at Blackhall.
Wall to wall stone slabs, ten feet thick made the floor and ceiling. The walls just as stout, and generations of runes and charms had made it into a room naught impenetrable.
And it had to be, for what he would have to do.
He passed by one of the storage rooms, and walked to the large stone slab at the end of the long underground hallway, placing his hand against it.
He took a deep breath.
“I… I, Sirius Orion Black, named Heir of the House of Black, Successor of Aucturous Sirius Black, here by request entry to the full breath of the House of Blacks true secret.” Sirius said as he pushed his hand into the stone harder, as it began to glow an eire green color. “Always Pure. Toujours Pur.”
The stone vanished, leaving Sirius to stumble into the room, only to be enveloped by a bright white light, and hear three distinct popping noises.
“The Black Magic’s be recognized a new master!”
“Flopsy be blessed to see a new lord black!”
“The bad son is the new master?”
Sirius blunk, looking down at the three beings before him.
Teddy he knew, she had been Cassiopeia’s personal elf. She smiled up with tears in her eyes. “The misses favorite returns! Teddy can finally serve!”
He hadn’t known the second elf, Flopsy apparently, he had incredibly large ears and his eyes seemed… off, but he smiled just as big.
Perhaps one of the branch families elfs? He knew he wasn’t Narcissa’s, unless something had happened to Lucious elf…
And fucking Kreature.
“How you survived without mothers teet to suckle from ill never understand, Kreature.” Sirius bit off, startiling the other two elfs.
“The bad sons be the new master… but lord Orions named lady Cissy as heir?” Kreature looked genuinely confused.
“Lord Sirius has always been Lords Arcturus heir.” Teddy said resolutely, marching to kreature and prodding him in the chest repeatedly. “Lords Arcturus be passed now, so Lords Sirius be the new master!”
Kreature shook his head and held his ear in his hands. “No no! No! The mistress says that hims was cast out! Kreature won’t serve a false master! Kreatures will respect the mistresses wishes!”
Sirius, as angry with the little monster that was his mothers ‘favorite son’, found himself wondering. “Teddy… was I actually officially disowned? Was andromeda or uncle Alphard?”
Teddy spun quickly, a smile on her face as she stepped forward. “No Master, Lady Cassy ensured Teddy that as Regent, Lords Orion and Lady’s Walburga couldn’t cast you out. Onlys Master Arcturus and Heir- master Sirius can. As for miss Adromeda or sir Alphard… Teddy does not know sir. Though Teddy believes that Sir Aplhard be passed.”
“The mistress was NOT regent!” Kreature bellowed. “The mistress was in charge! The mistress said!”
“Um… Flopsy is not a main family elf, Flopsy be a Potter Elf, but Mistress Dorea sent me to lady Cassiopeia until a new Potter Master claims Flopsy.” The large eared elf said shyly. “Potters Family Magic Recognized Master Sirius, but Flopsy knows not why.”
Sirius blunk and shook his head, Kreature having a panic attack further off in the darkness as Teddy and now Flopsy exchanged shrugs and looked back to him.
‘Nots the bad son bee the new master?! The mistress casts him out! The mistress is absolute!’
Sirius sighed.
“Kreature! Return to Grimmault and stay there until I call you again!” Sirius finally snapped, and to his surprised, and apparently Kreatures, the elf instantly obeyed.
“Kreatures be seeming to have been lied toos.” Teddy said sadly. “Mistress Cassy often said how lord Orion and Lady Walburga tried to steal the house… poor Kreatures…”
“My parents were the worst of the family, I’m not surprised that they might have done that after I left.” He said absentmindedly.
“But yous here now sir!” Flopsy said with a grin.
“Does Master Sirius wish to finish his Lordship rituals?” Teddy asked with a smile. “Mistress showed Teddy where the notes are! Let Teddy retrieves them for Master!”
And in a poof, she was gone, leaving Flopsy with Sirius.
“So your name is Flopsy and you are a Potter elf? Do you remember James?” Sirius asked as he knelt down closer to the elf.
Flopsy’s eyes grew downcast. “Flopsy had not seen Mister James in a long time, sirs. Flopsy can’t feel him eithers.”
“James passed away… a bout two years after Dorea, if I recall…” Sirius said sadly. “I loved him dearly. He was more a brother to me than even Regulus was.”
Flopsy’s ears collapsed completely, covering one eye as the little elf cried. “Flopsy assumed sir…”
“But James had a son. My godson, Harry.” Sirius said with a sad smile. “I’m hoping I can adopt him properly once my name is cleared…”
Flopsy froze, his lone visible eye acending slowly until it locked with Sirius. “Mister James a son? There be a potter alive?! Why can’t Flopsy feel him sir?!”
Sirius frowned. “I don’t know Flopsy… but I’ve seen him just a few hours ago. He’s at hogwarts, and he’s the spitting image of James and of lord Fleamont.”
“The new son looks like Sir Fleasy?”
Sirius almost snorted as he heard the elf refer to THEE Fleamont Potter as ‘Fleasy’, but he nodded. “Just the same.”
A sudden pop next to him and a large tome in his face followed. “This be the preparation manual for the ritual Master! Teddy will begin gathering the ingredients! Come Flopsy!”
Sirius blunk as he was left in the room with only the book in his hand..
That was the preparation manual?
The damn thing was almost as thick as the family Grimlore!
-two weeks later-
Sirius rested his back against the stone wall of the hallway, keeping an eye on the elfs as he caught his breath.
The little buggers had drained more than ten gallons of blood out of him over the last ten days, using it in a potion that created the median used to write out the ritual along the ground, and walls.
Rituals weren’t very well known, and certainly not taught at hogwarts. The black family, however, were rumored to be the foremost ritual experts in Britain.
That rumor, to his knowledge, was accurate.
They could be inane and simple, a ritual to cure bad vision or even to tame wild hair, and the cost would be next to nothing. James of course declined his offers, deep down, James loved the potter hair…
But all rituals did have a cost. A simple ritual may only cost the magic needed to fuel it.
Maybe a clove of hair, or a pinch of blood. A spot of magic usually was included, but there was always a ‘modifier’ of sacrifice.
This ritual was the far, far other end of the spectrum.
The first sacrifice, was the blood he had given. The stronger or greater the ritual, the stronger the median needed to be.
It was no coincidence that his blood would be needed, and a lot of it.
The second sacrifice in this ritual were a number of animals, symbolic ones at that. Rabbits to symbolize new life, a fox to symbolize the hunt of perfection, various birds for whatever reason… Teddy had been very happy to point out where in the ritual that each was needed when asked, but after the thirtieth question, he had felt it a better use of time to let the two elves work while he simply used his time to read some of his grandfathers journals, and begin reading the vast tomes of the family history.
Kreature had of course stuck his nose in a few times, pleading with the other two to stop the ritual and stop him from becoming lord on order of Walburga, but Teddy would have none of it, and would send Kreature away each time.
The last time, he had ordered Kreature to clean and prepare Grimmault place for long term guests, and demanded that Kreature confront the damnable portrait of Walburga he kept talking about, and find out what really happened to andromeda and Aplhard.
It was a stark reminder that his parents, or at least his mothers portrait, still hated everything that he was.
-one week later-
Sirius stood, as still as he possibly could as the two elfs worked diligently around him.
He was a bit woozy from the amount of blood Teddy had drained from him, the last needed for the Lordship Ritual, but he had already taken a blood replenishing potion and was feeling better.
He wearilied eyed the other eight potion vials that sat on the table in the far side of the room, he’d have to take those after the ritual…
He REALLY didn’t like that four of those eight were nutrition potions, and not the meal replacement ones that Poppy used to feed them in the infirmary… they were the hyper potent ones used to help Azkaban prisoners recover after their sentence was over.
And it was 1 ounce for every year of the stay.
There was thirty two ounces between the four. He was only 32. It would be more than enough for years of malnutrition and abuse...
Those potions had been hard to come by, and had cost a fortune, however, the goblins were good allies to have, so long as you had the galleons to motivate them…
The other four weren’t much better. Two calming droughts and two hyper potent dreamless sleep potions.
He had really underestimated exactly how brutal This lordship ritual was going to be.
Grandfather had once told him ‘After that ritual, the only thing you’ll have to fear is your wife, and death itself’ and apparently the old codger was holding out because he hadn’t said WHY THAT WAS THE CASE!
It was because the Pain that resulted from the Black Lordship ritual was apparently unlike anything he had ever contemplated, let alone felt.
But there was a reason for that.
The ritual was as old as the family itself, in fact, if the original author, Gerauld of Stitchcombe, was to be believed, the first ritual itself had been responsible for the birth of the Black Family magic.
It hadn’t been built up by dozens of Black members over centuries like most others, no. It had been created in an instant, and only grew as it propagated through the generations.
The Black magic was so unfathomably strong, that it would kill any Lord whom tried to accept all of it before doing the ritual.
He had been told in his youth that no child had ever taken to the black family magic as perfectly as him, not even the next closest, Bellatrix, could compare in the raw power that Sirius black could channel.
His fathers bald spot was apparently a result of that. The man had berated him as a child to the point that Sirius feared for his life, and in a bout of accidental magic, he had lit the man on fire.
At 3 years old.
What terrified him, was that in Arcturus’ own notes, he claimed that he had no special bond with the family magic before the ritual. He had been the most intelligent, and the oldest of the grandchildren of Phinius Nigelus Black. He had been chosen in the old way. Nearing Phinius’s death, he had chosen the child that had shown the best fortitude.
Unlike Arcturus’s, Sirius had been hand picked by his grandfather as a baby, when Sirius, apparently, Sneezed and blew out half of saint mungos’s maternity ward.
It had caused a great rift between Orion and Arcturus, but that was a tale for another time.
Because as unremarkable magically as Arcturus had been as a 24 year old, for a Black at least, he had instantly became the strongest of his generation after completing the ritual, and very, very few of the generation after him came close, the closet being Charlus and Fleamont Potter, though both of the Potter heirs had only been about ten years younger.
His grandfather had become infamous for his role in the war against Grindlewald in Britain, and himself and Charlus had been heralded as the reason that Gellert’s army’s never stepped foot past the shores of the channel.
The war had taken a toll on him though.
The family magic of house Black was far stronger than any other house, simply because it was much OLDER than any other house, and therefore had more life and skill to draw from. The dumbledore family magic was reportedly only a few generations younger, and the Potters and Greengrass could claim the same… But generations were multiplications.
It had been why Arcturus had selected Sirius and never blinked after doing so.
Sirius WAS magically powerful, beyond what had ever been seen in recent generations. Without doubt, had he not been sent to Azkaban and rotted away for a decade, he may have been as powerful as the aging dumbledore was now-
Sirius eyes narrowed.
Luckily, he hadn’t much time to ruminate on that very upsetting thought.
“Master, yous can leave the circle now.” Teddy said as she happily handed him a vial. “For the nerveses, take it just before the ritial! We start in fifteen minutes, as the full moon is at its peak!”
Sirius smiled and bent over rubbing her head. “You’ve done great so far Teddy. Thank you.”
Teddy blunk away a few tears as she nodded. “It’s be my greatest honor, master.”
Sirius smiled as she wondered out of the room.
In his ruminations, he didn’t see the very concerned look on Flopsy’s face, the little elfs enormous ears flat against his head.
Sirius stretched out and looked over the vial, blue in color. Looked remarkably similar to a calming draught itself, if not for the color.
He swirled it, then returned to his thoughts.
Per the notes his grandfather left in the tome, and the general gist of the point of the ritual, the ritual only related to the Family magic tangentially.
The ritual was a marvel of innovation and the dozens of magical arts. It was the black families greatest kept secret, and it was a ritual that, in the wrong hands, could end the world itself.
The Ritual, to his knowledge, destroyed and rebuilt the body into its most magically conductive form, perfectly. When he awoke, he would be as optimized as he could possibly be. There wouldn’t be a single cell of his body that wasn’t perfectly attuned to channel his magic, and efficiently as possible at that.
That didn’t mean, obviously, that he’d instantly become all powerful. The body itself was only partially responsible for the power a witch or wizard could control. If that were the case, there would be hardly any true muggle born.
The spirit was another component, and the mind was the last.
If the scripts and research were correct, the normal witch or wizard was at about 20-25%.
That’s how much of the magic that they had available to them, that they could command and control.
Blacks, as a general, could channel at about 20-40%. It was a reason that the black family blood was so coveted, almost as much as their prestige or wealth.
Not only was the magic available to them more potent, they usually could command more of it.
He himself was likely at that very upper end of what was naturally possible. He knew that regulus and narcissa paled in comparison to him, but even andromeda and Bellatrix, both Being years older than him, could only rarely compete with him.
Once he reached his majority, he had found it almost pitiful how much weaker his own brother and youngest cousin were in comparison… and laughable that Bellatrix thought them close.
Arcturus had been probably the fourth or fifth most powerful of his generation of Black before the ritual… he had gained about 2 times his previous power due to this ritual, and outclassed everyone, including the generation older than him as a result.
As had Phinius Nigelus, and Bartelus, and pretty much every single one of those that had partaken in it. They felt as if their natural power doubled.
Meaning that, Sirius, who likely could channel nearly 40% of his family magic now… could possibly channel 80% of it after the ritual.
80% of the accumulative Black Family Magic.
Would that even be truly possible? He felt that his estimate of power, should he have matured properly instead of in a fucking dementor guarded prison over the last dozen year, being near albus now, wasn’t a stretch.
… Old and feeble albus, not albus in his prime, obviously.
Did Albus somehow know of the ritual?
Did albus know that Sirius would have become twice as powerful as the aging Albus himself?
Had Albus held him in Azkaban… simply to keep him from ever becoming a true lord black?
What would the reasons be? He was loyal to albus in those days, and he’d be even more loyal if albus had kept him from prison…
“Wes be approaching time master!” Teddy cheered as she came back into the room, though she was preoccupied by the book in her arms. “Please be standing in the center, facing Teddy, and takes the potion.”
Sirius nodded and did so, moving into the center of the chaotic circles of runes, glyphs, various dead animals, and tree bark… he hadn’t understood the tree bark, but it was in the instructions.
He stood, and took the potion, tossing the glass vial out the door as he had been instructed.
He felt the calming effects take hold as he sighed out-
His eyes widened. He couldn’t feel his body…
He couldn’t move his body!
“Ok…” he looked to see Flopsy taking the book away from Teddy, and the little elf bawling uncontrollably as she took a knee. “Onlys a few minutes now…”
“Teddy?! What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Why can’t I move.” Sirius asked, then demanded.
Teddy looked up at him. “The Ritual be requiring a sacrifice of a loyal life, Master Sirius. Mistress Cassy been sure Master Sirius would never complete the ritual had he been knowing…”
Sacrifice a loyal life?
No…
No! Not teddy!
“No! No Teddy I command you to stop at once!” Sirius said, panic in his voice.
“Master Sirius is a good master. It’s Teddys greatest honor to give her life for Master Sirius to become the true lord black!” Teddy smiled as she cried, her body coiling in on itself as she faught his orders. “Pl-Please! Stop telling teddy to s-stop sir!”
“No god damn you! I command you as lord black, listen to Me and stop this ritual!” Sirius faught to move, but it was no use. “Flopsy! Stop her!”
Flopsy shook his head. “She be not stopping sir… Mister Sirius is not truly lord black until after the rituals be complete… Miss Cassy’s orders be firm.”
He looked back to see Teddy nodding, about to place her hand on a black square in front of her-
When she and Flopsy were ripped away by the pull of magic, and Sirius watched Kreature trot forward, a frown on his ugly face.
“Oh Kreature, thank god, stop this ritual!” Sirius commanded.
“The bad son WILL be Lord Black.” Kreature muttered as he shook his head. “Kreature… Kreature be sorry for how Kreature treated lord Sirius. Kreature will make his Ammends with his life.”
Sirius gasped as he watched the despicable house elf kneel and place his hand on the black square.
“Kreature! Don’t you fucking dare-“
Kreature looked up to his eyes, then frowned. “Hic dat vitam, fidem, magicam, servitio domini.”
“NO-“
(This one gives their life, their loyalty, and their magic, to the service of the master.)
Edit: forgot the end of the scene
He woke with a start and tried to get to his feet, only for his entire body to scream in the worst agony he had ever felt.
It was like molten mithril was being pushed through his veins, his bones turning to ice and shattering, his mind going numb as he saw the shadows of ears over him, and was mildly aware that his mouth was being wrenched open, and something poured into his gullet.
Then something else, and he notice he could see a bit better, and the pain, while still unbearable, lessened.
“Six more lord Sirius! Just six more and yous can sleep!”
The voice was exited, comforting… it was teddy…
He tried, he tried his best as the god awful tastes entered his throat, then another, and another, and another, before one that tasted positively Divine by comparison, and another… one…