Broken Mirror

Chapter 20

Harry looked over just in time to be engulfed in a hug. His vision clouded by her bushy hair.
"Hey 'Mione missed you too." Harry said chuckling as he extracted himself from her grasp.
"Oh Harry why didn't you write me sooner I would have rushed here if I knew you were in your own." Hermione gushed out barely taking a breath.
"I know you would have but I didn't want to spoil you holiday." He replied. Noticing the others on the room Hermione greeted them and explained how she would be there the rest of the summer. Sirius informed then of his intentions to go to the bank and they decided to spend the rest if the day inside as things were still a bit manic in the alley. Most of the wizards in Britain were waiting for them to make an appearance. Hermione suggested that Sirius ask for an escort to the bank, which he thought was a good idea. Dobby was called and popped over to gringotts to book an appointment and ask for goblin guards to escort him. Griphook replied by knocking on the door with 6 heavily armed goblins in full armour. Harry declined to join him as he had not recovered from the mob that morning.
It was a strange procession that walked from the Inn to the bank. Sirius walked next to Griphook who was dressed in a fine suit surrounded by the goblin guards gleaming brandishing vicious looking weapons. It was safe to say no one came near him.
Upon entering the bank Sirius saw the one person he had hoped trun into.
"Lucius Malfoy." He called to him. "A moment of your time." Sirius all but ordered and Malfoy was left with no choice but to step into the ring of guards to speak to Sirius.
"Black I was pleased to hear of your innocence." He said with the barest hint of a smirk on his face.
"Yes a happy day indeed." Sirius replied playing every inch the pureblood his mother has raised. "I am just coming to claim the Black Lordship. I plan to have a Black family meeting for next Monday. You and Narcissisa are expected to attend. Young Draco too of course, so much to get in order yes."
"Yes of course." He paled at Sirius's words.
"Excellent I will of course be sending out the formal invitations. Expect my owl." He said nodding to the man he walked away and was led into an office.
Lucius Malfoy deflated he was in serious trouble. Sirius at the head of the house of Black was a death kell for him. He couldn't help but feel his days were numbered.

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While Sirius was in the bank Harry was facing the interrogation tactics of Hermione Granger. Harry knew he had to be careful what he said to the brightest witch of her age. After an hour and a half she had run out if questions but still eyed Harry suspiciously. Like she knew he wasn't telling her the whole truth. Of course Ron saved him talking about the pyramids and tombs in Egypt. When Sirius returned talk had turned to the new school year and what kind of teacher Remus would be. No one not even Harry could have prevented what happened when Remus arrived.
"Hey Moons, what's this I hear about you being a teacher?" Sirius asked. Harry looked towards the twins hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't make the connection. But Sirius had to go and ruin it. "James will be turning in his grave first a prefect now a teacher what kind of a marauder are you." He joked.
Harry covered his eyes he knew what was coming next.
"We solemnly swear we are up to no good." Said Fred and George in unison. Falling to their knees and bowing to Remus and Sirius. "We are not worthy."
"Well Harry said you were pranksters but I never would have guessed you found the map." Remus said gesturing for the twins to get up, while Sirius just laughed and basked in the praise. Harry thought it was lucky Mr snd Mrs Weasley weren't in the room.
"Do you happen to have it with you?" Sirius asked after they got up. Fred nodded to George and he ran from the room.
"Who are the marauders and what map are you talking about?" Ron asked confusion wrinkling his forehead
"And why dont I know about it I am their brother after all."
"Ah," said Remus. "The marauders are James, Sirius and I along with Peter called ourselves. We were quite the pranksters at school. Thankfully I grew up can't say the same for Sirius."
"Huh I am plenty grown up." Sirius said blowing a raspberry at Remus.
"Yes of course you are so mature." Remus drawled sarcastically. George bounded back into the room clatching the map. Both Sirius and Remus's eyes lit up at the sight.
"Never thought I would see that again, Peter got it confiscated 7th year. The caretaker at the time was even more unpleasant than Filch." Said Sirius holding the paper reverently. He drew his wand and spoke. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
As he spoke the map unveiled just like Harry remembered. They could see the castle was mostly empty with only Filch and Hagrid on the grounds. Ron looked fascinated at the parchment.
"This is some very advanced charm work I'd love to study it." Harry said eyeing his godfather. Harry was glad Hermione was in her room with Ginny. As she would insist it be turned over to Mcgonagall or thinking of all the research she could do.
"Actually we have my old journal that we used for pranking ideas. The spells we used are in there. I will go to my vault tomorrow and get it." Sirius said thoughtfully looking at Harry he added. "Perhaps we could make some copies.Yes and remove wormtail from this one. As long as you boys promise to prank wisely and not get caught. Which will be doubly hard as Remus knows a lot of tricks."
"No worries it just means more fun for us." Said Fred or possibly George.
"Twice as much if we can pull one over on a clever teacher." One twin said.
"Professor Mcgonagall is gonna hate you this year isn't she." Harry groaned remembering the WWW pranks they had created. "As the son of Prongs I forbid pranks in the Gryffindor dorms."
"Ok, ok Harry we won't disrupt your beauty sleep." Fred chuckled and George nodded. "We solemnly swear." Remus looked on in exasperation at his old friend but didn't stop him, there was something about Harry that had him thinking he needed to have a bit more fun in his life. Remus excused himself he had some thinking to do.
Harry and Ron settled down to play a game of chess and the twins listened avidly as and Sirius as they described the pranks he had done. Planning a few things that might just trip Remus up. A short while later the girls returned and the twins plans were covered up. With the promise to work on it later.
It was just before dinner and everyone had settled into a comfortable kind of quiet. Sirius looked at Harry and was so thankful the boy remembered him. His life had improved 100% for the better. Swearing to James and Lily to never let their child down again.
"Harry." He called getting everyone's attention. "After dinner I would like to take you to Privet Drive and get the adoption papers signed."
"Wh..what really?" Harry was suprised that Sirius wanted to do it that quickly.
"Yeah of course we could go right now but Uncle Vernon wouldn't be home yet."
"Ok we will go after dinner." Sirius agreed. "The sooner the better your mother never liked her sister much after she married that whale of a husband. Not that they were that close after Lilyflower got her letter anyway."
"Yeah Aunt Petunia never mentioned mum or dad except to say they were drunks who died in a car accident." Harry said bitterly. Gasps sounded round him at his words and Mrs Weasley came over and hugged him tightly.
"You never mind them good for nothing muggles. You have us, Sirius and Remus they will have nothing to do with your life after this we will make sure of it." Molly said softly and looked over at Sirius silently assuring herself Harry would have the best possible care from this point on. It had broken her heart to hear from Ron that first year that he didn't expect any presents. In her mind Dumbledore made a big mistake leaving the saviour of the wizarding world with those barstards. She would have words with Sirius and Remus once the kids have gone to bed tonight. Things needed to be discussed. "Come along dinner should be done now, a nice hearty meal is just what you need." The atmosphere lightened significantly at the mention of food. By the time dinner was done Molly was a lot better than she at the start. As Harry went to change in to muggle clothes she asked Sirius if he needed backup. In the end Arthur went with them. With a hug from Hermione and a back slap from Ron they went to the apperation point. Luckily avoiding everyone and with a squeeze of pressure and a soft pop Harry saw the prim houses with the properly trimmed lawns and gleaming windows of Privet Drive. As they approached the door Harry's stomach started to flutter. He really hated that house he had hoped never to return. With Sirius giving the door a swift knock he could hear the furious tone of Vernon Dursley.
"Who the bloody hell is knocking at this time of night?" He bellowed from the other side of the door.