Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
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Chapter 54: Black Family Reunion
"Why do you think the meeting is about?" Regulus asked.
"How should I know?" Sirius scoffed. "If our parents were going to inform one of us, it wouldn't have been me."
"Hmm…" Regulus laid back on his bed. "Maybe it's about our marriages. Last year, our uncles decided on Narcissa's, but our parents still haven't said anything about us."
"That better not be it! I already have someone I like," Sirius exclaimed. "And I would never marry one of those pompous pureblood Slytherin girls."
"Hey, don't say that. There are plenty of cute girls in Slytherin. But I bet you didn't notice because you never pay attention to our house," Regulus said, looking offended. His older brother was always looking down on his house.
"Don't give me that, Reg. I have good reasons to dislike that house. The worst people in Hogwarts are always sorted there, like Snivellus," Sirius said.
Sirius saw a change in his brother's face. "What is it? Did he say anything to you?"
Regulus shook his head. "It's not that. I just noticed that recently, he's been hanging around a lot with M—"
The door to their bedroom opened with a loud creaking noise. A house-elf stood at the doorway and looked at them with his usual angry expression.
"Master Pollux and the rest of the family are waiting for you two in the main hall. Do not tarry."
"Thank you, Kreacher," Regulus replied with a smile. Unlike his older brother or the rest of the family, he was likely the only one who was kind to the house-elves.
Kreacher nodded and left.
"Why is that elf always cranky? I don't remember seeing him happy a single time since he got here," Sirius commented.
"That's just the way he is. Now, come on, we don't want to keep the family waiting," Regulus said as he stood up and began walking away.
Sirius followed him closely. He also knew better than to give his mother an excuse to punish him.
The main hall of the Black Manor was big enough to host a party of fifty guests.
And tonight, it seemed like the entire Black family was here, or at least the ones who were in the country and hadn't been expelled from it.
The Patriarch of the family sat at the head of the table, as was customary. This was Pollux Black, their grandfather.
Sirius stared at him for a moment. The old man was in his mid-seventies. Now, for a Muggle, this would be quite old, but it was common for wizards and witches to live well past the one-hundred-year mark.
This is why Sirius found it odd how tired his grandfather looked right now. There were clear dark marks under his eyes, and his skin appeared much more wrinkled than it was the last time he saw him, just three months ago.
'Is something wrong with him?' Sirius wondered.
At the sides of the table were the rest of the family.
Cassiopeia Black, Pollux's youngest sister, was also the second oldest member of the family, in her late sixties. She was extremely well-respected among the other members, even though she spent most of her time on the other side of the British Isles and could rarely be seen inside the Black Manor.
Next were their uncles and parents. On the right side of the table were Cygnus Black and his wife, Druella Black née Rosier, followed by their three daughters: Andromeda, Bellatrix, and Narcissa.
On the other side were Sirius and Regulus's parents, Orion Black and Walburga Black.
A smile appeared on Sirius's face as he saw who else was at the table. His uncle Alphard glanced back at him and grinned.
This middle-aged man with long dark hair was Sirius's favorite family member. He was always traveling the world, and every time he came back, he brought Sirius presents.
Unfortunately, the rest of the family didn't have a great opinion of Alphard, and the man was likely just one step away from being expelled from it.
Sirius noticed his mother glaring at him with increasing displeasure. His brother Regulus had already taken his seat at their side, but he was taking too long.
He hurried to sit down between his brother and his uncle Alphard, wanting to be as far away as possible from his mother.
While the silence continued, his eyes scanned the table once more, stopping for an instant on his cousins. More specifically, on Bellatrix.
She looked as she usually did. Her expression remained collected and cold, not really showing what she was thinking or feeling. This was a skill she had learned since childhood: to never let others know what you are feeling.
'Why is James so interested in her all of a sudden?...' Sirius could not understand what his friend was thinking.
There were already rumors of people claiming to have seen them walking together through the castle, so even before what happened that day in the Care of Magical Creatures class, the students were talking.
James had even gone as far as to ask him about her family life.
Sirius wished his friend would wake up and go back to pursuing Lily instead. The Muggle-born girl had been showing more interest in him over the past three months. It seemed as if James's change in attitude had a positive effect on her.
In his opinion, all James had to do was ask her out, and she would say yes. But he didn't, and he was always busy in his secret lab, making potions and who knows what else.
The Family Patriarch finally began to speak, pulling Sirius away from his inner monologue.
"It is good to see the family reunited once in a while," Pollux said, his eyes moving across the table. "I'm sorry for calling you all on such short notice, but now we can begin." He snapped his fingers, and countless plates of food appeared on the table.
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