House of Memories- The downfall of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black
Once a year, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black gathers around at 12 Grimmauld Place to take a family portrait in order to show the wizarding world how pure and flawless they all are.
However, something felt different this time. It was almost as if this could be the last normal portrait the family would ever take.
They may not be the purest of the pures, after all.
Or are they?
As the title of the story may suggests, this idea came up as I was listening to the song “House of Memories”, by Panic! at the Disco.
I chose to make the Black cousins closer in age than they are in canon, in order to make their interactions more believable. So, in this story, Bellatrix is the oldest, followed shortly by Sirius, then Andromeda, Narcisa and, last but not least, Regulus.
I hope you guys enjoy it anyway :)
It was no secret that 12 Grimmauld Place was not the typical wizarding residence, and a couple of facts could easily support that statement.
First of all, its location was quite odd, especially for a pureblood family who despised any associations with the so-called mudbloods. It was not a huge manor in the English countryside, as one would expect, surronded by enchanted lakes and majestic trees. In fact, it was quite the opposite, being located in a modest muggle neighbourhood in London (protected by an invisible charm, obviously).
Second of all, its residents were definitely one of a kind. Yes, they were a rich and pureblood family like many others across the world, but that was not the end of it.
After all, they were The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, the purest of the pures, the most ancient of the ancientest, and, of course, the most influential.
If you were to compare them with the muggle world (even though they would certainly not enjoy that comparison), they would be royalty, the kind of people even the most powerful wizard or witch would not dare to deny a respectful bow or curtsy.
With all their magic, galleons, power and, last but not least, manors, it was definitely quite strange to find them all gathered in the rather small building-like house on what seemed to be a normal day.
Except for the fact that it was not a normal day. Not for the Blacks, at least.
“Why do we have to take this stupid picture every single year?’’ Asked a grumpy Sirius Black, as he was furiously trying to adjust his tie in front of his mirror, covered in muggle stickers that went from motorcycles to top models.
“It’s a tradition, I guess” Answered his younger brother Regulus, all neat and ready for the infamous portrait the Blacks would take every year. Although he wasn’t exactly fond of the tradition either, he was quite indifferent towards it, as long as his parents were pleased.
“Why is it so hard to tie a tie?” The older brother muffled under his breath in a frustrated tone
“You mean to tell me you’re starting your sixth year at Hogwarts in two days, and you still haven’t learned how to tie a tie?’’
“Well, yes” He laughed “I don’t think I’ve ever worn my ties in the correct way, if I’m being honest”
“Right, I forgot you Griffyndors like running around the corridors as if you were all homeless” Regulus remarked in a dismissive tone
Before Sirius could come up with an offensive comment about Slytherins as a response, their younger cousin, Narcisa, entered the room in a hurry, yet elegant, way, her high heels echoing through the hard wooden floor. It was quite clear she has put a lot of effort into getting ready for the occasion- as she did every year- considering the perfect makeup she proudly displayed with a smile on her face, along with her hair styled in a timeless updo, the blonde shade never failing to make her beauty stand out even more from the rest of her raven-haired family.
“Are you guys not ready yet? The photographer will arrive at any minute!” She slightly shouted, angrily
“I am” Said Regulus in a monotone voice as he stood up from his brother’s messy bed with a sign “Sirius, on the other hand…”
“Shut up, Reg” He annoyingly rolled his eyes “For your information, I’m almost ready, I just need some help with my tie”
“I can help, if you want me to” Narcisa stated politely, as she was always helping her sisters and cousins whenever they needed to look presentable, rather it be at dinners, balls, or the infamous portrait day.
“You two can go ahead, I’ll just ask Andromeda, I bet she’s also not ready yet”
“You know my sister all too well, Sirius” The blonde girl smiled as she dragged Regulus out of the room
As the two youngest- and most responsible- Blacks descended what they would call the “tight staircase”, Regulus remarked, annoyed:
“I understand the concept of taking a family portrait every year and all, I truly do” He suddenly stopped as he deeply signed “But I really don’t understand why we have to do it at Grimmauld, of all places. Everything feels so crowded in here"
“I agree” Nooded the young girl as she delicately passed her fingers on the metal black rails of the staircase. She did notice some dust in there, but decided not to make a big deal out of it. After all, Kreacher has been busier than ever in the past days, making sure the tapestry room would look perfect for the portrait. He probably didn’t have time to clean the rest of the house properly “However, the family tapestry is in here, so we don’t have that much of a choice”
“I guess so” He shrugged as he climbed down some steps, before mysteriously stopping again, looking up at Narcisa “I just wish we would still be in our manor in Bath… At least I don’t have to deal with having my room so close to my brother’s there, he can be a pain in the ass sometimes, you know? Especially when he starts rambling about his stupid friends and how they are so much better than our maniac family, as he likes to call us”, he complained as he desperately run his finger through his perfectly combed hair.
“Regulus Arcturus Black!” Narcisa said laughing, faking an incredulous tone “How dare you say inappropriate words such as “ass”! Like it or not, you sure are Sirius’ brother with that vocabulary!” She joked, fixing his hair in place with her hands
“Oh, shut up Cisa” He rolled his eyes as he tried to sound angry, although there was some hint of laughter in his voice as he turned away from her, climbing down the final steps.
As they finally reached the end of the stairs, they tooked in the once-a-year scene they have became quite used to as the years went by: The whole family running around the room, with their usual crossed face, calling each other’s names desperately as they threatened to hex each other if one would not agree with the other’s choice for an outfit or hairstyle.
After all, they were the Blacks, and everything had to look perfect, especially if the portrait would end on the cover of the Daily Prophet, as it did every single year.
“Bellatrix!” Druella Rosier shouted angrily at her daughter “Look at your hair! You don’t expect to look this messy in the photo, do you?”
“Oh, come on, mom!” The older girl pleaded in a mischievous tone “Not everyone wants to look as if they just stepped out of the renaissance!’’ She laughed, pointing at the rather odd choice of hairstyle her mother has come up with for herself.
“Narcisa darling, there you are!” The woman sighed, relieved “You look magnificent as always, my flower!”
“Thank you, mother” She smiled proudly at her mother’s compliment. She really did enjoy being her favorite.
“As for you, Bellatrix” Druella said coldly, pointing her wand at her eldest as she did a nonverbal hair-fixing spell she has became mastered at throughout the years, giving Bellatrix’s lack of concern towards her appearance “Much better now”
“Why was your hair looking so messy anyway, Bella?” Her younger sister asked as she approached, smiling at the now perfectly curled hair her sister displayed
“I was messing around with the heirloom dad bought at Borgin and Burges last week” She simply explained “I guess I was not supposed to touch it, considering the thing went boom as soon as I grabbed it!” She laughed
“It must have been a dark magic artefact” Regulus remarked quietly
“How come do you know that?” Bellatrix turned to her cousin, surprised
“I read a lot at Hogwarts” He simply shrugged
“Aren’t these books on the restricted session?” The young blonde girl remembered in a concerned voice
“You’re a lot smarter than I thought, Reg” Bellatrix nodded proudly, her eyes instantly lighting up with what seemed to be a million brilliant ideas “Rodolphus would love to know how you’ve managed to do that, he’s been trying to learn more about the dark arts, but he got caught by McGonagall the last time he tried to enter the restricted session. We sure could use some help from you”
“What’s going on between you and Rodolphus, anyway?” Asked Narcisa, trying to avoid the Dark Arts topic they seemed to be entering “I thought you couldn’t stand him”
“I’m not exactly fond of him, but he’s a Lestrange. Dad thinks we could make a suitable match once we leave Hogwarts” She explained with a forced smile “So, you could say I’m trying to get used to having him around. Besides, he’s smart, and he knows a lot about the Dark Arts. I must confess I find it fascinating”
“You should find it dangerous” Scolded Narcisa
“Or powerful” Regulus added quietly, as he saw his mother, Walburga, coming into his direction with her eyebrows crossed, indicating she was rather furious, although that was a normal occurrence in the Black household.
“Where is your brother?” She asked in a cold, yet hurried, tone
“He’s upstairs with Andromeda” He tried to answer calmly
“Hey hey hey Andie” Sirius sang happily as he entered his favorite cousin’s room “I need your help with…” He stopped mid-sentence as he realized his cousin was not in front of a mirror as he would expect, or combing her hair, or doing makeup… she was not getting ready at all. In fact, she looked as if she has been dressed for quite some time, and, instead of occupying herself with making last-minute adjustments on her outfit, she seemed to be focused on reading something “What are you doing at your desk? Don’t tell me you’re studying! I know you like to be a top student in your classes, and I envy you for that, but Hogwarts hasn’t even started yet!”
“Relax Sirius, I’m not studying” She assured, turning around from her chair so that she could properly face him “I was just checking the fifth years Dumbledore has chosen to be prefects” She handed him the parchment “I told you he’s chosen me, didn’t I?’’
“You did, and I couldn’t be more proud’’ He smiled “I wish I had been chosen as a prefect last year”
“With your outrageous behavior?” Andromeda laughed, amused “Why do you think Dumbledore would do such a thing?”
“He did choose Remus, remember? And he’s as bad as I am”
“I’m still convinced Dumbledore only chose him in hopes Lupin would keep you and James on track”
“Which obviously didn’t work out” Sirius remarked proudly, as he was tossing the parchment sheet from one hand to another “Wait, how did you get this paper? I thought you were only supposed to find out the other prefects’ names on that special Hogwarts Express’ compartment”
“Well, yes, but Lucius is friends with the Headboy, so he managed to get his hands on the list and owl me a copy”
“I still can’t believe you’ve been spending so much time with that git” Sirius rolled his eyes, annoyed
“He’s not as bad as you think” Stated Andromeda “Besides, he’s been my best friend since we were little kids” She explained
“First of all, I’m your best friend since you were a literal baby” He pointed out, winking at her “Second of all, that doesn’t make him any better! Third of all, being his childhood best friend doesn’t make it acceptable for you two to spend so much time alone at the potions’ classroom as you two did last year!” He pointed out in a protective way he had for Andromeda and Andromeda only “If he does anything to you, I swear I will transfigurate him into a frog with no regrets. I’m good at Transfiguration, you know? Minnie said it herself!” He added with a proud grin
“Professor Minerva McGonagall, obviously”
“How do you manage to call her Minnie without being transfigurated into, I don’t know, a bug?”
“I know she may act as she hates me, James, Remus and Peter for our pranks, but we are all sure she loves us…. deep down”
“If you say so” She gave him an amused smile “How do you know about me and Lucius spending time on the potions classroom, by the way?’’ Andromeda asked, her eyebrows raised
“That doesn’t matter…” He shook it off “Anyway, let’s see who we have in here” He changed the topic as he finally decided to give the list a read “Oh look, Tonks is gonna be a prefect!”
“You mean that mud-” She stopped as she saw the penetrative look Sirius was about to give her “That muggleborn? Edward Tonks, isn’t it?”
“People call him Ted, but yes, he’s a chaser for the Hufflepuff quidditch team. James says he’s got some talent”
“Well he sure does” Andromeda muffled annoyed “I don’t understand how he seems to be so popular and good at everything! Can you believe he got an invitation to Slughorn’s club, and I didn’t? Mom almost killed me when she found out”
“That’s our family, dear Andie: They’re always wanting to kill us. I’m convinced the only reason my mom hasn’t Avada Kedrava me yet, it’s because I’m the heir”
Just as Sirius said that, his so called cruel mother stormed in the room, her pale hand gripping her wand in such a desperate state, almost if she wanted to break it- Which her son was totally convinced she could if she really wanted to.
“There you are!” She shouted, looking at her eldest son- the heir- with a terrifying look “It’s no surprise that, at the age of sixteen, you still act like a useless little kid!”
“The photographer just arrived and asked me where the heir was, so he could position us all around you in the frame” She started as she got closer and closer to her terrified son “And then I, Walburga Black, had to excuse myself so that I could get my son upstairs. When will you grow tired of embarrassing me and your whole family in front of everyone? Haven’t you had enough at being a disgrace to this family yet, huh?” She demanded, running her long nail through his ears
“I already said it, Regulus can take my spot as the heir, I’m sure everyone will be pleased with it” Sirius said as he closed his eyes in pain, feeling some blood coming out of his ear as the grip of this mother became tighter and tighter
“If it only were that easy, Sirius” She faked a smile “ I would crucio you right here, but you have to look presentable on the portrait, so I’ll leave it for later” She whispered so that Andromeda would not listen “Now, get downstairs and take the photo as the heir of The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black you are”
Just as she stormed out, the silence took over what once was a cheerful room filled with two cousins who understood each other more than anyone in the family.
“Can you tie my tie?” Sirius asked in a low tone, trying to swallow the tears he felt on the edge of his throat “That’s the reason why I came into your room in the first place”
“I’m sorry, Sirius” Andromeda whispered sincerely said as she carefully adjusted his tie, hugging him after she finished
“It’s okay, Andie” He said in a low voice, looking down at her “I’m used to it by now”
“But you shouldn’t” She said, giving him her best smile “Shall we go then?”
The tapestry room was, perhaps, what the Black family hold most account of, after their pure blood status, of course. Traced generations back since the Medieval times, the tree-shaped tapestry covered the four walls of the room, proudly displaying the names of those who had been lucky enough to be born to -or married into- The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black.
As the photographer arranged the family in order to fit the frame, placing two chairs on the middle for the current head of the house- Orion Black and his wife Walburga- everyone could not help tracing their eyes through the faces of the ancient members of the family, eternalized on the tapestry.
“This black holes never fail to give me chills” Remarked Narcisa as she nervously traced her eyes back and forth to some names she has became quite familiar as the years passed by
“Oh, yes” Her father, Cygnus Black, gently smiled as he approached her, hand in his pockets “The disowned members, burned off the tapestry”
“Truly disgusting” Added Bellatrix in a slightly malicious tone
“Why was this Isla disowed?” Regulus asked, suddenly noticing a name further back in the tapestry
“If I recall correctly, she married a mudblood” Orion Black explained from his chair, as he was anxiously adjusting his posture for the upcoming portrait
“I don’t understand how she was capable of giving up her family for a man” Andromeda whispered to Sirius
“She didn’t do it for a man, she did it for love” He explained, placing his hand on his naive cousin’s shoulder
“Do you think it was worth it?” She asked, quieter than ever, almost as if she was too afraid someone else would hear it
“Love is worth everything” Sirius smiles “At least that’s what James said when he was constantly trying to win Lily’s attention”
“Kids, have you noticed something?” Uncle Alphard asked his nieces and nephews in a mischievous tone he always had for them “There was at least one disowned member in every generation of our family” He continued, pointing at each of the black holes on the wall “I always wonder which one of you will be the one to be burned off”
“I’m sure none of us would do such a thing” Narcisa quickly brushed off “Besides, there were no disowed members in your generation”
“I think that will be us, Andie” Sirius whispered in his cousin’s ear
“What makes you think that?” She nervously asked
“I don’t know, I always had the feeling we wouldn’t be in this tapestry forever” He simply shrugged “We’ve always been the black sheeps of this family, don’t you agree? Or should I say, the white sheeps?” He laughed at his own joke, before going over to stand at his father’s side, leaving a speechless Andromeda to position herself between her two sisters- always in the middle of everything.
As the tradition said, the portrait was finally taken and, soon enough, the whole wizarding world would be able to see their most important family- their royalty, looking as perfect as ever in a powerful portrait which never failed to show how pure and flawless they all were.
Once the magic on the photo was done, it was passed around the room for everyone to see their newest moving picture
Walburga Black was pleased as she noticed how stiff she looked as she slightly curved her nose
Orion Black was filled with hope as he saw his two sons standing proudly beside him. They truly were the future of the Black family
Alphard Black grinned at the picture, looking softly at his nieces and nephews’ young eyes
Cygnus Black nodded proudly as he caught his wife tenderly looking at him. He really had chose the perfect match.
Druella Black rolled her eyes as she caught Bellatrix purposely messing her hair for a split of second
Bellatrix Black, on the other hand, smiled proudly when she realized this moment was caught on camera
Sirius Black simply shrugged when he was handed the picture, almost as if he didn’t recognize himself, looking just as an heir should
Andromeda Black smiled unsurely, still feeling the shock of what Sirius has told her seconds before the picture was taken
Regulus Black half-smiled, secretly wishing he would be the one to stand next to his father on the portrait
Narcisa Black, as always, couldn’t be prouder of how noble they all looked- They really were the perfect family
Something looked different in this portrait, everyone could see it, although only a few were brave enough to admit it to themselves.
It was almost as if the magic inside the moving portrait acknowledged things would not look the same the next time the Black family decides to take a portrait.
“Andie, you were right” Sirius suddenly said, approaching her carefully just as Narcisa has handed the picture back to the photographer
“About what?” She asked, fear anticipating the answer
“About how I shouldn’t have to deal with all this” He explained
“What’s that supposed to mean, Sirius?”
Baby, we built this house on memories
Take my picture now, shake it ‘til you see it
And when your fantasies become your legacy
Promise me a place in your house of memories
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