A while back, I mentioned the angsty headcanon that there’s practically no pictures left of Sirius pre-Azkaban (aside from any that the Blacks have or the one of James’s wedding; any others were destroyed or Sirius was cut out) and I have decided that there is one photo of Sirius before he rotted in Azkaban for 12 years, and it is the one that ran in the newspaper when he got arrested. He is laughing hysterically, there’s bodies strewn around him from the explosion, the street is destroyed, and he’s surrounded by Aurors and Hit Wizards and several of them are horrified as they look at the damage surrounding them. Not long after that picture runs, the papers publish photos of the Lestranges and Crouch Jr. being arrested and in stark contrast to the stoic silence of the Lestrange brothers and Barty’s apprehension, Bellatrix is cackling as the Aurors arrest them; Sirius and Bellatrix, already so similar looking, have never looked more alike than they do in those pictures while laughing as they get dragged to Azkaban. Needless to say, the Order has many thoughts on the two photos and not one of them is kind. Narcissa keeps the photos, but it’s a bit of an “I want to remember how they were before Azkaban wrecks them” thing and also she’s got a morbid sense of humor so her family laughing as they get arrested is hilarious to her (and as a bit of a taunt to Sirius, like “you tried so hard to run from us, but you really are just like us, you’ll never not be a Black at your core”). But regardless, that is the only photo truly left of 21 year old Sirius
anon, i’m about to find this ask in my next study break because wow u did not have to break our hearts like that
