It's Never Two-Sided

AN: OMG! I can't believe I forgot to post! I'm so sorry! All I can say is it's been a very hectic week, and I DO intend to post the next chapter on Tuesday, so we'll be back on track... argh. >_<

Chapter Six: Six Chairs for Five Purebloods

The rest of the week was spent in blissfully distracting Quidditch mini-games and exploding snap, the latter which Hermione regularly disrupted to nag them about their classwork and ask Halle questions about the communication devices described in Switch Papers.

“The Blood Notes are the best, I think,” Halle said, before watching Ron's cards explode. “They can find the person wherever they are, are untraceable, and easy to make,” she continued over the boy's rising explicatives as the rest of the cards in his hand followed the first.

Hermione quickly shot her down. “They also use Blood Magic, which is highly illegal. Now, those those Hear Rings were very interesting, but I'm not about to get my tongue pierced...”

Halle sighed as Hermione went on with her lecture, trying to decide which was more boring—this, or helping Hermione put together the Survival Kit and Immediate Doctor, or SKIDs, that Hermione's parents insisted she make. They were a little more keen on Magical medicine once they realized it's use in immediate situations, and had given their daughter an account and a list of things that sounded more suited to a battlefield medic's supply than to a student's scrape-fixing kit. Of course, considering the scrapes they got into, perhaps that was a good thing.

~*~

Tuesday came all too soon.

Halle and the rest of the Weasleys were led to an inner office in Gringotts while Hermione waited with Remus Lupin and Tonks outside. The goblins said they weren't allowed, and no one really argued. Once they got to the room, however, Halle wished they had.

It was a large sitting room, filled with people who either sat in or stood next to half a dozen plush seats. One seemed to be reserved for Mrs. Weasley, who took it without complaint as her family stood around her. The goblin caught Halle's eye as she went to stand with the red-headed group, and nodded towards the only unclaimed chair in the room. Halle took it, and the goblin seemed satisfied.

“All here,” he said to an obviously senior goblin, who nodded and proceeded to unlock a box.

Halle looked around at the other people in the room. She didn't recognize most of them, almost everyone was over the age of thirty, but the Malfoys caught her eye. Only Narcissa and Draco Malfoy were there, but that was to be expected, with Lucius in Azkaban. The elder woman glanced back at her and nodded primly, back straight and proper even though the chair looked comfortable, and Draco turned to sneer, leaning on the chair's high back. Halle just glared, and crossed her legs.

“A-hem,” the senior goblin said, sounding not a little unlike Umbridge. “All of you are here today because of your relation, however passing, to the late Sirius Black. If anyone has been called here in error, or wishes to renounce that relation, leave now.”

No one moved.

“Very well,” the goblin continued. “Concerning the late Sirius Black, there are more than a few legal concerns. He was disowned, although not on paper, and yet inherited the title and holdings of Lord Black. He was, also, a renowned criminal, and escapee from Azkaban. The only reason the Ministry did not confiscate his holdings was because he never formally accepted them. This, however, means that he had only the power of Impotans.” Several heads around the room nodded, including the elder Weasleys, but Halle had no idea what that meant. “As such, we have recorded his will in a Mirrorry, which is to be shown today.”

That having been said, he turned to the junior goblin and nodded. Junior went to the box, and took out an oval mirror, half a metre wide and a whole one tall, and hung it on the wall where it could be clearly seen by all present.

“Exhibes,” the senior goblin whispered to the mirror, then stepped aside. The mirror went cloudy black for a moment, then cleared to show the face and upper body of Sirius Black.

'Hey, all,' the mirror said, a little out of sync with Sirius' lips. His eyes were somewhat unfocused, and he seemed to be talking to himself. 'As you all know, I am a fugitive in the eyes of the law, and this has not changed by the time of my death. I have also unofficially been disowned, and as such hold no rights over the use and distribution of the Black family wealth and treasures. However, as I am the last remaining Black, I do have some say over who inherits both the title and the possessions.

Halle, as your godfather, I loved you dearly and wish to the stars that I could have passed everything on to you, but you do not have enough Black blood in you to allow it. If I had been able to adopt you, i would have and that would have cemented the inheritance, but, as is obvious, that did not happen.

To keep these holdings and heirlooms out of the hands of the Ministry, I can only bequeath them to an heir of ample Black blood. However, I do say that the heir must be the youngest one alive at the time of my death, with Black heritage on both sides. I will leave the Goblins to determine who fulfills these requirements, and that one will become Lord—or Lady—Black, exchanging their current surname for this one. I do also have one charge to this heir, as I am entitled to: keep Remus Lupin in good financial standing and accommodation; this should be no strain on the monies of the Black Household. I would say take care of him, but he would resent the phrasing. Do let him know that I loved him, all of you who stand here listening, and would never do anything to hurt him. I could not find a way to allow him presence in this hearing, as everything must be strictly blood and legal, which was the only way I could get you in, Halle, and I still cannot give you anything more than these words.

I thank some of you for attending, and tell the rest to bugger off, as this is the end of my last will and testament, what little of it I could force my will into.'

The mirror swirled back into black and then showed the room like a Muggle mirror. The goblins nodded to each other, then the senior spoke.

“Everything seems to be in order. We will research the matter and contact the person by owl. Thank you for your time, Margpok will show you out.”

Several people looked like they were going to argue, but seemed to think better of it. There was an uneasy silence among the group as they walked back into the main lobby, and Halle got the notion that she didn't want to know what was going through their minds.

“Wow, that was short,” Tonks said as Halle and the Weasleys approached.

“Yeah, it was,” Ron replied. “I think he said that he couldn't really say or do anything, and he was leaving it all up to the goblins.”

“Not, that's not quite right Ron, dear,” Molly said. “But we're not going to talk about that here.”

“Whatever else he said, he told us to tell you he loved you, and would never have hurt you,” Halle said, giving Remus a hug.

Remus' face softened at that. “Thank you, Halle.” He seemed to choke on her name.

“Oh, dear; why don't you come back with us and have a cup of tea,” the Weasley mother said, putting a comforting hand on the werewolf's arm.

“That's alright, Mrs. Weasley,” he started but was cut off by a new voice.

“I think it's an excellent idea, Molly,” Dumbledore said as he walked up. “I see I'm too late for the reading.”

“They wouldn't have let you in, Albus,” Mr. Weasley told him.

“Ah, I suppose they wouldn't have. Now, we have more than a few things to talk about, so I think I shall take Molly's generous offer of tea.” He smiled, and everyone knew that was as good as an order.

******

Also, if anyone can guess who inherits, I'll post chapters Eight and Nine at the same time. Chapters counted my way, not the AFF way. ^_^