Chapter Text
Thursday, 14 February 2019
Her Majesty's High Court of Justice in England
Queen's Bench Division
The Honourable Mrs Justice Millicent Bagnold presiding.
@DailyProphetReports 14/02/2019 8:58am
The final day of testimony in the #BlackvBlack trial is set to be an interesting one! Today's witnesses are Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House Minerva McGonagall and Hogwarts School Matron Poppy Pomfrey. Closing statements will conclude the trial tomorrow -BB
>> 9:02am
James Potter is back in the gallery today, along with Andromeda Tonks. No Regulus this morning, but perhaps we’ll see him during the afternoon session. -LF
Amelia began the session by calling Poppy Pomfrey to the stand. She ascended to the witness box in a lavender dress and a white cardigan. Her soft brown hair, streaked through with grey, was pulled back into a loose knot, leaving gentle waves to frame her temples. She took the oath in a strong steady voice that refused to allow their audience to presume weakness from the softness of her appearance.
“Good morning, Madam Pomfrey,” Amelia said once she sat. “Thank you for making the trip down from Scotland.” Poppy nodded agreeably and smiled at her. “Can you please tell the court how you know the defendant?”
“Certainly,” she said. “I am the school matron at Hogwarts School and have been for over twenty years. I treated Sirius and his various injuries and ailments for his entire time at Hogwarts. From age eleven to eighteen.”
“Was he often in your infirmary?” Amelia asked.
Poppy hummed softly and tilted her head to one side. “More often than the average student, yes.”
“Were there any reasons for that which became apparent to you?”
“Yes, there were two primary reasons I saw Sirius in my infirmary. Aside from the usual colds that went around the student body during winter. The first type of injuries were those which immediately followed some sort of prank, escapade, or other silly teenage mischief. Falling out of the willow tree near the lake and bruising half his body, for example. Burnt fingers from firecrackers. I believe the court has heard about his antics and can extrapolate.” Amelia smiled at that answer.
@DailyProphetReports 14/02/2019 9:23am
“The court has heard about his antics and can extrapolate.” Indeed we can, Madam Pomfrey! Burnt fingers from fireworks doesn’t sound like a one off -KM
“The second type of injuries were those which he had when arriving back at school after term break. Sometimes these were minor. Other times not.”
Amelia nodded slowly. “Can you describe some of these injuries for us?”
“I treated him for cracked ribs one January. He wouldn’t look me in the eye when he said he should have known better than to ‘push his luck’ on the stairs. It wasn’t the first time I’d checked his ribs. I did the same when he fell out of the tree, but with very different results. One September I treated him for a laceration that had been poorly bandaged. It seemed from the dregs of a first aid kit or whatever was available. I treated it with antiseptic and wound-closing strips before rebandaging it. My assessment was that he’d treated it himself, or someone of a similar age, perhaps his brother, had helped. But the most common ailment I treated him for, or charted for him, after term breaks was malnourishment. He was often notably thinner after summers than when he left school in June.”
“Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. Did you have any suspicions about where these injuries came from?”
Poppy nodded. “Of course I did. It was not a difficult deduction to make that it was likely his own family causing these harms. But I had no proof. And he never accused them.”
“Did he discuss his relationship with his parents with you?” Amelia asked.
“Yes, on occasion. I knew it was his goal to leave home as soon as he turned eighteen. He told me that Hogwarts was his home because he felt safe and free at school. He never went into details.”
Amelia nodded. “Thank you. No further questions.”
She sat back at the defence table and watched Malfoy rise to cross examine Madam Pomfrey. He looked beaten down by this case. It was probably the worst he’d been trounced in years. Maybe ever. He’d always had his family’s money and the weight of his firm and friends to provide a friendly judge and favourable rulings. Not in this case.
“Madam Pomfrey, as the primary nurse treating the defendant during term, did you ever have cause to see young Mr. Black’s bare arms during an exam?” Malfoy asked.
“Yes, on a few occasions.”
“And did you ever notice notes or messages on his arms during those exams?”
“I didn’t, no,” she said. “He was very unlike many of the other students in that way. As teenagers, they often wrote to their soulmates between classes. Or even across the Great Hall at meal times, trying to guess who it might be. Sirius never did that in my view. And I never saw writing on his arms.”
“Did that surprise you?”
“Not once he came out.” She fixed Malfoy with a very firm look.
After a moment, he looked back down at his notes. “Would you agree the pranks and misadventures you treated the defendant for in his teens would be disqualifying for a career of great responsibility?”
“Well, I am neither barrister nor business executive, like the Blacks, but I have known many students who have achieved careers of great responsibility. I have treated students for similar pranks and misadventures who were prefects or head students. I have worked with children for my entire professional career. And I can attest that pranks and misadventures of this kind are the result of being young, of a developing brain, and of a certain kind of creative thinking. The young grow, the brain develops, and creative thinking is a useful skill set. There is no reason that kind of child cannot mature into an adult with any sort of career, provided that’s what they desire and have opportunities to pursue.”
Malfoy frowned slightly, but nodded. “No further questions.”
@DailyProphetReports 14/02/2019 10:49am
As first testimony ended very early, we’re moving on to the second witness of the day: Minerva McGonagall -BB
After Poppy left the stand, the bailiff brought Minerva in from the witness room and directed her to the stand. She took the oath in a firm, clear voice. Her Scottish brogue a sharp contrast to the posh London tones of the legal team and both sides of the case. She looked like the version of herself baked into Sirius’s memory. Grey tweed skirt, dark green blazer, with a tartan scarf pinned underneath. Her hair pulled up into a bun, and a Gryffindor lion brooch on her lapel. She took her seat without haste, folding her hands but still looking in command of herself as she looked at the claimants’ table over the top of her glasses. Once she’d got a look at them, she glanced over at Sirius with something much softer in her eyes.
“Thank you for making the trip down, Professor McGonagall,” Amelia said.
“My pleasure,” Minerva said.
“Can you please tell the court your position and where you are employed, as well as how you know the defendant?”
Minvera nodded once. “I am the senior professor of physics at Hogwarts School, where I also serve as Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House. As Head of House, I am charged with the welfare and growth of all students in my House. I know Sirius Black well, as he excelled in my physics classes, even taking it as an A-level that was completely unrelated to his intended university course. He was also sorted into Gryffindor House, where I was his primary advisor for the seven years he attended Hogwarts. And he was frequently in my office in my position as Deputy Headmistress due to his mischief. We spoke often and I am very proud of his growth.”
“Were you ever advised about his behaviour, or had concerns shared with you by other teachers?” Amelia asked.
“Indeed. Sirius was that type of teenage boy who responded best to adults he had rapport with. Myself, Madam Pomfrey, and his music teachers were best suited to have constructive discussions with him. So other teachers often shared their concerns with me, or asked me to speak to him.” She glanced at Lord and Lady Black again. “In fact, Madam Pomfrey also came to me several times about his injuries and malnutrition over the summer. We discussed and planned what we could do to safely intervene.”
“And what was that plan?”
Minerva sighed softly. “We came to the conclusion that every option we had was very likely to result in more harm before it succeeded, and none of them had a high enough chance of success to be worth the very real risk to Sirius.”
“Was that why you did not report his malnutrition or injuries to child welfare?” Amelia asked.
“Yes,” Minerva said. “We had strong reason to believe that child welfare would not intervene fully or quickly enough to prevent retaliatory punishment on Sirius. If they removed him at all, which was no guarantee.”
“You seem very certain of who caused his injuries,” Amelia said. “Why is that?”
Minerva’s lips turned up in something barely below a smirk. “I was Head Girl at Hogwarts when Walburga Black was a student. I saw her inflict very similar injuries on her brother Alphard. And I gave her detention for it.”
A hush fell over the gallery.
@DailyProphetReports 14/02/2019 11:04am
Lady Black looks furious at McGonagall bringing up her teenage misbehaviour. As if they aren’t doing the exact same thing to Sirius. -KM
Amelia seemed to relish in the reactions her questions could produce. She smiled at Minerva and continued. “Let’s turn to Lord and Lady Black now. Outside of your interactions as students, how well do you know them?”
@DailyProphetReports 14/02/2019 11:07am
As the Blacks are alumni, McGonagall has met the entire family through their children, reunions, and donor events. Particularly Lord&Lady Black, Alphard, Andromeda, Cygnus, and Sirius’s first cousins. -BB
“What is your impression of them?” Amelia asked.
“That they are very rigidly prejudiced towards their way of being,” Minerva said. “They have tried on multiple occasions to convince Headmaster Dumbledore to make the religious education stricter and chapel service more Anglo-Catholic. He has denied their donations toward that goal.” She let her gaze flit from Amelia to Sirius for a moment. “They also threatened to end their donations if Dumbledore allowed any gay-straight alliance or other LGBTQ+ student association to be formed. He informed them that school was part of wider society and he followed the Equality Act for guidance. Of course, there had been a gay-straight alliance at Hogwarts for fifteen years at that point. It’s been the Diverse Sexualities and Gender Alliance for five years now, and I have acted as co-advisor with Professor Sprout for more than ten years. He did not mention that to them.”
Sirius watched in awe as Minerva just glanced at Walburga with the slightest uptilt to her lips. She was enjoying irritating them. It was like watching a cat play with a mouse, and his favourite teacher was definitely the cat. The only times he’d seen her have this much fun were when she was finessing a confession out of him and James for something that she definitely thought was funny, but had to punish.
It was amazing.
“Did Sirius ever confide in you about how he felt about his family?” Amelia asked.
“Yes,” Minerva said, “after we built a lot of trust. He spoke of his family in generalities most of the time, that he missed his brother and their childhood relationship, that his parents ranted about things they didn’t know applied to him, that he couldn’t wait to be old enough to leave home.”
“Did he ever share his sexuality with you? Prior to his public coming out.”
“He came out to me in September of his seventh year. He told me about the plan he and James had hatched, and about the soulmate he was hiding. I’d had my suspicions. And I was correct that James Potter joined the GSA immediately after Sirius came out to him. Not that Potter wouldn’t have happily joined anyway, but it was a way to broadcast his support without outing his friend. I knew he needed a lot of support, because I knew his parents’ views already. Even if he hadn’t told me how much their homophobia affected him.”
Amelia nodded, very pleased at the way Minerva was framing this. They’d done witness prep over video call, but she was even better than expected. “How did you support him?”
“I swore to protect him from any backlash I could after his coming out plan, and to be sure that he would be able to leave school with the Potters. He was eighteen by the first term break of the year, so I only had to assert his rights. And I told him he wasn’t alone.” She paused momentarily to give Sirius a small smile. “I told him that I’m gay as well, and I have been happily living and working with my wife for over two decades. It’s not widely known among the students, but the staff treat Poppy and I very well.”
@DailyProphetReports 14/02/2019 11:40am
McGonagall supported Sirius by admitting she and school matron Poppy Pomfrey have been together 20 years. James Potter seems shocked. But Sirius is grinning fondly at his former teacher -LF
>> 11:42am
Bones asks if Sirius told her concretely why he wanted to leave home. McGonagall says he did, that he left due to their homophobia and poor treatment, that school and the Potters’ were a better ‘home life’ -BB
>> 11:52am
Bones ends her examination and Justice Bagnold recesses for lunch -BB
Sirius, James, Andy, and Amelia met Minerva and Poppy in the lobby. They were holding hands casually between them, both wearing their coats in deference to the chill blowing in when the doors opened. Poppy’s a cream wool, and Minerva’s grey tweed.
“May we join you for lunch?” Minerva asked, smiling at Sirius.
“Please,” he said, bounding over to give them each a hug. “There’s a nice cafe around the corner.” He looked over his shoulder and beckoned the others to follow. “C’mon Prongs! Look alive!”
James rolled his eyes as he tossed his coat on and followed them. “Well, excuse me for being surprised still,” he said, jabbing a well aimed elbow into Sirius’s ribs. “Minerva, how come you never said anything when we sent the wedding invitation? We would’ve given you a plus one! Lily would’ve loved it!”
“We’re very used to it, dear boy,” Minerva said as they headed out of the building and around to the cafe. “We set up our system long ago. We’re happy to attend weddings for our favourite students without each other, unless invited, or our students know. And if they’re during or very close to term, Poppy usually stays at Hogwarts anyway.”
“I don't like leaving the infirmary with other nurses during flu season,” Poppy said.
Minerva nudged Sirius. “We do expect a joint invitation from you, young man.”
“Of course you’re both invited, Minnie! Remus will be so happy to meet Poppy.”
“He loves anyone who loves Sirius,” James said.
Sirius cackled with delight. “Oh my god, you should have seen Reggie’s face when Remus said he loved him as we were saying goodbye on the phone. He was so embarrassed because it made him happy.”
Minerva’s hand was firm and kind on Sirius's shoulder. “We are so proud of you for making a home for him.”
“He’s happier and safe now, that’s all I want,” Sirius said.
They entered the cafe together, finding a table and ordering some lunch. It seemed likely that cross would be shorter than in previous days. Malfoy was losing steam, and he was having a hard time refuting statements made in direct examination or impugning the character of the witnesses. No doubt he’d try though.
Once they’d eaten and were relaxing with teas and coffees, Sirius pulled out his phone to text Remus. It had become a nice little routine that he kind of wanted to continue even after the trial was over.
Wolf
Sounds like things are going well
Hope you’re enjoying your lunch with your fav teachers
Star
I am!
They’ve all been so amazing today
Wolf
Good, sounds like James was surprised Poppy and Minerva are married
Is that why I didn’t meet Poppy at the wedding?
Star
Yep, he was surprised
Not sure how, his gaydar is pretty good
Even if he is an oblivious dork sometimes
Wolf
Is he reading over your shoulder? lol
Star
Definitely lol he just kicked me
They are definitely coming to our wedding though
Wolf
I had assumed so
Can’t wait to meet Poppy, she seems lovely
Star
She is, you two will get on so well!
You can meet her at the alumni fundraiser!
There’s one this summer and Aoife and I are doing a song for it
Performing with the choir, releasing a version to raise money for the music program
Wolf
That’s very sweet, ci bach
I can’t wait to meet her and see your school
You’ll have to show me around
Star
We can have a snog in all my favourite spots!
By the lake and the willow and the astronomy tower!
Wolf
sounds perfect <3
I have to get back to work on my final section of my dissert
But I hope the last cross goes well, and have a good rehearsal if I don’t talk to you before
Star
Thank you angel!
Have a good writing session, talk to you tonight
Love you
Wolf
Love you too darling
Sirius slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked around at the table. This trial had been a lot of shit. It had worn him out in ways he never expected. But it had let him save his brother. It had shown the world—and reminded him—that there were so many people who loved him.
That made it a lot easier to go back into the courtroom with Amelia and sit down just feet away from his parents for almost the final time.
It wasn’t something wrong with him that stopped his parents loving him, because so many wonderful people seemed to have no trouble loving him. It was some defect in Walburga and Orion. A defect Sirius was grateful to someone else’s god that he did not inherit.
Minerva retook the stand, and Malfoy rose to begin his cross examination. He lifted his chin and regarded her coolly.
“Professor McGonagall, thank you for joining us. You mentioned that you were Sirius Black’s Head of House in Gryffindor. Which House were other members of the Black family sorted into?”
“Slytherin, as they have been for generations,” she replied.
“Isn’t it true that you insisted Sirius be sorted into Gryffindor to influence him away from his family?”
Minerva regarded Malfoy with a slightly raised brow. He wasn’t even worth the full brow raise Sirius had received numerous times as a teenager. “Mr. Malfoy, you attended Hogwarts, and so did your son. You know very well that is not how sorting works.”
“Enlighten us, then,” he said. Like there was some gotcha hiding in there. He probably thought he could twist it into one.
“Heads of House and the Headmaster receive the full records of all admitted students and meet during the summer to prepare their sorting,” Minerva explained. “Heads make their cases for students based on academic and extracurricular records, as well as interests and family history. The headmaster determines which house or houses will be presented to the student. And the student’s desires are taken into account at the sorting ceremony. Three houses bid on Sirius Black. Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw. Slytherin because he's a Black. Ravenclaw because of his academic achievements. Gryffindor because of his demeanour, interests, friendship with Gryffindor legacy James Potter, and his academic achievement in sciences, my area of teaching. Headmaster Dumbledore selected Gryffindor and Slytherin to be presented to him at the sorting ceremony. He chose Gryffindor after we made our cases and he asked Dumbledore where he would fit best.”
She shot a smile at Sirius and James behind him.
“I also believe he knew James Potter would choose Gryffindor. Many students who attend Hogwarts with a friend make similar choices.”
“So you did make a strong case for him to break from his family?” Malfoy said.
“I made my case for an excellent student who I believed would be a good fit in my House. I have done the same hundreds of times before and since,” Minerva said sharply. “That he has become dear to me in the years since had no bearing on my recommendation before I had ever met him.”
“But you did not make a similar case for his younger brother,” Malfoy said.
Minerva fixed him with a look. “Mr. Malfoy, this trial is not about Regulus Black. He is not identical to his brother. And I will tell you that I did make my case for Regulus. As did Professor Flitwick of Ravenclaw. Regulus chose Slytherin.”
Malfoy hummed in a very unconvinced manner. Not that it mattered to anyone but Walburga and Orion. He was performing for his business associates now, and perhaps the watching public. But not the judge. She wasn’t buying it.
“Did you believe Sirius Black’s complaints about his home life?” Malfoy asked.
His sudden change of topic didn’t faze Minerva at all.
“Yes. And even if I hadn’t the evidence was plain to see in his behaviour. He avoided home, and fared worse in multiple ways when he returned from breaks.”
“You do not think he was merely more subdued after breaks due to receiving proper discipline for his behaviour?”
Another brow raise. “Starving a child is not discipline. And he was not more subdued, he was more reckless. I spent seven years watching the boy’s patterns, I would know.”
“And yet you claim he was dear to you.”
She blinked blandly at him. “It’s difficult not to love him. He was a handful, but he is fun, funny, and cares with his entire soul. I don’t begrudge the dislike from those whose only interaction with him was the cascade of rubber balls down the main stairs, or blaring ABBA in the Great Hall at full volume for forty minutes while Dumbledore searched for the PA room key to turn it off. He loved annoying pranks. But I do begrudge those who watched him grow into the fine young man he is and claim they find nothing lovable in him. He is a damn sight more lovable than the claimants, in my personal experience.”
What more could Malfoy really say to that?
“No further questions.”
@DailyProphetReports 14/02/2019 1:50pm
With McGonagall’s damning statement, testimony in #BlackvBlack is over. Bagnold adjourns for the day to hear closing arguments tomorrow morning. -BB
Amelia said goodbye to Sirius, citing a meeting with Bagnold in chambers about the ethics inquiry. So he headed off with James and Andy to meet up with Minerva and Poppy.
“Thank you again for coming down for this,” Sirius said as they waited around in the lobby, putting on coats. “I really appreciate it.”
Poppy patted his cheek. “It’s like Minerva said, dear, you’re impossible not to love.”
He smiled. “Are you heading back to Scotland now? Or tonight?”
“We have a flight first thing in the morning,” Minerva said. “We thought we would enjoy the afternoon in London, since we so rarely have the time off together. A little Valentine’s Day date.” They shared a little smile. “Then perhaps we could have dinner with you if you’ve no plans.”
“No, I’d love to get dinner with you both. Lily and Regulus will be done with class later. We could all go out, if you want!”
Minerva smiled. “That sounds perfect.”
“I just have rehearsal until six, so we could meet at half six?” Minerva and Poppy agreed and Sirius saved their numbers in his phone with wide eyes so he could text them the restaurant once he and James picked one and reserved a table.
They waved goodbye and headed out into the sunny winter day to enjoy London. Probably a museum and a walk, if Sirius were to guess. He and James left together to be driven to Sirius’s rehearsal. This way, James could help with planning dinner and take some pictures of rehearsal for Sirius to post. They slumped together in the backseat of the towncar as James tapped away at his phone.
James Potter created the chat Marauders Extended Universe
Lily Potter’s nickname was changed to Dr. Doe
Sirius Black’s nickname was changed to Padfoot
Remus Lupin’s nickname was changed to Moony
Peter Pettigrew’s nickname was changed to Wormtail
Regulus Black’s nickname was changed to Simba
Kingsley Shacklebolt’s nickname was changed to Kings
Marlene McKinnon’s nickname was changed to Marlvelous
Dorcas Meadowes’s nickname was changed to Dork
Hestia Jones’s nickname was changed to Jones, PM
Prongs
Wedding’s over, gotta let the Stag&Doe chat die
But we still need a chat, I think this is everyone!
Marlvelous
Sweet baby jesus Potter
You’ll literally put effort into anything but homework, won’t you?
Prongs
facts
But it’s perfect!
Jones, PM
Have I been named after Harriet Jones, MP for Flydale North?
Prongs
You’ve been named after Harriet Jones, Former Prime Minister
Jones, PM
Great, I suppose it was between Harriet Jones and Goddess of the Hearth
Prongs
p much, Hearth wasn’t a great nickname
Simba
WHY THE FUCK AM I SIMBA?!
POTTER!
Prongs
Very simple logic, Reggie. Let me explain
Dr. Doe
Oh god
Prongs
You’re named after a star in the Leo constellation, the Lion.
Regulus in latin means the little king
But we already have Kingsley here, so I couldn’t call you that
But Little Lion King, that’s Simba!
See? Logic!
Simba
unassailable. truly.
-_-
whatever.
Padfoot
omg he’s gonna let you leave it as simba
phenomenal work Mr Prongs
Prongs
Thank you Mr Padfoot
Now, to the reason I needed this chat today at this moment
Did any of you know before today that MINERVA and POPPY are like MARRIED?!
Dr. Doe
No, or I would’ve invited Poppy to the wedding dumbo
Marlvelous
I did!
Lesbian solidarity and all that
Simba
I wasn’t told, but I’m also not surprised
I would have guessed that if asked
Wormtail
Wait, McGonagall and Pomfrey are married?!?!
When did we find this out?
Padfoot
Minnie said on the stand earlier
I’ve known since 7th yr
Prongs
Haven’t you been following the trial Wormy?
Wormtail
I’ve been in lectures and tutorials since 9am
Prongs
Yeah, fair enough
Pads gets annoyed when any of us skip class for the trial
Padfoot
Excuse me for caring about your education!
Moony
It’s very sweet, love
And very cute that the only one of us who dropped out cares that much
Wormtail
Moony’s got you there Pads
Padfoot
He’s always got me ;)
Ok, I’m off to rehearse
Prongs is here, so let him know if you need me for anything
Prongs
Taking pics of the princess singing
Also Reg and Lils, we’re all getting dinner with Minnie and Poppy tonight
I’ll get a rezzie and text where
Simba
that sounds nice, I’ll be done with study group by 6
Dr. Doe
Same, just lmk and I’ll uber
Being Valentine’s Day, and a Thursday, James had a bit of trouble finding a restaurant that had a table available. But the slight benefit of their group being six meant that restaurants with larger booths or tables that couldn’t be split were less likely to have the bigger tables booked. He called around to a few not too far from where Poppy and Minerva were staying the night and eventually found a booth at a cozy bar styled restaurant off the Strand. The table was for seven, so it should open up just as the theatre crowd were leaving for their shows, and they’d be done before the post-show crowd’s reservations.
James texted the info to Regulus and Lily, then used Sirius’s phone to text it to Minerva as well. Once his quest was complete, he settled back to take some pictures of Sirius’s rehearsal. Some singing. A little video of him swaying and vibing to Jody’s keyboard solo. One of him laughing with the band.
When they were finished, they all sat together on the floor to go over plans for the London shows. They weren’t rehearsing the next evening so they could all have some rest, and Sirius could rest his voice before the first show on Saturday. Once that was settled, Sirius gave hugs and said his goodbyes and headed back to James.
“Got a restaurant?”
“Yeah, New York style bar place. Covent Garden.”
Sirius nodded. “Great, do we need to change?”
“Leave the tie off and I think we’re good,” James said. “It’s near all the theatres anyway.” Sirius hummed and slumped against James as he picked up his phone to text the car service for a lift across town. They’d be early, but that was alright. They’d probably hit some traffic anyway.
“I cannot believe Reggie let you call him Simba in the group chat,” Sirius said. “I’ve been thinking about it for hours. It’s literally the best thing I’ve ever seen you do.”
James fell into him laughing. “Thanks Pads, I try.”
Since moving in, Sirius had noticed that something had softened in his brother’s usual facade. He still teased Sirius and smirked at his ridiculousness. But he also let his emotions be a bit more obvious. Let himself be dragged into the ridiculousness with only mild, fond complaining. It was sweet. And Sirius hoped that the feigned distance from the antics was just Regulus finding it fun to play the metaphorical straight man to Sirius and James. That he knew it was alright to participate in the fun now.
Considering he hadn’t lost his sassy comebacks, it seemed like a good bet.
<img of the small pewter frame holding a picture of young Regulus and Sirius that Regulus smuggled out for Sirius on his birthday>
<img of a pair of porcelain ornaments showing the Canis Major and Leo constellations painted in silver, with blue enamel ribbons along the bottom and gold calligraphy noting ‘First Christmas’. One says ‘Regulus Arcturus Black Christmas 1998’ and the other ‘Sirius Orion Black Christmas 1997’>
Siriusly
A little light in the darkness…to combat the rough few weeks we’ve had, I thought I’d share this.
1) the first gift my brother smuggled out after we reconnected, the first birthday gift he’d given me in years, a picture I had at my bedside until my last year at Hogwarts, when I was too sad about the distance between us to bring it and wasn’t able to go back for it after I left. We were still at Diagon Prep when it was taken, leaving for term. I always remember us being happy and close then
2) the last gift he smuggled out for us. These were the only sentimental Christmas ornaments either of us can remember owning. They were hung in pride of place, and hidden on the tree if we misbehaved during hols, but we loved them because we matched. Those aren’t our parents anymore, not in our hearts, so they don’t get to have ornaments celebrating our births. Next year, they’ll go on the tree here in our home, where we’ll always be brothers and there will always be love
It’s been a lot for us, these last few weeks. But I hope you all can learn what we have: even through hard times, you can find joy.
#sorryforbeingsappyReg #blackbrothers
@DailyProphetReports 15/02/2019 9:07am
Closing statements in #BlackvBlack will begin in just a few moments. Follow to join us live in the courtroom!
Justice Bagnold sat impassively behind the bench, gazing at the litigants before her. After a moment, she instructed Amelia to begin with her closing argument.
Amelia stood and nodded politely to the judge. Then she took pointed aim. “My Lady, Mr. Malfoy has spoken true at many points throughout this trial. Sirius Black was afforded a gilded childhood, boarded away from his parents in schools from the age of seven to eighteen, spending only summers and Christmas holidays at home. From age eight, he spent his additional school breaks and home weekends with the Potter family, who accepted him as their own. Sirius Black never wanted for anything material, but life is more than that, support and acceptance are more than that.
“The statements at issue never claim abuse or misery, just a poor relationship. That he had more freedom from the Church’s beliefs at school than at home. His songs imply he was not embraced by the Church, but imprisoned by it. Moving the goal posts of what constitutes a poor relationship, or the public reputation of Lord and Lady Black’s beliefs, does not make Sirius Black’s statements any less true. It does not make him any less entitled to his personal and honest opinion about that relationship.
“With evidence and firsthand witness testimony, our defence has demonstrated that Sirius Black truly holds the opinions he has expressed, that a reasonable person would qualify his relationship with Lord and Lady Black as poor, and that they have publicly and privately expressed beliefs that had a negative impact on Sirius Black’s emotional wellbeing due to his sexuality. If anything, our evidence demonstrates that his statements were restrained with regard to the truth. We have also demonstrated that Lord and Lady Black should reasonably have known that their son’s statements were based on his concerted efforts to distance himself from them and their treatment of him as a child. Thank you, My Lady.” She retook her seat and looked over at Malfoy.
The judge looked to the claimants' table and instructed Malfoy to begin his closing argument as well.
Malfoy stood and straightened his robe before taking his place at the podium. “Lord and Lady Black do not relish filing suit against their own flesh and blood, Your Honour,” he said. “But they recognise these statements are damaging and their son cannot be allowed to continue this behaviour unchecked. He was a difficult, headstrong child who was afforded every opportunity for success by his loving parents. And yet he has spoken as if he lived a life of abuse and misery, rather than one of privilege and divine grace.
“Our argument has shown that Lord and Lady Black’s business opportunities have been damaged by their eldest son’s reckless and false statements. Which have painted their parenting and beliefs in a negative light that is not supported by the experiences of other family members. As we have demonstrated, at no point did the defendant or those who claim to have knowledge of his feelings attempt to alert Lord and Lady Black to the issues or mend their relationship. They were unaware that their son did not know his wellbeing and familial relationships were more important than their religious beliefs. He is confused and adrift, Your Honour. Separated from the flock. But with his statements against Lord and Lady Black, and his response to this case, it is clear he requires a firm response to bring him back into the fold. Lord and Lady Black only wish to see a just response to what they have lost, Your Honour.”
Justice Bagnold nodded and Malfoy retook his seat. "Thank you Ms. Bones and Mr. Malfoy for your advocacy in this case. I will review the evidence and applicable laws and render my judgement in this case on the 25th of February."
@DailyProphetReports 15/02/2019 10:37am
We are adjourned on the last day of #BlackvBlack. We'll be back with live coverage of the judgement on 25 Feb. Or check out our Daily Summary that day for analysis of the written judgement.
<img of Sirius laughing with the band at rehearsal>
<video of Sirius swaying along with Jody at rehearsal, Gid and Fab in the background>
Siriusly
Trial is (pretty much) over…so get hyped for tour!!
We’re kicking off tomorrow at The Black Heart in Camden!
Tickets are still available for some of the dates, so grab one while you still can. I can’t wait to spend the next few weeks laughing and dancing and singing with you all! You’ve made the past year so special, and I’m so glad to share these songs about my soulmate with you.
If you weren’t able to get a ticket to this tour, I’ll be at some festivals this summer. So keep an eye out for those announcements! You’ll be able to see me and some other amazing artists at the same time!
xx Sirius