The Family that Chooses You

Chapter 113: Back in Black

"What's this?" Harry asked, looking suspiciously at the small box.

"What, don't you trust me?" Sirius asked with an untrustworthy smile.

"With knowing how you were in school, what you did at the Prefect party, and the fact we visited Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes yesterday?  No not really."

Tonks and Andromeda laughed and Sirius joined in.  "Yeah that's fair," he admitted.  "There has been no pranks or anything with mal intent in that box, sort of."

"That's reassuring."  Harry did not sound assured.

"Just open it," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

Harry opened the box, revealing a small gold ring.  It gleamed in the light and the top held a crest of a large dog made of stars.  "Wow," Harry said, looking at it carefully.  "It's beautiful but," he looked at Sirius with a pained expression, "I have a girlfriend and I'm not really into blokes."

Tonks shrieked with laughter, her hair turning all the shades of a rainbow and Andromeda laughed just as heartily.

Sirius snorted and shoved a grinning Harry.  "Prat.  Even if I was interested in blokes too, I'd do much better than you.  I should take it back now but it's too late, you've already sullied it by touching it.  That is a signet ring.  It's a ring that shows you belong to a House and that specific style and quality means that you are one of the higher ups, the Peers, of the House.  You have a say in policy and politics and all that hoopla."

"Woah, cool."  Harry looked at it with wonder.  "Do all the Houses do that?"

"Depends on the House but all the Ancient and Noble ones do.  The Potters at one point were a big family and had rings like that.  They were an Ancient one and almost as Noble as the rest despite how most of them felt about Nobility."

"Is this a Potter one?" Harry asked.

"No.  It's a Black one.  I officially made you a member of the Blacks."

Harry blinked.

"Don't worry, you're still a Potter and I'm not adopting you completely or making you my heir unless something happens to me which, don't worry, I don't intend on anything happening to me," he said hurriedly.  "But I wanted to make you a proper member of the Blacks, the new ones.  I've been working with Ted and I'm rebuilding the family the right way.  You'll always be a Potter and one day you'll probably have to decide on what to do with your House then.  But, you'll always be a Black no matter what and a Peer of the Family."

Harry blinked a few more times to keep the tears from building.  "Really?" he asked softly.

"Really.  Your dad was my brother in all but blood.  You're my godson and I couldn't be prouder if you were actually my flesh and blood.  I wanted you to always have a family in the Blacks.  No matter what happens, you'll have a place to come back to."  He grinned.  "And when I get sprogs of my own, I want them to have cool cousin Harry or Uncle Harry to go to when they're trying to run from their old man."

"Aww, you finally acknowledged that you're old," Tonks said.  "Acceptance is the first step.  I'm proud of you, old man."

Andromeda and Harry snickered while Sirius glared at an unrepentant Tonks.  "You know, you technically insulted the Family Elder and could be punished for that."

"Hey, another admission right after the first!  Positive steps, Elder Black."

"Control your daughter," Sirius sighed at Andromeda.

"I've tried," Andromeda said shortly.

Harry slipped the ring on his pinky finger.  It warmed as the enchantment took hold and fitted perfectly to him.  "Thank you," he said softly.  "This means a lot to me."