Title: Knowing Black

Author: the-writer1988

Rating: K+

Summary: The Weasley's move into Grimmauld Palace. How do they feel about living with a notorious – albeit innocent – mass murderer? Weasley family/Black bonding short.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The lovely JKRowling does!

Notes: Been a while since I wrote anything in the Harry Potter fandom... but this idea came to me and I haven't been able to find any fics about this subject so I decided to write my own! This will be a short story... Probably around 6 chapters.

Knowing Black

One

"Weasley's! Family gathering!" called Arthur, up the stair case in the Burrow. His wife was already in the living room, worry etched on her face. She was still upset over Percy leaving, for deciding to believe the lies of the Ministry over his own family. Molly would find it difficult to get over Percy's betrayal, how he had put his career first ahead of family. A Weasley was always taught loyalty was paramount to who they were… Arthur shook his head. He had more important things to worry about for now.

They had Dumbledore on the way to their house. It was barely a few weeks since the end of term, since Harry Potter had revealed the truth about You-Know-Who… How he had returned… Yet no one believed it and Harry was being branded a liar… Arthur had seen the papers, seen the attempts by the Ministry to cover it up… They were all in denial.

But not Arthur.

He trusted Dumbledore.

But still…

…the thought of the Dark Lord being back to full strength was a terrifying thought. Did that mean his family were no longer safe? Their association with Harry Potter would put them in danger.

Above the stairs creaked as each of his children descended, entering into the small living room, and confused looks on their faces. They knew something was up. They all knew You-Know-Who was back, but unlike Percy, they were remaining loyal to the family. You-Know-Who would not stay quiet for long, not with one of his most fanatic supporters out there.

Arthur shivered. The events of two years ago was coming back to bite the Wizarding World.

Sirius Black had been on the run for two years. There was no doubt in Arthur's mind that Black had aided his Master's return to full power. If only he had not escaped from Hogwarts the night he had been apprehended… or better yet, had never escaped Azkaban in the first place… Would the events of last month still have happened?

Arthur sighed. There was nothing he could do about it now. He could only stand up for what he believed in.

He walked slowly into the living room, all of his family – those that were loyal – sat around, confusion evident in their faces. The only one missing, save from Percy, was Charlie, who was on a mission for Dumbledore in Romania, recruiting foreign wizards to the cause. Unbeknownst to their children, Arthur and Molly had recently joined the Order of the Phoenix, a society that was dedicated to stopping the advance of the Dark Lord.

"Dad, what's going on?" asked Ron.

"Albus Dumbledore needs to talk to all of us," he replied. "He is arriving shortly."

"Is this something to do with You-Know-Who?" questioned Ginny. His little girl was growing up so fast.

"It is." Arthur exchanged looks with his wife. They all knew that they couldn't keep their children in the dark, whatever Dumbledore wanted to talk to them about, it had to be something important that would involve his children, even if he didn't like the idea of it. Dumbledore had mentioned to them about possibly moving into the newly found headquarters of the Order, which Molly and Arthur had discussed.

It would be safer for their children and for Harry - when he came to stay. They would be in a secure place, guarded by wizards loyal to Dumbledore and, no doubt, the house would be enchanted to stop anyone finding it.

There was a knock at the door jolting Arthur from his thoughts.

He got to his feet, walked across the room and opened the door.

Albus Dumbledore stood in the doorway, his robes of light purple, his eyes sad and his white beard trailing down to his waist. The Headmaster looked old, the stress of the last few weeks wearing him out. Dumbledore was fighting a losing battle with the Ministry.

"Come in," Arthur stepped aside to allow the older man into his home.

"Thank you, Arthur," nodded Dumbledore. He swept into the living area, his eyes casting around at the children seated before settling on Arthur and Molly, who were now sitting side-by-side. "Thank you for agreeing to my request to have your children here for this meeting. There are some things they must know, especially if you have made a decision regarding my other offer?" He looked hopeful at them.

"We have," began Arthur slowly. "Would it be secure?"

"Yes, I am Secret Keeper. Only those that are told the location will know where headquarters is," explained Dumbledore. "And the house is unplottable. Charms that expired years ago have now been renewed. It is, perhaps, the safest house in Wizarding Britain."

"Dad?" Fred began but Arthur waved his hand.

"Then we will move to the headquarters for now," agreed Arthur.

"Good," smiled Dumbledore. "The owner will be pleased to have guests."

A flash of panic crossed Molly's face. "Aren't you the owner?"

They had all assumed Dumbledore was.

"No, I am not, but he has kindly lent me the house to use as headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix." Here Dumbledore's face swept around the room, his eyes meeting those of the Weasley children.

"The Order of the Phoenix?" George asked. It was an inevitable question.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "It is an organisation that was around during the first war and now has been reinstated in light of Voldemort's return. That is all you need to know."

Everyone flinched at the name and a collective shudder went around the room.

"So, the Order fights the Death Eaters then?" pointed out Fred, quite astute in what his Headmaster had said, noted Arthur. Guessing without being need to be told.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "However, as you have agreed to move into headquarters, there are a few things you must know. Especially about the owner of the house."

Arthur voiced the question everyone was thinking. "Who is the owner?"

"Sirius Black," answered Dumbledore serenely.

"WHAT?" Arthur exploded. He fumbled for his words. "But… he's…. Surely he's with You-Know-Who?"

Arthur wasn't the only one in the room protesting the news, though he noted with some concern that Ron did not seem to mind. Why?

Dumbledore was shaking his head, raising his hands for quiet. "Sirius Black is innocent of all the crimes he was charged with."

"But… how?" whispered Arthur.

Dumbledore looked towards Ron. "Perhaps young Ronald Weasley could explain. He knows the truth."

Ron looked like a dear with headlights on as he swallowed.

"And, Molly, you saw him at Hogwarts only a few weeks ago," said Dumbledore. "He was nothing but kind to Harry. You saw they care for one another. Sirius is working with me to protect Harry. I once thought he was a traitor but I was wrong."

Again Arthur had to voice the question they were all thinking. "How?"

Ron cleared his throat. "Remember Scabbers?" His eyes and face seemed to fill with disgust at the name.

"He died in your third year, didn't he?" piped up Ginny.

Ron nodded. "That's what I told mum and dad. But Scabbers wasn't really a rat…"

"What?" Molly's face turned even paler then it already had done.

"Scabbers was a wizard," continued Dumbledore, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

Arthur had read the stories in the papers, he knew the crimes of which Black had committed. "Black killed Pettigrew," he stated.

"No, he didn't, as Harry, Ron and Hermione found out," said Dumbledore.

Every Weasley looked at Ron.

"What are you keeping from us, Ronald Weasley?" Molly snapped.

Ron sighed. Arthur could see his son knew he was not getting out of this.

"Perhaps it would be better if I explained?" smiled Dumbledore. He had never intended for Arthur's youngest son to tell the story.

Ron leapt at the chance. "Please!"

"You all know the story of Sirius Black, what his crimes were, but most do not know the whole story. I suppose this story begins in 1971, when Sirius Black entered Hogwarts. Sirius surprised me because I am normally a good judge of character and I assumed, due to his family's past history, that he would be sorted into Slytherin, and follow the footsteps that some of his older relatives were doing. Sirius, however, was sorted into Gryffindor."

A collective gasp ran around the room.

A Black, a Gryffindor? That was unheard of. Ravenclaw was an acceptable choice, Arthur knew for stringent Pure-Blood families, but for a Black to be in Gryffindor?

"I was surprised myself but I vowed to keep an eye on him. Black must have had qualities that meant he was a Gryffindor at heart, despite his heritage. I watched Sirius carefully through his seven years at Hogwarts, and despite making a few mistakes, I believed at the end of it, the Sorting Hat had been wise in placing him in Gryffindor. He had close friends… Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin –"

"Professor Lupin?" George interrupted.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. One of the main reasons I bought Professor Lupin into my school two years ago was because he was best placed to know Sirius Black. But that is immaterial now. Sirius' best friend was James Potter, Harry's father. The two of them were inseparable, quite the trouble-makers, much like yourselves," he inclined his head at the twins, a slight sparkle in his eye. "Even when they left school, they remained the best of friends. When James married Lily Evans, Sirius was their best man and when Harry was born, he was named godfather." Here Dumbledore bowed his head. "But I knew Voldemort wanted to kill the Potters, and they had narrowly escaped with their lives several times. We knew there was a traitor in the Potter's inner circle. I suspected Sirius Black. Shunned by his family but still fully capable of turning to the dark side, I believed the worst in him. I never gave him the chance to explain himself."

Arthur could see how Dumbledore regretted his actions of that time. It was eating at the old man how he could have made such a crucial mistake.

"I advised the Potter's to go into hiding, using the Fidelius Charm. I offered myself to be their Secret Keeper but they refused, choosing to elect Sirius to bear that honour. Barely a few days after the charm was cast, James and Lily were murdered. I gave evidence to the Wizarding Wizangamot that Sirius was their Secret Keeper. Sirius was apprehended barely a day later when he was caught at the scene of an explosion in a muggle street which killed thirteen people including Peter Pettigrew. Sirius was not questioned or given a trial, he was thrown in Azkaban, the evidence against him was overwhelming and the matter was laid to rest," explained Dumbledore. "We all thought he was the traitor but the events of a year ago proved that everything had been interpreted wrongly."

Arthur swallowed. He could not see how Black could be innocent.

"But what has this got to do with Scabbers?" asked Molly. Her face was white.

"Everything," answered Dumbledore. "I didn't know at the time but it appears Mr Lupin's condition caused his three friends to decide to become Animagi. Right under my very nose. They achieved this feat still at school, each could transform at will. Black became a dog, which is why he has been able to remain on the run for so long. He never registered either making the Aurors job to locate him exceptionally difficult. Pettigrew transformed into a rat. James and Lily swapped Secret Keepers without telling me. Sirius was not their Secret Keeper as he knew Voldemort would come after him. It was his idea of a double bluff, that using Peter was the sensible option. Who would believe that Pettigrew would be their Secret Keeper? It was Pettigrew that betrayed the Potter's to their deaths. Consumed with grief over what he had done, Sirius tracked Peter down. Peter accused Sirius of betraying the Potter's, then blew apart the street with his wand behind his back, cut off his own finger and then transformed into a rat, fleeing into the sewers, while Sirius paid the price for crimes he did not commit."

"And then, barely a few days after that, Percy found a rat…" whispered Arthur. He remembered Percy bringing a rat home, asking to keep him, which they had allowed. It fit… the whole story. And the rat had been missing a toe…

"Rats live for three years at the most…" Dumbledore explained.

Arthur felt ill. "We've been harbouring a Death Eater for twelve years?"

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "Pettigrew needed to be around a Wizarding family. If his old master returned, he could easily return to the fold."

"But if Black knew Pettigrew was an animagus, how did he find out where he was?" whispered Bill. This was the first time he had spoken during Dumbledore's long explanation.

Ron cleared his throat. "Our trip to Egypt was in the paper. Sirius said Fudge inspected Azkaban. He asked for the paper… Fudge gave it to him… and he saw our photo, recognising Scabbers."

"And that's why he broke out of Azkaban," swallowed Arthur. "Not to kill Harry but Pettigrew…"

"He did. Sirius tried several attempts to kill Pettigrew, but as we did not know the truth, we all assumed Harry was the target. When I found out the truth after Sirius had been captured at Hogwarts, and heard the same story from Harry, Ron and Hermione, I knew I had to do everything in my power to prevent the Dementor's Kiss from being administered. Cornelius was not having any of it, believing Black had confounded them. But Black's story made more sense and, he even gave me his memories, to prove his innocence, which I hope to one day use as testimony of his innocence if Fudge ever realises what a huge mistake has been made. The current climate in our world ensures that these memories cannot be used to clear his name yet. I was short of time. It was Harry and Hermione that helped Sirius escape from Hogwarts. Since then Harry has remained in contact with Sirius, and, I believe the three of you met him in Hogsmeade earlier this year," pointed out Dumbledore.

"You did?" Arthur looked at his youngest son.

Ron shrugged. "Yeah. He gave Harry advice to get through the tasks."

"Where is Pettigrew now?" asked Molly.

"Unfortunately, he escaped and has returned to Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "This means that Sirius has to remain hidden for his own protection. His animagus form will be known to Voldemort now. It is unsafe for him to continue to be on the run. Fortunately, despite being labelled a blood-traitor by his family, Sirius still inherited his childhood home, and has kindly offered it as headquarters. Sirius Black is an innocent man."

Quiet ran around the room, everyone processing the information that Dumbledore had just given them.

Arthur had a hard time believing the story though he admitted it did make sense. And Ron had known for a whole year… "Are you sure he is safe?"

"Yes, I am. Sirius is loyal to the Order and always has been. His priority is keeping Harry safe. If Pettigrew had not escaped Hogwarts and been handed over to the relevant authorities, Sirius would have been freed and would have taken custody of Harry. As his godfather, he has the legal right to petition for him," explained Dumbledore. "There will always be other members of the Order entering and leaving the house though Sirius is its permanent occupant. Remus Lupin is currently staying with him, until he is needed on assignments himself. I can understand your trepidation, but Sirius is a brave, innocent man who has suffered badly for the mistakes he has made. Give him a chance and get to know him. When Harry eventually arrives at headquarters, you will see how much the two mean to one another. I know it will not be easy to accept his innocence, but make the effort and get to know him… Sirius will extend the same courtesy to all of you."

Arthur went to bed that night with his mind racing. So much had come out of that meeting with Dumbledore. His family was going to be living under the roof of a murderer… well, an innocent one.

It was still hard to believe that Black could be. Arthur knew he would be wary of the man, how could one not be? For the Wizarding World to believe Black was guilty of those crimes in the first place, surely there must have been something in him that showed he was fully capable of betrayal and murder? Or had it been his surname that had made people so easily believe that? Everyone knew the reputation of the Black family…

He knew Molly was awake next to him, scared and worried about what the next day would bring. To be fair, he felt the same to. He knew he wouldn't trust the man so easily, but he wouldn't write him off either. He was Harry's godfather…

They would have to learn to trust Sirius Black and forget the crimes that he had been associated with for all these long years. Perhaps the first step, as Dumbledore had rightly suggested, was to get to know the man behind the mask?

It was the least the Weasley family could do.

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think!

I thought Dumbledore would explain everything in detail to the Weasley family. And I wanted to show that explanation too. How were the characters? I decided to write mainly in Arthur's POV, first time ever, so I'm not sure if it came out right or not. Did it?

The next chapter deals with the Weasley family arriving at Grimmauld Place and meeting Lupin and, of course, Sirius...

This will be a short story, roughly 6 chapters.

Until next time,

the-writer1988