He knows he's dying. Someone always has to die and now it's his turn. But he doesn't mind. An unbidden memory comes. One that has haunted him for years.

"Bella give it back. Now!" A six year old Sirius Black whined as his cousin Bellatrix took his toy broomstick off him and threatened to break it.

"Now, now Siri. What do you have to do?" Bellatrix taunted as she held it aloft her head, her black eyes narrowing on Sirius. "Just show some magic and I'll give it back. We don't want you to be a nasty squib do we?"

"Bella please!" Sirius cried as he concentrated on the broom and tried to force himself to do magic. His tiny grey eyes screwed up in frustration as Bellatrix began bending the broom. It snapped. Sirius too snapped and unleashed his pent up frustration in a red ball of magic towards Bellatrix who ducked and applauded as Sirius had performed his first bout of magic.

"Well done Sirius" Bellatrix congratulated mockinglu with an smirk and muttered "Reparo" to the broom before handing it back to Sirius who was beaming as he had performed magic. She was 14 and all too aware of her respected pureblood status as a Black and so wanted to protect the honour of their family. If that meant forcing her younger cousins then so be it.

"Bella I performed magic" Sirius shrieked excitedly before running through the house telling everyone. His cousins Andy and Cissy were pleased for him but his annoying younger brother Reggie was just plain jealous and his mother told him off for disgracing the family name with his shrieking. But it didn't matter, he was happy. He could do magic like Bella and Andi!

"Is this true Bellatrix?" her aunt Walburga asked with a perverted smile. Sirius' magic was expected given that he was a Black.

"Yes aunt Walburga. I forced the magic out of Sirius as is my duty" Bellatrix took sadistic pleasure in knowing that only she could force Sirius to do anything. They hated each other. That was true. But they also were so similar that they had a grudging respect for each other. After all the reason they clashed was naturally because of their similarities but also because of Bellatrix's jealousy of Sirius as he would be the Black heir not her.

"Well done Bellatrix. You have proven my son is not a squib after all. But do remember he will be the Black heir and it will be your duty to serve him so you must stop taunting him" Walburga condemned Bellatrix as she was too eager to be a Black and had little respect for Sirius, the Black heir.

"He will be the Black heir in name. I am the true heir Aunt Walburga. It was just a chance of birth" Bellatrix retorted as she stomped off. She was the true Black and she knew it.

Sirius ran after her as he wanted her to teach him more. He didn't like Bella but she helped him do magic. He wanted to learn more and Andi refused to teach him anything as he was too young.

"Bella I want to learn more. Please!" Sirius said excitedly to his disdainful older cousin. She regarded him with heavy lidded eyes and grudgingly agreed.

"If you're so insistent I'll teach you some more" Bella saw it as an opportunity to mould her baby cousin into a proper Pureblood. He may not be Black material yet but she could teach him. He would certainly be a powerful wizard one day and maybe together they could restore Pureblood supremacy. "We need someone to practise on. Fetch Regulus"

Sirius ran back to Regulus and grabbed his hand. He pulled him to Bella's room where she stood waiting. She had her wand out.

"Now Sirius I want you to take this wand. Point it at Regulus and say Crucio" Bellatrix handed her wand over to Sirius who seized it with excitement.

He pointed it at his younger brother and said 'Crucio'. Nothing happened and he was disappointed.

"You have to say it like this Sirius" Bellatrix took her wand back. "Crucio!" she shouted with channelled anger and Regulus began writhing in pain. She never liked Regulus. He lacked the conviction of a true Black. It had its roots in her, Andromeda and Sirius but Cissy and Regulus were too good to be true Blacks.

"Bella it looks like he's in pain. I don't want to do this spell" Sirius refused as his brother was crying out loud.

"Don't be silly Siri. It just...tickles" Bella forced her wand back into Sirius' hand.

He didn't want to hurt his brother but Bella wouldn't lie to him. She was mean to him, Reggie and even Cissy sometimes but she always told the truth. So he took the wand and concentrated and said 'Crucio'. Reggie writhed but not as badly as when Bella cast that spell.

"Good start Sirius" Bellatrix mock applauded. It was a start and maybe, just maybe, Sirius might prove to be the Black heir. He still had a long way to go though.

"Bella what on earth are you doing? And Sirius you must never cast this spell ever again! It hurts people and you just hurt Reggie" Andromeda helped Regulus up and cast a spell to ease his pain whilst glaring at Bella. Sirius was young and could be excused but Bella, her sister Bella, was teaching pain.

"I'm sorry Andi" Sirius broke into sobs as he realised his mistake whilst Bellatrix just stared back defiantly. It was something he would never be able to forget. It was also something that fractured his relationship with Bellatrix and Regulus forever. But they didn't know it yet.

Today would be forgotten and tomorrow they would begin anew. But in the coming years, this memory would plague Sirius. He would remember time and time again. When Bella became a Death Eater. When he would leave forever. When he hears that Regulus has become a Death Eater. He would look back and see it as the moment that shattered their lives forever. He thinks of a different world. One where they were all just happy children, without prejudice or stigma. Where they could just be Bella and Andi and Siri and Cissy and Reggie instead of the Black children. The Blacks. A name that forced them to conform or be ruined.

He's falling into the Veil. It doesn't hurt. He catches his last glimpse of the world he leaves behind. And her. His cousin. She's cackling and grinning like the madwoman he knew she was with her raven locks obscuring her face. And he knows that she'll never change. That they'll never change. The Blacks. They all end up dead before their time and she'll be no different. They are reckless, passionate and mad. Always mad. There are only ever a few who can escape. He's just not that lucky. But, he hopes that Andi will and Dora too because they're not Black. Not anymore. He hopes Harry, Moony and the Order survive too. The last Marauder. The Chosen One. They will survive. He knows it.

One last breath. It feels like an eternity. And then it's over. He's dead.

A/N Thanks for reading! Thanks for the review Tily!