The Black Reign: A History

The Black Family.

The family that always dresses so trendily.

The envy of all nobles as Sirius has a beautiful wife who looked perpetually young and beautiful with no wrinkle or sagging skin whatsoever even though her looks made it clear she's in her late twenties, and has twelve children because his wife has formidable triplet genes.

Their children are the picture of nobility and they have YET to make a mess in society.

Thus many families hold Sirius Black in contempt; some out of jealousy and some because he ahem, 'destroyed' their 'comfort zone'.

However, he was an untouchable man in politics, called the 'Man with a Barbed Tongue and Blades for Teeth' yet has great public support since he accomplished many things that made their country better. His wife would tell him he's the Wizarding Version of Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia, only, Sirius still has 'his humanity'. Attempts to hex/curse/jinx him fails somehow and if pushed to fight, can fight hard and brutal using only Grade 2 spells creatively. He wasn't formerly a prankster for nothing.

His success was thanks to Jack, as with her help, he gleaned all info needed to be obtained, studied AND weaponized and with his wife's help, weaponized logic too that he pretty much, had his way in court most of the time, and willing to use ANYTHING to get his way. Passed bills he wants, too that Muggleborns are now in the Ministry, and Departments whose jobs concern national security Budget went up but swimming in work that nobody had any free time quite literally. The plus? A pay raise of 500 Galleons!

He was so popular despite mixed-opinions that he became Minister of Magic...that he 'turned society upside down' and destroyed 'comfort zones' of the Purebloods in the Ministry much to the outrage of staunch traditionalists, only to be slammed down with cold-hearted piercing logic exploiting how their country looked to others and he could back it up with copies of newspapers about International Opinion that most Lords and family heads looked purple at how everyone else sees their 'great country'. Then there's prejudice...and those with 'no common sense' are fired. Its left unsaid that those who hated Delores Umbridge celebrated when she was among those fired.

But to those with dangerous minds...they vanished. Just that Sirius 'begrudgingly' kept some people around as the Wizengamot needs Family Heads around as well as Department Heads.

He also kept a careful balance in magical arts so arts would not be lost forever...

...thus to the surprise of many, he promoted many magical arts. But limits access to 'those with competence and affinity to such arts...so to those with little or no skill, we shall write you an epitaph in advance for your foolish attempts to study where you have no skill in.' Thus Knockturn Alley was also cleaned and spiced up, and a Dark Arts Haven and other old magicks forgotten and 'wiped out' were brought back. However, Knockturn Alley is heavily-guarded and to enter to purchase something, you are required to swear fool-proof Oaths with no loopholes whatsoever. All witches and wizards age 17 and up are required to swear these Oaths if they EVER want to shop in Knockturn Alley.

The forbidden magic and potions are declared solely to those that controls and manipulates minds and free wills, identity impersonation and theft, torture and arts that harms bloodlines. All of which if practiced, is a Five-Generational Punishment...to the Veil. The only ones to be spared, would be infants and toddlers if they were within the five-generation line as they are innocents incapable of knowing evil just yet. However, they will be Wards of the Government's newly-founded Social Welfare Agency and their estates on lockdown till they're 11 years old and 'raised well'.

It has two divisions...one for Orphans and one for Squibs.

The plus side was, society improved and actually looked like what a Magical Alley should be with a touch of greenery in the form of flowering trees and parks. He was very popular with Muggleborns, Hybrids, Beings and Half-Bloods who leaned towards the muggle culture. Even some magicals begrudgingly agreed that the shopping alleys now looked great and now received positive Tourism Reviews from foreigners for once...only for Purebloods to seethe that Sirius Black III is praised worldwide, greatly respected as 'the only British with ACTUAL intelligence' and thus, has great backing that they had to swallow their pride and try to get close to him.

He even used the budget to rebuild the Ministry because while the magical alleys certainly look beautiful now, the Government Body Office does NOT.

Taxes went to 'beautifying' Magical Britain and improving National Security when he became Minister at year 1990 when Bagnold retired. He pretty much spent a good chunk of the National Budget that it was said that only 40% remained of taxes but everyone could agree it was money well spent, that money actually went to a good cause. They actually look like a magical community now instead of a 'rip-off of muggle England's dark days', and the number of Aurors and Hitwizards tripled and better trained, to the delight of Madam Amelia Bones who succeeded Barty Crouch Sr. in his position when his son was outed as a Death Eater. However, the cost of better-trained Aurors and Hitwizards? 30% of the Ministry Budget. A big percentage. Training Warding and Protection Specialists? 10%!

Amounts of money previous Ministers were not willing to shell out for corruption reasons.

(Sirius was vindictive in some ways, after all, the man had him tossed in prison without a trial)

Even better?

The Daily Prophet had to swear oaths to print solely only the truth. No 'editing' allowed unless it was wrong grammar to the chagrin of one Rita Skeeter.

Salaries increased and properly computed that in eleven years, people said that Sirius Black's reign was the Golden Age after a recovery period of the First Wizarding War in Britain.

Next was Hogwarts.

For Sirius' children to enjoy time there...he consulted his wife.

Hogwarts is a State School, in other words, Ministry pays for it.

He looked at how Hogwarts is run on year two of his reign as Minister.

The food, the books assigned, curriculum...

He changed it. He changed the menu and recipes of Hogwarts' food, and the books, while changing Defense Against Dark Arts, Divination, History of Magic, Potions Curriculum(for just one year out of seven to instill Potions Responsibility and shockingly, encouraged his old nemesis to be strict, just without verbal abuse), and added, as well as created curriculum for Healing(for future, better Healers), Alchemy, Household Education, Runes, Arithmancy, Muggle Studies, Warding and Protection, Magical Constructs(he had his wife help with this) and Spiritual Arts(for ghostly enemies).

He also added Physical Education and Muggle Studies in Core Classes with the cost of students waking up early. As for Muggle Studies, 'Its just for two years only, but should give kids food for thought on what to know and expect on the last two years of school. Until then, no kids allowed in the Muggle World unless they're Muggleborn.' Muggle Studies is a Core Class for all magicals at the last two years of school. Curriculum constantly updated as Muggles are quick to change in culture as long as 'it's trendy'.

School days now start at 7:30, and end in 7:30 as well. But upon becoming a 3rd year, P.E and Flying Classes will be dropped due to Double-Time Scheduling of some classes, but P.E will always be before dinner to work up an appetite.

Lady Black also designed Uniforms. Classy and Professional, and easy to move in. She also had Madam Malkin, and Twilfitt and Tattings make types of clothes for certain clienteles that separated the wealthy from the well-off and poor. She also has her own business in making magical fabrics and dyes, and she supplies the two tailor shops. However, students now have a choice in where to buy their uniforms as well. 1st to five years have boots, but 6th to 7th years have witches wearing office lady shoes in styles they prefer as long as it has heels, and boys wearing leather shoes.

For First and Second Years, after classes, they have a rather huge free time for two hours until the last class, so a Class was added: Writing Class. While its crazy, there's a rationale for that.

Grammar and Punctuation, not to mention Vocabulary and Terminology Extension is important as well as LEGIBLE HANDWRITING. All the more important as children use quills, not pens. And there are 'Magic Slates' for sale, inspired out of the writing toy sold in the muggle world. Only, its magical that self-erases so it can be used again and again. There were five types sold: one that had inch-size font, and gradually gets smaller and smaller until its the size used in books. Its to train kids to write neatly in manuscript or cursive letters. And students are given two years for legible, good handwriting as homework and quizzes submitted with sloppy handwriting, no matter how good it is will automatically get you 'a mere A'.

Rules for homework changed too. No copy-paste from books any more. You have to put in HOW you understood the assigned topic. Book copy-pasting or homework resembling book passages get a T by default.

That, and while magicals get Muggle Studies at 6-7th year, Muggleborns will get Wizarding Studies for two years in their first and second year.

Again, he strong-armed Common Sense into the court. Sitting all day with no exercise makes for unfit, unhealthy kids and there are those who wish to join the DMLE. How can they if they have to waste time getting into shape instead of just going to Auror Academy to learn the skills needed for the job? P.E for the first three years to build up young bodies into strong bodies and 6th to 7th year, to prepare for Combat. However, Witches and Wizards who aspire to be Aurors and Hitwizards are in this P.E program only in their NEWTs.

Speaking of Auror Academy, instead of four years, there's an additional one year making it a five years stint.

Exams for OWLS are Core Subjects and Electives. Mandatory.

Nobody could refute the arguments made as it made too many and too much points there was no room for arguments.

Due to how embarrassing Magical Britain was, Sirius was the only Minister in history to bring changes that enables them to catch up with the rest of the world and he ruled not with an iron fist, but his cold-hearted, cold-blooded logic. In fact, he even gave everyone a paid-for week vacation but the rule was,

'Be in disguise and give nothing away that you're British. And ask how they feel about Magical Britain and important people in it. You'll see well why I damn want changes and I want it last year! On your week's vacation, the Ministry will also close that week! You guys will go hear the nasty truth from foreigners themselves while I enjoy the beach with my family. Before that, I want you all to put your office work in order and submitted properly so you'll come home to clean cubicles! Once each department has submitted what needs to be done, until the last department has their work done, you will go to that vacation on the same day! I will assign departments to what country!'

They did.

They came back rather...enlightened. And quite subdued/furious/embarrassed/mortified, etc.

Sirius was grinning victoriously.

Of course, that went Daily Prophet for the rest of the country to know how their week went in what country. Of course, no lying allowed. Sooo yeeeah. Wake-up call is a harsh, cruel mistress.

People also wondered if the Black Children and the Girl-Who-Lived can be just as cruel as he is.

Sirius simply said, 'I am not cruel, I'm a realist. Blame your old-fashioned, fuddy-duddy beliefs and delusions of grandeur simply because of one's blood-type because its the root cause of how the world sees us. I'm just pushing us to the current era while maintaining our magic and culture. Just that, I'm doing a little weeding of the garden, is all. The weeds called stupidity and no common sense in favor of what's easy and convenient.'

They'll have to see through their kids.

Those who aren't 'in society' saw Serenity Potter for the first time, beautiful and wearing a beautiful dress and shoes. But she also has the same cold eyes as her family! Her hip-length black hair was straight on the upper half, but gradually went wavy and flared on the bottom half. Her hair simply has fancy hairclips on the left side of her head, and a large clip binding the lower, wavy half of her hair. Her skin was very fair, considering her parents were 'two shades' darker than hers. Her hands are also well-manicured and has the grace and poise of the wealthy elite.

And for one who's just 11, she can now manage her house, House Potter as its young Head of House. But alas, she cannot be in the Wizengamot just yet thus Remus Lupin proxies for her till she's of age. She also built her businesses that focused on farming magical flora and breeding fruits made magical...and fun...and she gave interviews and just by talking to her proved she really built those businesses by herself that other families tried having their scions be just as good but due to their upbringing, has it difficult.

She was praised by famous people for inventing magical produce by cross-breeding and alchemy, creating delicious fruits and vegetables as well as spices and herbs, but with a setback...that some became Special Preparation Ingredients that chefs had to be better, faster and stronger in knifework...she had to figure out how to prepare them before marketing them! She even created magical species of seafood and livestock...that muggles thought they were 'undiscovered species with incredible benefits' when found as she deliberately let them be found as it posed no risk to Statute of Magical Secrecy anyway as the livestock she carefully bred, shows no evidence of magical treatments at all. Just that, they'll have trouble figuring them out. Britain now mass-produces it, and markets them in countries near Britain that the Potters got richer.

If Fleamont Potter quadrupled the family gold with his Sleekeazy Hair Potion, his granddaughter would double that with her creations that poor Sirius Black had to deal with parents wanting to marry into the Potters he had to 'take real care' as he rather Serenity marry a man she wants, not a man who wants her money.

Its thanks to her that they got deliciously nutritious food. But as of now, it'll be years before they can taste her Livestock and Seafood produce as what's on the tables now were the fruits and vegetables she created. However, Serenity is highly-protective of her creations that she only employs Squibs and House Elves in her massive farms, with the House Elves guarding seeds to prevent theft and growing her creations without her permission. On harvests, seeds are magically extracted before the Squibs and Elves work on harvest.

Magical Britain aside, Clock Tower also buys the Potter Farm fruits and Serenity does business with them as well. Her creations are all classified alchemically in the Botany Department.

'Really Padfoot, a train that still runs on coal?' Serenity asked her godfather in amusement. 'Hasn't other countries gone past that?'

'Well, rebuilding the train into a modern but still magical version is still being brainstormed by engineers, it'll take a bit, unfortunately.' Sirius snorted. 'It'll take time pup.'

'Oh, jeez...'

Everyone knows that the Blacks and Potters are very influential, thus must get close somehow.

But it will not be easy, they know.

So many changes, in ten years. Magical Britain is 'kicked forward without mercy' by Sirius Black III. Introducing so many changes, and welcomed back things and kicked out things in his wake.

But his interference improved Hogwarts' Standing as well in just seven years since the changes began, producing stronger, healthier and more skilled witches and wizards entering the workforce.

Well, he DID interfere in many things, thanks to his wife's help...