Sirius had redecorated his family manor at Grimmauld Place. He had removed all traces of the the dark and decaying decor. It was no longer a place that haunted his nightmares. The parlor still contained the family tapestry, the intricate work of generations restored to include all blasted off by his crazy mother. The portraits and elf heads were now in a long, rarely visited, gallery on the top floor. His mother's portrait silenced and still under a parselmagic stasis charm. He had hired three new elves. Kreacher still acted as Head Elf, having grudgingly accepted Master Sirius as Head of House Black. It had taken time to repair the damaged reputation of the Black Family, but most now accepted him, not as a dark wizard but as just a man almost destroyed by betrayal.

He was in his study, reminiscing over photo albums of his brother and distant schooldays. Happy innocence when he was stupid and rash. He missed his one true friend, his blood brother, his cousin James.. He would retire for the evening, work could wait until the morning. In the drawing room, his young wife was working on an article on some strange and unusual magical insect. His wife wrote under her maiden name, she had a Mastery in Care of Magical Creatures. At fifty, he was to be a father in four months. A son, not that he liked his darling Luna's choice of names, he already knew tradition would win with celestial names favoured by both their families. He personally favoured Arcturus Hadrian Black or maybe Castor Regulus. Luna just smiled and stated no baby could be named until you knew them and held them. Then they would know who their child was.

Sirius was a respected politician and diplomat, he was the new British representative on the International Confederation of Wizards. In two days he would depart for the United States. He had bought a fine house in New York, in a place called Queens. Now warded to the standard expected by the Black family. His wife was looking forward to living away from Britain for the first time. Luna had calmed him, shown him so much. She was loving and accepting, firm and imperious, a perfect Lady and powerful and scary witch. He had for years rejected all Bellatrix's attempts at match making. That insufferable witch had learn subtlety only recently. With motherhood she had blossomed. Luna had been invited to the blessing and naming ceremony of the Lestrange twin's, Renard and Regina. Sirius had been drawn to the strange girl dressed in dark golden robes and long flaxen hair. A natural beauty in a room of charmed perfection, a girl also with a perverse sense of humour. He honestly thought she was insane apart from the glint in her eye. She enjoyed pulling everyone's leg to keep them away. He just had to play along. It was only after he asked Narcissa to act as negotiator for fair Luna's hand that he learned he had been set up.

Maybe he had only finally decided to marry to get over, Harry disappearing. He understood the need for his godson to hide. Lord Potter had gained a reputation as the best consulting healer for the Elite and the Rich. Harry no longer a boy, but a man who had reached a good age, twenty-eight, when Bellatrix finally fell pregnant. Harry still looked a fresh faced seventeen year old, when his good friend Neville complained of his first grey hairs and wrinkles. His godson was aware of his peculiar affliction. So officially Harry Potter had left to study potions and herbology in the Amazon. Harry was not returning from his sabbatical. In a few weeks, an accident would claim Harry's life. Paranas would destroy all evidence of his demise. Sirius was thankful he would be in New York as he would be unable to keep a straight face with his cousins, as he was in on the joke. The plan was for Lord Gaunt to travel to the accident site and never return. A double mystery, as the two immortals would return in many years, when all had forgotten the two lords. Only the Goblins would keep the secret as the real identities of the mages who would emerge as South American nobility at some point in the late 21st century.

Sirius was just thankful he had been granted his twelve years to know Harry. It was now thirteen years since Harrys abduction and Dumbledore's death. That event had been the end of The Order of the Phoenix and the misguided belief in Light vs. Dark Magic. Magic was Magic. Dumbledore had fooled all, he had been the Dark Lord, partner of Gindelwald, Murderer of his innocent sister. The evil man had failed in his twisted ritual to reduce Harry's to a shell, a vessel for Dumbledore's soul, to gain a young, powerful and beautiful body. Auror's had arrived to see the former hedamaster reduced to a dry husk as the ritual failed. Harry had healed from his ordeal, physically but had suffered from agrophobia. The young healer had worked from his unplottable home. Only trusting his home with close friends and those he considered family, and only those approved of an cleared by Lord Gaunt. His family seat was placed under Sirius' control, as proxy. Harry withdrew from public life. All the clients for his medical practice signed magical contracts and full confidentiality agreements. He would never let anyone fool him or harm him.

The fall out had seen Hermione Granger exonerated on the testimony of the mysterious Japanese body guard. The young witch had left with those four japanese warrior scholars, to apprentice with them. She was bound to their honour code and would after many years of study, be a ninja herself.

Ron Weasley had served five years in Azkaban, as had his mother. His sister was saved by her youth and had married straight out of school. The rumour followed that Ginerva Weasley like her mother had ensnared a weak fool with love potions. She was Mrs Zachariah Smith, the younger of the Smith brothers. She had born three sons and was not well liked and often in the gossip columns for her gauche taste, loud and spiteful mouth.

Others involved with the Cult of Albus Dumbledore faded into the background, not wanting to advertise their involvement with the Great Betrayer. Minerva McGonagall retired into obscurity. Arthur Weasley had resigned from the Ministry when Ron was arrested and now worked with his twin sons, in their growing empire of joke shops. Percy Weasley had left Britain altogether and now taught Wizarding Law at Durmstang Institute. Remus Lupin was rumoured to be living in Southern Spain, in a colony of magical creatures.

Sirius would soon have a son to fill the hole in his heart. He missed Harry, quiet strange Harry. All the more wonderful for his individuality, so different from vivacious Lily and prankster James. The child who had overcome an horrific childhood, but was still kind, forgiving and endearing. Lord Black knew Harry had a greater path as the brother to Lord Slytherin-Gaunt. Sirius had no idea of the significance of the two immortals, opposites but equals. Their path was as servants of magic. More interested in being scholars and bring balance and protection to the separate mundane and magical worlds. Harry spoke of the code of Hecate and Kali, but that was Double Dutch to Sirius. He hoped for a long happy life with Luna. That witch would keep him on his toes. His philandering, wild days were over. Only wild marital life to look forward to.