Sunlight filtered through tall glass windows, catching the crystal gleam of the chandeliers above.The Valvas Mansion was a study in serene power — marble floors humming faintly with enchantments, the air scented with honeyed tea and fresh bread.
Sirius Black stirred awake in a massive guest suite, soft sheets replacing the cold stone of Azkaban. For a long moment he lay still, the simple feeling of warmth almost foreign to him.Then memory returned — the forest, the boy, the fire, Roy Valvas.
He dressed in the clean clothes laid out for him — courtesy of Grayfia — and followed the faint chatter echoing from below.
A Morning Among Titans
The long breakfast table was already filled:Venelana was calmly reading the Daily Prophet, Nagini and Ram were discussing trade ledgers, Rem was serving tea, and Narcissa sat beside Roy, quietly elegant in pale blue.
Roy looked up as Sirius entered.
"Good morning, Lord Black. I trust you slept better than Azkaban allows?"
Sirius gave a raspy laugh.
"That… would be an understatement."
He sat cautiously at the table, still adjusting to the surreal normalcy. He caught Narcissa's smile — small, soft, forgiving — and felt a pang of regret.
Breakfast began in a quiet rhythm: the soft clink of porcelain, light conversation about potion sales, and the steady hum of business and politics that left Sirius utterly lost.
He listened — really listened — and slowly realized just how deep Roy's world ran.Discussions of Ministry legislation slipped easily into talk of trade routes in Eastern Europe, the stabilization of the Valvas Group holdings after the Rosetti–Flint war, and even subtle references to negotiations in the Muggle world through "Liyue International."
Roy wasn't just powerful — he was everywhere.
A Dangerous Idea
It was Narcissa who broke the thoughtful silence.
"You've been quiet, Roy," she said softly, turning toward him. "What are you thinking about?"
Roy set down his cup, gaze distant for a moment.
"How to prove Sirius's innocence," he said finally.
The entire table stilled. Sirius looked up sharply, disbelief and hope warring in his eyes.
"You can… prove it?"
"I can make the world see it," Roy replied. "But simply handing them Peter Pettigrew won't be enough."
Sirius frowned.
"Why not? He's the one who betrayed James and Lily. If they see him alive, that clears my name!"
Roy leaned back slightly, his expression calm but calculating.
"The Ministry will call it a Polyjuice deception. The Daily Prophet will label it 'Black's desperate ploy.' We need more — proof that cannot be denied. Testimony, magic signatures, tracking charms, time-stamped enchantments… everything that binds truth to evidence."
Narcissa watched him with quiet awe; Sirius just stared.
"So what do you suggest?" Sirius asked after a long pause.
Roy's eyes gleamed faintly, the same way they did before setting entire empires in motion.
"We let Pettigrew reveal himself. But we control the stage."
He unfolded the plan carefully:Lupin would be the key — a trusted link between Harry and Sirius, and a man the staff at Hogwarts already respected. Roy would arrange, quietly, for Lupin to learn of his assumption — that Ron Weasley's pet rat was more than it appeared.Then Lupin would bring Harry, Ron, and the rat to the Shrieking Shack, under the pretext of verifying the truth.
Sirius and Lupin would confront Pettigrew there, in front of witnesses bound to truth spells.Roy would handle the rest — securing the magical recordings, the memory extractions, and the political framing that would force the Wizengamot's hand.
When Roy finished, the table was silent.
Sirius stared at him, jaw slightly slack.
"You've… thought this through already?"
Roy smiled faintly.
"Since the moment I met you."
Narcissa touched his hand lightly, admiration and affection in her eyes.
"You never stop planning, do you?"
"I don't have that luxury," Roy said softly. "The world moves while we sleep."
A Pact of Trust
Sirius exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. For the first time in years, the madness in his eyes dimmed, replaced by steady resolve.
"You're not just helping me, are you?"
Roy's lips curved slightly.
"I'm helping the truth, Sirius. You just happen to be part of it."
Sirius nodded, then reached into his robe pocket — producing a small, enchanted key.
"Then take this. It's the key to Grimmauld Place. And… the Black family's vaults. You'll know what to do with them better than I ever could."
Roy accepted it with a faint, solemn smile.
"Then we'll begin today. I'll contact Lupin quietly. The rest will fall into place."
As the morning light spread across the table, Narcissa watched the two men — the broken past and the rising future — shake hands.And for the first time in many years, the House of Black began to feel alive again.