In the Order of the Phoenix, Sirius told Harry that his family tree had been burned by his mother after he ran away from home, and then Harry asked him where he was staying, and Sirius said that he went to your father's house, and that the Potter family always welcomed me. It was then that I suddenly realized that once upon a time the Potter family had a home, a warm home that could be relied on by friends, just as the Weasleys now hosted Harry and Hermione.

Sirius alked across the room, here the tapestry Kreacher had

been trying to protect hung the length of the all. Harry and the others folloed.

The tapestry looked immensely old; it as faded and looked as

though doxies had gnaed it in places; nevertheless, the golden thread

ith hich it as embroidered still glinted brightly enough to sho

them a spraling family tree dating back (as far as Harry could tell) to

the Middle Ages. Large ords at the very top of the tapestry read:

The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

“Toujours Pur”

“You’re not on here!” said Harry, after scanning the bottom of the

tree.

“I used to be there,” said Sirius, pointing at a small, round, charred

hole in the tapestry, rather like a cigarette burn. “My seet old mother

blasted me off after I ran aay from home — Kreacher’s quite fond of

muttering the story under his breath.”

about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son. Yeah, I camped out

at your dad’s during the school holidays, and then hen I as seven-

teen I got a place of my on, my Uncle Alphard had left me a decent

bit of gold — he’s been iped off here too, that’s probably hy —

anyay, after that I looked after myself. I as alays elcome at Mr.

and Mrs. Potter’s for Sunday lunch, though.”

Sirius walked to the other end of the room, and the tapestry that Kreacher had tried to protect covered the entire wall. Harry and the others followed.

The tapestry looked very old, and the color had faded, as if the fox had chewed it in several places. Still, the embroidered gold thread still shone, and they clearly saw a family tree map of branches, all the way back to the Middle Ages (as far as Harry knew). On the top of the tapestry are a few large letters: "The noble and oldest Black family is forever pure" "You are not on it!" Harry said, looking at the bottom line of the family tree.

"Once on top. Sirius said, gesturing to a small, blackened hole in the tapestry, like a burnt cigarette, "and my dear old mother destroyed me when I ran away from home—Kreacher loved to whisper the story. ”

"You ran away from home?"

"I was about sixteen years old," Sirius said, "and I had enough. ”

"Where have you been?" Harry asked, staring at him.

"Your father's house," Sirius said, "your grandparents are very understanding, and they almost treat me like a second son. Yes, I stayed at your father's house for the time being during school holidays, and when I was seventeen, I found a place on my own. My uncle Alphard left me a considerable amount of gold, which he had also been cleared from, probably because of this, and I had fended for myself ever since, but Mr. and Mrs. Potter always welcomed me to their house every Saturday for dinner. ”