Summary: Shunned by her parents and older brother for almost her entire life due to the circumstances of her birth, Elara Potter is used to being unwanted. She is dragged into an old pure-blood marriage law and married to an infamous Russian Death Eater. Co – Written with silentnight00. Rated M. Antonin/OC, Draco/Hermione, Luna/Rabastan, Blaise/Daphne, Astoria/Theo and various other pairings. Dumbledore bashing, James Potter bashing, Ginny and Ron Weasley bashing.
I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters if I did then Sirius would be alive, and Hermione wouldn't be with Ron. J.K. Rowling has that privilege of owning the stories.
Warning: This story will have upsetting scenes, child abuse, attempted rape, depression and same sex, and m/f/m relationships. If you don't like it, don't read it. This is also a Marriage Law story, James and Lily don't decide who Harry or Elara marry.
Italics is for Parseltongue, Occlumency and Legilimency.
This is my very first attempt at a Harry Potter story, it will have Dramione along with Antonin Dolohov/OC and other pairings.
Co – Writer: silentnight00.
Beta: ArabellaGaleotti.
Special thanks to sandra-sempra for making the book cover.
All Hallow's Eve
Chapter 1
Elara Dorea Potter didn't relax until she had reached the large rose gardens that occupied the lawns behind Potter Manor. She found a sheltered spot and sat down next to a rose bush. Her older brother was being fussed over again, after encountering Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic. She and Harry were complete opposites—Harry had been the perfect, beloved son of James Potter and Lily Evans. Elara had been born on All Hallows Eve, which was ironically the same night that Voldemort had gone after her parents and Harry.
Something had happened that night—Voldemort had been destroyed by Harry and their mother. They had supposedly defeated You-Know-Who and sent his wayward followers to Azkaban, the ones they could catch at least.
Everyone loved Harry with his raven hair and green eyes, those glinting emeralds that everyone said looked just like their mother's. All the while everyone avoided mentioning the other Potter.
Her father hated her; he never said it, but he'd never been warm to her. It had gotten worse when she'd been sorted into Slytherin, the house of Dark witches and wizards. Merlin forbid she became the next Morgana or Dark Lord.
Elara rubbed the left side of her cheek gingerly, it was throbbing painfully. He gotten her as soon as she had come home with her mother and Harry. She closed her eyes and fought back tears, why wouldn't her parents love her like they loved Harry? Unlike Harry, she wasn't considered special by the Order of the Phoenix or Dumbledore. She no longer cared what they thought of her.
Her train of thought came to a halt when she heard a serpentine hissing noise. She turned her head and was greeted with the sight of the boa constrictor that she'd spoken to all those years ago in the zoo with Harry and Dudley.
'We meet again, friend,' the snake hissed quietly, its black eyes staring her down intently.
'Hello, I'm glad you escaped. You didn't kill any pets, or anything did you?' Elara asked wearily, hoping he hadn't killed any animals.
'No, I'm not an ordinary snake,' the serpent admitted quietly, it's beady eyes watching her.
'Not an ordinary snake?' Elara tilted her head in confusion. She knew of magical snakes, of course, but this one looked like an ordinary boa constrictor.
The snake flicked its tongue out before replying, 'I'm a magical snake. I feed on the magic around me, the more magic in the area, the larger I grow. I do not need physical food to stay alive.'
She blinked slowly, taken by surprise. She hadn't expected such an answer and she eyed the long, muscled body that coiled around the base of a rose bush. The snake was huge already. Did that mean it could get bigger if it was in a place that radiated more magic? She wondered vaguely if Hermione had heard of such a thing. Maybe Luna would know—she was really interested in rare and obscure animals. How big would it get if it were in a place like Hogwarts?
'Not that I'm not happy to see you… But is there a reason you're here? My...family.. doesn't take kindly to snakes. They would try to hurt you if they saw you,' she spoke softly, absentmindedly rubbing the forming bruise on her cheek.
Not take kindly to snakes indeed, she thought sardonically. She had never been the favoured child, but she had never been struck before her Hogwarts sorting. What a fun conversation that had been, telling her family how she'd been sorted into Slytherin. She was the shame of the Potter family. Elara snorted delicately at the thought.
The only people who didn't ignore her or treat her differently were Uncle Sirius Black, who was she and Harry's godfather, and Grandma Dorea Potter. Then there was their second godfather, Severus Snape. Snape also happened to be the Potions Professor and the Head of Slytherin House. He'd treated her like any other student, thank Merlin. And he had been fair on all of the students. Draco Malfoy had told her that that James Potter had bullied Professor Snape during their time at Hogwarts along with his three best friends: Sirius, Remus and Peter.
She winced when she heard someone calling her name from the kitchen.
"Elara? Your grandmother's here with Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus!" Lily's voice called out warmly.
Elara sighed quietly and looked apologetically at the snake. 'I have to go now, you better go before they find you and hurt you,' she warned urgently and shooed it with her hands.
The snake looked at her purposely before nodding and sliding away. 'You are a strange girl, Miss Potter,' The snake mentally whispered to her.
She froze and when she looked back the snake was gone. Confused by the strange event, she walked back to the manor in silence. Lily smiled at her quietly, and she offered her mother a sad smile.
"There's my little wildcat, Ellie!" Sirius said fondly, and Elara smiled as she allowed Sirius to hug her tightly.
She saw him frown as he looked down at her face. "Ellie...what the bloody hell happened to your face? Merlin, did someone attack you?!" He demanded; outraged that someone would dare lay a hand on his goddaughter.
Elara shifted uncomfortably and saw her father glare at her warningly to let her know that he was watching. "I fell over, Pads. I was climbing a tree and fell over," she said in a small voice, not wanting to face her father's anger once more.
Sirius's face darkened as he looked at her. Thankfully he let the matter drop for now. "Alright Ellie, how was school?"
Lord Voldemort was pleased with his Death Eaters—they had succeeded in obtaining the prophecy for him and he no longer felt threatened by Harry Potter. It was the girl that had him intrigued.
"I want to know about this Elara Potter, Severus!" he said, an intrigued tone to his voice as he looked at one of his most loyal followers.
"She is the only daughter of James and Lily Potter, born October 31st, 1981. Dumbledore believes that she is a dark witch due to the circumstances of her birth. The old fool has manipulated her brother into believing she is dangerous," Severus explained calmly, allowing the Dark Lord to enter his mind.
"Dolohov, Rosier, you two fought her in the Ministry?" Voldemort asked and as he turned his dark gaze down the table, two Death Eaters nodded.
"For a half-blood, she's surprisingly powerful. She managed to take down Rookwood, and Travers without hesitating, my lord," Antonin Dolohov answered calmly, his Russian accent thick as he spoke.
"She held her own against me for a bit," Evan Rosier said in a rough voice. He was impressed yet irritated that a little girl had managed to challenge him. "She didn't stick to light spells either, My Lord. Mostly casted grey or dark spells, 'til one of the Order yelled at her for it. Little thing rolled her eyes at 'em," he chuckled softly.
Now, that had the Dark Lord interested. A Potter throwing around Dark spells? Obviously, she knew what she was doing if she could challenge and incapacitate some of his best Death Eaters.
"Lucius, your son is acquainted with the girl, is he not?" Lord Voldemort asked thoughtfully.
The blond was careful to keep his curiosity out of his tone when he spoke, wondering what his Lord was planning. "He is a year above her, My Lord, but I do believe they speak on occasion."
"Have him keep an eye on her, draw her in. Earn her trust. Maybe we could convince her to join our ranks. She would be in the perfect position to spy on those fools in the Order," Lord Voldemort ordered as he gave Lucius a smirk.
Lucius responded with a small bow of his head.
Elara loved spending time with her grandmother and uncles. They were the only people that she viewed as family, considering they were the only people that actually treated her as such. They took genuine interest in how she was doing and what her school year was like. They didn't mind that she was in Slytherin. Though Uncle Sirius had been shocked, he still supported her. To the disgust of her father, who thought his best mate should agree with him on the issue. It was thanks to those three that she hadn't completely lost her sanity. They didn't think she was worthless like all her other family did.
"Ellie, dear, I have some very good bruise paste if you'd like some," Grandmother Dorea said gently as she caressed Elara's damaged cheek.
The older woman eyed her face with suspicion. No one had believed the girl's rather feeble excuse, but they all knew better than to push her for answers. The girl could lock up tighter than a Gringotts' vault when she wanted to. Elara gave a small smile and nodded. The woman pulled the paste from her handbag and Elara allowed her to apply it.
"Why do you carry around bruise paste, Grandmother?" The girl questioned, wincing at the cold feel of the paste on her cheek.
Dorea gave a dry chuckle and shot her uncle's a knowing look. "It became a habit, dearie. Looking after those troublemakers was a tough job. I practically had to carry an apothecary around in my bag."
Elara giggled at her Uncle Sirius' offended look and Uncle Remus's guilty one. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was a perfectly well-behaved child!" Sirius's stated in mock innocence.
Remus snorted. "Do I need to mention the china cabinet incident? Or the antique tapestry you set on fire? What about the Hippogriff stampede?" He ticked off his fingers one by one as he listed the various incidences.
"Okay, one, the china cabinet was James's fault, not mine. Two, the tapestry came out of nowhere, I swear it wasn't there before the fire. And three, we swore to never mention the Hippogriff thing!" Sirius shot back as he ticked off on his own fingers, ending with his middle finger pointing towards Remus.
Elara couldn't help but laugh at the outraged look her godfather was sporting and felt her mood finally shift slightly from the depression she'd felt ever since she got home. "You need to explain the Hippogriff thing, because I'm sensing great blackmail material," she grinned mischievously.
Sirius pointed at her in mock outrage. "You swore to never use your Slytherin tendencies against us! Oh, the betrayal!" He held his heart and pretended to fall over.
Elara rolled her eyes and laughed, but before she could comment, they were interrupted. "Dinner's ready, everyone!" Lily called out, her voice sounding tired. She had asked James if they could hire a House Elf, to which his only response was a slap across her face. He had warned her before about asking such stupid questions.
Everyone filed into the dining room and sat down at their appointed seats. They tucked into the roast dinner and ate in comfortable silence. Elara wondered why they didn't have any House Elves to help cook, clean and care for the manor? Grandmother Dorea had three, including Winky—the former house elf of Barty Crouch Sr. And Sirius also had Kreacher.
"So, how's your family Sirius?" Lily asked quietly, knowing Regulus Black had reached out to his older brother to reconcile, just as Narcissa Malfoy had.
"They're well. Mother...She's been feeling ill, and I'm going to see her tomorrow. Reg, Father, Cissy and 'Dromeda are worried about her. As well as Uncle Orion and Uncle Alphard," Sirius admitted worriedly, concern showing on his face.
Elara had only met Sirius' family once, and that had been when they had resided at Number 12 Grimmauld Place during Harry's fifth year and her fourth year. Walburga Black had made her nervous, but Orion had been polite, if not a bit distant. It was Regulus that had befriended her when Harry had turned colder toward her.
Flashback, summer of August 1995
Elara had been wandering around the floors of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, when she stumbled across a room that housed a large tapestry—one that showcased the Black Family Tree.
'Toujours Pur,' was written across the top of it.
'Always pure.' The Black family had originated in France, much like the Malfoy's. They were also part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, their lineage able to be traced back to the Middle Ages. "Bloody hell, they must be related to almost every pure-blood family in Great Britain," Elara muttered in disbelief, before she saw Grandmother's picture on one of the branches.
'Dorea Ophelia Potter (née Black) - Charlus James Potter.
Underneath, branches showed their children. It displayed her father married to her mother but what confused Elara, was her mother's maiden name. Instead of reading 'Evans,' it read 'Gaunt.'
"Gaunt? That can't be right…I wonder who they are?" she wondered aloud.
She heard a noise and turned around to see a tall man with shoulder length black hair and piercing grey eyes. "I see you've found the Black family tapestry, Lady Potter?" the man asked calmly, taking a few steps forward.
"I wasn't being nosy. I didn't touch anything, I swear on my magic!" Elara said quickly.
She hoped he wouldn't tell on her to her father. He smiled and shook his head. "I mean you no harm, mikros. I am just curiously wondering why you aren't afraid of me."
"Afraid of you? Is there a reason I should be?" she asked innocently, feeling that his presence was not the least bit intrusive to her.
The man gave a small smile and said, "Of course not. It's just that some people are."
Elara supposed she could understand that. There was something about this man that made her instinctively wary, but she didn't outright fear him. She could tell he was dangerous, but decided that if he wanted her to be scared of him, then he wouldn't be so polite.
"So, if you weren't being nosy, why are you up here by yourself? Very few people actually come into this room anymore—not even the house-elves, apparently," he quipped, eyeing the dust and cobwebs in mild disgust.
Elara shrugged and went back to studying the tapestry. "Not much else to do but explore."
He hummed at the back of his throat. "I wouldn't just wander around here if I were you. There are a lot of cursed items just lying around." He said in a smooth tone.
The youngest Potter knew that she should heed his warning, that it would be easy for her to get hurt in this house. She thought about going what she'd face if she went downstairs—Her father's disappointed and disgusted stare, her brother's cold shoulder, and her mother trying to push her into spending time with Ronald Weasley.
"I'll take my chances," she said as she shuddered at the thought of the gormless red headed boy.
The man smirked in amusement, as though he could read her thoughts. He extended his arms, sweeping into a courteous bow. "My name is Regulus Black. Since I can't in good conscience allow a young lady to wander into danger alone, may I accompany you on your grand adventure?"
Elara couldn't help the giggle that escaped at Regulus' gentlemanly behaviour, exaggerated or not. "You may," she replied as she gave him a curtsy, just as a proper lady would.
Regulus had been one of the only things that had made that summer bearable. They still exchanged letters and she considered him a friend.
"I'm surprised you're even worried about that old bat. You used to complain about her all the time," James snorted drily.
"She's still my mother, Prongs. We may not see eye to eye all of the time, but I don't want her to die," Sirius spoke testily.
"As no son should want," Dorea spoke, shooting a warning look at her only child.
James made a face but said nothing more. Dinner was a quiet affair after that and as soon their guests left, Elara was able to retire to her room for the night. She smiled at the sight of her barn owl, Morrigan. She was sitting on the window seat contently. A letter was attached to her left leg from her best friend, Hermione Granger.
'Hi, Elara.
I hope you're alright. My parents have been acting very odd for the last couple of weeks ever since we split for the summer holidays, I'm not sure why.
I hope your dad isn't being an arse again. You really should tell Sirius or Remus what's going on. They'd help you, regardless of whether your dad is their best friend.
Would you like to meet up in the Leaky Cauldron, just before we start School?
Love, Hermione.'
Elara smiled as she read Hermione's letter, she decided to make arrangements in meeting her, Luna, Daphne, Astoria and Leanne over the holidays. Gods only knew how she would welcome the distraction and getting away from her father and Harry.
Antonin Dolohov had done some background checks on Elara Potter, as the Dark Lord requested and was surprised to see her Hogwarts report cards. According to her teachers, she was a studious young child who worked hard in every class. She was a very talented young witch, but not as popular as her older brother, 'The Boy Who Lived.' What caught his attention about the girl, though, were her skills in using the Dark Arts. Someone had either taught her those spells, or had she had learnt them from somewhere outside of Hogwarts.
He frowned as he saw the girl in question walking down the street. He followed her towards the park and transformed into his Animagus form—a black wolf. She found a spot underneath a tree and took a seat at the base of its trunk. She opened the book she brought with her and started to read. He slowly made his way closer to her until she saw him out of the corner of her eye.
"Hello there, handsome boy. Where's your owner?" she asked, concerned as she held out a hand to pet him.
Antonin cautiously stepped forward and sniffed her hand. She wiggled her fingers and he responded by nipping them lightly. She laughed, and she stroked his fur gently before pulling out her wand and spinning it around.
"You're lucky, you're not a witch or wizard. You don't have to deal with all this nonsense," she mused as she ran her fingers through the thick fur, he leaned into her touch.
"Can I tell you a secret?" she asked him softly.
He responded by putting his paw on her leg.
"Sometimes I feel like running away from my parents and being free," Elara confided sadly, her hazel eyes distant.
Clearly, the Potters aren't a big, happy family, Antonin thought as he laid down across her lap.
"You remind me of Padfoot—he's got fur like you, but he's an Irish Wolfhound," the young girl said quietly, a smile gracing her face as they sat in a comfortable silence.
After a while, Elara decided that it was time to head home. She was almost sad to have to say goodbye to her silent companion, though a part of her wondered what a wolf was doing at a public park in the first place. She figured he was someone's pet or familiar, having seen stranger choices previously.
She gave his soft fur an affectionate rub before nudging him off her lap. Antonin followed her silent request and stood up, watching her as she waved good-bye. She started walking off with dropped shoulders, obviously not wanting to leave. The large wolf tilted his head and contemplated following the girl. He had enough to report to his Master, so he decided against it.
Elara quietly entered her house and quickly made her way to her room. She hadn't told anyone that she was going for a walk. She had needed the fresh air and some space away from her family. She didn't think they would actually care that she had been gone, but sometimes she couldn't predict how her father would react to her actions.
With a sigh of relief, she closed her door and fell back onto the soft, crimson sheets of her bed to stare at the ceiling. Her entire room was done in some form of red or gold. She hated it, not because it was Gryffindor colors, but because she thought that the colour scheme was ugly and gaudy. Of course, the whole house was like that and she shuddered to think what her father would do if she dared to change any of it. It was like he had been trying to brainwash her and her brother into being Gryffindors or something. Not that it worked on her anyways.
She was bored—there was very little for her to do during the summer. They had a small Quidditch pitch out back and brooms, but she didn't care for the sport as much as her brother and father did. She was fair on a broom, but it wasn't her idea of fun. She had already read all of the books in their small library; James had removed anything that was remotely questionable from the shelves years ago.
Elara knew better than to ask Harry to play a game. He was likely out visiting friends anyway. She was hardly ever allowed to visit her own friends. Most of them were in Slytherin and her parents wanted to "reduce the Dark influences in her life". Luna was on a trip with her father for the next few weeks, and both Neville and Hermione weren't allowed to spend time with her during the summer for the same reason: She was a Slytherin.
Elara really hated all of this prejudice bullshit. So what if some old hat thought her cunning and ambition outweighed her bravery, thirst for knowledge, or work ethic at 11 years old? She wasn't some evil witch, hell bent on world domination because there was green trim on her school uniform.
With a groan of annoyance, the girl got up and sluggishly walked to her school trunk. Might as well get her summer homework out of the way. She didn't have anything better to do. She started on her Transfiguration homework, an essay on Animagus forms, and pulled out a piece of parchment to begin writing the essay. As she glared at the hanging scarlet and gold banners, she wished she could change her room to how she would prefer it and not how her bloody parents wanted it.
"Yaxley, how goes our infiltration of the Ministry?" Voldemort asked calmly.
Severus saw Antonin Dolohov had just entered the room, returning from the private mission that the Dark Lord had given him.
"Very well, my Lord. I have placed Pius Thickness under the Imperius Curse, however there is troubling news that the Minister for Magic has been trying to keep quiet," Corban Yaxley said and he scowled.
"What is the Ministry trying to hide, Yaxley?" Voldemort asked, his voice smooth as silk.
"They believe that a group of muggles, all of whom have relationships with witches and wizards, have started a witch hunt. Early this morning, a young Muggle-born witch called Ethel Whent was found dead in her home. Her parents have admitted that they, along with other muggles, have been part of a witch hunting group," Yaxley explained, concern flashing in his blue eyes.
Voldemort seemed deep in thought and nodded. "Then I believe we need to move onto the next step of our plan, my faithful followers. Dolohov. Lestrange. Malfoy. You three stay behind," Voldemort hissed in dismissal.
Bellatrix remained seated beside the Dark Lord with giddy smile on her face. "What have you discovered so far about Miss Potter?" the Dark Lord asked calmly.
Antonin frowned as he looked at the Dark Lord. "She's a powerful witch, I could feel her magic coming off of her in waves, but…"
"But what? Speak freely," Voldemort said impatiently.
"I think Dumbledore bound her magic—I sensed it's been limited. Perhaps he did it, so she won't rival her brother in magical skills. She appears to be a very strange girl. Lonely," Antonin explained.
"Lucius, does your son know who the girl's friends are?" Voldemort asked, intrigued.
Why was Dumbledore trying to hamper this girl's magic? Everyone knew what happened with his own sister…
"She mainly spends time with a Slytherin muggle-born girl a year ahead of her and a Ravenclaw girl in her year, My Lord. She has friends in the other houses as well, including a Gryffindor, but none as close as those two," the blond replied immediately, having promptly questioned his son for any and all information regarding the Potter girl.
"A Slytherin muggle-born?" Lord Voldemort questioned curiously.
It wasn't unheard of, for a muggle-born to end up in the House of the Serpent, but it was rare. "Hermione Granger, My Lord. Apparently, she is a very talented witch. She competes for the top spot in every subject with my son. She is the top in Transfiguration, Charms, History, Runes and Arithmancy, second in Potions, Defence, Astronomy and Herbology," Lucius replied, trying to not let it show how much it annoyed him that a muggle-born was beating his son in the very subjects that he had been immersed in growing up.
"Interesting," their Lord spoke thoughtfully, "Have your son keep an eye on the Granger girl as well. She may become useful at some point."
Lucius bowed in acknowledgement. Taking the order to mind.
"Continue looking into the Potter Girl, Dolohov. If Dumbledore has bound her magic it could cause serious problems for her. Wizards and witches have been known to die from others tampering with their cores. Gather as much information as you can—we may need it to push her away from the Light."
When Dolohov bowed in acceptance The Dark Lord turned his attention back to Malfoy. "You still have the Minister's ear, do you not?"
"Partly, my Lord. He still comes to me for advice and will listen to my suggestions, but he has been going to Dumbledore more and more lately," Lucius spat and he curled his lip in disgust.
"Try and get him to divulge information about this supposed Witch Hunt group. The more we know, the better prepared we'll be."
"Of course, My Lord."
Enjoy, and review. We hope you enjoy the story :)
Translations: Mikros - Little one in Greek.
