Rated M for sexual content in later chapters as well as graphic violence. Hey, guys! Congratulations on deciding to join me throughout my first fan fiction! I must admit I've probably read over 200 stories by now (I know, I've become a bit of an addict), and I've wanted to try my hand at writing one for a while now. Before we get started, I'd like to inform you of a few things, and then I promise I won't stall the story much after.
First of all, I am a grammar Nazi without a beta, so my updates may take a while as I don't want the story to be misread or hindered by grammatical or spelling errors. If you do find any errors, I implore you to point them out so I can attempt to correct them post haste and to the best of my abilities.
Secondly, I do have a busy schedule outside of this story; I have a child, a chicken, four dogs and a husband all on top of joining the military, so please be patient. If you are not a patient person, I ask that you wait until the story is completed before beginning to read it.
Lastly, seeing as this is being published on fanfiction, I do not feel the need to constantly remind you that I am not J. K. Rowling. I'll do it just this once. I do not own the rights to nor do I receive payment or take credit for J. K. Rowling's work or anyone else's.
Let's begin with the story, shall we?
Albus Dumbledore was deep in thought as he paced the headmaster's office on the 19th of July, 1976. He was gripping a letter that requested his attendance in a meeting of the Wizangamot the following weekend. Rereading the letter for the third time, he paused, yet again, on the line that read: "in regards to the guardianship of Sophia Artemis Peverell."
Albus, of course, knew of the last branch of the Peverell family name. They were descendants of the eldest Peverell brother, Antioch Peverell, the original owner of the elder wand. Having retreated to the United States a hundred years prior, the Peverell family became reclusive but remained exceedingly adept in the magical arts as proven throughout their generations. They built an enormous fortune on their numerous patented potions and spells, becoming one of the wealthiest families in the entire wizarding world. Prior to recent events, the last of the Peverell family consisted of Orontes Peverell, his wife Juliet, and their daughters – Sofia and Seraphina.
The elder wand (which was, at that precise moment, tucked away in the headmaster's own robes) was in fact taken from Antioch upon his untimely death; however, some Deathly Hallows enthusiasts were more sceptic of this fact. This skepticism is what led to the attack of last week, leaving young Sophia Peverell an orphan at age 15. Apparently, nineteen more insidious enthusiasts believed the wand had been passed down through the family and decided to ambush them at their summer home in the Cotswolds.
While the details of the attack were vague, it was reported that Orontes and his wife were killed only after taking out nine of the attackers. Then, "due to an extreme burst of unidentified magic... caused by major duress" from Sophia, the rest of the attackers dropped dead a mere minute after Seraphina was struck by the killing curse. Ministry officials were baffled as to how such a feat was accomplished; Albus was, as well. The amount of power necessary for such a grand defensive assault was beyond anything ever recorded before. All of the wands from the event were tested and no spell came close to explaining what had occurred on the 12th of July. In the short week following the event, word of Miss Peverell's ability became widespread. The media had dredged up anything they could on the girl. They found out she was a registered metamorphmagus, as well. Believed to one day surpass even Albus himself, she held all of Wizarding Europe's attention and intrigue.
Seeing as she was born in England, it was up to its ministry to determine her fate.
Albus had three days to figure out what to do.
He was sure that tomorrow was going to play out in one of two ways: fearing the power she possesses, the Wizangamot would try as hard as they possibly could to charge her with something and send her to await trial in Azkaban, or, more likely, they would fight over which pureblood family would get the prestige of taking her in as their ward and which would have the privilege of having her married in later, all for the purpose of possessing her power in someway. No doubt those decisions will be quickly settled by those who have the biggest pocketbook and nobility, thought Albus with an exhausted sigh. That was quite a concerning thought when one considered the recent climate. With Voldemort having so many suspected supporters in the Wizangamot now, she won't have a chance in the world unless I do something. He knew she didn't believe in pureblood supremacy; they simply didn't teach those sort of ideals in Wizarding America. Taking her on as a ward of Hogwarts would present an array of new issues. I'd have to present it to the Board of Governers. That will take far too long. Even if it I could rush it, it's probable that they'll reject the proposal as unnecessary. No, that just won't do. He would have to take her in as his own ward. She would be able to stay protected and monitored at Hogwarts without too much trouble. Yes, thats what I'll do; I can owl Harold Minchum about it now and meet with her privately as early as tomorrow, he decided.
Walking over to the desk, he began formulate his plan. His inked quill was only a few centimeters away from the parchment when another obstical came to the forefront of his mind. A marraige arrangement would still be made. Well there's simply no way of getting out of that without stalling the council for months, at least. They won't let me be her guardian at all if I dont allow at least one of the families in HIS pocket to draw up a contract. She's in the Malfoys' custody at the moment, unfortunately. All we can hope is that she picks up on their way of thinking and plays along with it for the time being.