Chapter One: Of Fire and Blood
Marge Dursley had arrived.
That fact alone sent shivers of fear running through the small broken girl hiding in the cupboard under the stairs.
The Dursleys were always harsh, they fed her as little as they could get away with, and used her as one would a slave, but Marge, Marge was cruel.
She enjoyed pain and suffering, especially that of the 'little freak' Aethelind Potter.
Heavy footfalls echoed outside her door. Followed by loud voices, the smell of food, and the clinking of glasses. The voices became more and more exuberant, and slurred.
Wonderful. They decided to get drunk. Small tears of dead ran down Aethelind's cheeks. Tonight was going to be very painful.
There was a loud braying laugh, and heavy stomping footfalls, then the light outside her door vanished, replaced with the sound of labored breathing.
The door was flung open, a rough hand grabbed her, and she was thrown roughly onto the hallway floor. The bright light seared her eyes.
"Sshesh a mangy little brat ishn't she?" Aethelind looked up into the beedy black eyes of Marge Dursley. The woman was as wide as she was tall, with a face reminiscent of an ugly bulldog, and a cruel smile that sent a sadistic glint to her eyes.
"See, all this...this freak nonshense, wouldn't be a problem if you jusht beat the damn girl more. It's like a alwashy say a good thrashing is what's needed ninety nine times out of a hundred. Just like with dogsh."
Aethelind tried to crawl backwards away from the brute of a woman. It was futile as Marge just laughed and grabbed a fistful of Aethelind's long black hair, and gave a sharp tug. The small girl was sent sprawling with a cry of pain.
Marge gave a cruel laugh, and dragged Aethelind into the living room. Pain flooded Aethelind's body as she was pulled, her scalp feeling as if it was about to be ripped from her head. "Let me go! Please! Please! It hurts!" She flailed in desperation trying to get away.
She was thrown across the waxed floor to hit the sturdy coffee table with a thud. There was a sharp crack in her chest, and a dull sickening ache spread from her now fractured rib.
She looked up at her Aunt, startling green eyes meeting dull blue. "Please."
Marge advanced, having grabbed a strip of leather from her bag. "Thankfully I thought to bring my besht whipping belt. If thish dosent get the point across, nothing will."
Vernon's face was a little pale. "Whatever you think will work Marge. This freaky business has to stop."
There was a whistling noise, and then a sharp crack, and a howling whine of pain. Aethelind couldn't feel the strike for a few seconds, then creeping daggers of ice slunk across her back, followed by tendrils of flame that set her nerves afire.
Marge struck again. Then again, and again.
The pain faded to white noise. In its place came a cold, calm anger. A low roar filled Aethelind's ears. Color drained from her vision, and the world seemed to her eyes to be made of wireframe. She wanted to leave. She wanted a family, a real family. She wanted love. She wanted light, she wanted hope.
Something, like a taunt rubber band, or a spring coiled too tight, something deep inside her, snapped.
And the world disappeared.
…
In the center of Muggle London, at Grimmauld Place, in the odd non-space Between numbers eleven, and thirteen, an old tired looking man, sat staring into a dying fire.
Arcturus Black, the Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, looked down at the glass in his hand with a sigh. The amber liquid swirled slowly around long since melted ice, giving the drink an oily look.
He looked around at the house with a heavy air. The once perfectly maintained home had fallen into dis-repair, and while not squalid, it was dusty, and dim.
It reflected the state of the House of Black.
Of his grandchildren, one was in Azkaban, on a life sentence, and one was dead. The work of the so called 'dark lord'. The family had been fools to follow him. Where did he end up? Killed by a babe.
His Nieces weren't much better off. One had married a muggle, one had married a Deatheater, the fool girl, and the other was locked up, and a raving lunatic to boot.
The family needed fresh blood, or they were sure to die out. Orion wasn't up to re-marry though, and even if Lucrecitta and Ignatius weren't Prewetts, they were sterile.
Arcturus missed the sound of youthful laughter. The energy of children. He was afraid that their home would soon be their tomb.
About to call it a night, he eased himself out of his seat, cursing mildly about his joints, the weather, and his age. He raised his hand to snap, to summon Kreature, but before he could complete the motion, a tremendous crash sounded in the entry hall, followed by the wards alerting him that an unknown person, of Black descent had just brute-forced their way through the house's anti-apparition wards.
Aches forgotten, Arcturus grabbed his wand, and charged towards the entry hall.
"Kreature!" He cried. "Fetch my wife, and my son. After that alert Cassie, and Ignatius. We have an intruder!"
A crack sounded beside him, and Orion black appeared, wand ready. "What's going on?"
"I haven't the slightest of ideas." Arcturus admitted. He paused at the closed door to the entrance hall. "I haven't heard anything since the crash. However, they got in through brute force Apparition, so we are dealing with a powerful Mage."
Orion nodded stiffly, and the two charged into the hall, shield charms raised, wands alit with the red glow of prepared stunners, to face a bleeding and unconscious child.
The girl was maybe six, Arcturus estimated, but she could be younger, as she was bone thin, and in a dreadful state. Her long black hair was matted and dull, her pale skin had an unhealthy parlor, and her back was cross crossed with lines of bright red, as if the girl had been whipped.
His common sense abandoning him, Arcturus dropped his wand and rushed forward. The wards screamed at him, that whoever this was, she shared the blood that ran through his veins. This was family. Someone had hurt a Black, and grievously.
"Merlin above." Orion whispered in horror. "What happened to her?"
"I don't know, but I will find out." Arcturus's voice was grim. "Can you help me heal her cuts? The rest will take potions to fix."
The soft patter of footsteps behind him told him his wife had arrived. The scream of horror told him she had seen the girl. "Who would do this to a child?"
"The worst kind of monster." Orion growled.
Arcturus waved his wand, sealing most of her external wounds, which luckily hadn't been caused by magic, and varnishing much of the blood and grime covering the girl. He gently cupped her face, and brushed her hair aside. "Who are you girl?"
As he pulled the hair up past her eyes, he was struck by how similar the girl looked to his lost sister, Dorea, of course Dorea had married Charlus Potter and thus it was quite impossible for this girl to be related to her after all...
He froze. There, upon her forehead, rested a very unusual curse scar. Unique even.
After all, no one other than Aethelind Potter had ever survived the killing curse.
"Bloody fucking hell." He whispered.
"What?" Orion had finished sealing up her cuts, seamlessly not even a scar would remain to remind the girl of her injuries.
"We have on our hands, one Aethelind Potter."
"The girl-who-lived?"
Arcturus snorted. "Was there another Aethelind Potter I was unaware of?"
Orion at least had the decency to look chagrinned. "This is bad. This is very very bad. Half of the wizarding world is going to be in a panic if word gets out about this. We can't go to St. Mungo's."
"No we can't."
"Who then?"
Arcturus gritted his teeth. As much as he hated it, there was really only one place secure enough. With it being summer, it was blessedly private as well. "We go to Hogwarts, we go to Albus Dumbledore."
"Will he even help us? We were a dark family during the war! My own damn son is responsible for her being an orphan." Orion said.
"He will. We can't be blamed for what Sirius did. He cut ties with us years before. As for our actions...the younger generation, they paid for the side they took. Our family paid for it. Dumbledore knows there is no lost love between us and the Dark Lord."
Arcturus stood up. He carefully levitated the girl as if she was on a still board. Couldn't risk any internal injuries being aggravated. He turned to his wife, Melania, who had been frantically running interference with the branches of the Black family, to prevent Cassiopeia, and Ignatius from storming in wands blazing. "Dearest, I need you and Cassie to pull in contacts. Find out what people know about tonight, prevent as many rumors as you can."
Melania nodded, and turned back to the scrying mirror, desperately arguing with the faces in the mirror.
"Phinneas!" Arcturus roared, calling for the portrait of the Black headmaster. "Tell Albus that we will be arriving in his office momentarily, to clear the room now, and to alert his healer!" Not waiting for a reply, He and Orion moved with purpose to the massively oversized fireplace that served as the house's main floo connection. Thankfully, the ministry had neglected to remove the connection between the house and Hogwarts.
"How do we floo her?" Orion asked.
"We will have to all go at once." Arcturus grimaced. "It won't be pleasant, but do try to stay upright, a fall could be hazardous to her health."
A pinch of powder, and a flash of green later, and the familiar and uncomfortable spinning sensation and the two were standing in the fireplace of the Headmaster's office, with Aethelind hovering behind them.
Unfortantly the room was far from empty. Alongside Albus Dumbledore stood Severus Snape, Filius Flitwick, Minerva McGonagle, and what seemed to be half of the order of the Phoenix. All wore haggard, and surprised looks on their faces.
"Mr. And Mr. Black, now is not a good time for any business you are here to conduct." Albus spoke calmly but with and edge of cold steel under his soft voice. "We are in the middle of a crisis-"
"Let me guess, the Potter girl went missing?" Orion snapped.
Dumbledore looked taken aback. "Yes, how did you-"
Arcturus sighed. He really really would have preferred less witnesses. "Because we found her, and your day is about to get a lot worse." He stepped out of the flames and gently levitated Aethelind into view. There was a collection of gasps.
"What did you do to her! You-" The harsh voice of Mad-Eye-Moody snarled.
"We healed her to the best of our abilities. We didn't harm her in any way. She apparated straight into my entry hall." Arcturus kept his voice level.
"Like I believe that! Death rather scum!" Moody snarled.
"Silence!." Albus commanded. "Severus, go to Poppy. Get her to start prepping the Hospital wing, then prepare to brew any restorative potions she deems needed."
"How could this have happened Albus?" Minerva asked.
"I don't know." The most powerful living wizard looked very frail all of a sudden. "You said she apparated?"
"Yes. Straight through our wards. Brute force, so she is more than likely suffering from sever magical exhaustion. On top of that, her whole back was a bloody mess. Looked like she had been whipped, and not all of the wounds were fresh. There were some scars. I can't be sure, but I also think she has several broken bones." Arcturus looked down. "My mind jumped to her being attacked, however if she just dissapered from her home now, I am afraid we are dealing with a case of severe child abuse."
"Those damn muggles." McGonnagle hissed, sounding almost feral. A wild light glinted in her eyes.
Dumbledore paled visibly, and Arcturus noticed his hands were shaking. "So it's my fault. I should have never left her there." He whispered. Speaking louder he said. "We need to move her to the hospital wing now."
The crowd parted quickly, surrounding the Blacks, and Potter like a human shield, Arcturus was sure he felt several wands trained on his back.
The group moved through the halls quickly, and he counted his blessings that it was summer.
Upon entering the hospital wing, there was a screech of dismay from the healer, Madame Pomfrey. "Oh no! The poor thing!" She gestured at one of the closest beds. "Set her down there." They complied quickly.
She turned with a glare. "Everyone not needed, OUT!" When no one moved she sighed. "That means everyone but Albus, Severus, and-" she gestured at the two Black. "You two."
The group scattered quickly.
The hospital matron waved her wand in feverishly quick circles, casting diagnostic spell after diagnostic spell. "Merlin..." Her eyes were wide with horror. "What happened to the poor girl!"
"I was a fool." Albus's voice was strained. "I left her with those muggles, I was warned but I did it anyway."
"Why! Why, Albus why muggles!" Poppy almost cried.
"They were her mother's family, and her mother's sacrifice created a very strong protection for those of her blood. No-one not of the bloodline, or at least tied very very close to it could have harmed the girl. Not even Lord Voldemort could have walked into that house. I never once thought the harm would come from within."
"This has been going on for years." Madame Pomfrey glared at Dumbledore. "How was this not identified sooner!"
Dumbledore looked harrowed. "I...I never went to check on the girl. I stationed Arabella near by, but she never reported anything worse than a few childish brawls. They must have hidden it well. I couldn't risk going myself, if her location was found...she was safe from deatheaters at home, but in the street outside? At school? She was too vulnerable, they couldn't even be allowed to guess the general location of the home." He let out a long sigh before straightening, his eyes without their usual twinkle. "It is still no excuse. I was a fool, of the worst kind. I should have found, no I should have made a way to check on her, to keep her safe. Alas, I did not, and the poor girl payed the price."
At least now, thought Albus, at least she was safe.
A/N: whew...anyway, I realized I didn't like the start of the serpent queen, and I wanted a much more, aristocratically raised Potter, and I didn't want to go with the annoying Gringotts cliché, or have her learn to be this perfect little heiress from books and self teaching.
I sat down for a day and just drew out a general outline so I know pretty much where the story is going, minus a few little things.
I hope people will be pleasantly surprised with a few thing (like house choice)
Now, for reviews: if you could, leave your favorite parings for fem!harry and for your favorite secondary character! I have yet to decide on any parings yet, and as the kids are well...kids, there won't be any for a while yet, so you will have plenty of time to argue for your favorite. I will take all into consideration and think about them.
Anyhow, AZ out.