Standing in a dimly lit kitchen behind a very familiar black caldron was a boy with bright emerald green eyes framed with a pair of sliver glasses a look of deep concentration on his face as he stared down at the purple mass in the caldron, blue fumes rising up in a dizzy swirling pattern. A whistling sound had him neatly stepping back from his work as a ticking time bomb mad a splashing sound sinking to the bottom of the caldron.
An explosion soon followed minutes later covering the kitchen and half of the boys face . His half smile never wavering off of his face as the right of it covered in the gooey mess. "Pugsley must you tamper with my potions." He said flicking his long thick braid over his shoulders.
"Of course I do Halbyrt it's the duty of the oldest bother." Pugsley said as he reached over and swiped a finger across Halbyrt's face.
"Your only four months older than me Pugsley."
"A fact that I will always remind you of." Pugsley said sticking his finger into his mouth. "It's missing nightshade." He said walking off.
"Nightshade of course." Halbyrt said dumping a healthy dose of said ingredient into the now half empty caldron.
Gone was the small abused child and in its place stood a boy with pale skin much like his mothers and a long braid of hair that ended at the small of his back. He still had nightmares and would forever hold the scares that was a testament of what he had went through.
"Father is going to be cross with you if your late for practices." Came his sisters voice a few hours later.
Halbyrt loved both of his siblings but held a special bond with the twin sister. Maybe it was because she had named him or maybe it was because she was a consent presence when he would wake from one of his nightmares a glass of water in hand and a reassuring look.
"I'll be right there I promise." He murmured.
His answer had her rolling her eyes. "Are you even aware of what day it is?" She questioned already knowing the answer.
"Um Tuesday?" He guessed looking up at his sister.
"Your birthday." She stated hands on her hips.
"Is it now. It completely slipped my mind." He said stirring his potion counterclockwise three times before turning off the burner.
Wednesday knew that her brother didn't do it on purpose and in fact had never missed a single one of his families birthdays or anniversary. Yet when it came to him it was as if nothing mattered and as much as it irked her she knew of the cause and wouldn't say anything about it only to gently remind him of the date.
"In any case we are both going to be late now lets go." She said tapping her foot.
"Alright alright I'm coming." He grumbled out.
"Good." She said a small hidden smile formed at the corner of her mouth as he walked in step with her.
Learning their way around a weapon was a must for any Adams and Halbyrt was quit good at throwing daggers while is sister loved to use large and small tessen fans. When first teased about it Halbyrt lost a good three inches off of his braid and never made fun of her for her choice of weapons again. Pugsley could always be seen with Uncle Fester a bomb in hand as they made good use of the large backyard that seemed to stretch on for miles.
The rest of the morning was spent with each of the children combating against one another with enthusiasm only children and of course Gomez held.
Inside on the other hand was a different story. As the adults of the Adams family could once again be spotted in deep discussion on their beloved children.
"It's been five years." Stated Fester.
"Yes Halbyrt is eleven today. I almost expected Wednesday and Pugsley to be contacted by now." Moritica said with a slight frown on her pale lovely face.
"Tish I doubt that they would willingly allow another Adams into their precious castle. The last time one attended the Whomping Willow was planted." The stay was brief and they were swiftly expelled, told to never come back.
"Seventeen seventy-one if I'm not mistaken." Moritica said.
"Yes well in any case I'm sure that some misguided fool will be here within a days time."
"Should we tell the children?" Grandmama asked.
"I don't see why not. We've never kept anything from the children before why start now." Gomez said with a shrug of his shoulder.
"We may not get the chance." Fester said as he opened one of the well placed windows that over saw the front gate. They all gathered around Fester to see what he saw.
A man in brightly colored robes fought with the gate, tugging on his sleeve before the unmistakable sound of cloth tearing had him tittering to the side scrabbling to balance himself.
"They sent the Headmaster." Came Morticia's somewhat amused voice.
"Well this should be interesting, don't you think darling?" Gomez said with a wide grin.
Out back the children were still 'playing' when a large golden lion made its way up to the them. Sitting on his haunches as soon as he got their attention."Kitty Kat have you come to play with us?" Pugsley asked.
A deep rumbling growl and a shake of his head had the three frowning at one another.
"It seems we have some uninvited guest then." Wednesday said as she eyed the front door catching sight of a flash of bright colors before disappearing behind it.
"Maybe some party guest?" Pugsley suggested.
"Mother knows I hate parties for my birthday, she wouldn't thrown one would she?"
"Only one way to find out." Wednesday said with her ever present emotionless face.
"Come then lets go." Halbyrt said his own half smile never faltering as the three made their way to the back door.
"..Nt be sure how you obtained the boy but he belongs in Britain." The children heard the tail end of the statement as they spied the adults listening to the speaker.
"He must be mad if he thinks I'm leaving." Halbyrt whispered to his siblings his smile slipping for a moment.
"He's from your old life. Even has the same funny accent you had." Pugsley said with a snicker. The only time the two ever heard his accent was when he became angry. A feat that wasn't easy to accomplish from the well tempered boy.
"I'm not sure what it is your implying good sir but Halbyrt is happy just where he is." Gomez said lighting up a cigar.
"For the third time his name is Harry Potter." Albus said in irritation.
"Tell me just how did you find our Halbyrt?" Morticia said lightly.
"Mothers not happy." Whispered Pugsley a pensive look on his face.
"I don't think I've ever seen her mad." Halbyrt said with a wide surprise green eyes.
"It isn't very pleasant." Wednesday said with a small shudder.
With that unsettling statement the three peered back around the doorway to listen to the conversation.
"A parchment designed to trace potential witches and wizards had his name on it." Albus stated answering her question.
"Tell me is it under the name Halbyrt or this Harry you speak of." Grandmama said with a unreadable look.
"Harry Potter of course." He said with a puff of his chest.
"Lying isn't very becoming of one such as yourself Albus." Moritica's frosty voice said.
"Yes well it might have changed briefly. But I assure you the name Harry Potter is on my list."
"Tell me did my other children's names appear on this list of yours." Moritica said he voice an chilling stare never wavering.
"Yes." Albus admitted after a moment.
A fact that had Albus frozen when Minerva came rushing into his office waving the roll call in the air as she did so.
"I saw it Albus! I saw his name." She said breathlessly.
"Who's?" Albus said staring at her in confusion.
"Harry Potter!"
"Minerva we've already.."
"Don't you dare tell me we've already accepted his death. I never gave up and now I've the proof that he's alive."She slapped the parchment onto his desk. "It's strange though. His name keeps jumping back an forth from one name to another."
"What do you mean?" Albus snatched the parchment to get a better look. Two names first caught his attention.
"Adam's." He said horrified at the very thought that one would attend much less two..or is it three. He then saw what the transfigure teacher was talking about. The name Harry Potter would jump to the middle of the list according to the alphabet only to go back to the name Halbyrt Adams at the top of the list.
"Do you know that name?" Minerva asked having only ever seen this reaction during the war.
"They are not a family to take lightly. They use Dark Magic as if it holds no consequences."
"You don't mean like He-who-must-not-be-named do you?" She said fearfully.
"The very same." He said gravely. Getting up he went to a hidden cabinet off to the side pulling a amber colored bottle to his lips and drinking heavily from it. "I want you to double and triple check all the wards. Don't leave any room unchecked." He said with a meaningful look. Minerva meekly nodded her head as she left to do as she was told.
"Merlin save us." He whispered to the now empty bottle.
"I will not have my children uprooted because you think they would get a better education in your outdated school." Morticia said breaking Albus of his thoughts.
"Of course I don't expect you to do that. I'm just here to get Harry. Once I have him I will gladly be on my way and you'll never have to see me again."
Having had enough of the bickering of sorts Halbyrt sauntered into the room in a very Adamish way. "You seem to have some incorrect information on me sir." He said in a smooth voice.
Albus turned to see the boy walking into the room. The resemblance to James an Lily Potter was unmistakable in the boys eyes and shape of his face. But that was where it ended. Dressed in tight black clothing his lithe frame already held muscle definition. A pair of sharp looking daggers sat at his hip and a sword hilt could be spied from behind the long thick braid of hair. All in all the boy looked deadly and very capable of killing or seriously maiming someone. His small smile never slipping even as Albus shook his head at him.
"What information do I have that is wrong my dear boy?" He said trying to adopt the grandfatherly voice that would usually put others before him at ease. It wasn't working so well.
"Harry Potter died five years ago sir." He said in a smooth American accent.
"How can that be if your standing in front of me?" Albus said with a slight smile on his face at that.
"You do have a point." The boy said in a thoughtful voice.
Albus, having thought he won the argument, nodded his head. "Then come with me I'm sure you have many questions."
A soft bell like laugh rang out by the door that Halbyrt came through. A girl with braided pigtails dressed similarly to him came walking out much in the same manner. A fan swinging from her wrist and her own pair of daggers at her hip.
"You are a daft fool if you think that Halbyrt has any questions for you." She said.
Albus stared in confusion. "My dear girl I'm not sure what you mean."
"This is becoming tedious." Pugsley said as he came through the same door. He was a rather massive boy but only muscles made up of said mass. Again he was dressed like the others in all black with small round balls on his belt and a shinobi-zue in one hand. "Halbyrt will go to this silly school of yours but we." Point to his sister and thumbing at his chest. "Are going with him."
Albus turned his eyes to the boy who was rocking on his heels hands behind his back and small half smile on his face then to the adults in the room. All held emotionless expressions. He gave an explosive sigh before looking at the large boy. "There are rules that you will have to abide by." Albus looked at the japanese style weapons.
Each of the children looked at one another and with a flash of several hand jesters Pugsley looked up at the man. "We will pay attention to the rules."
"Good. There is a few things that we will have to discus." Meaning that he would talk with the adults.
The girl gave the same bell laugh as she placed a hand on Halbyrt back. "Mother and Father will tell you that you will talk to us on all matters. They aren't the ones going over seas now are they." She said lightly.
The explanation made sense to Albus and he found himself talking to the children of what was needed an of the courses they would take. Over all it was a nothing like what he expected but when a rather large deadly looking spider crawled up his leg he gave a rather undignified shrike as Wednesday calmly scooped the spider up.
"Aristotle that is no way to greet a guest." She said mildly scolding the spider.
Albus wondered, not for the first time, just what he was allowing into his school and if they would all make it out in one piece.
AN: Wednesday is very ooc in this chapter but I couldn't resist it. No worries she wont be all giggles all the time.