Book One of the Memories of Ghosts Series
Explicit Adult Content – Read at your Own discretion
Created, Written and Illustrated by k505
Additional Illustrations by No One Currently – Looking for Artists
Edited and Proofread by No One Currently – Looking for Editors
(Full) Disclaimer: I do not own JK Rowling's Magical World (The Harry Potter Series (books 1-7/Films 1-8), Quidditch throughout the Ages (book), The Tales of Beetle the Bard (book), the Cursed Child (script), Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)) or the Labyrinth film. They belong to their creators and various publishers. No, money is being made, and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This fictional story is the product of my imagination and shared for entertainment purposes, not for profit.
Future Main Pairing(s): Tom M. Riddle Jr./Lucius Malfoy/Severus Snape/Wyatt Ravenswood/Charles Urquhart/Antares Black (HP)
"Born not of my womb, but to my name and my blood, rise eth the Greatest Black Lord to ever be seen. Neither light nor dark, but gray. He will be raised on the knees of Twilight. Born to the cousin of Black blood, through the ancestral lines of Peverell and Gryffindor, and in womb of the hidden Grimm, born to Ravenclaw bloodline. Born of Death at hands of a Muggle Abuser. Recreated in spirit and by aura. Adopted by the former Lord Black, by my blood, and by the blood of the Lord Twilight. Again, and again this child shall fight for peace. Allied to Twilight and Nightfall, to the then heirs of Light and Dark, blessed by Daybreak, he will rise as the last bastion of both Dark and Light magics. Welcome, he does not by color of magic, but by intention and moral creed." ~ Cassiopeia Black (1976) (About Antares Black, to Arcturus Black, Melania McMillan, Orion Black and Walburga Black)
Chapter One:
Altered Fate and Changes Foretold
Whispers wanting, always seeking
Something more than what they have
Churning darkness, ever seeping
Spilling into the world of Man
A soft touch, like the touch of a mother, wakes me. I stir, turning onto my side, before hitting the edge of my small cot and falling off. I breathe in dust and began to cough violently. The sound of the telly increases as Vernon turns up the volume. Through the blinding pain, I look around myself. I am back in the cupboard under the stairs. A few spiders skitter away from me. I sit up slowly, assessing my physical condition. I cringe when I felt along my left wrist – likely broken. My left ankle is swollen, and I feel a bruise of the left side of my jaw. I try to remember the point in my life when I had broken my wrist and sprained my ankle. Ah, Dudley had pushed me down the stairs when I was six-years-old, the Dursleys had kept me in the cupboard until the bruises fade before putting me back to work. It was early June 1986. The ring of the phone startles me.
The sound of footsteps which pass my cupboard are soft and light - Aunt Petunia. She picks up the phone on the third ring. "Hello, Dursley residence." She says in a nasally voice. "Yes, Miss Figgs, this is Petunia. Oh, you won a trip to Madrid, Spain, congratulations!" She says, her tone of voice tells me that she is anything but happy, "You can't take the boy this summer? What about our Seaside Holiday in late June? Find someone else? When will you be leaving? In three days! Alright, I understand. Have a good Holiday." Petunia concludes.
I don't remember Ms. Figgs taking a Holiday during any Summer, while I was growing up. "That damn bitch," Petunia swore. She kicks the door of my cupboard spitefully as she passes, causing me to jump. "Vernon, Miss Figgs won a vacation to Madrid. She can't take the freak in at any point this summer."
"What!?" Vernon asks incredulously, "But we have our yearly Seaside Holiday in late June for Dudley!"
"She told us to find someone else." Petunia says scoffing.
"What about your friend Yvonne?" Vernon asks quickly.
"She's on Holiday in Italy, visiting her distant cousin." Petunia says.
"Well, we could always drop him off at an Orphanage?" Vernon says. "We've never wanted him."
"Too much paperwork and we would stop receiving the money from that Potter's account." Petunia says dismissively.
"We could just leave him in the shed." Vernon offers.
"What would the neighbors say if they saw him?" Petunia asks, horrified.
"Well, he could stay in the shed." Vernon says. "I mean a broken leg would be enough persuasion to stay in there."
"Possibly," Petunia says.
I never remember the Dursleys being this cold and cruel. Would they really leave me in the tiny garden shed with a broken leg? I wonder. A plan began to form in my mind. Harry Potter needed to disappear. What better timing than when Ms. Figgs left?
Four days pass in a blur of activity. I mostly spend most the time trying not to aggravate my wrist as I tend to the garden under Aunt Petunia's watchful eyes. I was given a number of chores over those four days, which were physically impossible with my wrist and ankle. When I couldn't complete them, Petunia takes great pleasure in denying me food, while Vernon lashes me with his belt. My back is tender and bruised. There are welts and there are thin lines of blood. Petunia has me clean up the blood drops on the floor by moping the kitchen floor with bleach. Her means of disinfecting my bloodied back is to pour the remaining bleach down it. I bite through my lip stifling my screams. On the fourth night, Vernon throws me into the cupboard and locked the door. In the darkness of my cupboard, I finally prepare to leave. Some time has passed since the Dursleys had gone to bed. Vernon's snores reverberate through the house, accompanied by Dudley's sleepy rumbling.
I gather my magic and trace runes into the air. They glow like the fire which Voldemort had used to reveal his birth name to me in the Chamber of Secrets. However, my fire glowed a deep gold-white opposed to Voldemort's golden-scarlet, my lips twitch at the irony. The runes sink into the door of the cupboard, unlocking it. Runic magic couldn't be traced by the Ministry, or by Dumbledore, when it went unused by a wand or not carved into an object. It is one of the few things I can do wandlessly right now, Hermione and I had worked to expand my wandless magic capabilities. This is as far we had gotten. I step out of the cupboard and immediately relock the door to my personal prison, the cupboard under the stairs. I slip out of the house and into the dark, summer night. I make my way to the train station, the trains are still running, but this one will be the last one tonight. The spell I have already written out in runes, takes affect the moment the train doors open. Its occupants ignore me.
It takes three trains for me to reach Charring Cross and an hour to walk to the Leaky Cauldron on foot. By the time I reach the Leaky Cauldron I am covered in sweat and feeling quite faint. I recast the spell and twist it to affect the wizards and witches in the pub and slip through the door. Several patrons of the pub look up, along with the barkeep, Tom, when the door swings open. However, they quickly turn away when my spell triggers the reaction. I make my way to the back of the bar unimpeded. I tap the three bricks over the trash bin and the archway opens in its usual dramatic fashion. I release the runic-spell, but I keep my head down as to not draw attention and make my way to Gringotts quickly. The white marble building looms in the gloom of the late night. The doors are still open, Gringotts never sleeps. I make my way up the steps and into the cavernous entrance hall. The teller's booths are mostly emptied at this late hour, but there are three goblins at their stations. There are no other customers. They look up in surprise at my entrance. I stagger forward, my blood loss is making my head spin. "I am requesting Sanctuary," I whisper-shout before fainting, falling. Warm arms catch me before I hit the ground. Then darkness.
June 14, 1986 – 7:31 am
Malfoy Chateau
Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales
Near the village of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, in a hidden valley, stands Malfoy Chateau. The Malfoy Chateau is fashioned after the Chateau de Chenonceau and is situated over a small stream with rocky bed. Albino Peacocks populated the weather-controlled land. Flowering vines and gardens bloom even in the dead of winter. Goldfinches flock to the black poplar trees along the riverbank. A sulk of fox kits frolics in a small forest-meadow of tall grasses. Cicadas thrum and frogs croak in the early morning.
The children of the Malfoy bloodline were all well versed in the arts of deception. Their ancestors had been spies for the French crown, after all. So, when Draco Malfoy and his twin brother, Scorpius Malfoy, were called to their Uncle's study, the six-year-old fraternal twins were prepared for a shock.
Uncle Claudius is their father's younger fraternal twin brother. Scorpius reaches the study door first and knocks on it softly, hesitantly, as Draco follows. "Come in," came the gentle voice of their Uncle Claudius. Scorpius hesitantly opens the door and is followed in by his older twin brother. Uncle Claudius's study is fashioned out of dark woods, towering bookcases, pale-green silk curtains over floor-to-ceiling windows and a plush forest-green carpet over the dark wood floor. Seated behind the massive four-footed desk is their Uncle. Uncle Claudius is a handsome man with shoulder-length silver-white blond hair and mercury eyes flecked with cobalt-blue specks. His eyes are framed by long eyelashes and thin expressive eyebrows. He is tall and broad-shouldered with thick corded muscles and a strong and square aristocratic visage. Seated alongside Claudius, behind a massive four-clawed desk, is their father, Lucius Malfoy.
Lucius has narrower and sharper features than his brother but shares the same square jaw as Claudius. Lucius's silver-white hair reaches just past his waist and is neatly trimmed and held back by a green ribbon. His long bangs frame his face, softening the chiseled high cheekbones and sharp nose. Lucius has full and soft petal-pink lips. He is tall and broad shouldered with thin wiry muscles. While Lucius's skin is snowy-white, his brother has a pale peach-and-cream complexion. Where Claudius has long and thick fingers, Lucius's has thin and delicate fingers like those of a skilled pianist.
On the furniture in front of the desk are Draco and Scorpius's older siblings. The twelve-years-old heir, Odysseus Malfoy, and his younger twin sister, Ophelia Malfoy, sit on the couch. There is, also, ten-years-old Oleander Malfoy, their second oldest brother, who is seated in an armchair. Their mother, Narcissa, lounges on the loveseat. The two empty seats are wing-backed chairs across from the desk. Draco and Scorpius take the open seats nervously.
"Draco, Scorpius," Claudius greets, "I believe it is time for Lucius and me, to tell you the family secrets." Lucius nods in agreement. The twins visibly straighten as Claudius begins. "Now, I will tell you a little about our history to establish a timeline. As you know, Lucius is my older twin brother. Lucius was born to our father, Abraxas Malfoy, and our mother, Celeste Malfoy nee Beaufort, on May 11, 1950 at precisely 11:55pm. Then I was born on May 12, 1950, only ten minutes later. It was immediately discovered at Lucius's birth that he has a prominent creature inheritance which would become evident on his seventeenth birthday. Our father feared for Lucius, because of the Ministry's interest in those who have Creature Inheritances. The Ministry was attempting to pass laws restricting Creature rights. So, father created a diabolical plot. I would be portrayed as the Heir to the Malfoy Lordship, while Lucius is truly the Lord Malfoy. Years went by, and Lucius and I went to Hogwarts. We played our roles meticulously, never alluding to whom Heir Malfoy was. Then we graduated from Hogwarts and the Ministry requested my allegiance as a presumed member of the Wizengamott. I was sworn to the Ministry through blackmail. They had put so much energy into gaining my allegiance, that they had forgotten my brother. Minister Fudge and Dolores Umbridge, then requested funds and I had the dubious fortune of informing them that my brother, Lord Malfoy, had sworn Allegiance to the Lord of Twilight. Umbridge was enraged and attempted to punished me, but ultimately she could do nothing." Claudius says.
"As you know, once an individual swear allegiance to a Lord or Lady, whether it be the Lord of Darkness, the Lord of Light, the Lord of Twilight, the Lady of Daybreak or the Lord of Nightfall, they cannot be forced to change allegiances." Lucius interrupts.
"So, Lucius and the Malfoy name are protected. I became a spy in the Ministry's Unspeakable Department. However, Lucius and I belatedly realized that if either of us died the Malfoy bloodline would end. Lucius cannot conceive with anyone other than his mates. So, I married your lovely mother and conceived with her each of you. Lucius pretends to be your father for your protection from the Ministry."
"To protect our secrets, you both will be trained by Severus in Occlumency, beginning immediately." Lucius says softly.
"I have also arranged for additional tutors." Claudius offers.
"Yes, father," Scorpius and Draco chorus hesitantly. Claudius beams at them and it's like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. Their father's smile is radiant. It makes Draco and Scorpius longing to see it again and bask in it.
I wake slowly, steadily. My left wrist does not throb with pain and I can rotate my left ankle without any problems. The pain in my back is muted, distant. Someone's arms cradle me to their chest, holding me gently as if I were something precious. I slowly open my eyes and glance up at the face of the person holding me. He is a stunning man, no, I decide noting his pointed ears, he is a stunning sidhe. Pale-gold hair frames his face in a feathery mess of spikes. His face is composed of sharp angles and is entirely too catlike to be human. His catlike eyes are a smoky-gray-blue flecked with silver specks like constellations in the night sky. He has pale-gold skin, as flawless as newly fallen snow. He carries himself with a refined elegance which is reflected in his clothes. Thin, but sensual lips quirk into a smile at my inspection. "Hello little one, I am King Jareth, Sidhe King of the Goblins." He says, I struggle to stand to bow to him, but he tightens his grip, "Not, yet little one, you're still too weak." I sigh, grumbling below my breath and accidentally nuzzle his chest. He chuckles when I blush mortified by what I had done. "Peace, little one. Now you claim sanctuary from the Goblins, but before I grant it to you I need two things. I need your name and to officially identify you via a blood test."
I sigh, "My name is Harry Potter." He hums thoughtfully, not quite believing my claims.
"And why do you need sanctuary?" He asks.
"I live with my mother's squib sister, Petunia Dursley nee Evans, and her family. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon hate magic and anything they consider abnormal and because of that they hate me. I have lived with them since the night after my parents were killed. They barely feed me, my bedroom in the small cupboard under the stairs, Dudley, their son, likes to push me around, while Uncle Vernon beats me. They are leaving for vacation in a few weeks. They are planning to break my leg and chain me to the shed for two weeks while they are gone. I saw Uncle Vernon purchasing an inverted spiked dog collar. I honestly don't think I would survive it." I answer burying my face into his chest. "If I went to anyone else, they would contact Dumbledore and I would be returned to the Dursleys house." King Jareth is pale, his eyes glimmer with rage.
"We will do the blood test, while I draft a Sanctuary contract with you. The truth spell I have been using has only indicated that you were speaking the truth and only the truth. You do believe yourself Harry Potter and I am inclined to believe it. We have been visited by another child posing as Harry Potter and my employees have been tricked into allowing him and Albus Dumbledore into your accounts. We will be retrieving everything which belongs to you. However, we need the blood test first."
The blood test is done with little difficulty. The attending Goblin pricks my finger and allow my blood to fall on special parchment. The words flow from my blood creating my personal information. The information comes as a shock to me.
Hadrian Jamison Taliesin Cassius Antares Orion Potter-Black-Grimm
"Harry James Potter"
7.31.1980 – d. ǀ Gender: Male
Pure-Blood, Magical, Potential Creature Inheritance
Test Dates: 6.16.1986 (Current)
Father(s):
James Fleamont Hadwyn Aquila Perseus Potter ǀ "James Potter" (b. 1960, d. 1981)
Sirius Orion Domitian Claudius Nigellas Black ǀ "Sirius Black" (b. 1959)
Mother(s):
Lillian Anna-Marie Victoria Euphemia Marlene Grimm Potter ǀ "Lily Potter" (b. 1960, d. 1981)
Sibling(s):
Unnamed Potter Male (c. 1981, d. 1981)
Living Relative(s)/Non-Magical:
Petunia Anne Dursley nee Evans (b. 1956) (Maternal Adoptive Aunt) (Squib)
Dudley Vernon Dursley (b. 1980) (Maternal Adoptive Cousin) (Squib)
Vernon Victor Dursley (b. 1954) (Uncle-in-Law) (Muggle)
Oleander Indigo Evans (b. 1962) (Maternal Adoptive Uncle) (Squib)
Adele McKenzie Evans nee Mason (b. 1963) (Aunt-in-Law) (Squib)
Rose Adele Evans (b. 1982) (Maternal Adoptive Cousin) (Squib)
Living Relative(s)/Magical:
Hyacinthus Andre Evans (b. 1985) (Maternal Adoptive Cousin) (Muggle-born Wizard)
Charlus Atticus Dante Thaddeus Henrik Potter ǀ "Charlus Potter" (b. 1912) (Paternal Great-Uncle)
Dorea Cassiopeia Cora Emmaline Victoria Black Potter ǀ "Dorea Potter" (b. 1920) (Aunt-in-Law)
Altair Claudius Clarke Magnus Nicolas Potter ǀ "Aquila Potter" (b. 1943) (Paternal 2nd Cousin)
Elizabeth Andrea Marie Catalina Daniela McKinnon Potter ǀ "Mrs. Eliza Potter" (b. 1947) (In-Law)
Serpens Orion Henrik Charlemagne Cassius Potter ǀ "Henrik Potter" (b. 1946) (Paternal 2nd Cousin)
Joshua Atticus Charles Henry Tomas Ryder Potter ǀ "Consort Joshua Potter" (b. 1950) (In-Law)
Ignatius Antares Tiberius Apollo Cygnus Potter ǀ "Ignatius Potter" (b. 1949) (Paternal 2nd Cousin)
Cyrus Claudius Aiden Andreu Paul Potter ǀ "Cyrus Potter" (b. 1964) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Octavian Julien Ciro Magnus Nicolai Potter ǀ "Octavian Potter" (b. 1967) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Julius Mycale Andre Nicodemus Viktor Potter ǀ "Julius Potter" (b. 1969) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Julian Mikhail Aurelian Renato Cypress Potter ǀ "Julian Potter" (b. 1969) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Dianna Vivian Louisa Cornelia Serafina Potter ǀ "Dianna Potter" (b. 1972) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Collin Joseph Martin Alexander Serpens Potter ǀ "Collin Potter" (b. 1966) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Edward William Quentin Constantine Ben Potter ǀ "Edward Potter" (b. 1968) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Jonathan Elias Basil Samuel Ashton Potter ǀ "John Potter" (b. 1971) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Wilhelmina Lydia Bethany Xenia Nia Potter ǀ "Mina Potter" (b. 1973) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Samantha Eloise Harriette Caroline Ruby Potter ǀ "Samantha Potter" (b. 1975) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Lukas Addison Orlando Jensen Kent Potter ǀ "Luke Potter" (b. 1979) (Paternal 3rd Cousin)
Pollux Cygnus Proteus Aeolus Eurus Black ǀ "Pollux Black" (b. 1912) (Paternal Great-Grandfather)
Irma Leila Selene Jennifer Victoria Crabbe Black ǀ "Irma Black" (b. 1912) (Paternal Great-Grandmother)
Alphard Phineas Rigel Sirius Antioch Black ǀ "Alphard Black" (b. 1930) (Paternal Great-Uncle)
Cygnus Altair Pollux Phineas Rigel Black ǀ "Cygnus Black" (b. 1938) (Paternal Great-Uncle)
Druella Francesca Silvana Tia Natalie Rosier Black ǀ "Druella Black" (b. 1936) (Great Aunt-in-Law)
Bellatrix Violetta Druella Lyra Tia Black Lestrange ǀ "Bellatrix Lestrange" (b. 1951) (Maternal 2nd Cousin)
Andromeda Medea Silvana Merope Elianna Black Tonks ǀ "Andromeda Tonks" (b. 1953) (Maternal 2nd Cousin)
Narcissa Mira Helena Rhea Astrea Black ǀ "Narcissa Black" (b. 1955) (Maternal 2nd Cousin)
Claudius Tiberius Domitian Antonius Julio Malfoy ǀ "Claudius Malfoy" (b. 1952) (Cousin-in-Law)
Odysseus Arcturus Regulus Castor Ciaran Malfoy (b. 1974) (Maternal 3rd Cousin)
Ophelia Narcissa Bellatrix Mira Kiera Malfoy (b. 1974) (Maternal 3rd Cousin)
Oleander Claudius Pollux Serpens Daven Malfoy (b. 1976) (Maternal 3rd Cousin)
Draconis "Draco" Lucius Caelum Claudius Kieran Malfoy (b. 1980) (Maternal 3rd Cousin)
Scorpius Abraxas Altair Hadrian Dunstan Malfoy (b. 1980) (Maternal 3rd Cousin)
Nymphadora Andromeda Eloise Laura Georgina Tonks ǀ "Nymphadora Tonks" (b. 1973) (Maternal 3rd Cousin)
Godparent(s):
Minerva Catia Aoife Addison Sandra McGonagall ǀ "Minerva McGonagall" (b. 1927)
Filius Wallace Bloodstone Dartmoor Aiden Flitwick ǀ "Filius Flitwick" (b. 1922)
Francis Edgar Alastair Augustus Richard Longbottom ǀ "Frank Longbottom" (b. 1959, d. 1981)
Alyson Vivien Penelope Eliza Katelyn Fawcett Longbottom ǀ "Alice Longbottom" (b. 1960, d. 1981)
Spouse(s)/Mate(s):
Unknown
Child/Children:
None Yet
Noble Title Inheritance(s):
Heir Black, Lord Winterfell, Earl Potter, Marquis Gryffindor, Duke Le Fay, Duke Peverell – by blood
Marquis Ravenclaw, Marquis Briarwood and Marquis Grimm – by Magic
There are so many Potter alive. Why had no one taken me in? Why had they left me to rot on the Dursleys' doorstep? Something in my chest clenched painfully. "My mom was adopted?" I ask shying away from the knowledge that the Potter family had all abandoned me. I felt rather ill.
"Not many individuals know that Lillian Grimm was blood adopted by Rose Evans nee Ravenscroft. Petunia Evans is not the daughter of Harrison Evans though. Rose Evans, her mother, was originally a Squib of the Ravenscroft bloodline, named Celestine Ravenscroft. Petunia Dursley was sired by Celestine's older sister's betrothed, Aleksander Krum. When Celestine's father realized that his unwanted squib daughter was pregnant with the illegitimate child of his oldest daughter's betrothed and his close friend, Aleksander, they dueled which resulted in Alek's death. This also resulted in Lord Ravenscroft imprisonment and eventual suicide. Petunia's full name is Alana Petunia Ravenscroft-Krum. Your mother discovered this in 1980, when blood tests confirmed your parentage." The Goblin King says.
"Why would I need my parentage tested?" I ask gnawing on my lower lip.
"You were born with distinct features of the Grimm bloodline. Several weeks after your birth, James confronted Lily, convinced that she had slept around and that he had not sired you. Sirius, their husband, was torn between Lily and James. He told Lily about Gringotts' parentage confirmation ritual. She was so angry and tearful, I was told. She went to Gringotts and requested a parentage test for you. She learned about her history that same day. Apparently, her adoptive mother had brought her to Gringotts for a blood adoption for her protection. James apologized, but their marriage never recovered. They were planning to divorce when she discovered she was pregnant again." I close my eyes. This was painful for me to learn, but I suppose it was not without value. "Around this time James began seeing another woman, but then he died. This woman, Candance Greensborough, a half-blood, eventually married another man. I believe she petitioned for your guardianship, because James loved you so much, but she was denied."
Well at least someone cared even if they were misguided, I mused.
"If I have features from the Grimm bloodline, then why do I look so much like my father?" I ask softly.
"I believe there is a powerful blood glamor on your features. I am told that you had chestnut-brown hair with soft red highlights. Your skin was much paler, and your eyes were a blue-green." King Jareth informs me. I silently curse Albus Dumbledore. No doubt it was he who made me into a carbon copy of my father, with my mother's eyes.
"Did my father have blue eyes?" I ask.
"His eyes were such a dark-blue people had mistaken them for a dark-brown-black." The King admits, "Now tell me heir Potter, what do you want to do? We, Gringotts, cannot care for you indefinitely, but I imagine that you do not wish to return to your mother's adoptive sibling's care." I nod in agreement.
"I was hoping to find an individual willing to blood adopt me into their family under a false identity." I admit softly.
"That might be difficult." The King says, "I would suggest however that you look into your own bloodline for a family."
There's a knock on the door and for the first time I note, I am in a massive meeting room. "Come in," the King calls as I glance around me from the safety of King Jareth's arms. The hall is cavernous, with an arched ceiling decorated with a mural of a battlefield in gray, black and red. The unlit fireplace is made of white marble and the walls are of polished redwood. A long redwood table runs from one end of the room to the other. At one end of the table is the fireplace and at the other end is the massive doors. Pulled up to the table are black-leather winged back chairs. We are sitting closest to the door.
The door open and a goblin prostrates himself on the floor before his king, "My King, there is a Lord Arcturus Black, Lady Melania Black nee McMillan, a Lord Alessander Blythe, and a Cassiopeia Black here demanding an audience with yourself and our newest ward." The goblin says indicating me with a casual wave of his hand.
"Let them enter but warn them if any harm should befall our ward, Harry James Potter, from their intentions, then they will suffer the wrath of Gringotts and the Goblin King." King Jareth says.
The goblin nods frantically, eyes wide, and leaves to fetch their visitors. I turn my head into the King's shoulder and chew on my lip nervously. The King cradles me closer and nuzzle his shoulder instinctively. I silently curse my childlike impulses, but I do not deny that being held by another feels wonderful. I peek shyly at the door when I hear the footsteps outside the open door. Lord Arcturus Black is the first to enter with his beloved wife, Melania Black nee McMillan, on his arm.
Arcturus Black appears to be the spitting image of a much older Sirius Black III. For a moment I wonder if Arcturus Black had cloned himself to create Sirius, but then he is pureblood. No doubt, cloning is beneath him. His thick and painfully straight black hair was graying at the temples and his cobalt-blue eyes looked at King Jareth and I searchingly. He has a snowy-white complexion and aristocratic facial structure. His wife, Melania Black nee McMillan, has a round face, but is equally pale skinned. Her cheeks are rosy, and she has pale silver-gray eyes framed by ridiculously long eyelashes. Her curly hair is a pale golden-brown liberally streaked with white strands. Her lips are plump and a pale-pink. Both husband and wife are tall, but where Melania is slender, Arcturus has broad shoulders with heavy muscles.
Cassiopeia Black is immediately identifiable by her long pale-blond hair. All the females descending from Violetta Black nee Bulstrode have pale-blond hair like Narcissa Malfoy nee Black or a medium-brown like Walburga Black. She has pretty sapphire-violet eyes and is incredibly petite and slender, standing just below five foot-three. The dainty woman doesn't look a day over thirty-five-years-old. She shares the same skin tone as her cousin, Arcturus, and the delicate aristocratic features. Her lips are less plump than Melania's and her eyelashes shorter, but they were still long. Her pale coral-red lips are perfectly shaped into a cupid's bow.
The last individual, the stranger, is a stunningly handsome man. He has shoulder-length, rich strawberry-blond hair and pale turquoise eyes framed by long eyelashes. His is tall and broad shouldered with a lanky figure. He shares the snowy white skin of the Black family, so I believe he is a family member I did not know. The stranger's facial features are strong and squared. He is a striking man.
"Oh Merlin, he's adorable at this age!" Melania coos as I peek at her from King Jareth's arms. I blush and bury my face in King Jareth's shoulder. "King Jareth," she says curtsying, as Cassiopeia mimics her. Lord Black inclines his head as the stranger smiles softly at me and King Jareth.
"Lord of Twilight," King Jareth says, ignoring the others and turning towards the stranger, "What business do you have here." The King demands. I look at the stranger again. So, Hermione and my idea for the representations of Magic did appear in this timeline. Lord of Twilight would be the representation of Gray Magic. There was also Lord of Light, representation of Light Magic and the Lord of Darkness, the representation of the Dark Magic. Then there were the impartial-political balancers, Lord of Nightfall and Lord of Daybreak. Although I say Lord, they could be a Lady. The man smiles at me softly, fondly as I peak at him.
"I stand before you as Lord Blythe, not Lord of Twilight. You are holding my future blood heir in your arms."
"How is that you knew that Harry James Potter is here?" King Jareth asks cautiously.
"Because it has already happened." Lord Black says.
"I am in possession of an ancient relic which alters time to a point. I can send some back, a maximum of five years and six months. My heir, Antares Black-Blythe, appeared in my manor on December 21, five years ago. He told me a story and offered me proof. I eagerly accepted him. His biological mother, his surrogate is Miss Cassiopeia Black. He was also named the heir to the Black bloodline by Lord Black, since his former heir, Sirius Black, is in Azkaban and my lover, Regulus Black is dead."
"But, Sirius is innocent!" I exclaim.
"Yes, we know. We have business with both Gringotts and the Ministry in the following months, in order to clear his name." Lord Black says firmly. I give a soft sigh of relief, "But never the less, you are my heir."
"So, you adopted him in June of 1986, this month?" the King asks carefully, "Which method did you use?"
"We performed a full bodily adoption." Lord Blythe says.
"What is a full adoption?" I ask.
"Where a blood adoption would mask your identity as Harry Potter, unless a full bodily adoption is used you can still be identified by your magical core." Jareth says.
"What is the full bodily adoption process?" I ask cautiously
"A homunculus is created in the womb of your adopted mother by the seed of your adoptive father. The child is not naturally conceived, so it will be born stillborn, since it is lacking a soul. The fetus stays in gestation for four months before it is born. A blood sample is taken from the corpse and the adopted child goes through a full ritual to change their DNA structure and their magical core. However, before any adoption is performed you must be in relatively good health. I will have you completely healed by one of our healers." King Jareth says. "We should probably begin immediately, but first we must review the Potter accounts. Dumbledore dipped his sticky fingers into them." King Jareth concludes. Within seconds of giving this revelation, a Goblin knocks on the door.
"The paperwork for the Potter accounts." The little creature intones.
"Do you know what Dumbledore was doing with my fortune and Lordship?" I ask carefully, my body is taut with tension.
"Fortunately, yes," the King says pointing to the pile of documents. "To sum up Dumbledore's use of your funds he has given considerable sums of money to certain parties of interest. To a Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, he has given 9,019.32 pounds bimonthly. To a Mrs. Molly Weasley he gives 30,000.00 galleons monthly. To an Arabella Figgs he gives 8,000.00 pounds to monthly. To Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge and to Sturgis Podmore he gives each respectively 5,000 galleons monthly. The rest lines his pockets and he pay to grease various politician's hands. They are dispensed at the first of every month or second month. How do you wish to proceed? I must caution you that as soon as these payments have stopped Albus Dumbledore will be searching for you."
"Hmmm, he won't know if he receives Fey gold." I say softly, hesitantly. Fey gold, unlike Leprechaun gold, lasts as long as the creator wishes it to exist. King Jareth smirks and takes out a quill, ink pot and a journal as the others look on. "I would like the payments to be replaced with Fey gold hence forth for everyone. The payments will visibly end on October 31, 1988. I would also like the bank to place a fine on Mrs. Molly Weasley for the approximate amount of money she stole, however, her oldest children – Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George cannot give payments on her behalf from their personal vaults. Her husband is likewise banned from paying her debt. Please retrieve all the money from the other parties on October 31, 1989. Mrs. Weasley's repayment will also begin on October 31, 1989. I would like the Lordship ring returned to the bank at midnight on October 31, 1988. All of Mr. Dumbledore's votes as Lord Potter must be nullified at that point. Lily and James's public wills should be read on November 1, 1988 in an emergency Wizengamott session. The press must be in attendance. Their private wills should be dispensed on October 30, 1988 to any other named individuals in the will other than Dumbledore and the members of the Order of the Phoenix."
"Do you have a list of the members of this Order of the Phoenix?" Jareth asks thoughtfully.
"May I borrow a piece of parchment and quill?" I reply, Jareth hands me a piece of parchment and conjures as second quill. I list all living members of the Order of the Phoenix in black ink. I did exclude Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom as they would not be a threat to my plans. "Now, the rest of the private wills can be read in entirety on November 2, 1988. Additionally, I would request that each member be examined for compulsion and love potions and spells in private before they can receive their inheritances. If Mr. Weasley and his children are not listed in the Wills, request his presence at the bank later that week to be checked for potions and spells. Please exclude Molly Weasley. I am willing to pay for the tests and for the potions and spell-removal from their persons if there are any." I say firmly.
"That will not be necessary, Gringotts policy states that the use of compulsion and love potions and spells are illegal on the premises and our clients cannot use them. It is not often an enforced law, but in this case, we will use it." Jareth says. "No payment is required for the tests, although depending on the spells and potions used we may bill you for their removal."
"I will sign a statement to that effect." I agree, "Will I still be able to manage my accounts once I am adopted?" I wonder aloud. I hadn't thought of that.
"Only the account your father set up for you. The rest will revert to the new Potter Lord." Lord Blythe answers, "However, you will be happy to know that the potential new Lord Potter is not a fan of Albus Dumbledore or his policies."
"Who will potentially be the Potter Lord?" I ask.
"Charlus Potter, younger brother of Fleamont Potter. Fleamont is your grandfather." Arcturus says.
"You will have enough in your private account to fund the removal of potions and compulsion spells at Gringotts." Jareth says calmly, I sigh in relief. Then I worry that I won't have enough to fund my education at Hogwarts, I bite my lip.
"Harry," Lord Blythe says softly, "I know what you're thinking. Do not worry, I will provide for you as my heir. I am all too happy to be your Papa." Lord Blythe admits. Lord Black chuckles.
"If he had his way he'd spoil you rotten." Arcturus admits as Lord Blythe blushes. I stare incredulously at Lord Blythe, I had never known anyone to behavior so selflessly with a stranger. That is what I am, a proverbial stranger. Lord Blythe reaches out his long-fingered hand and pets my hair softly, I look up at him wide-eyed. I lean into his gentle touch instinctively. Something inside me breaks and tears begin to trickle down my cheeks. I never had anyone play with my hair or hug me as a child under the age of eleven. I had both happen to me today and I feel elated, but also exhausted from the emotional baggage I am weighed under. Could, Could I trust Lord Blythe to care for me? Could I trust their sincerity? Maybe, I have already begun to trust them since I don't usually let others touch me without permission. Perhaps it's my childlike body which instinctively accepts their soft affections. I do not know.
It is not until I am alone, tucked into a hospital bed at Gringotts, that I finally allow myself to contemplate the betrayals I have faced from the Dursley family, the Weasley family and from Ms. Figgs. I feel slightly ill. I should've known that Ms. Figgs was in on it. After all pureblood kneazles were expensive pets.
The idea that Mr. Weasley is under compulsion spells and love potions has always niggled at my mind as a possibility. This especially began to worry me in the future, when it became evident he was experiencing long-term spell-damage and potion-intoxication. Mrs. Weasley had blamed it on the war and depression. She told everyone he was receiving treatment. As an Auror, I was allowed to check on confidential hospital records of the accused. I may have slipped into Arthur's file. Arthur had been treated at St. Mungos for Nagini's bite in 1995. However, for thirty years before that date and twenty years after the date, he had never seen a healer. Mrs. Weasley had lied. There was something nefarious happening to Mr. Weasley and I mean to get to the bottom of it,
I roll onto my side. The goblin healer had worked rigorously to remove any identifying scars from my body at the Goblin King's insistence. The horcrux from the Dark Lord, Lord Marius Gaunt-Slytherin, also known to Gringotts as the attempted-usurper, was removed quickly and efficiently by a practicing Goblin exorcist. This made me both enraged and sick with sorrow. I hadn't needed to die to kill off the former Lord Voldemort, but Albus Dumbledore had planned for me to kick the bucket. No doubt, Dumbledore planned for my vaults to go to the Weasleys and his own children. Turns out the asshat, Dumbledore, had conceived and carried children with his victim, Gellert Grindelwald. Gellert had been a Dark Lord, this was irrefutable, but he was still the victim of his rapist, Albus Fucking Dumbledore. I was disgusted by the old man, the Machiavellian monster – the master puppeteer. I wonder if this is still accurate in this timeline.
I found it fascinating that Tom Marvolo Riddle Jr, the true heir of Slytherin had not become Lord Voldemort in this timeline. At my insistent questioning, King Jareth left me to read through a massive self-updating book on modern events, a rare tome, which defined by Magical kind, began in the early 1930s, instead of the recent ten years muggles refer to modern events. Tom Riddle Jr. was raised in Wool's orphanage from what I gathered, however, in 1935, when he was eight-years-old, he was adopted by Nicolas Flamel and his spouse, Perenelle Flamel. Briefly after the partial-blood adoption, Nicolas and Albus had a public row and never spoke again in public. Nicolas renamed Tom as Tommas Marvolo Nicolai Flamel-Slytherin. No doubt Dumbledore and Flamel fought over Tommas and the boy's Slytherin heritage. Albus Dumbledore was a prejudice man. I found it ironic that the man who prided himself on his lack of discrimination toward muggles and muggle-born witches and wizards was so prejudice towards Slytherins and those who had inherited blood from dark magic practitioners. It was hypocritical consider that the father of his children, Gellert Grindelwald, had been a dark lord. In the original timeline, not one of Dumbledore's children had claimed their father's name. the Dumbledore name died with Aberforth Dumbledore three years after the war.
Tommas had attended Hogwarts under Headmaster Dippet, where he was sorted into Slytherin. On Tommas's fifteenth birthday, Tommas was entitled the Lord of Darkness. Due to Deputy Headmaster Albus Dumbledore's, who is the Lord of Light, harassment of Tommas, Nicolas transferred Tommas to Durmstrang. There was a huge scandal and Headmaster Dippet had demoted Albus to the role of only Professor of Transfiguration. Unfortunately, a few years later Dippet died and Albus assumed the Headmaster of Hogwarts title.
However, the scandal didn't end there. A few years ago, Headmaster Dumbledore harassed a new student, a Ravenclaw first year… I pause reading the name, the name my new family had decided to name me. I was reading about myself?! It says that between the joint effort of the child's family - the Blacks and the Blythe-Trelawney families - the Lady of Daybreak, Rhiannon Lovegood, the Lord of Nightfall, Aquila Black, (I must look into him, I muse) and with the aid of the Board of Governors and the Head of the Auror Department, Ms. Amelia Bones, Headmaster Dumbledore was suspended. Nicolas Flamel was assigned to be the temporary headmaster. Albus Dumbledore had been suspended on October 1, 1983, during my would-be first year at Hogwarts. I only had to deal with him for a month, I thought with a relieved mental sigh.
I look over the changes Headmaster Flamel made to Hogwarts and I am greatly impressed. The core class subjects had been expanded and, in some cases, combined. HAP for example was Herbology, Astronomy and Potions combined into a singular subject. HAP was taught by three to five professors at a time, all masters in their areas of study. In fact, most of the core classes were shared by multiple professors. This included HAP, Magical and Mundane World History class (not taught by Binns!), Magical World Cultures and Magical World Religions Class, Muggle World Cultures and Muggle World Religions Class, Defense classes which also studied Warding and Battle Medicine (what the heck is battle medicine? I wonder.) in the course, and Magic Theory class. Only Latin class, Charms Class and Transfiguration class held only a single Professor.
Electives still included Care of Magical Creatures and Divination, but Muggle studies had been removed. No doubt everything in it, formerly, was covered in the new Magical and Muggle World History class and Muggle World Religion and Cultures class. Electives also contained Alchemy, which has a prerequisite to include Physics and Chemistry. Offense Magic was taught as an elective, which caused me some concern, but Offense Magic also taught Dueling and Dueling Wards. There was Enchanting class, Arithmancy and Runes had been combined with Spell Crafting to make another class. There was a Healing elective and a Flying elective – Flying as an elective? I wonder what that was about? There were also mandatory and non-mandatory seminars on Saturday mornings, but those were not listed in the book. Additional financial programs were introduced to students and their parents, who were stuck with a middle-class or low-income class salary. These financial solutions had increased the student class sizes.
In the financial solutions parents were given the option of taking out a loan from Gringotts and repaying it slowly. The other option, of the two solutions, was a smaller loan by the parents and their children would work in a summer work program beginning in their fourth year. The children would work on during the summer assisting in a number of potential occupations. It was called the "Summer Apprenticeship program". Not only did it cut down on the need for loans and repayment after they graduated, but it also introduced students to a variety of different occupations. I also allowed for networking. An additional stipend was given for students to purchase knickknacks, but it was encouraged to save the stipend to pay for their school uniforms and other materials for classes. The largest and most well-paying placement was in a small village near Hogsmeade, which raised crops and farm animals for Hogwarts. The small village, known as Knollwood, also harvested potions ingredients from plants in their exotic greenhouses.
Newly graduated students were recruited from Hogwarts into "Adventure Groups" which harvested ingredients for potions from around the world. This introduced students to a larger magical world and its diverse residents. The "Adventure Groups" employees lived primarily in Knollwood, but they also spend months at a time in exotic locations. The Goblin practically raided the outgoing employees and recruited these adventurous lad and ladies to their Curse Breaking program.
The magical world it seems had changed and adapted. My eyes slowly slid closed as the book sagged against my chest. I fell asleep hold the thick tome to my chest.
In a dark corner of Roppongi, Japan, in an abandoned subway station, darkness seeps. "Your turn Kenji-kun! Tell us a ghost story." Insists the only girl in the group of preteens. Pretty Suzuki Mayumi watches the shy newcomer, Yamato Kenji, eagerly. For telling ghosts stories in the dimly lit and creepy subway station, the group of eight children had donned Oni masks.
"Alright," Kenji says softly brushing a stray hair from the face of his mask. He tilts his head to one side like a lost puppy. "It begins like this…" The gate which they had pushed open a crack, to sneak into the subway station, abruptly slams shut. The kids let out high-pitched screams, but Kenji speaks regardless of their panic.
"Let's play a game,
First one to lose,
Loses their toes,
First one to leave,
Leaves without a nose,
First one to cry,
Loses an eye,
Last one to die,
Wins the prize,
In this game,
A game of death and gore,
I play the King,
You play the whore,
Let's play again,
For what is a game between friends?
Last one to call?
Last one gets all!"
"That's not funny, Kenji-kun. That's poem not a story. Did you get one of the older boys to lock us in here?!" Mayumi demands hotly. The boy tilts his head to the side. The other preteens look at him accusingly, some ripping their masks from their faces. They scowl at the masked boy, Kenji.
"I thought we were playing a game?" Kenji asks cocking his head to the side.
"We were telling stories, not playing a game Kenji-kun." Mayumi insists. Kenji stands, and the shadows seem to thicken.
"But isn't that how it always begins? We played a game too you know?"
"Who played a game with you?" Another boy asks boldly as the other children rattle the gate in their desperation calling for help. Mayumi took a step back in both worry and shock.
"There were seven of us too, seven kids and one man. One man who killed me, pushed me onto the subway tracks just as the train went by. I remember it, I remember it like it was yesterday."
"That not funny Kenji-kun!" Mayumi insists, pushing against his shoulder roughly. Her hand came back wet and sticky. In the gloom of the abandoned station she could barely see the color of her hand. Her hand is covered in red liquid - blood. She screams, high-pitched and terrified, falling over, she crab-walks backwards. Scrapped knee peeking out from under her skirt. The other preteens are a mess of screaming and crying as Kenji takes a step forward.
"Thant's enough." Someone snaps in the darkness of the abandoned train station, "Let the kids go, Oni-baka." A flame flickers into existence as their savior lit his cigarette calmly. The metal gate opens silently, the kids flee in panic. Mayumi casts one last terrified glance backwards in worry for their savior.
"You allowed my dinner to escape, priest." The disguised demon claims. An Oni like it, is the result of horrific tragedy, Tommas had no doubt that the story the child had shared with the others was true. Oni were created mainly from tragedy and more often than not from a child's tragedy. Tommas has to wonder how many of those seven kids died to create this twisted creature.
"Didn't your mother tell you not to play with your food? A big bad man, much like myself, might just steal them away." Tommas says taking a drag of his cigarette.
The Oni cocks his head in thought. "How strange, I don't remember," it says.
"Well that's too bad, but such is life. You tend to forget all the important lessons until it's too late."
"Never mind that, I am hungry. I suppose you will be dinner." The demon says growing in size, becoming a flesh lump of what appeared to be children sown together in a patchwork of bodies, thick black stitches held the lifeless bodies to one and other. The children's fleshy faces, contorted in pain and fear, was the most gruesome aspect of the Oni. The shadows lengthen, and the room is plunged into darkness. The Oni takes a rattling breath, frost climbs the stairs which lead outside of the station. You could've seen your break in the sudden cold, if it wasn't pitched black. The gate abruptly swings closed with a rattling finality.
"Sorry, to disappoint you." Tommas says in the gloom, "But I'm not a priest, I'm more of what you would call an Onmyōdō Mage and my professors call a Soul Summoner or even a Light Necromancer. Suffice to say, this won't be pretty." Comes Tommas's disembodied voice, echoing around the abandoned subway station eerily. A high-pitched and blood-curdling scream, then a gurgling sound like someone chocking on blood. The darkness diminishes and the frost fades.
"You're a curse man, Tommas Flamel-Slytherin."
"Always and forever." Was the deadly reply.
I wake cuddled into someone's arms. This, I think with a small pout, has become a reoccurring experience. I don't know why they keep cuddling me like a damned stuffed teddy, but I am not about to complain. My childlike body takes comfort in other's arms. Twisting around in my cocoon on blankets I see the slumber features of my soon-to-be papa. Alessander Blythe-Trelawney looks significantly younger, asleep. Alessander is a tall man with broad shoulders and thin, wiry muscles. He would be called coltish if he wasn't so graceful. His strawberry-blonde hair falls to his shoulders. He has turquoise eyes framed by long golden eyelashes. He has a square jaw with a cleft. He has high sculpted-cheekbones. His nose is aquiline, but not huge. His upper lip is thin, but his bottom lip is full and sensual. A little stubble dusts his jaw and his silver-rimed reading glasses rest on his head. I nuzzle his shoulder unconsciously and he begins to wake. "Good morning, Antares." Alessander or Les says softly. It was determined by all of us conspirators that I should practice addressing everyone by their titles and respond to my new names – Antares Cassius Raziel Cygnus Silas Black-Blythe-Trelawney, Antares Black for short.
"Good morning Papa," I greet softly. Les has agreed to be Papa, where James would've been Da.
"Well, today is the final ritual and you will official become Antares Black. The Homunculi was born this morning."
"Is Auntie Cassie okay?" I ask. Cassiopeia had requested I use Aunt as her title, considering that she was a surrogate-carrier for Lord Blythe and in conjuncture, Grandpa Arty and Grandma Mel. Cassie also declared herself, "not mother material," despite her evident adoration of me. I worried I wouldn't ever reach the fiercely intelligent woman's preconceived expectations of myself.
"She's fine Ana," he says shortening my name, much to my disgruntlement. It sounded like a girl's name! "Are you ready for your part." I nod firmly, I was all too ready to become Antares. I wanted Les and Cassie to be my parents already.
"That's fortunate," says another voice from the private hospital room door, "We're ready for both of you."
NOTES:
One) Yes, the scene with Tommas is relevant to the story - I hope you enjoyed it and was slightly spooked by it. I was inspired by the short anime called "Kakurenbo," not particularly horrifying, but I think it represents Asian legends perfectly, but I am not an expert on Asian culture - Ignore me. You can watch it on Youtube. It's not really bloody, so I recommend it to anyone thirteens years or older.
Two) The mentions of Albus x Gellert, again necessary, no matter how disturbing. Their children will pop up later in the story. I do not like depicting non-consensual relationships, so that's as graphic as it gets.
Yes, I have a Beta - I became impatient and posted this before they could edit it. It will be replaced by an edited chapter in the future!
Okay my QUESTIONS - time!
Reading this chapter what were some emotions you felt?
What was your favorite part?
What would you have changed?
Where can I improve?
What would you like to see happen in this story? - Not guaranteed it will happen tho.
Searching... Searching for another Fanfiction Writer interested in working alongside me. I was hoping someone would be interested in expanding my universe with long one-shots. I would you give the writer and subject and parameters like "Magical Underground Railroad, from Filius's POV, feelings about his rescue and Hagrid's loss," or "Magical Underground Railroad, escape of the Selwyn family, Child or Mother's POV."
TBC