Chapter 6
The assessor from the Department of Family and Child Services came the very next day for the first time. A stiff looking woman named Ms Gardner, she spent several hours conducting interviews with Harry and Tori, separately and together, asking question after question about their day-to-day activities, their education, how they felt about Gabriel, Lorna, Jennifer, and the vampires in the nest, whether they ever felt uncomfortable by anything anyone did to them, if anyone hit them even just once or not very hard, whether they had a 'special secret' with anyone. The only thing they lied about was being given vampire blood or seeing vampires feed; they both knew that would immediately get them taken away, even though the blood had been such a small amount and they didn't often see vampires feeding on people.
She then had similarly lengthy interviews with Gabriel, Lorna, Jennifer, Mr Richards, and Edward, and the only sign she gave as to her feelings on all their answers was to frown at the amount of subjects being taught. She was back the following Monday to inspect the house and observe their routine, and then again on Wednesday, and on Thursday she did more interviews. Harry overheard Gabriel telling Lorna that she had spoken to a number of the nest vampires as well, and to the healer that attended to Harry and Tori on the rare occasion they got sick or injured.
Sirius sat in on a lot of their classes and he inspected the house keenly, going over every inch except the nest's area, even Gabriel's study despite the vampire's constant looming presence, and walked the perimeter and inspected the small woodland that backed up the garden. He grilled Mr Richards intently about his food preparation, where he got all the ingredients, and about the various protection spells on the house and grounds, which he was also responsible for.
On Wednesday, a healer came to check their health, looking particularly for any bites or wounds that didn't come from typical childish rough and tumble. She discovered Harry's particular sensitivity to light, but fortunately didn't realise it was from ingesting vampire blood, instead determining it to be related to his imperfect eyesight, and she prescribed a potion to help with it. On Friday afternoon, just over a week after the Aurors first raided the house, Ms Gardner arrived at the Manor with a small, cheerful woman she introduced as Olive Green, the person hired to brew the potion that would nullify the effects of the vampires seduction. They were also accompanied by Kingsley Shacklebolt and four other Aurors—if the potion revealed anyone to be under the seduction, they wanted to act immediately.
Gabriel and Lorna were, none to happily, forbidden from being in the room while the potion was administered. Olive had four vials of it—one each for Harry, Tori, Jennifer, and Mr Richards, both of whom were being asked to take it due to their involvement in Harry and Tori's care—and it was an unpleasant looking sludge colour. Harry and Tori looked at it with unconcealed disgust, extremely reluctant to drink it.
They were separated to take it. Gabriel, Lorna, and Edward were sequestered in the drawing room, while Harry, Tori, Jennifer, and Mr Richards waited in the kitchen with Ms Gardner and Sirius, and were taken one at a time into the dining room by Kingsley to take the potion. Jennifer went first and didn't come back again, instead ushered out through the other door so she couldn't say anything to Harry and Tori. Mr Richards was called through next, just five minutes after Jennifer, but he wasn't finished so quickly and Kingsley asked Sirius and Ms Gardner in to talk.
It was twenty minutes before they were ready for Tori. Ms Gardner went in with her and, like Jennifer, it was only five minutes before Kingsley gestured for Harry to finally come through. He went nervously. The entire situation made him tense, and while he was almost certain that he wasn't under the vampire seduction, a little part of him wondered if maybe he was and what it was going to feel like when he came out of it.
Ms Gardner was still there and Harry felt like a fly under a microscope as everyone watched him take the vial of sludge and reluctantly lift it to his mouth. He hesitated to drink, but Olive and Ms Gardner gave him encouraging smiles and Sirius' anticipation was clear, no doubt eager to see Harry freed of the seduction so he could be justified in everything he'd been saying, so Harry braced himself and gulped the potion down.
Despite the colour and consistency, it was surprisingly sweet and not disgusting. He wasn't sure if it was supposed to have a visible reaction, but nothing did happen; he didn't feel any different and his opinions of the Valentines and his living situation didn't change. He put the empty vial down and looked at everyone.
"So... is that it?"
"What did it taste like?" Olive asked him.
"Sweet. Like that time me and Tori put a load of sugar in some water and drank it."
It was the right answer. Olive smiled, Ms Gardner nodded satisfactorily, and Sirius looked both disappointed and resigned.
"That's it then. If you were under the influence of a vampire seduction, it would have a tasted bitter."
"Then you're all going to go away?" he asked hopefully, glancing specifically at Sirius and Ms Gardner. "We're not under the seduction and you saw we were looked after, so you'll leave us alone and not try to take us away?"
"We need to go talk to Lord and Lady Valentine," Kingsley said, which wasn't an answer to his question. His rising hope that everything would be sorted sunk as Tori and Jennifer were called into the room and made to wait with Olive while Sirius, Kingsley, and Ms Gardner went to talk to the Valentines. They were gone for over half an hour and Harry and Tori spent the entire time straining their ears trying to hear anything. They knew the vampires could hear voices from several rooms away, but their own hearing wasn't anywhere near that good. It didn't stop them trying.
Almost forty-five minutes later, Ms Gardner returned and said they could rejoin Gabriel and Lorna in the drawing room. Harry and Tori ran the entire way there and threw themselves gladly into their parents' arms when they got there.
"Is it done?" Tori asked, arm still latched around Lorna's waist and head tilted back to stare up at her. "Is everything okay now? Will they leave us alone?"
"Yes, they're going to leave us alone," Lorna said with a smile. "Ms Gardner finds no fault with us and even Mr Black admits that this is a good home."
"Then we're staying?" Harry asked, wanting to hear it said specifically. "They're not going to take us away?"
"No, they're not taking you away."
Harry and Tori shouted their delight at that, earning smiles and laughs from some of the adults. Harry turned to Sirius, his broad grin mostly from joy and relief but also a little bit smug.
"I told you it was good here."
Sirius, not smiling and still not looking entirely happy with things, shrugged. "I had to make sure. Your dad would have come back from the grave to haunt me if I'd left you with vampires without making sure you were safe."
With no more reason to be there, Sirius and all the rest headed out and eventually the house was once again left to its occupants. Harry, the Valentines, and Jennifer relaxed in the family room, simply enjoying the relief of no longer having people looking over the shoulders and scrutinising their every move.
"What about Mr Richards?" Tori asked. She and Harry were comfortably nestled on the sofa between their parents, indulging themselves with coke and chocolate whilst they watched videos. It was only late afternoon, but the Valentines agreed that they could take the day off from lessons.
Harry nodded in agreement to her question, looking away from The Land Before Time. "Yeah, he was in with the potion lady for a really long time. Why? Where is he?"
"Mr Richards has been fired," Gabriel told them. "He was under the vampire seduction, which is why he was with Ms Green for so long. He was being interrogated. I hadn't put him under it," he added; Harry and Tori were looking at him in shock. "He's in a relationship with Marion, one of the nest vampires, and she put him under it as part of their relationship. He was aware of it, but he lied to us and never mentioned it despite knowing that when the Aurors found out it could put our custody of you in very serious danger, and so I had no choice but to fire him."
"Why would Marion put the seduction on him?" Harry asked, frowning. "Didn't he want to be her boyfriend?"
"He did," Lorna answered, "it's just something that some vampires do with human partners. You needn't worry about it."
"Okay. But who's gonna make our food now?"
"We will, or Jennifer, until we find a new cook."
"Is the new one going to be as good as Mr Richards?" Tori asked. "He makes the best birthday cakes and I don't want someone making a bad cake for my birthday."
That earnt chuckles from the adults and Gabriel promised, "We'll make sure to find someone who makes excellent cakes."
They talked no more until the end of the film. They turned off the TV and video player and Jennifer, at a few pointed looks from Gabriel and Lorna, excused herself from the room.
"Is something wrong?" Harry asked when she left. Gabriel and Lorna were quick to assure them no.
"There's just something we'd like to discuss with you," Lorna explained. "In the past week, it's come to our attention that it's not actually illegal for vampires to adopt children. It's never happened before, but there's no official law against it."
"As such, we wanted to ask if you would like—"
"Yes," Tori interrupted, already grinning. "Yes, I want you to adopt me properly. That way no one could ever take me away, could they?"
"As long as we continue to look after you like we have, then no," Lorna promised, pressing a kiss to her hair.
Gabriel looked at Harry. "How would you feel about it?"
He bit his lip, thinking about it. Did he mind? He'd already declared the Valentines his parents and Tori his sister, and he'd be protected from the Ministry or Sirius or anyone trying to take him away again. What did he have to lose from being adopted? It wouldn't make Lily and James any less his parents, as long as he continued to remember them. They would want him to be safe and happy, he was sure, and being officially adopted would do that. The only thing he might lose was...
"What about my name?"
"What about it?"
"Do I have to change it? Do I have to be Harry Valentine?"
Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "No. At most, you might have to be hyphenated—Potter-Valentine—but we would never ask you to give up your name, unless you wanted to."
"I don't," he told them. He was happy with being adopted, but he needed to keep that visible connection with his birth parents too. "I think... Potter-Valentine is probably okay. I'd like to be adopted properly too."
"It may not go easy," Gabriel warned. "We're still vampires and it's still going to be difficult to convince them. The assessment of the past week will work in our favour, but we may have to undergo more questioning and examination, and they may decide to refuse us. You need to be aware of that. And, of course, we cannot do a full magical adoption because the ritual involves a blood exchange. It would be paperwork only."
"I don't care," Tori said stubbornly. "I want you to try and if they say no then they're stupid idiots because you're the best parents anyone could have."
They found a new cook/driver in just a few weeks, a German Muggleborn witch named Ada Khaler, and at the end of September Gabriel and Lorna received a politely worded letter from Gareth requesting a visit. They allowed, but they met with him privately before allowing him to see Harry. When he'd come the day after the Auror raid, they'd questioned him on his relationship with Harry and they did so again, more intensely this time, trying to get a feel for who he was and whether or not he was a threat to their custody of Harry or Tori. He took their questions in stride, answering each one without complaint and with answers they couldn't disapprove of—which left Gabriel still suspicious of him, feeling that he was far too calm about being interrogated by a pair of vampires.
"You mentioned that you wished to bring some things with you," Lorna said eventually, after all their rather more personal questions. "What was it?"
Gareth reached into his pocket and drew out a drawstring pouch and two keys, both small but one golden and the other tarnished steel. He put all three on the desk.
"These are keys to his Gringotts vaults. As his legal guardians, they should be in your care now."
Lorna frowned and Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "A ten year old has two Gringotts vaults?"
"That was from his parents—his birth parents, the Potters," he said, tapping the golden key, and then tapping the steel one, "and that is from Severus Snape. He left it to Harry in his will, although under the condition that he not be allowed to access it until he's seventeen."
Gabriel drew the keys across the desk and slid them into a drawer. "We'll look after them, but we're more than capable of providing for our children. What's in the pouch?"
"Harry's old toys and other belongings that he left behind when he ran away. If you'll allow me to enlarge it back to proper size...?"
They nodded, watching cautiously in case he took the opportunity to attempt to curse them, but he merely did as he said he would and emptied the sack to let them inspect everything inside. The toys were looked over only briefly, but Gabriel took special interest in the two-way mirror, demanding an explanation for it and frowning when he got it.
Lorna didn't look any more impressed. "For all you proclaim to care about Harry, you clearly knew his aunt and uncle were unfit guardians and did nothing to get him away from them."
Gareth's left hand clenched and he scratched at it with his right, the first sign he'd given all night that he was discomfited. "I did what I could."
"What you could wasn't good enough."
"Yes," he said stiffly, "I am well aware of that."
"At least you're aware of your short-comings."
"Painfully so," he agreed.
"Why should we let someone like that visit our son?" Gabriel asked him, setting the mirror flat on the desk.
"Because it would be unkind to Harry not to? It's not like I'm asking for joint custody or anything. I'm not an idiot and Harry certainly doesn't expect it of me even if he wasn't so happy with you both. I just want to visit occasionally and to be allowed to give him presents on birthdays and Christmases like I did before. Nothing more than a family friend would."
They agreed, eventually, and when Harry and Tori finished their lessons for the night they met with Gareth and their parents in the drawing room, where Harry was pleased to get back his old toys, although he had new copies of most of the board games and puzzles. The Famous Figurines brought back old twinges of sadness, but it had been long enough since Snape's death that it didn't hit him quite so hard anymore. The Valentines hadn't bought him anymore Famous Figurines in the past two years, but as he looked over his old figures he thought he might like to start collecting them again.
Gareth left not long after, but he was back again on Hallowe'en evening. It wasn't a big holiday in Lynott Manor. The vampires had mixed opinions—some felt is a was a good way to blend in, some considered all the people running around dressed up as an affront to their species, and others just saw it as another commercial holiday. Gabriel and Lorna shared this last opinion, but they let Tori dress up and go trick-or-treating in the village.
Harry continued to not celebrate the day, but for his first two Hallowe'ens with the Valentines he had to settle for setting up a small shrines of photos and lighting a candle in remembrance to Lily and James, unable to visit their graves. This year he waited in the foyer of the manor, dressed warmly and impatiently waiting for Gareth to arrive, while Tori was moaning about how long there was before she could go trick-or-treating. Gareth came at exactly half past four and Harry answered the door before Edward could, Gabriel and Lorna close behind him despite the dim daylight still shining over from the behind the manor. They still had some distrust of Gareth, who greeted them all with his usual small salute.
"Lord Valentine, Lady Valentine, nice to see you again. Hey, Harry."
"Hi, Gareth."
Gabriel's hand landed on Harry's shoulder, but his gaze never left Gareth. "Mr Martin, I hope you realise that if you have not returned our son in two hours, we will hunt you down."
"I don't doubt it. I'll have him back by half six, just like I promised."
Gabriel and Lorna said nothing, but their expressions very clearly said, You had better.
Gareth and Harry walked down to the end of the driveway in silence and then Gareth Apparated them both to Godric's Hollow. They still said nothing as they walked into the village proper and entered the graveyard. Harry found himself feeling nervous as he approached Lily and James' graves. It was three years since he'd last visited them; he had so much to say, so much to explain, and despite the belief that they wouldn't mind his being taken in and adopted by the Valentines, he still felt nervous telling them about it.
As always, they went to the pub for dinner after and they finally spoke as they waited for the food to come.
"So... how are things, Harry?"
He glanced up from the table. "Good. I'm happy with the Valentines. It's my home."
Gareth smiled. "I'm sure you are, Harry. It was a harmless question. I'm not a spy for the Ministry or anything like that. I'm not trying to trick you into saying something bad about them that'll be used to take you away from them, I promise you."
Harry smiled, a little embarrassed. "I know. You're my friend."
"I am."
"But I am good."
"I'm glad. Have you been busy? Tell me about your days. We've a lot of catching up to do."
Harry told him, hesitantly at first, but then far more openly than he'd talked to Ms Gardner, munching on his burger and chips in between subjects. He didn't just rattle off the list of lessons he took and the activities he did, but chatted about his friends at the swimming club, puffed himself up proudly when he mentioned the badges and certificates he'd earnt, and grumbled about how horses were uncomfortable and violin lessons hard and magical theory boring, all without worrying that it'd be taken as a sign of abuse or neglect.
"What about Victoria? You get on well with her?"
"Uh huh. But we call her Tori, not Victoria. She's pretty good for a sister. She's better at the violin than me, but she's been playing it since she was four so that's why, and she's not as good at swimming as me."
"Yeah? Is she in your swim club?"
Harry shook his head, finishing off the last of his chips. "She does gymnastics on Saturdays. Jennifer said she's good enough to do competitions and stuff, but that means she'd have to join the advanced club and have practice nearly every day and Tori said she doesn't want to do that."
"That's fair enough. You like Jennifer as well? She seems very nice."
"She is. She's our governess, but she's kind of like our aunt too because she's part of the family, but way better than Aunt Petunia."
Gareth laughed at that. "I imagine most people are better than Petunia." He glanced at the clock on the wall of the pub and sighed. "Quarter past six. I better by getting you back before Lord Valentine comes looking for us."
They pulled their cloaks back on and headed out, making their way towards the edge of the village to Apparate away from Muggle eyes. As they reached the outskirts, where the glow of the houses was dimmer and they had only Gareth's torch to light their way, Harry spoke hesitantly.
"Hey, Gareth, if I tell you something do you promise not to tell anyone else?"
"Of course. You can always tell me anything in confidence."
Harry nodded, hesitantly glancing around before admitting, "Gabriel and Lorna are trying to adopt me and Tori."
"Are they? That's nice."
"Do you think my other mum and dad would mind? Lily and James, I mean?"
Gareth stopped at the edge of the village, turning to face Harry and holding his Muggle torch so it lit up both their faces. "Do you want them to adopt you? Will it make you happy?"
"Yeah."
"Then I think Lily and James wouldn't mind at all. They loved you, Harry, and all loving parents want is for their child to be safe and happy. If the Valentines adopting you does that, then they'll be glad for it."
Harry smiled, relieved. As much as he'd convinced himself, it was still nice to hear it from someone else.
He took Gareth's arm and they Apparated back to Lynott Manor. Gabriel was already waiting for them out the front of the house and he pulled Harry into a hug as soon as he saw him, squeezing his shoulders then checking him over critically before straightening up and looking to Gareth.
"You seem to be a man of your word, Mr Martin."
"I try to be."
"That's good to hear. Your support for Harry is appreciated."
Gareth smiled, accepting the gratitude with a nod. "If it's alright, I'd like to visit on Christmas as well, and bring a gift. I can bring one for Tori, too."
Gabriel considered it, gaze lingering on Gareth for long enough to make him fidget slightly, but he nodded. "That would be acceptable."
Gareth grinned. "Great. See you in a couple of months then. Good night, Harry. Good night, Lord Valentine. Please give my regards to your wife and daughter. Oh, and the delightful Jennifer. Tell her I do hope she had a good night."
He gave the usual salute then spun about and sauntered away. Gabriel watched him until he'd vanished through the gates at the end of the driveway and there was the faint pop of distant Apparition.
"I think he fancies Jennifer," Harry remarked.
"He's going to be sorely disappointed, then," Gabriel said as they turned to go back inside. "I can guarantee she has no interest in him."
"How do you know? She doesn't have a boyfriend, does she? And Gareth is really nice."
"He could be the nicest man on earth and Jennifer still wouldn't be interested. She's a lesbian."
"Oh," Harry said, wide eyed. "I didn't know that."
"I suspect Jennifer saw no reason to tell you; it has nothing to do with being your governess, after all. Does Gareth always give that half-arsed salute to people?"
"Yeah, it's his thing."
"His thing?"
Harry shrugged. "Yeah, that's what he said when I asked him about it ages ago. It's just his thing that he does. Why?"
"Because I have to admit that I'm not sure if he thinks his attitude is genuinely respectful or if he's trying to mock me."
"I don't think he's mocking you," Harry said earnestly. "I think that's just what he's like. He really means it when he says he's glad I'm happy to be here. He's not like Sirius Black or all those other people from the Ministry."
"That I'm sure of," Gabriel replied, "but there is certainly something about him. There's a curious smell to him too; I'd like to see what he tastes like."
Harry stopped midway across the foyer. "You want to bite him?"
He was used to the blithe way the vampires sometimes talked about blood and feeding on people, but he'd never heard it said in regards to anyone he actually knew and it felt a little more strange to hear Gabriel say he wanted to feed on Gareth.
"I wouldn't say no if I had the chance."
"Oh."
Gabriel's expression faltered slightly, as if only just realising what he'd said. "Does that... are you alright?"
"Yeah. I just never thought about you feeding on someone I know. It's okay. I dunno if Gareth would like it though, but I won't tell him. He might get scared and not visit anymore."
"Good plan."
Tori's eleventh birthday passed just over a month later, at the start of December. Gabriel gave her another small amount of vampire blood, a top up he said, and it just slightly enhanced her strength and hearing a little, but also improved her sense of smell this time. A couple of weeks after that, it was the winter holiday.
The winter holiday was a little different in the Valentine household than it had been at the Dursleys, but not in a bad way. The first year there, Harry didn't know what to make of it. He had been in the house a year by then and felt welcome enough to not fear that he wouldn't be involved with what he'd always considered a family holiday, but he'd been surprised when Gabriel and Lorna sat him down and asked him how he normally celebrated.
"We don't want you to give up anything just because you live with us now," they explained. "Your history and traditions are important to you and we'll accept and accommodate them."
When he'd hesitantly explained his view of Christmas, and his minimal involvement with it, they'd said it could easily be incorporated into their usual festivities. Gabriel had been born a Roman citizen in the first century BC and as lord of the nest, he decided most of the holidays. It was a shock to Harry, who wondered why he didn't have a Roman name, but Gabriel told him 'Valentine' was simply a modernisation of his Roman cognomen and 'Gabriel' a name he'd chosen himself, and not the only one he'd used in his long life.
While he was not a fanatical god worshipper, and did not ask his family or the other vampires in the nest to subscribe to his beliefs, he did still believe in the gods he'd grown up worshipping. As such, they celebrated Saturnalia rather than Christmas, though it seemed much the same thing to Harry, if rather less structured.
Lorna had been Christian as a human, but she lost her faith in God when her children died and for a long time had only celebrated Christmas as a matter of tradition rather than religion. When she met and married Gabriel, she was content to take on his rituals of the holiday instead.
They had looked into Japanese festivals and celebrations when they took in Tori, but decided to raise her with their beliefs and ask as she got older if she wanted to learn more about the traditions that her biological parents may have followed. She wasn't interested. Her birth father had been a married man who slept with Tori's mother whilst away on business, and Tori's mother had been disowned in disgrace when her family discovered her out-of-wedlock pregnancy. It was why she'd ended up on the street, dying in childbirth and nearly losing Tori in the process, if it hadn't been for the Valentines finding her. As such, as far as Tori was concerned the Valentines were the only parents she had and she was only interested in their traditions and holidays.
At Privet Drive, the Dursleys had gone to midnight mass (even Harry had been dragged to that in the hope it would 'cure him of his freakishness') and then Dudley would be permitted to open one present before being sent to bed. In the morning, while Harry hid in his room with his small pile of gifts, Dudley tore into piles of presents, spent the morning playing (and often complaining about something being the wrong colour or size or brand) until Christmas lunch, where the three Dursleys would gather around the dinner table for a big meal of roast turkey, roast potatoes, vegetables, and all the other typical Christmas foods. Afternoon was for relaxing, more playing and complaining from Dudley, and in the evening a Christmas movie would play on TV. By bed time, the whole thing seemed to be done with and a week and a half later the decorations would be pulled down.
At Lynott Manor, Saturnalia celebrations began on the seventeenth of December and lasted until the twenty-fifth. They decorated the entire mansion with the same kind of winter-themed decorations as Harry was used to, although lacking Father Christmases, elves, and nativity scenes, and everyone was invited to relax and enjoy themselves. The vampires filled the whole house more than they normally did, providing entertainment with music or plays; vampires who didn't normally live or spend much time in the manor would come around; and both human and non-nest vampires were invited to the celebrations. (The latter only after being checked and vigorously warned against harming Harry and Tori.) Rather than having structured meal times, there was a constant banquet of foods available for Harry, Tori, Jennifer, and any human guests, and all the kids' lessons and activities were put on hold for a full three weeks surrounding Saturnalia. There was no single day when they received a big pile of presents like on their birthdays, but gifts were exchanged between everyone over the course of the week.
It was also the only time of the year Harry and Tori saw the vampires feeding. Although Gabriel and Lorna had no specific rules about it, the vampires were generally encouraged to keep their feeding to the nest area. Harry and Tori had seen humans come and go from the house and knew they were being fed on, but only at Saturnalia did they actually see it happening. The first time Harry saw it he'd been gobsmacked, even knowing that it happened; it was a lot different to actually see a vampire sink their teeth into someone's wrist. Gabriel had offered to forbid them from doing it, but Harry didn't want everyone to know that he was the reason their celebrations were restricted, and it wasn't so bad after he got past the initial surprise. They didn't kill anyone, so he could handle seeing them licking blood from their lips while the humans pressed bandages to their wounds to stem the bleeding.
In deference to Harry, on the twenty-fourth the Valentines had a family night with just the four of them and Jennifer (who was as much a part of the family despite officially being only their governess), during which they gave each other gifts and simply spent time together as a family, without the boisterous celebrations of the rest of the household. It was, Harry thought, way more fun than Christmas at the Dursleys.
That year, both of them were very surprised by their main present. Due to the vampires' effect on most animals, they had never been allowed any pets except fish. Harry never minded, but Tori had always wanted a kitten—which was exactly what Jennifer brought into the room after they were all settled.
"A kitty!" Tori squealed, pulling the little black fluffball from the cat carrier. Jennifer left again, but Tori didn't even notice. "But you always said we couldn't have pets!"
"Yes, but you'll be off to school next September and we know it's common for students to take an animal with them," Gabriel explained.
"But she won't like you, will she?" Tori asked worriedly even as she grinned at the kitten clambering up her arm to sit on her shoulder and stick its nose in her ear.
"It's a he," Lorna corrected her, "and we gave him some of our blood. Not enough to turn him, but just enough that he won't be as instinctively afraid of us as he normally would be."
"Can you turn animals into vampires?" Harry wondered.
"Yes, but it's never a good idea. They're nearly impossible to keep under control."
Harry couldn't imagine the little kitten now climbing onto Tori's hair would ever be difficult to control, but then he thought of the horses being vampires and shuddered.
"And whilst you may not be going to school," Lorna said to Harry, looking towards the door as Jennifer came in once more, "in the name of fairness, we got you something too."
Jennifer had a plastic carrier that she handed to Harry, inside of which there was—
"A snake?"
"The only thing suitable for a Parselmouth," Gabriel said.
Harry couldn't argue with that. The Valentines had known about his Parselmouth ability for a long time and they'd never considered it something evil or something he should be ashamed of. As they put it, how could anyone think that the Boy Who Lived was an evil wizard? Snakes were less of a problem, too; reptiles didn't react to vampires with the same animal dislike as mammals did. He opened the lid of the box and held his hand out to the young female black and white king snake, which poked her head out to flick her tongue at his fingers.
"Look at his feet," Tori said, holding the kitten in her hands. She'd barely glanced at Harry and the snake, completely enamoured with the kitten. "They're so cute and fluffy. I'm gonna call him Mr Flufflefoot."
"That's not a name," Harry scoffed. Tori scowled at him.
"It is too. Anyway he's my cat so I can call him what I like. What are you naming your snake?"
"I don't know. Hello there," Harry said to the snake. "What's your name?"
She hissed, but the only clear word he could make out was, "Name?"
"Yes, what's yours?"
Another unclear hiss, then: "What's... yours?"
"I'm Harry. Would you like me to give you a name?"
"Name?"
And then he realised: she was just a child. She barely knew any words, was just repeating what she heard. He forgot that snakes weren't actually very loquacious; the few adders and grass snakes that he found slithering around the manor's huge garden had been very limited in their speech. He shouldn't be surprised that this snake, who was barely twelve inches long and no thicker than his pinky finger and so obviously very young, would have even more limited speech.
"I'm going to call you Samantha," he told her. Just because she couldn't speak much yet didn't mean she couldn't learn and he didn't want to be one of those people that talked to their pets in baby-talk.
"Sa-tha?"
"Sa-man-tha," he repeated.
"Sam-tha."
Aware that his family were watching him, he smiled and left it at that. She'd get there eventually. "I'm calling her Samantha," he told his family.
"That's not an interesting name," Tori said.
"There's nothing wrong with it," Harry replied defensively.
"But it's a normal name. You're supposed to give pets pet names. Like Fluffy or Mr Tibbles or Sir Hiss."
"Well I'm calling her Samantha. And it's better than Mr Flufflefoot."
"Alright, children, there's no need to argue," Gabriel interrupted them. "Both of the names are good. We have something else we'd like to give you."
They looked up from their new pets with interest as Gabriel and Lorna left their chairs to kneel before them.
"Hold out your hands."
They did so, Harry placing Samantha's box down, Tori with Mr Flufflefoot perched on her shoulder, both curious as to what was happening. Gabriel and Lorna each pulled a roll of parchment from their pockets, wrapped in a black ribbon, and placed them on Harry and Tori's upturned hands.
"What's this?" Tori asked.
"Open them."
Harry and Tori glanced at each other then did so, tugging the ribbon away and unrolling the parchment. For a moment there was silence as they read what was on them, then Tori squealed, dislodging Mr Flufflefoot as she flung herself at Lorna, wrapping her arms around her neck. Gabriel caught Mr Flufflefoot, who was mewling unhappily, and smiled at Tori's antics but watched Harry carefully, waiting for his reaction. Harry stared at his parchment, running one trembling finger over the words written across it.
ADOPTION CERTIFICATE
And underneath:
NAME AND SURNAME OF CHILD
Harry James Potter-Valentine
NAME AND SURNAME AND ADDRESS OF ADOPTER OR ADOPTERS
Gabriel Valentine, Lorna Valentine
Lynott House
South Arlett
Nottinghamshire
"Harry?"
He started, glancing up, and noticed all three of them looking at him. Jennifer had left the room, but Harry hadn't noticed when. A smile spread across his face and he stood, hugging Gabriel hard then shifting when Lorna and Tori came over for a four-way hug. No one said anything, but they didn't need to.
Gareth was supposed to come after lunch on the twenty-fifth, but he Floo called to say an urgent incident at the school required his presence and he didn't know when, or even if, he would be able to come. Harry sulked; he'd been looking forward to seeing Gareth again, to showing off Samantha and telling him about the adoption being finalised.
He called again at about ten o'clock that night to say that he was able to come visit now if it was acceptable. Gabriel was inclined to refuse him, but Harry begged and he relented. The Floo network wasn't set up to allow visitors to actually come through, only to call, so fifteen minutes later Gareth turned up at the front door of the house.
"If you're going to make a habit of postponement, Mr Martin, then we may have to reconsider permitting you to visit," was the first thing Gabriel said, before Gareth even had chance to shrug out of his cloak for Edward to take.
"I apologise, I do. I sincerely hope this doesn't happen again."
"Hope?" Gabriel repeated, unimpressed. "You hope it doesn't happen again?"
"Yes," Gareth said quietly, something in his voice managing to stop Gabriel's words. "I very sincerely hope that none of my students try to commit suicide again, especially at Christmas."
Gabriel said nothing more on the matter.
As promised, Gareth brought gifts. For Harry he had a three foot inflatable killer whale enchanted to swim whenever it was put in water, and for Tori a video documentary on tigers. He brought a genuine Victorian-era dress for Jennifer, not just a modern-made reproduction, which she was delighted with. Harry once asked her about her clothing choices, whether it was something that went with her position because, he'd learnt, governesses weren't a modern thing, but she'd told him it was simply a matter of preference. Lastly, for Gabriel and Lorna, Gareth had brought a bottle of wine.
"Don't you know vampires can't drink wine?" Tori said when she saw it. She was unsure about Gareth, aware that he was important to Harry but picking up on Gabriel's distrust, although Gareth's earnest statement that Mr Flufflefoot was an excellent name for a cat put her more in favour of him.
"This is a special wine," Lorna answered for Gareth, looking impressed. "Incredibly rare."
"Incredibly expensive," Gabriel remarked. "Far more than I would expect a teacher to be able to afford."
"I have private funds," Gareth explained, "and the Lord and Lady Valentine deserve only the best."
"It will need storing properly. Mr Martin, I'd like a word; would you accompany me to my office?"
Harry looked worried, but Gareth shot him a disarming grin as he followed Gabriel out. The two men walked in silence through the manor to Gabriel's office, Gabriel passing off the wine to Edward to store properly when they passed him. At his study, he gestured Gareth inside ahead of him, shut the door, and without warning grabbed the man by his shoulders, jerked his collar down, and sank his teeth into the soft flesh of his neck.
Then an invisible blast knocked him away, his teeth tearing at the flesh of Gareth's neck before he was thrown across the room to slam into a bookcase. The blow would have winded a human, but Gabriel merely staggered slightly before catching himself and straightening up, books toppling down around him. Gareth, a hand pressed to his throat, turned to face him and his expression of absolute calm put Gabriel on edge. He attacked so suddenly precisely to see how Gareth would react, but almost no one looked that calm after being unexpectedly bitten by a vampire.
"Next time you want a taste of me, you can ask," Gareth said without a hint of hysteria or the faintest tremor to suggest he was struggling to keep his composure. "You'll find I'm really quite reasonable, Lord Valentine. I'll forgive you this once, for your children's sake, but if you try anything like that again I can guarantee you I will react accordingly."
"I am not frightened of a man," Gabriel replied, but he was unnerved by Gareth's attitude, though he would never admit it. It wasn't that no one had ever stood up to or threatened him before, but he had always been able to sense the smallest slither of fear underneath a human's bravado, to hear their heart pounding beneath their chest or smell the sweat trickling beneath their clothes. Gareth's heart rate was elevated slightly, but not as much as it should be.
"And I am not frightened of you. Do not underestimate me, Lord Valentine. I am far more dangerous than most people ever imagine. You can stop trying to use your seduction on me, as well. It won't work."
He spoke the truth. There was more to this man than met the eye and Gabriel could feel the way his seduction power just slid over the man like oil across water. It was not an unfamiliar sensation, but it was one Gabriel hadn't felt in over a thousand years. It was the effect of a soul already trapped under powerful magic, because that was how the vampire seduction worked. It didn't affect the brain, like the Imperius Curse and other manipulation spells did; it burrowed into a human's soul and made them want, feel, and desire whatever the vampire wanted them to.
"Your soul is not your own," he noted. Gareth said nothing and Gabriel smiled. "So you come into my home under the power of another, following the orders of whatever Master it is you serve—"
"No. My Master has no idea I'm here. He does not control me any longer."
"Were that true, you'd be dead. I'm not unfamiliar with old magics, Mr Martin. I may have only had a small taste, but it was enough. You are someone's Slave—mind, body, and soul. There is but one escape from that kind of magic."
Gareth gave a cocky grin. "Technically, yes, but there are ways it can be twisted and manipulated, and there are distances one can put between one's self and one's Master. Mine is very far away and knows nothing of what I'm doing or where I am."
"For now. If I believe you."
Gareth shrugged. "Do, don't, it doesn't bother me. I know the truth. Just believe that I am no threat to Harry or the rest of your family or nest."
Gabriel said nothing. His expression displayed every bit of his scepticism. Gareth's cockiness faded to mild irritation.
"When have I ever been a threat to you, Lord Valentine? Excepting my reaction to being bit, which was perfectly justified. I have never been anything but polite, respectful, and helpful. I was the one who pointed out that there was no actual law against vampires adopting."
"Your respect is questionable," Gabriel replied, ignoring his last statement. "It can easily be interpreted as mocking."
Gareth grimaced and had the grace to look apologetic. "I don't mean it to. That's just my nature. If I was actually being disrespectful, there'd be no doubt about it. I certainly wouldn't call you 'Lord'; I'm shockingly rude when I'm being disrespectful."
"That I can believe."
They fell silent, watching one another. Gabriel still wasn't sure what to make of the man, whether to take his respect and helpfulness at face value. It was true that if not for Gareth then the incident with the Aurors in September would have gone very differently, and Gabriel wouldn't have known there was the slim possibility of adopting Harry and Tori, but he was still a mostly unknown entity who could be playing a long game of deceit. His resistance to the vampire seduction, while not damning, was unencouraging and Gabriel would dearly like to know who it was that had put him under such a powerful magic. He had no illusions that Gareth would tell him if he asked, however, and as long as Gabriel didn't know then he could never trust that the man's Master was not an enemy, even if Gareth himself wasn't.
Gareth broke the silence. "So what now, Lord Valentine?"
It was a careful choice of words, using his title when he needn't have mentioned his name at all, and Gabriel had no idea whether it was genuine or not. He couldn't trust Gareth, not until he knew who controlled his soul. But he also had Harry to consider, and so far Gareth hadn't objected to any of Gabriel's restrictions on his interactions with Harry—and Gabriel suspected he was aware that Jennifer had followed him and Harry to Godric's Hollow on Hallowe'en, at Gabriel's command. So for now he would leave things as they were, allowing Gareth his visits but keeping a close watch on him. He just had one request to make of the man.
"With your permission, I'd like a taste of your blood, Mr Martin."
Silently, Gareth tugged down his collar. Gabriel crossed the distance between them and sunk his teeth into the bared flesh before Gareth could change his mind, a little harder than necessary and eliciting a soft grunt from the man. He didn't drink much, though he was sorely tempted. Magical blood had a certain rich taste to it and Gabriel had always preferred it to Muggle blood; Gareth's was particularly rich, marking him a notably powerful wizard, but there was also a hint of bitterness to it that betrayed a predisposition towards dark magic. It didn't bother Gabriel; in his time, the difference between 'light' and 'dark' magic was almost non-existent and he didn't hold with the modern distinctions.
He drew back, wiping a thumb over his lips to remove the excess blood then licking it clean while Gareth conjured a bandage for himself and covered the wound, putting a glamour over the whole thing to hide it from view.
"No sense drawing questions from the children about why you've been biting me," he explained at Gabriel's questioning look. "Are we done here?"
Gabriel nodded, ran his tongue over his teeth one last time, and led him out.
Since the Auror raid and the revelation that he was still on the Hogwarts register and not going to be arrested, Harry had been thinking about his plans for his education, and the pets at Saturnalia only made him think more. He knew that the plan they had was a good one, that it made sense for him to continue with home-schooling that was tailored to his skills, but the more he thought about it, the more he saw Tori getting excited about the upcoming school year and her indecision over whether to attend Hogwarts or Beauxbatons, the more he felt unwilling to go ahead with the plan. He felt envious of Tori's excitement, jealous that she would get to attend a school with other children their age, to make friends—magical friends, rather than the Muggles in the village and at their clubs—and to experience life away from home.
And he'd spent most of his childhood looking forward to Hogwarts. Ever since he'd been old enough to understand it, he wanted to attend. It was where Snape and Gareth worked, it was where his parents had gone, and it had always been this distant beacon of escape from the Dursleys. When he left Little Whinging, he gave it up because he thought he would never have the chance, and the possibility of attending a different magical school just didn't have the same appeal as Hogwarts did. Now, however, that possibility was back and he found himself wanting it desperately, even if it meant giving up the advantage that private education offered.
He hesitated to bring it up to his parents. Gabriel made it clear how advantageous he though private education was and he even felt it was something that Tori should go with as well. Lorna was more open to the idea of schools, and as such it was her that Harry eventually went to one night in April. Normally, Gabriel was the one to go to whenever he or Tori wanted something; Lorna tended to be a little more strict with them, whereas Gabriel was extremely indulgent and the mere mention of wanting something was enough to get it. But he made up for it by being more over-protective and babying them, so in this case Harry felt that Lorna might be more open to his wants.
He went to her in her workshop, at first just watching her work, skilfully twisting silver, gold, and platinum into shape, carefully setting beautifully cut precious gems, giving each piece of jewellery from the simplest silver bracelet to the most exquisite diamond ring her greatest care and attention. Currently she was making flower brooches, pendants, and rings of various gems and metals for the upcoming Floralia celebrations.
Flora was a goddess of flowers, so for Harry and Tori, this was a simplified, minor holiday where their parents had them plant some seeds that they would tend and grow through the summer. It encouraged them to start getting out more now the weather was moving into summer, to teach them the importance of care and tending even little things, and to view beauty in simple things.
Flora was also a fertility goddess, and while the vampires couldn't procreate they saw no reason not to engage in the licentious festivities that had been prominent in ancient Rome, but it was kept to the east wing. The Valentines were by no means prudes and had always been open about the facts of life when Harry and Tori asked, but Gabriel and Lorna weren't about to let the children view the entertainments the vampires enjoyed. They'd overheard stories, however, and knew that the jewellery Lorna was currently making would be worn by the vampires to indicate if they were willing to join in the sexual festivities, and to what degree.
After watching her a while, Harry took a slightly shaky breath, realising he should get on with mentioning what he came down to talk about, and said, "Hey, Lorna, can I talk to you about something?"
She finished polishing a rose gold ring and set it aside with the rest then folded her arms on the worktop, giving all her attention to Harry. "Of course. Is something wrong?"
"No. Not really. I was just... I was thinking about September."
"What about it?"
"Well... about school."
"What about school?"
He dropped his gaze to the worktop and idly ran a finger over a grove in the wood. "What if I didn't want to get home-schooled? What if I wanted to go to a proper school, like Tori?"
"Then I would ask you which one."
He looked up, surprised at how easily she responded. She reached over to put a hand on his. "It's your education, Harry. Your father and I will certainly want a say in it, and we'll advise you as to what we think is best, but we're not going to decide for you. Gabriel might be a little stubborn and harder to convince, but he knows that your wants in the matter are important, and we've both always known that sending you to school when you reached this age could be better than home-schooling you. You're reaching an age where you need a bit more independence and more time with your peers than just the activities you have now, so if you want to go to a school, that's perfectly fine."
He grinned, relieved that she was so accepting of it, but it faded quickly when he thought of mentioning it to Gabriel. Lorna guessed what he was thinking and offered, "Do you want me to talk to Gabriel about it?"
Harry was tempted, but he shook his head. He was just a few months shy of his eleventh birthday and he was asking to go to a boarding school where he'd have a lot more independence than he did now; if he couldn't even pluck up the courage to talk to Gabriel about it himself then he could hardly expect Gabriel to consider him grown up enough to go off to school.
Bolstered by Lorna's support and unwilling to let his nerve fail him, he went to find Gabriel immediately. He was out in his rose garden, an area of the grounds that surprised Harry when he first learnt about it. Not so much its existence, but the fact that Gabriel was the one who tended to it. He expected a human gardener to be in charge of all the grounds maintenance, but it was a nest vampire who cared for most of it and the rose garden was Gabriel's personal project. They were his favourite flower and he had cultivated an impressive array of them, ranging from simple whites and reds to magically created azure blues and purples so dark they were almost black.
He was trimming a bush of pinks when Harry found him and merely hummed a noise of agreement when Harry asked to speak with him, not pausing in his actions until Harry said exactly what he wanted. He was on his knees and he sat back on his heels then, frowning and resting the trimming scissors on his thighs, looking up at Harry.
"You want to go to Hogwarts?"
Harry nodded, nervously biting at his lip.
"Have you mentioned this to your mother?"
Another nod.
"And?"
"And she said that if that's what I want, then it's okay."
"Hm." He looked back to the roses, still frowning slightly. "I thought we decided you would be privately educated. Hogwarts cannot tailor itself to your needs."
"I know, but I don't think it'll be that bad. I want to go to a school, like Tori, and I always wanted to go to Hogwarts. My other parents went there, and Severus and Gareth. If we write to Professor Dumbledore, they might be able to do something about making sure I'm not stuck doing stuff I already know, and we can get Gareth to help convince him. I know you think it'd be better for me to have a private education, but I really want to go, Gabriel."
Gabriel looked back at him, taking in his hopefully pleading expression, and tsked.
"I'll discuss it with Lorna," he said, and Harry grinned. "But I want you to think about it, Harry. Your education is important; I won't have you making brash decisions based on a whim and a bit of jealousy over your sister."
"I won't," Harry promised. "I have thought about it a lot but I'll think more. Thank you!"