First off, allow me to apologize for not posting sooner. This year has not started out well for me. Bad news is: This is basically a filler chapter. Good news is: The story will have two more chapters after this.
So it hasn't stopped. Even after explaining myself last chapter I get a few dozen anonymus reviews that tell me to fuck myself because I'm apparently a Snape fanboy and James hater.
Welp. I tried. How anyone can say I'm a Snape fan considering both my profile and the story 'The saving people thing' I won't ever know.
It's clear now that people just won't listen.
As a clarification to Chapter 23, in which I called out another reader for calling my story illogical and ludicrous while the majority of his favourites consists of crossovers. It wasn't my intention to look down on what that specific person likes. My point was to point out the hypocrisy. If you can read crossovers and accept that things in the story are the way they are cause the author said so, why do you have an issue with doing the same for my story?
Why am I picking this up again? Cause I just got another 'nice' guest review which I green lit so everyone can see it. Apparently pointing out hypocrisy makes me a bully too.
Next up, the argument was made that James had friends and was nice to them. While this topic should be over since last chapter where I openly admitted the possibilities of the caracter, let me make this point forever clear: Having a handful of people that like you and that you are nice to does not automatically make you a good/nice person.
Lastly this dear anonymous guest said that he or she would have liked to have a civil discussion with me but clearly that's impossible because I seem like a person who can't? Well, that's real cute coming from a small little coward who didn't even have the balls to use an account I can actually reply to.
If you somehow find some courage, feel free to pm me. Otherwise thanks for reading anyway.
Reviewer Deathlock asked why I was now speeding things up and closing out the story. And I'd like to share my answer because certain people don't seem to have picked up on the point of the fic.
When I started writing this story, it was intended to show off a darker heir to the Black Harry. I wanted to show people that even their favourite characters can suddenly find themselves strangely similar to others if you just change their background. Hadrian is smart, but in a way he too, is a bigot. He is powerful and therefore he believes he has the right to make choices that might impact others. I wanted to show how very narrow the differences between Tom/Albus/Harry really are. How much his own rules for family actually bind and restrict him. People have rightly pointed out that leaving Snape alive is total hypocrisy.
YES! YES EXACTLY!
That is my point. That has always been the point.
As you've read Hadrian stays grounded because of the girls, they remind him that he's human. His sister, more than anyone else reminds him of the good in people. So this is the difference between him and the others. He knows he's been manipulated by Narcissa but for her... for his family he's ready to forgo the vengeance he wants. He's ready to make that sacrifice for them. At the end of the day he doesn't want to be a manipulator.
My vision for this fic found it's Apex in that last chapter when I was able to show both his similarity to Albus as well as Tom Riddle and how he was stopped by the thought of his mother disapproving of what he was doing, ultimately changing the fate of a man.
All that remains after this chapter now? Is closing things out. Although with now 2 more chapters instead of one.
Preparation
Daniel entered the room of requirement with no small amount of nervousness. I didn't usually just call for him nor was he in the habit of answering whenever I did. Luckily for both of us he seemed to have realised that whatever I was going to tell him, had something to do with his most recent extracurriculars.
What I was doing there was nothing too big or secret. It was a bunch of kids, playing a game. That was what I wanted Dumbledore to see when either Daniel told him or he used his Legilimensy to move past my brothers defenses.
Daniel noted the others, seated around the round table. Cho, Ernie, a couple other houses.
"Now that we're finally all here, let's get to the point. The ministry finally believes that the Dark Lord is back which means it's high time we raise our own flag for the war. Kick of the game as it were." My brother snorted.
"This is not a game!" He all but barked. "People die in wars." My eyes narrowed at him.
"Says the boy who nearly got all of his friends killed because he wanted to play special forces. No plan, no idea about enemy strength, you rushed face first into a huge pile of dragon shit." Now sufficiently cowed I saw my brother sink back into his chair and moved on. "We all know that the three sides currently fighting can't be trusted to finish this off. So I've taken steps to do it myself."
"Three sides?" Daniel asked confused drawing quite a few eye rolls from around the table.
"The ministry, Dumbledore, and Lord Voldemort." I explained.
"So whose on your side then? Why do you think you can win where the others will fail?" The truth was it was all in the money, money and planning. The mercenaries I'd hired with my own money and the money of the Flamels were nearly double Riddles. And we would be operating much like the Death Eaters. As a terrorist force of our own. Only we wouldn't go after the innocent.
"My side... is everyone you see here. My friends, my family." I saw it in his eyes, he thought I was doing what he had done. Lead my friends to their doom. "And before you ask... no, I won't join Dumbledores little bird club. The fact that the ministry knows and allows him to operate an unsanctioned militia blows my mind. That it actually has ministry members even more so. Just goes to show you that fears the like of which Umbridge had, are not entirely unfounded. Regardless I think it's more than time for you to stop allowing Dumbledore to play with your life like it somehow belonged to him." That made him gasp. The Potters were so far up the Headmasters behind it was hard to say where they ended and he started.
"Well I'm going to join him to fight the dark!" He huffed defiantly reminding me for a moment of Rose. The table chuckled as most of the people there knew my plans. None of them would actually be involved in any of them. They were only supposed to gather information never go out to fight. Which didn't mean some of them wouldn't be forced to do both by circumstance.
"That's exactly what I want you to do little brother of mine. I want you to tell me Dumbledores plans, troop movements. Whatever you hear, I want to know."
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" He screamed jumping up from his chair. "What gave you the idea I would ever agree to something like that?" I sighed and looked to Susan.
"Susans parents, her uncle Edgar, Fabian and Gideon Prewett brothers to Molly Weasley a woman I believe you're quite fond of. Then we have the McKinnon family, I'm sure your mother told you about her best friend from school yes? Nevilles parents, Fleamont and his wife and many many uncounted unnamed more people. Do you know what they all have in common Daniel?" My brother realised this tone of voice, I was about to put him in his place again.
"What?"
"They trusted Dumbledore to make the hard choices... instead your so loved Merlin impersonator advocated stunning spells, non lethal take downs. Redemption above all. No Death Sentenses, just chuck them all into prison. And where did all that get us?" My eyes flashed at him. "Round 2." He swallowed heavily as did many others. "I refuse to let there be a Round 3. How about you? How about any of you?" It came to no surprise to Daniel that they all utter those two words in rapid succession:
"I refuse."
"Dumbledore is lost to his own hype. I don't subscribe to it and neither do any of my friends. So we are going to take care of this problem. Permanently." He shook his head, sacking further into his chair.
"It's Albus Dumbledore, Hadrian. Think about what that means for a moment!" I sighed, it was in my plans in any case.
"He's a manipulative old coot at the best of times, just look at his treatment of you."
"Me?" Daniel asked confused.
"Look at first year, what better way to groom his little Gryffindor protegé than to bring an artefact of immense power into the castle and set you on it's trail."
"Those were traps to catch the Dark Lord!" He argued vehemently causing some laughter arround the room.
"Is that so? Then how did four first years manage to get to it? There was nothing there that might have stopped the Dark Lord. Not the Devils Snare, not the chess game and certainly not a task easily circumvented completely by knowing the flame freezing spell." He stared at me as my tone grew increasingly more mocking with each sentence.
"There was only Ron, Hermione and I... you weren't..."
"You didn't really think that a grown wizard turned to ash... just because you touched him, did you? I mean really."
"That's why you were in the hospital wing. That's why you told me about gramps."
"I couldn't let you deal with what you must have believed was a legit kill on your own. And your father certainly wasn't much help. This one thing has always been true and will stay true until the Dark Lord is dead, Daniel. I'm your shadow. Where ever you go, I won't be far." His eyes had grown wet, still I pressed on.
"Your second year, was another test... perhaps not organized by Albus Dumbledore himself but certainly not stopped either. I would have done more but as you know I nearly lost my mother that year. Suffice it to say... I was there in the end."
"You aren't a Parselmouth." The Slytherins at the table all laughed before quickly getting themselves under control.
'I'm the Parselmouth, Daniel. When Tom Riddle is gone I intent to come out as the true heir of Slytherin. Someone has to remedy the damage that man has done to my legacy.'
"At the end, we stood side by side and slayed the beast." My hand flicked towards him, loosening that particular memory charm.
"But... but Dumbledore couldn't have known where the Chamber was, he couldn't have stopped it!"
"Fawkes found you easily enough." I countered. "And how is it that 'the new coming of Merlin' couldn't figure out the chambers location but Hermione Granger a twelve year old did within a few months? Get your head out of his arse and start to think Dan. If nothing else, he certainly could have stopped the bullying of you that year. Heir of Slytherin indeed. If they had come after me, the way they did you, I would have given them something to fear. But we'll come back to that when we get to this past year. For my own sanity, we'll skip third year seeing as the only major part was the end and I'm still not sure I've completely forgiven you for allowing Peter to walk."
"Sorry." He mumbled quietly forcing me to wave it off.
"That's behind us. Fourth year was different, I'm sure Dumbledore was ecstatic when you were chosen for the Tournament. His perfectly molded little toy soldier."
"The rules stopped him from..."
"Have you read these rules? Ever? Never mind that nothing on this planet can actually force you into a binding magical contract without your consent and express intent, the point was to participate. You might have thrown a pebble in the Dragons direction and been done with it." This floored him completely. "They were obligated to tell you all about this, that they didn't... that your Albus Dumbledore didn't... isn't that enough to see what sort of man he is? But oh wait... there is more. We come to my favourite year yet. This past one. It's not even the fact that the Potters allowed a smear campaign against their heir but what in magics name possessed you to allow that vile Umbridge woman to torture you?"
"I just thought..."
"YOU THOUGHT NOTHING!" I bellowed angrily making him flinch. "Your inherited Potter peacock pride did more harm than good. You are the heir to an old house, one word from you about her using a Blood Quill and at worst she would be rotting in Azkaban. Instead countless Muggleborn and Half blood students were forced to undergo her torture. Just be glad she had that unfortunate accident or you would be responsible for much more of the same." Daniel would never say this out loud, but he wouldn't believe that Umbridge died of 'natural' causes even for a passing moment. "But even that's not enough, because Dumbledore let slip just enough bits of information to make you want to go and hear this prophecy. No one in the order will take you there... so naturally, ever the raised Gryffindor... you take your friends on a nearly suicidal and more importantly nearly lethal mission to the Ministry. Where Voldemort not only tries to possess you and take over your body, but who would swoop in at the last moment to divert attention from the retreating Death Eaters than old gray beard himself. If I didn't know better I'd say he was marked." Daniel had no arguments to this. I knew this. I saw the understanding of the article he'd seen in the prophet. He finally understood the re-emergence of Potters Marauders. My brother has never been stupid, he put it together just as our mother had.
"Why not involve mum and dad at least?" I just raised an eyebrow at him making him sigh. "Right."
"Are you going to be another name on a list of people Dumbledore led to his death? Or are you going to help me win this damn war before it ever becomes that again." Finally he gave a nod.
"I'll spy for you." It was a quiet and small voice, not even close to it's usual volume.
"Good. With Susan getting information from her aunt, and Theo taking his old mans place being the new Lord Nott after the eh... unfortunate death of his father we have everything in place. Cho and Padma will provide some amount of info on their foreign activities and the others will relay whatever they hear as they have been doing. While we're on it Theo, my condolences." The nearly savage smile on the face of his brothers second closest friend told Daniel all he needed to know about what had gone on there.
"Yeah, real tragedy that. Thanks." I clapped my hands together.
"Let the games begin." Daniel Potter meanwhile felt like he'd just made a deal with the devil.
Everyone filed out of the room, which was about the time Blaise and Tracey returned.
"Is it done?" I asked them.
"Yes, we put tracking charms on a lot of their things. Blaise here got creative." I nodded, this was the endgame... I wouldn't be outdone by a traitor in my ranks.
The year came to an end in a whisper. We all travelled together in the express, Fleur was with us of course. She was going to spend the summer at my manor.
To get our minds off the things that would soon be coming we had decided to buy that yacht we'd all seen in our potions induced visions.
Until then however we were greeted by my hyper little sister who immediately came bolting up to hug first me and then the others. Fleur particuarly seemed to be glad to be so readily included. Consequently and much to Lily's own disappointment the following summer would see my sister further bonding with the girls to such a degree that Rose would rather ask any of them to teach her nearly all spells a girl should ever know.
"Next year I'm starting too! I can't wait!" I laughed lightly.
"I'm not sure the school will survive." That made her grin even more broadly. Equally, James and Lily met Dan not so far from us. Pointless seeing as they both taught at Hogwarts, I can only imagine how bored Rose must have been for most of the day. Luckily she'd always have Haley to kill some time with.
My mother then joined us a bit more carefully than I was used to from her. I would have none of it of course and embraced the woman as I always would.
"Let's never talk about that day again." I mumbled into her ear.
"I..." She sighed. "Yes, that might be for the best." She rubbed my back steeling her own expression back into it's neutral.
"Dorea, have you told him?" Lily Potter had come over all but dragging James along who lowered his eyes and nodded a greeting.
"No dear, I was just about to." That friendliness made my bullshit senses tingle. "Lady Potter here has agreed to allow Rose to spend the summer at our home with the intention of preparing the young Lady for everything a young heiress might need to know." Translation? She wanted James alone at home, for what purpose I didn't know though and I didn't particularly care to ask.
"You mean it?" Rose asked practically bouncing up and down with excitement.
"Yes sweetheart, I mean it." Daniel smiled, he had no illusions about who Rose enjoyed being with more. That had a lot to do with some of the things he'd done while younger when he'd enjoyed pranking our sister.
It should go without saying that I never had a better summer. We moved the 'command centre' down into the cellar and watched Rose bloom into a young Lady. She was always going to try and impress me, nevermind that she'd waited for years to bond with Dorea. She picked up whatever we taught her about ettiquette or magic quickly, listening attentively as we told her about the four pillars of magic. You remember those I hope.
Rose was beside herself when my wand worked for her the first time she tried it, hugging everyone in sight including Lutain and a very confused Thunderbird.
On the spring Solstice, just after we returned home we performed the traditional Black family rite of passage ritual both for her and Haley. As far as I'm aware it's the only ritual of any kind either girl has ever gone through.
With that said we did make some trips and my sister happily helped pick out the yacht we'd come to buy. We all knew as soon as we saw it. Other than that, my people had begun their crusade against the Death Eaters. With every bit of info getting verified and acted upon the news was soon out. Everyone was convinced the Dark Lord was killing his own followers. Soon enough not even the mercenaries would want to fight for Tom Riddle.
It was the beginning of July when the families found themselves gathered in Diagon Alley. A bit earlier than was usual perhaps, but we wanted both girls to get comfortable with their wands first. Patricia Larkin, Haley's mother had even brought measurements for a custom wand. I had privately told her that I intended to buy Haleys and I didn't want to drive a wedge between the two friends. And although it didn't seem like Haley was a girl to care about that kind of thing. I just wanted them on level ground. It had taken some convincing and me paying part of it but they had agreed in the end.
It was how we came to be in Ollivanders shop. The man himself was busily handing out wood samples as well cores.
The woods were easily enough found. Rose felt a close connection to Reed while Haley went for Beech. After close to two hours of testing Ollivander was showing himself to be an aged and slightly broken man.
"This has never happened to me before." He swore under his breath. There had been many cores which showed allegiance to the girls. None however that were perfect. Finally with a deep breath the older man capitulated and redirected us to a place in Noctorn Alley which specialised in creating custom wands.
Flintwoods Wands and Staves. We walked past it twice missing the tiny corner entrance and truthfully it looked more than a bit shabby.
As we entered the store we were assaulted by smells of burned wood, blood and all sorts of unpleasantness. It took a moment until my own senses got used to it. Rose and Haley were both turning everywhere trying to see the different ingredients, cores and all displayed along the shelves. They didn't seem to mind the smell all that much. The store smelled like it was in use, which I thought was a good thing.
"I'm afraid you have the wrong store." A clear cut voice called from behind a dusty shelve to my right. "You will find Ollivanders, down the alley into Diagon."
"It seems Mr. Ollivander has some difficulty getting my sister the right wand." There was a lighthearted chuckle, as a tall but extremely thin looking man stepped up to the front. Blonde hair combed back with cliché villain mustache.
"Woodrin Flintwood, with whom might I do business today?"
"Hadrian Black, Sir. We are looking for first wands for Hogwarts." Woodrin, Woody to his friends quickly looked the young girls over, Rose Potter stood beside her brother, trying defiantly to look unimpressed by the tall man. Her best friend meanwhile had preferred to step into closer proximity to my mother.
"Surely you were told then that dear Ollivanders shop is more what you should be looking for? A first wand doesn't need to be a perfect match, you know."
"Are you trying to convince me not to buy a wand from you?" I asked as the man leaned down on his counter.
"My wands are not cheap Mr. Black. Ollivander sells his for 7 Galleons a piece, and they are good wands, mediocre wands... wands for the... unimpressive. Many of them do not hold up to spell casting for longer than 7 years, they are poorly attuned to their witches and wizards. You may have heard Garrick Ollivander say: The wand chooses the wizard. And its true, but it's also more complicated. The wand is a focus, so all parts of the focus must choose the wizard and resonate with his magic. The best match I've yet seen from the old man was a Yew, pheonix feather wand... sold to one Tom Marvolo Riddle, the wood matched, the length matched and both were resonating well, the main focus however... the feather, was not so well chosen and so... the Dark Lords power was diminished." Hadrians eyes narrowed.
"Yes, Mr. Black, I wasn't aware you knew... very few do. Naturally, of course, young Tom Riddle took to blood rituals and strengthened his magic another way, if the stories are to be believed, then the Dark Lord took to having a small arsenal of wands at his Headquarters, it's the reason why he solely relied on the unforgivables."
"The wands couldn't take his magic." I told him. Having occasionally felt my own wand strain under the pressure.
"Very sharp of you, very sharp indeed." The man stepped around slowly, his lanky frame throwing a large shade on the comparatively smaller girls. "So you see, if I were to fit them with a focus of mine, the wand would be perfect and serve them well for decades to come, but my wands are for Aurors, Hit-wizards and the occasional Duelist. For mere children, such as them, it would be near impossible to acquire the allegiance of such a wand. Their magic... is quite simply put... not strong enough."
There was small violet glint in my sisters eyes, that I couldn't see but he did. This seemed to make the man inexplicably smile.
"How about we stop with the grandstanding, and you do your job and let me worry about the money. You are going to create their wands and you better make sure they will leave people doubting that there ever was such a thing as the Deathstick."
"Very well, my wands are 1000 Galleons, I will create it today, and it will be as close a fit as I can make it." I then held my hand.
"We have a deal." A flash of magic passed through them as they shook on it.
"With me, please." We moved to the back, into a room with no windows, and only one door. "Drop all clothing on your person, as well as all items. You have my word that I will not touch a spot on your body as long as you do not move or fidget." This was the moment I left, while my mother of course stayed behind, Woodrin refused to use the provided measurements, calling them not precise enough.
My mother would later tell me that she had felt that there was a palpable difference between Garrick Olivander and this man. He didn't break his work once, all that ever touched the girls bodies was tape to measure them as Woodrin himself called out everything he saw to something called a self writing Quill.
He did this for everything. Including youthful injuries, old scrapes and bruises. Down to the space between one nostril and the other.
"Very well, you may redress yourselves." Once they had done so my mother called me back.
"Hadrian, please join us."
"And?" I asked.
"Your sister, Mr. Black will clearly be taking after you. I believe Beech will be best. A serpent core..." He hurried between the different ingredients. "No, this will be too strong... something a bit gentler perhaps." The man smiled as he came to a hold in front of a few feathers. "Yes. This will do nicely." After Woody had gathered everything he thought he might need for her, he did the same again and put everything on another tablet.
"The young miss Potter. If you would touch the ingredients for a moment for conformation." With my hand still on her head she stepped forward without fear. Beech was a different choice to Ollivanders who had preferred a Reed one similar my own. It was less aggressive which certainly wasn't a bad thing. Rose touched it and immediately groaned.
"This is better." She said with a small voice, disappointed she wasn't going to have the same wood as I did. The core gave just as strong of a reaction flashing instantly with violet magic the moment she so much as put a finger on it.
"Occamy feather." Woody said proudly, clearly ecstatic about having been right. Rose looked up at me and smiled more broadly. A serpentine core was as close of a connection to me as she needed.
"The length will be 11.5 inches exactly. It will be a strong wand, for strong magic." He then turned to the other girl. "Miss Larkin." She too stepped forward but took Rosies hand as she got closer. The reactions of the materials were no different than the ones for my sister. "Rowan wood, the core I've chosen are shavings from the horn of a young Re'em. A very protective wand, both of it's owner, and it's owners friends." Mr. Flintwood then smiled between the girls. "You are going to be in each others lifes for a very long time to come." That statement made both girls happy. "The length will be the same. 11.5 exactly. An excellent match."
"Thank you." Both girls told the man.
"You are very welcome, but you will still need to prove yourselves to the wands. As I said before. It's not easy to acquire the allegiance of one made like this."
"We will." Rose told him defiantly making me chuckle.
"Very well, now... I best get to work."
On another day, farther ahead in the future I would allow him to measure me. My curiosity was piqued and I wanted to know what he would choose for me. Yew and a hair from the mane of a nightmare. 13,5 Inches. In time... I would have it made, it took many more years for me to finally switch. Woodrin Flintwood told me my wand was the closest match Olivander had ever managed. In my case, he insisted that Reed and Yew were interchangeable. One was darker than the other but neither was better nor did I feel any great different in it's use. The Core was were the difference lay. Ollivander had taken the easy route and used my own familiar to provide a core. "A 95% match." Woodrin would tell me. "Not at all to my standard, but it will do for someone usually stumbling through his store searching for wand matches."
It goes without saying that Woodrin was not a fan of Ollivanders ways.
Finally, what remained of the summer was spent with daily exercises for Rose and sometimes or I guess more accurate would be: most of the time, for Haley.
Meanwhile Jack Trades was organizing a surgical removal of all of Tom Riddles supporters. One massive strike to decimate his support base during the coming year.
At the end... the girls thanked my mother and me for allowing them to stay and come over so often. Just like Dorea had taught them.
"It was our pleasure." My mother told them hugging each of them. "Make sure to come back in the future! You are welcome any time." They grinned at bolted off to see the train from front to back. They wouldn't return to sit with us. As was customary they found a couple of other first years and got to know them.
Finally McGonagall called out: "Rose Potter." I smiled softly as I watched the hat jerk awake once more. The two seemed to talk for a moment and then:
"RAVENCLAW!" I had never doubted she was headed there although there was a strong case to be made for all houses. I thought so anyway. In her case? I was pretty sure she had argued with it so she was put with Haley.
"Hadrian?" Daphne asked carefully. "Are you okay?" Gently, I took her hand in mine.
"Slytherin was always the least likely option for her. I always hoped she was going to the Ravens and I got my wish." I was happy for her. I really really was.
"What now?" Tracey asked knowingly.
"Now... it's time for the end game."