Disclaimer:
I do not own the amusement park that is Hogwarts or the colorful characters J.K. Rowling has created for us. I've considered writing a transgender story for awhile now and have decided to try it. Like any story utilizing this premise, Harry will be different from canon but that can't really be helped considering her outlook on life and the things that happen to her. I hope you enjoy it.
#foreign language#, *parseltongue*, "spoken", 'thoughts', [telepathic messages]
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The Marauders' Daughter
Chapter Twelve
Welcome to Hogwarts
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(Wednesday, September 1st, 1993, Early Evening)
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, was worried. Assuming the messenger patronus his newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin, could be believed, someone who had the ability to destroy dementors was coming to Hogwarts. Even with his considerable power and experience, he had never heard of anyone being capable of destroying the vile demons, only driving them off with the Patronus Charm. For an unknown student to wield power he had always believed impossible understandably made him anxious. Will the new student be another Tom Riddle, demonstrating power and ruthlessness beyond her years?
There was no denying the girl was brilliant and ahead of her peers despite having had no formal education. According to McGonagall, the young Black heiress had scored straight O+'s in her first and second year tests. On a lark, Minerva had included some first term third year material only for the girl to decimate that portion as well. Knowing she was interested in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, Septima Vector and Bathsheda Babbling had included some first term questions also. Unsurprising, at least to his deputy Headmistress, the girl had aced those questions as well. Based on these findings, he could probably promote her to mid-third year, maybe even fourth, but decided he would wait until he'd had a chance to assess her character.
Heather Black. Now there was a conundrum if there ever was one. If the girl was in fact Sirius's daughter, when did the man have a chance to sire the child and where had she been all this time? Who was her mother? How is it no one had ever heard of her before her letter of introduction and request for admittance? Where had she learned what she'd proven to know and more besides? Who taught her? More importantly, was she for the Light, Grey or the Dark?
Compounding his worries was the fact he still had no idea what had happened to Harry Potter. He hadn't been able to learn anything beyond what he'd originally discovered on the boy's birthday other than he hadn't contacted the Weasleys or responded to any of their inquiries. There had been no address listed in the Book of Names, thus Harry's letter had never been sent out. He had a sinking feeling the boy had left England permanently, though how he'd managed to do so eluded him. None of the goblins at Gringotts had been helpful regarding the status of the Potter vaults and whether or not Harry had claimed his inheritance. He was truly in the dark about the status of Harry Potter for the first time in the boy's life and found it was a situation he didn't like.
Albus sighed as he was pulled his musings when the doors to the Great Hall opened and the second through seventh years walked in chattering loudly. While attempting to be discrete, he focused on the students heading towards the Gryffindor table. When his crystal-blue eyes fell upon Hermione Granger, he wanted to slap himself for not considering the girl as a potential source of information regarding Harry's plans and whereabouts. The two of them were friends and considering Harry had needed to be kicked out of the infirmary every night at the end of the previous year when the bushy-haired brunette had been petrified showed just how close they were.
He found it interesting the third year was in the company of two younger girls rather than the boys she usually associated with. Not seeing Harry anywhere within the Great Hall troubled him greatly and he decided to have the girl sent to his office before curfew so he could discover what she knew about Harry's whereabouts.
Once everyone was seated and conversations softened to a more manageable level, the door leading to a small antechamber opened and admitted a rather nervous looking Professor McGonagall, several frightened first years and their newest transfer student who didn't look anxious at all. Most of the seated students turned to watch and many were surprised to see an older student standing among the first years. Very few paid the girl much attention, though there were a few notable exceptions.
Hermione and Ginny watched with interest from their seats at the Gryffindor table while Luna monitored the situation from her place at the far end of the Ravenclaw table. The brunette had specifically chosen to sit besides the infamous Weasley twins while Ginny had simply wanted to sit near her prankster brothers. Both Gryffindor girls and Luna had saved space beside them should their friend be sorted into their House.
Neville Longbottom palmed his wand when he got a good look at the new transfer student. From the stories he'd heard his grandmother spout over the years; he knew what the enemies of House Longbottom looked like. The new girl appeared to be the spitting image of a teenaged Bellatrix Lestrange, who, along with her husband and brother-in-law, had tortured his parents into the comatose state they'd been trapped within since early November of 1981.
Albus spared his new transfer student a worried glance as he stood and said calmly, "Welcome everyone, to another year at Hogwarts. I'll hold my announcements until after the sorting ceremony. Professor McGonagall, if you would be so kind."
"Of course," Minerva said pleasantly as she unrolled a scroll with the list of names of students to be sorted. "When I call your name, you are to come up here and sit on the stool where I will then place the Sorting Hat upon your head."
Heather knew she wouldn't be sorted until after the first years and settled in to wait. She didn't particularly care where the firsties wound up as none of them were likely to interest her and decided to think about her immediate goals instead. First and foremost, she needed to get word of her father's innocence to those who would do something about it, namely someone high up within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Fortunately for her the director's niece, Susan Bones, was a Hufflepuff in her year. She was also curious if the Weasley twins knew anything about the Marauders' Map, which she had read about in James' journal over the summer.
The ravenette found it interesting that both of her fathers, as well as a certain traitor, had all become animagi while they were still in school. The reason they had done such a risky thing was so they'd be able to help their fourth, a werewolf by the name of Remus Lupin. Looking up at the staff table, she couldn't help but quirk a small smile when she noticed an unfamiliar face sitting on the right near the Gryffindor table. According to her third year booklist, the new professor's name was Remus Lupin. She sincerely hoped he was competent or else DADA would once again become self-study as it had been for her last two years.
"Black, Heather," McGonagall called, drawing the girl in question out of her thoughts. Apparently she'd been so lost in her musings she'd missed the headmaster's brief speech about how she was the first transfer student Hogwarts had seen in decades. Great, something else she would be famous for, lovely.
Shaking her head slightly, Heather pushed off the side wall she had been leaning against and walked towards the three-legged stool. She ignored the pointing and muttering around her despite the fact part of her wanted to lash out at them for the horrible things they were saying about her. They were calling her 'Traitor's Daughter', 'Daughter of a Murderer', 'the next Dark Lady' and several other vile epithets. Maybe they were right and she was the daughter of a murderer, she honestly didn't know whether or not Sirius had killed the twelve muggles and Peter Pettigrew he'd been accused of murdering. She did know, however, that the man had not betrayed her family since he was still alive and presently being hunted by the Ministry. The Dark Lady title bothered her, especially in light of her actions against the Dursleys and subsequent breakdown in her girlfriend's arms.
Masking her inner turmoil, the last Potter sat on the stool in a prim manner and nodded towards the severe looking woman standing beside her.
When the hat was lowered onto her head, she heard a male voice say, [Well, well, well, what do we have here?]
'Hello again Sebastian,' Heather thought pleasantly.
[Greetings Miss Black, or would you prefer I call you Lady Potter-Peverell?] Sebastian asked in a teasing tone.
'Lady Potter or milady will do,' the ravenette replied cheekily with a smile.
[Of course, milady] the hat said in deference. [Now then, shall we commence with your sorting?]
'Yes please,' the last Potter mentally said.
[Well, unlike last time when you were masquerading as Harry Potter, I believe the true you would make a fine addition to any House. Due to your claustrophobia and strong dislike of being underground for any significant length of time, we can scratch Slytherin and Hufflepuff off the list immediately. I still believe Slytherin would've helped you on your way to greatness, but alas, you would not have felt comfortable there. That leaves Ravenclaw and Gryffindor and I believe either House would suit you well for your personal goals.
[However, if you intend to unite the school, you will not be able to do that as a Gryffindor as you well know. There is simply too much ingrained animosity between the lions and snakes for any overture you might make as a Gryffindor to be taken seriously. I guess it really comes down to what's more important to you, sharing a House with your girlfriend or helping repair the division that has long infected this institution of learning and the magical world at large.]
'Considering how the school turned on me last year, barring few exceptions, they can all get stuffed,' Heather mentally growled as she clenched her fists in her lap. Relaxing her fists several seconds later as she calmed herself down, she continued in a softer tone, 'I would rather be with my girlfriend please.'
[There are other reasons I believe you would be better suited for Ravenclaw milady. First of all, by going to a different House you'll distance yourself from your previous incarnation. Secondly, you would be in a better position to protect Miss Lovegood if you were to share her House. Thirdly, if plans for your 'Circle of Eight' come to fruition, wouldn't it be better if there were two representing each House as opposed to three in Gryffindor and only one in Ravenclaw?]
'I suppose,' the glamoured redhead conceded unhappily. 'Hermione would make a better Raven than me though. She's the one who plans out and theorizes everything to death. Me, I merely trust my instincts and intuition.'
[Perhaps, but then I'm not sorting Miss Granger at the moment am I? I am sorting Lady Heather Potter-Peverell] Sebastian said cheekily. [I have another reason you should be in Ravenclaw milady. Your ancestor, Morgana… Yes, that Morgana, was a Ravenclaw. Not only that, both her animagus form and familiar were ravens. Should you become an animagus, which I suspect eventually you will due to your Marauder heritage, it's likely you'll become some type of avian. The fact that you're a natural in the air lends credence to this theory as well.]
'Alright Sebastian, you win,' Heather said in resignation even as her mind perked up at the fact Morgana le Fey, one of history's most powerful and misunderstood witches, was her ancestor. She knew then she would be adding yet another research project to her already considerable work load. Between seven core classes, three electives and an entire curriculum of muggle correspondence classes, she wondered where she would find the time to get everything done. She didn't want to burn herself out either, so she would need to factor in time for relaxation and just being a teenager as well.
[This is for the best, you'll see it eventually] the hat said before dramatically clearing its 'throat'. Continuing aloud, it shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"
The Great Hall erupted into a smattering of applause with exception of three sources that made up for the rest in their enthusiasm. Despite being disappointed they weren't in the same House, Hermione clapped loudly for her girlfriend. Ginny's applause was subdued compared with her bushy-haired tablemate's but certainly louder than most of the students were giving her. Luna was clapping boisterously and her housemates turned to look at her with loathing in their eyes. The Ravens were not happy the dementor destroyer was going to be a member of their House.
Heather shrugged off the lukewarm reception with practiced ease and walked towards the Ravenclaw table. She glanced at Hermione as she walked by and tried to give her girlfriend a soft smile. As she had told Sebastian, she would've preferred it if the two of them had been able to live together, but needs must. That was especially true with the glares the rest of her new House were giving her and Luna. Hermione and Ginny would be fine in Gryffindor. Luna, alone among hostile housemates, wouldn't fair as well and it was up to her to protect the younger girl.
The ravenette sat beside her new friend and smiled as she said, "Hey Luna."
"Hi Heather," Luna said happily. "I knew you would be a Claw."
The last Potter raised an eyebrow at that and asked, "How?"
"Just a feeling," the dirty-blonde replied airily. "I'll tell you later, something interesting is about to happen."
"Now that everyone has been sorted, I have a few announcements to make before we all become befuddled by our magnificent feast," Dumbledore said as he rose from this throne. Gesturing towards the brown-haired and lightly scarred man to his left, he continued, "I would like to introduce Professor R. J. Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Good luck, professor."
The Great Hall exploded in applause as Remus stood and gave them all a small smile.
"Secondly, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher has decided to retire in order to spend time with his remaining limbs. Fortunately, I am delighted to announce that his place will be taken by none other than our own Rubeus Hagrid," Dumbledore said as he gestured towards the half-giant sitting to his right.
The Great Hall once again burst into applause although it was noticeably muted compared with Remus's introduction as many of the students had varying degrees of opinions of the man. Many of the purebloods thought him a bubbling idiot and shouldn't be allowed to teach anyone anything. Others, such as Heather and Hermione liked the man well enough, though they too wondered at the wisdom of allowing him to teach children with his propensity towards dangerous creatures. Fluffy the Cerberus and Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback were just two examples of the types of creatures the half-giant liked to have around.
"Finally, on a more disquieting note," Dumbledore continued in a grave tone as he watched the Black heiress for a reaction. "At the request of the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts will, until further notice, play host to the dementors of Azkaban until such time Sirius Black has been captured. They will be stationed at every entrance to the grounds. Now whilst I've been assured their presence will not disrupt our day-to-day activities, a word of caution: dementors are vicious creatures. They will not distinguish between the one they hunt and the one who gets in their way. Therefore, I must warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. It is not in the nature of a dementor to be forgiving."
"Nor mine," Heather said quietly with a hint of steel in her voice. Several of the older girls nearby that had been giving Luna dirty looks blanched at the ravenette's not so subtle warning. They remembered what she had done to the dementor on the train and shuddered.
Suddenly, everyone could hear the fluttering of wings and wondered what was going on. Mail call was usually in the mornings during breakfast, not the headmaster's start of term opening speech. Several moments later, a distinctive snowy-white owl flew into the Great Hall with a letter.
"Hedwig!" Hermione gasped in feigned surprise as she rose to her feet. The owl changed course and landed on her arm as she continued, "Hey there girl, how was your flight? How's Harry?"
Hedwig nuzzled her mistress's best friend and hooted in greeting.
"Miss Granger, what is the meaning of this?" McGonagall asked tersely from her place beside a still standing Dumbledore.
"I'm not sure Professor," the bookworm replied as she untied the letter attached to the owl's leg. "Hedwig is Harry's familiar. If he's sending me a letter now, it's probably important."
"Typical, even when the brat isn't here he finds a way to be disruptive," Snape sneered from his place beside the headmaster. When he noticed Potter was missing from the Great Hall, he'd actually started to believe he might have a tolerable year only for his mood to tank completely when he learned a Black would be attending instead. At least he wouldn't have to put up with both of them at the same time.
"Now Severus, let's hear what Mr. Potter has to say," Albus chided as he retook his seat and motioned for Hermione to read the letter aloud.
Although she and Heather had planned this, Hermione looked hesitant as she unrolled the letter. Once free of her cargo, Hedwig leapt off her mistress's girlfriend's arm and flew out of the Great Hall. She smiled softly as she silently read the first few lines before coming upon the trigger phrase. Clearing her throat, she continued aloud and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
The Weasley twins turned to stare at the younger girl standing beside them in shock, knowing the phrase couldn't possibly have been an accident and were determined to speak with her in private later. The fact Hermione Granger knew that phrase meant she knew something about the Marauders and that was information they desperately wanted to have.
Teachers and students alike looked confused for several moments until a familiar voice called out in amusement, "Hello Hogwarts, it's nice to see you again. Well, some of you anyway. Others, not so much…"
Everyone turned towards the voice only to see a very well dressed Harry Potter appearing out of thin air. He was standing by the entrance to the Great Hall wearing a black three-piece suit and tie, looking more like a wealthy muggle business man than anything they were familiar with. They watched in silence as he folded a delicate looking piece of cloth in his hands before placing it in his pants' pocket.
"Now, assuming my calculations were correct, the first years have been sorted, Dumbledore had finished his start of term announcements and the feast was about ready to begin. If this is not the case, I apologize for my interruption but I felt the matter which I wish to discuss with you couldn't wait. Since all of you are in one place, this will be a lot easier than it would have been otherwise."
"Typical Potter arrogance, always thinking they're above everyone else," Snape sneered.
"Wow, you really believe I think I'm better than anyone else?" Harry asked incredulously and shook his head at the man's attitude. "If you had actually taken the time to get to know me, you would've realized by now that I hate my fame. I hate the fact people call me the Boy-Who-Lived while conveniently forgetting I lost my parents, my family, that night. I would gladly trade everything I own if it meant I could have my parents back, but such is not the way real life works. By the way, Mum sends her regards and wanted me to tell you that she'll be in touch. She is most displeased with you for the way you have treated her child."
"Mr. Potter, did you die? Is that why you're not attending Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked anxiously as Snape paled at the boy's casual mention of his mother. If anyone could come back from the dead just to give someone a thorough tongue lashing, it was Lily Evans.
Harry burst out laughing at the headmaster's question while Hermione and Heather struggled to muffle their giggles. The girls glanced at one another and grinned, thankful nobody was paying them any attention. "No, I'm still alive. I simply decided England wasn't for me and have sought greener pastures elsewhere. Before you ask, no, I will not tell you where I am. You're welcome to waste your time and resources searching, of course, but you'll never find me."
Snape and Dumbledore gazed into Harry's eyes as they tried to look into the boy's mind. Rather than seeing his memories, all they saw was a vast field of white. There were no shapes, nothing to differentiate one thing from another and it gave both of them a splitting headache. They promptly withdrew and groaned as they held their heads in pain.
"Trying to read my thoughts and ascertain my location?" Harry sneered in a haughty voice as a wicked smile crossed his lips. "You do realize that's illegal don't you, but then why should either of you care about the legality of your actions. You both believe you're untouchable and above the law. News flash, no one is above the law, least of all some senile, old has-been with a God complex and his pet Death Eater. Both of you are guilty of crimes so numerous and heinous you should've been sentenced to Azkaban for life or sent through the Veil over a decade ago. Unfortunately, your Ministry is so corrupt and the justice system broken, criminals like you and Lucius Malfoy have been able to walk around freely while my innocent godfather has rotted in prison for the last twelve years."
"How dare you!" Draco shouted at the slight to his father.
"Hush child, I'm speaking which means you are not," the raven-haired boy snapped as Heather surreptitiously cast a silence spell on the Malfoy heir.
"Oh yes Dumbledore, I know all about the travesty of justice that has befallen my godfather, Sirius Black," Harry growled angrily as he glared at the old man. "How you abused your authority as Chief Warlock to seal my parents' Wills and sent an innocent man to prison, all so you could have Hagrid abduct me before abandoning me on a muggle doorstep with nothing more than a note in the middle of the night. I doubt there's a court in the entire world that wouldn't crucify you for that alone, never mind everything else you've done.
"You not only witnessed their Wills and therefore knew everything contained within," the last Potter continued heatedly, "including the clause where my parents specifically stated I was not to have anything to do with Petunia Dursley or her family. You were also the one to cast the Fidelius Charm using Peter Pettigrew as the Secret Keeper for my parents' cottage in Godric's Hollow. As Sirius Black is my blood-sworn godfather, a fact you damn well know, he couldn't possibly have betrayed my family. Mother Magic would have stripped him of his life right then and there if he had tried."
Most of the Great Hall gasped in shock at the boy's latest bombshell, including Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall.
In the stunned silence that followed, Susan Bones reached into her robes and withdrew some parchment and a self-inking quill. She had a habit of always keeping writing utensils handy in case she wanted to jot something down. Her aunt, Amelia Bones, who was also the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, needed to know everything that had been said within the Great Hall that evening. Even if Harry no longer resided in England or had any intention of returning, justice should still be served for the boy's godfather.
Hannah Abbott stood up from her table and bowed as she said, "Mr. Potter, I'm sorry for how I treated you last year regarding the Heir of Slytherin issue. You've always struck me as a kind boy, if a little shy, so I don't understand how I could've ever believed you were the one behind the attacks."
"Thank you Miss Abbott," the raven-haired boy said warmly and smiled at the blonde. For the next few minutes, several others publicly apologized for their behavior the previous year. Some were noticeably less apologetic than others and had obviously been guilted into doing so by their housemates. Ultimately, it was mostly Hufflepuffs that had offered apologies. As expected, none had come from the Slytherin table though he'd caught Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis giving him a small nod and mouthing, "I'm sorry". There were a smattering few from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables as most of his ex-Housemates had apologized at the end of the previous year.
"Well, I've said what I came here to say, so I shall bid you all adieu," Harry said as he looked around the Great Hall one last time. When his eyes fell upon Remus, he said cheekily, "Mischief managed!"
Upon uttering the final two words, Harry's body began to shimmer as it faded away, leaving dead silence and a lot of unanswered questions.
Hermione smiled sadly as she watched the former male form of her girlfriend fade away like the illusion it had always been. Even though she'd been attracted to Heather when the girl had been Harry and male, she was happier since her best friend had transitioned and become completely female. The fact that meant she was bisexual with a preference for females didn't bother her like she knew it would her father, it was just part of who she was and had always been. She remembered thinking when she'd first met Harry how feminine he looked and seemed to act. She had thought it odd at the time but knowing her friend had always felt like a girl deep inside, everything made a lot more sense.
Harry James Potter was gone, assuming he had ever truly existed. Now there was only Heather Dorea Black and that was more than enough for her. As the Great Hall started to return to its usual level of boisterousness and the feast got underway, Hermione allowed her gaze to wander towards the Ravenclaw table and noticed her girlfriend was looking back at her. The girls smiled at one another and waved.
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Author's Notes:
I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank everyone who has read this story so far and I hope I can retain your interest. Please read and review. Comments and criticism are welcome, I just ask you to be nice about it.
Publish Date: July 2nd, 2021