Diclaimer: See Chapter two.
Evans Farm, Durham County, England, 11/1/1975, 08:00
Andromeda was not a happy camper, her husband did not return home last night. He was supposed to work late owing to her cousin Sirius' foolishness and Harry having to oversee his detention, and she couldn't wait to get her cousin back here for Christmas break. oh yes he would be put through the ringer.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Ignotus walking into the kitchen and sitting beside her. She smiled at him and spoke warmly "good morning baby, how did you sleep?"
"Okay mommy, where is dad at?" He asked her looking around the kitchen.
"I don't know baby, I'm sure he's had an emergency at work or something, do you want some breakfast?" she asked him, trying to ease her worries as much as her sons.
Ignotus nodded "Can I have pancakes?" he asked hopefully.
"Sure baby" she told him.
Usually they only had porridge most mornings, Harry would make pancakes every once in a while. However as stressed as she was this morning, making pancakes would give her something else to think about.
By the time she had cooked up three stacks of pancakes Nymphadora was entering the kitchen.
"Good morning mommy, oh yah pancakes" she cheered and scrambled into her seat.
"Good morning Nymphdora" she told her daughter as she cut both their pancakes up and drizzled syrup on them.
Placing the plates in front of the kids, they all three dug in, well Andy merely picked at hers but the children ate greedily.
After a few minutes of pancake munching Nymphadora asked Andromeda
"Mommy where is daddy at?"
Andromeda was just about to answer when the 'Daily Prophet' owl pecked at the kitchen window, she quickly got up grabbing a few knutts from the bowl under the window paid the bird and returned to the table with her paper.
As soon as she unrolled it her heart dropped in her snomach and she paled noticeably. The front page had a picture of a decimated town bodies under sheets littered the streets. The buildings were collapsed, burned or crushed. The headline read.
Devastating Attack on Hogsmeade, Over Two-Hundred Dead!
Auror's Say Dark Wizards Responsible, Dark Mark Cast Over Town!
Dumbledore Battles New Dark Lord, Dark Lord Retreats from Slayer of Grindelwald!
Acromantula Attack Hogwarts, Professor Hadrian Black Saves School!
Andromeda read each article and when she got to the last one she sighed in relief, there was a picture of Harry and professor Dumbledore strolling into the castle and in the background were thousands of Acromantula laying dead all over the lawn of Hogwarts.
Making a decision she told her children who had finished their pancakes while she had been reading "okay babies we're going to go see grampa and gramma so lets go get ready"
Getting the kids ready took about an hour and dropping the kids off didn't take her long at all.
Her grandmother was worried and rushed her out the door " Go check on him, your Grandfather was called in to an emergency Wizengamot meeting, Andy this attack was bad" her grandmother told her while guiding her towards the fireplace. She quickly flooed back home before calming her nerves.
With a deep breath and a quick aparition later she appeared at the gates of 'Hogwarts'.
/C.o.t.R\
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland, 11/1/1975
Appearing in front of the gates she was met by two Aurors, guarding each side of the gates. Upon seeing her arrive they both raised their wands.
"Name and reason for visit" the female Auror she recognized as Auror Captain Bones stated curtly.
"Andromeda Black, and I'm here because my husband never arrived home last night" she stated clearly.
"Is your husband Professor Hadrian Black? Bones asked.
"Yes" she stated simply.
Bones nodded and stated Auror trainee Dawlish run the scan and let her pass" she instructed to her partner.
Dawlish ran a secrecy sensor over her and then nodded to Bones and they both stepped by to let her pass.
"Your husband did a great service for 'Hogwarts' last night Mrs. Black." Bones stated as Andromeda entered through the gates.
"Thank you Auror Captain Bones." Andy told her sincerely.
Walking through the gates Andromeda was shocked to see the grounds full of ministry workers trying to gather all the spiders into piles and portkeying them away. She walked past some massive chains staked to the ground, and a small pond of partially dried blood. The grounds between the forest and the castle destroyed with large craters sporadically across the once pristine lawn and large patches were soot black were the grass had been burnt to ash.
Reaching the main doors she made her way to the great hall where breakfast was still going. Upon her arrival the staff noticed immediately and Professor McGonagall rushed to meet her.
"Mrs. Black Hadrian was taken to the hospital wing last night on Professor Dumbledore's orders, he was given a dreamless sleep potion and told to rest. he was near magical exhaustion. If you'll follow me I will escort you there" Professor McGonagall said briskly.
"Thank you professor, I've been worried sick." Andromeda replied and followed McGonagall out of the hall and up the main staircase.
Heading up the staircase Andromeda allowed herself a sigh of relief she had been terrified when Harry didn't come home last night. Her thoughts were broken as Sirius and James Potter were coming down the stairs and Sirius immediately noticed her.
"Andy is Harry okay, we saw him battle the spiders it was amazing!" Sirius gushed while James nodded enthusiastically.
Both of them had turned to follow her hurrying to keep up with Andy and McGonagall. The former scowling at the pair and the latter rolling her eyes at her two lions lack of tact.
"Harry is fine and I could care less about him taking on a horde of spiders" Andy snapped and both boys remained silent the rest of the way to the hospital wing.
When they entered it was to find Harry sitting up in bed eating a massive plate of treacle tart.
"Bloody hell you weren't lying about the treacle tart!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Language Mr. Black" McGonagall scowled at Sirius "Thank you for what you did last night Hadrian, you most likely prevented a catastrophe from happening, I must get back to the hall Albus hasn't awoken yet and lord knows what trouble will be brewing in my absence ." She told Harry earnestly and quickly excusing herself, before turning to leave.
"Thank you Professor" Harry told her with a smile before she reached the door.
She stopped walking and turned to Harry " I think you've earned the right to call me Minerva" she told him simply before exiting the hospital wing.
"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Andromeda asked in a deadly calm voice to her smiling husband.
Harry's smile disappeared so quick it looked like it had been vanished and he started looking around for the nearest exit.
His wife clearing her throat stopped those thoughts and he replied "I had to help Andy, at first I was told it was just giants and me and Dumbledore took care of those easily, he asked me to watch the grounds so I flew around the perimeter, I saw them must have been thousands of spiders I did what I had too." Harry told her firmly.
"You couldn't have sent me a letter, you had me worried sick" she snapped.
James and Sirius started easing towards the door and Andy saw them out of the corner of her eye, "Oh no you don't Sirius, this is all your fault. You will sit here while I chew Harry out and then it's your turn!' She snapped at her hapless cousin.
"How is it my fault?!" Sirius exclaimed incredulously.
"He was overseeing your detention and I know full well the circumstances of your detention, I taught you how to deflect spells I also taught you how to aim them." she snarled.
"I'll just head out James" said timidly wanting no part of Andromeda's wrath.
"Don't leave yet have some treacle tart it's delicious" Harry told James and in a quieter voice said "Andy and Sirius arguing is great entertainment"
James helped himself to a plate of treacle and took a few bites before asking "How did you take on all those spiders, I saw the whole thing from my window and it looked incredible."
"It was not so incredible from where I was sitting, but thanks. I just hope there all gone I never want to see a spider as long as I live" Harry told his teenage father.
Harry had been teaching both his parents for two months now and never really went out of his way to interact with them. It just felt so weird, it was easier with Sirius because he had known him since he was ten due to his interactions with Arcturus. But since he started teaching in September he had felt like he fell into Snape's memory from his fifth year occlumency lessons everytime he interacted with them.
If he accomplished his goals and defeated Voldemort he would ensure that they lived to raise his other self, but he had no intention of telling fifteen year old kids he was really their future son.
Though it was getting easier to interact with them, Lily in particular seemed to enjoy asking him annoying questions in their detentions and that helped alleviate some of the awkwardness.
Turning to James he asked "how is the rest of the school handling last night? i just woke up less than an hour ago and I haven't read the paper yet."
"Don't know we just woke and were headed to breakfast when we passed your wife going up the stairs and Sirius wanted to know whats up" James answered between bites of treacle. " The grounds are covered in ministry workers and spider carcasses. We seen the Aurors taking Hagrid off" james finished talking after swallowing another bite.
Well that certainly explains where harry got his love for treacle tart from. his talk with james was cut short as Andromeda finished tearing Sirius a new one and turned to Harry "Well you seem to be healed, the whole wizarding world is going to hell and your lounging around eating pasties."
"Andy, I just woke up, will you please take a breath" Harry said softly as he got out of bed and wrapped her in his arms.
That was all it took and the dam burst Andy was crying into his shoulder, Harry ran his can through her hair and tried to calm her.
When her crying stopped she looked at him and in a shaky voice said "Don't ever do that to me again,I worried all night. Then when I seen the paper I though...I though I lost you" she said her voice cracking.
"I am sorry about not sending word, it was all I could do to make it up the steps last night." He whispered softly to her then leaned down and kissed her tenderly.
Their moment was broken up by Lily entering the hospital wing and walking over to their group. She scowled at James and Sirius then looked at Harry who was still holding Andromeda.
"I heard you had been put in the Hospital wing Professor Black, the rumor is you were bitten ten times by Acromantula and lost your arm." Lily said in a rush.
Harry chuckled "The rumor mill around here is insane, but thank you for your concern Mrs. Evans. I simply had a case of magical exhaustion, and this is my wife Andromeda by the way." Harry told her the last part at Andromeda nudging him with her elbow.
"Andromeda this is Ms. Lily Evans one of my students in D.A.D.A tutoring" Harry told Andromeda and recognition shown in her eyes, before she smiled at the girl.
"How come I didn't warrant a proper introduction?" James asked in mock offense.
"Because she's already met you, prat." Sirius cut in.
"Ms. Evans what's going on in the school" Harry asked the redhead gently releasing Andromeda and sitting back on the bed he vacated moments ago.
"Well students are forbidden from leaving the castle, the ministry cleanup crew is removing dead spiders by portkey. Professor Dumbledore came in the great hall and gave a speech about what happened at Hogsmeade, and Hagrid has been arrested on multiple charges of possession of unlicensed XXXXX creatures, Why would they do something like this to Hogsmeade professor? Lily asked the last part very softly.
"They want the population to fear them Ms. Evans, they want anyone not born of pureblood to be purged from wizarding society. Ironically their leader is a halfblood who doesn't care about blood, he just wants power and those who serve him are just tools to serve his purpose." Harry told her honestly.
"Well said Hadrian, I am glad to see you awake and feeling better." Came Dumbledore's voice as he entered the hospital wing. "Mr. Black, Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter would you excuse us. I need a few words with Professor Black. he told the three teens not unkindly.
They nodded and Lily smiled at Harry and Andromeda then her and the two boys exited with hasty "goodbye Professor Black" over their shoulders as they hurried to obey their headmaster.
"Well I won't be long just two things you should know.
First you have been awarded 'The Order of Merlin Second Class' the 'Wizengamot' voted on it this morning, I of course was in a similar state to yourself so I couldn't attend the meeting but I received an owl during breakfast from Lord Ogden who filled my place as Chief Warlock this morning.
Secondly I would like you to teach a Defense club on Thursdays instead of D.A.D.A tutoring. The only difference will be you will have students who wish to participate from fourth year up. I know it's a lot more work but if last night showed us what's to come the students need to be prepared." Dumbledore finished talking and looked to Harry for an answer.
"Well about the order of Merlin I couldn't care less, as for the Defense club I would be happy to help, I think last night was only the beginning so I agree they need to be prepared." Harry answered seriously.
Dumbledore beamed and turned to Andromeda "Forgive me Mrs. Black it was partially my fault that Harry remained here last night." the Headmaster said with a bow.
"It's fine Professor but in the future I would expect an owl if something of this nature happens again or my husband won't be the only one my wrath is directed at." She told the Headmaster respectfully but with a hint of warning.
Dumbledore nodded "Of course my dear, you have my word. Now I'm afraid I have other matters to deal with at the moment, I'm glad to see you up and around Hadrian." Dumbledore said before departing.
"So now that we've got that sorted out, how are the kids?" Harry asked Andromeda.
"Fine I made them pancakes before dropping them off with grandmother". she said with a smile.
"Harry grinned, "Want to get out of here. I should probably see your Grandfather and find out what's going on in the Wizengamot."
She nodded "Yes being here makes me feel like a student again, unless you want to visit your office Professor Black." Andromeda said the last part with a suggestive smirk.
Harry's eyes glazed over at that train of thought but shook his head "I don't think so, that would be awkward if a student came in, and anyway I don't have an office." Harry replied and stood up.
Andromeda giggled and followed Harry out of the Hospital wing. The trip through the school was slowed down a lot by students coming up to him to congratulate him on his fight with the spiders last night.
Apparently most of Grifindor watched the fight. The only really awkward moment was when Bertha Jorkins came up and started batting her eyes while she thanked him for saving the school, though one look from Andromeda had the blonde seventh year making a hasty retreat.
"So you have an admirer I see" she smirked at Harry'expression of annoyance.
"Not no, But Hell no. That girl is a gossiping menace" Harry exclaimed.
Andy just chuckled at Harry's disgruntled face before leading him the rest of the way out of the castle.
In the light of day the damage looked ten times worse Harry thought looking toward the forest. A good chunk of the Acromantula were gone but the scarred lawn remained, he definitely wanted to forget last night and sped up there pace toward the gates.
They passed through the gates and the Aurors guarding them gave him a respectfully nod as Harry and Andromeda disapparated with a small pop.
/C.o.t.R\
Cokeworth, England, 11/5/1975, 01:38
The home was quiet all the lights had went out an hour ago, this was the Evans family home and Lucius had been watching it for hours with his allies Victor Crabbe and Timothy Goyle.
He had not forgotten the insult that 'Half-Blood Black' had payed him years ago, and because of that day his families standing in society had fallen once it was learned that the Black's had canceled a betrothal agreement due the Malfoy Heir's misconduct toward his betrothed.
He vowed he would see his revenge and tonight was the night his plans would come to fruition.
He had first done some digging and learned through a ministry contact that Harry Black was once Hadrian I. Evans, then he paid a clerk in the 'wizard Census Board' office for names and addresses of anyone with the last name Evans, registered having a magical child in the last thirty years. There was only one couple on the list 'Mark and Rose Evans' of Cokeworth, England.
Having already researched Harry Black he knew that he could not take him in a fight, Lucuis knew when he was outclassed. So if he couldn't hurt him directly, his family members would have to do. His parents death's should send a powerful statement.
/C.o.t.R\
Mark Evans woke to the sound of breaking glass downstairs. He reached into his nightstand and grabbed the old pistol he had smuggled back from his time as a solider in the war, he had been a stupid kid back then and thought the old German 'P08 Luger' would make a fine souvenir. Later when he married Rose he had kept it cleaned for use as home defense tool.
Pulling the magazine out of the night stand he inserted it hearing the mag catch click, he pulled the toggle catch back before releasing locking it a round in the chamber with a familiar "Click'.
Creeping into the hallway he heard footsteps on the ground floor, his adrenaline kicked up a notch as he moved down the hall and kept the pistol aimed down the steps flicking his thumb and disengaging the safety he waited to left of the stairs aiming at the middle of the landing.
He could care less if the stole anything from the ground floor, but his wife and daughter were up here, so here was where he would lay in wait.
He didn't have to wait long a pair of large hulking men started climbing the stairs they were both dressed in black hooded robes and he could make out the white masks as they turned at the landing.
Seeing they were headed up the stairs he took a breath remembering his shooting training in boot camp to squeeze the trigger not jerk it.
He squeezed the trigger four times into the first man's chest dead center. Before shifting targets to the other who was very surprised by the sound of his pistols report. He took aim at the man's mask and fired twice.
Two thuds could be heard as the two men crashed to the floor both dead before they knew what hit them.
/C.o.t.R\
Lucius who had Been searching the ground floor froze when he heard half a dozen bangs followed shortly after by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor.
Creeping toward the stairs he was shocked to see his associates laying face up sprawled half on the landing and half hanging down the stairs with large amounts of blood pooled underneath them and staining the carpet of the stairs.
Creeping up the stairs he stepped over the leg of one of them but ended up tripping on the others arm and falling to his knees, this probably saved his life because another bang went off and a nine millimeter sized hole appeared in the wall where his head should have been. He did see a man illuminated by a flash at top of the stairs and aimed his wand "AVADA" BANG "KEDAVRA" he heard the bang again as he was casting and his spell sped up the stairs striking a muggle holding something metal in his hand he fell to the ground with a muffled thump.
Malfoy charged up the stairs kicking open the first door he came to, finding there was a woman cowering in her bed she looked to be in her early fifties. Not pausing he raised his wand again "Avada Kedavra" she slumped in her bed dead as the man out in the hall. He began searching the upper floors he found an empty room, that looked to belong to a teenage girl but clearly hadn't been used in months.
He left that room and found two people inside the room next door, a large boy in his twenties powerfully built and a skinny girl in her late teens. The boy seeing him enter charged forward only to be stopped by Lucuis' Killing curse.
Turning to the girl he said
"It's time for you muggle filth to die "AVADA KEDAVRA". Lucius watched her collapse eyes still wide in fear.
Making his way back out of the house to the front lawn he felt the rush of victory. Harry Black will be most upset at the loss of his filthy family.
Smiling wide he raised his wand with a powerful flourish and cried to the heavens "Morsmordre"
He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest placing his hand there his robes felt wet and sticky, pulling his hand up and looking at it under the street lamp he could see his palm covered in blood, he felt really dizzy all of a sudden and his legs buckled under him and he collapsed to his knees, his eyes sight started going black and he slumped forward, dead under his own 'Dark Mark'.
Lucius didn't feel the bullet enter just a millimeter under his heart wedged in his sternum and pushing a piece of splintered bone a hairs breath from his heart. His adrenaline was pumping when he fired the curse killing Mark Evans, and he did not really understand what that bang meant. If he had sought a healer instead of going through with the plan to kill the family, he would have been fine. But the second he jerked his arm up in the air to cast the Dark Mark his pectoral muscles shifted the bone fragment into his heart and caused a massive hemorrhage he bled to death in less then three minutes. Mark Evans may have died this night but he took all his attackers with him.