"This is not about you and me
I can't bring back how it used to be"-Mike Shinoda
Gringotts, December 30th, 1981
Petunia clutched her sleeping niece closer to her chest as she took in the marble white building that loomed over and the veiled threat carved into the arc above its door. "Well are you going to enter the building squib or block the door from allowing other potential clients to access their accounts?" sneered a vicious humanoid guard.
"S-sorry." she croaked fearfully before entering the building and going to the nearest teller. "Excuse me?" she intoned softly with respect.
The male goblin looked up from his paperwork to sneer at Petunia, who seemed to think perhaps it was all these odd beings could do, "Yes?" he grunted with annoyance.
"I'm here regarding the single will of Lily Potter," she uttered as she thought back to the owl that had delivered the note written in her sister's hand demanding her to come.
The goblin rose up from his seat and leaned over with a glare, "Listen here, woman!" he snarled out visibly more annoyed than before. "Anything regarding the late Lady Potter is handled by the Potter's accountant and her will has already been read! YOUR GREEDY FINGERS WON'T SEE GALLONS FROM US!" he ended in a roar, causing the few customers inside the building to turn her way.
Petunia felt her face flush with embarrassment utterly terrified with what the creature screamed at her as if she was some good-for-nothing thief. "I'm Petunia Evans, her sister!" she hissed indignantly while tossing the crumpled piece of parchment on the table. "My sister requested me to come here to read her personal will."
Picking up the parchment, he quickly scanned it before going gray in the face, "My extenuations Mrs. Dursley, please follow me." he grunted curtly as he hopped off his stool.
Petunia sensed the judgmental stares of the others as she followed after the goblin who hobbled down the long stretch of a room she could tell was enchanted by magic due to its countless doors and never-ending hallway. They trudged in a stifling silence until coming to a door with the name Wafsi carved in elegant gold letters. "Come in!" barked a sharp feathered voice after the knock given to the door.
Stepping into the office with a weary expression on her face, she was greeted by a stern half-goblin who was clearly female. The half-goblin was at least a foot or so taller than the full goblin with caramel colored skin that seemed to glow underneath the candlelight. Her ebony colored hair was worn in a long braid draped neatly over her left shoulder with opals and other minuscule jewels woven in while her talon-like fingers gripped the wax stamp firmly as she pressed down on an envelope. "Lily Evan's sister has arrived." he sneered at the woman before turning away with a smug air of arrogance around himself. "Enjoy the squib." he cackled as he walked away.
"Sit!" snapped Wafsi as she pointed to the leather chair sitting opposite her desk while she began to ruffle through stacks of paperwork. "I confess Mrs. Dursley, I was not expecting to see you here."
"Petunia, please," Petunia muttered as she gently swayed Sage to keep her asleep. "My sister sent me a letter and now that Sage is all I have left of her, I came. Despite our childhood fights and us growing apart, most of it due to my jealousy, I truly loved my baby sister." she insisted as she with one hand brushed the stray tears off her cheeks.
The women stared intently at the sleeping child in the folds of its aunt's arms tenderly, "Explain why Heiress Potter is not with Lord Potter." she demanded curtly.
Petunia blinked in surprise at the command before her eyes turned cold with righteous fiery in behalf of her niece. "Potter disowned her for being a squib." she spat brushing a curl away from Sage's cheek. "That fool is an imbecile and why would you not know?" she ended gazing at the small woman in confusion. "I remember Lily one summer told me how the Goblins run the bank like a well-oiled machine."
The women leaned in her chair and a sneer of her own appeared on her face, "Most men are fools." she agreed her brown eyes sharp and calculating. "I'm Wafsi Crowe from the Crowe clan. My clan was never wealthy or prestigious as other clans but instead upheld our honor and loyalty. My father, who is the leader of the Crowe clan, fell amazingly in love with my mother who was a muggle-born woman. Several goblins became enraged because my father decided to marry a human instead of his own species to keep the race pure." Wafsi rolled her eyes as she brought out two drinking glasses and an orb looking bottle. "Stupidity on their part because while full goblins cannot have access to wands and knowledge of wand magic, half-goblins who can do," she smirks sharply as she briefly fiddles with her ash colored wand tucked behind her right ear. "My mother died bringing me, a product of love into the world, and I am my clan's heiress. I'm not a man, and while my clan is fine with a woman ruling over them, others are not. The male goblins have been after me to become a broodmare in hopes they can gain leadership over my clan and the magic that runs through my veins."
"That's horrible!" Petunia gasped utterly appalled. "I wish I had stomped or punched that insufferable goblin before he left." she scowled, which caused Wafsi to throw back her head and laugh at the admission from her.
"I can definitely see how you and Lily were sisters," Wafsi uttered fondly her eyes gazing off into the distance, perhaps in the past were Lily was once alive. Petunia found herself doing it a lot when thinking of Lily or Dudley.
"Lily was your friend?" Petunia hesitantly asked.
Wafsi snapped her attention back to Petunia and away from the past, giving the woman a sharp tooth smile. "Lily reminded me of my mom from the stories I was told as a child from my father," she admitted softly. "Lily believed in the same things I did and wanted me to shove the condescending men down unto their knees. With Lily, I began to slowly gain wealth and influence but then-
"She died," Petunia interrupted sadly. "Lily always saw the good in people and of the world around here." she whispers as Sage sneezes once in her sleep.
"Aye, she did." Wafsi agreed before setting a large stone basin unto the table before popping a cork off a silver bottle and pouring the smoky liquid into it. "This is a Will Pensieve and inside is the last will and testament of your sister for her private will." Wafsi calmly explained. "Just stick your head into the bowl, don't worry you won't drown." she chuckled, seeing Petunia's alarmed face. "Go on." she ushered.
Petunia hesitated for only a second before doing what Wafsi asked and stuck her head into the liquid. It was strange as a watery substance that brushed itself over her body as she found herself falling before somehow sitting in another chair facing her baby sister who was smiling sadly at Petunia. "Lily." she gasped reaching out towards her, but her hand brushing through her fingers.
"Hello, Petunia." Lily greeted calmly with sadness reflected in her eyes. "If you are reading this, then that means I've passed on. I'm sorry for leaving you Petunia, one day I hope you can forgive me." she began as she rose her wand up. "I Lily, Jesanie Potter nee' Evans solemnly swear this is of a sound mind and heart." the wand flashed brightly before going out as she placed the wand into her lap. "Petunia I won't admit to how I know this, but my idiotic husband has left my daughter in your care. I know you can feel her magic humming in her veins like you did mine when we were little girls." Lily began softly. "If my calculations are correct and what my friend foresaw is true, then Sage is the true savior of both the magical and muggle world. My friend and I were not mistaken when we say she is vital to keeping the world safe and without war. I need you to raise her, protect her, and give her the love I can't."
Lily brought out a bright pink vial and held it up. "Enemies, dangerous ones will try and come after Sage. This potion will help you." Lily waved the vial. "I know I wasn't the best sister and I did provoke you at times by rubbing my magical ability in your face," she admitted guiltily. "This is a Venus Potion. It's rare with the process being expensively long and hard to brew. Petunia when you take this potion it will enhance your beauty and unblock your magic down to the DNA of your body." Lily gave a small laugh. "You'll still be my sister, blood ties and all, just think of it as something like plastic surgery only without the fakeness to it. I caution you that you might look a little bit different from before and in severe pain for at least ten minutes after taking it. Only one sip, Tuney, and you can keep the rest for others who might need it or sell it to the highest bidder if you like. All I ask is for you to be the mother I cannot."
"Oh, Lily." Petunia sobbed as she now clutched the wide-awake toddler in her arms.
"Mama!" Sage gleefully shouted as she stretched her hands out towards Lily. "MAMA UP!" she demanded childishly.
"Oh, darling." Petunia, hummed sadly as she brushed her niece's crimson, curls with her fingers. "Mama can't pick you up," she informed gently as they quickly were sucked up and spat back out into the goblin's office.
"Mama go?" Sage looks around the office in confusion as she tries to figure out where her mother went. She couldn't seem to find her other cuddle people either. "Pafoo? Moo? Da? Ra?" the toddler inquires as she reaches up and roughly pulls on her aunt's dirty-blonde hair.
Wafsi held the pink vial in her hand as Petunia tried to wrestle her hair out of Sage's tiny hands. "Lily left nearly all her worldly possessions split evenly between the two of you. The rest of her things, however, she left to her son." Wafsi informed as she held up the pink vial. "Lily left another part of the will for Sage when she turns eleven and begins her learning."
"Thank you, Wafsi." Petunia uttered grateful for her calming explanation and straightforwardness. "Is there anything else Lily wanted to be done?"
"Only that you allow Sage's vault to be maintained and to see what's owed to her."
"Owed?" Petunia heaved out in confusion, feeling a small headache forming. "Sage, no!" she sternly scolded, giving a soft tap to her hand. "No pulling on Auntie's hair."
Wafsi gave the pouting child an amused observation, "This will allow us to determine roughly how much money Sage has and what properties are included." she explained calmly as she sat down the pink vial. "The Venus Potion."
"Will this change who I am?" Petunia questioned, longing a flickering flame in her dull blue eyes as she gripped the vial in her hands. "Just one sip?"
"Yes, Petunia," Wafsi informed as she flicked her wand at another chair, causing it to transform into a playpen full of toys. "I recommend putting Miss Evans in the playpen before taking it. While you go through the changes from the potion I'll prepare for the Bloodline Test."
Petunia stared at the innocent vial that glowed such a hue of pink she knew it was filled with rare magical properties. A tiny vial that could not only help her but her darling niece as well. Without a second thought, she placed Sage down and uncorked the bottle. "Will it hurt badly and cause my baby harm?"
Wafsi gave a bloodthirsty grin, "Your veins are going to feel as if liquid lava is coursing through your body." she mused out darkly eyes, twinkling with her goblin madness. "The baby shall be fine."
"Lovely," Petunia muttered dryly, now understanding what Lily meant by the ruthlessness of goblins. "Bottoms up." she gritted out as she uncorked the vial and took a sip quickly before recorking it and placing the bottle on the desk. "How long before I should recognize the effects?" she murmured before doubling over in pain.
"That'll be the potion activating now." Wafsi gleefully informed as she pulled out a gray basin and a large sharp knife.
SHE WAS ON FIRE!
Petunia fell unto the floor with a loud thump and normally she would be aghast at being on a dirty floor, but the cooling tiles pressed against her burning skin did wonders. The skin attached to her body felt tight and needed to be replaced with something that would fit her, much like a snake shedding its skin. She felt her bones twisting, causing unbearable pain with each crack. It felt as if the torture went on for several years before finally, an icy, numb feeling entered her system, rushing away from the pain and burning fire. "Is it done?" she croaked out startled by the sound of her voice changing from a high shrill to a soft, husky one.
"It's done," affirmed Wafsi as she made no move to help the sore woman up from her polished floors. "I commend your strength, Petunia." Wafsi marveled as she slid an oval hand mirror across the desk as soon as the woman took her seat once more. "Most of the drinkers scream during the process."
Petunia reached out with a shaky hand and picked up the mirror to gaze at the stranger she knew would greet her back. "That's me?" she uttered in astonishment, taking in the beautiful woman in the mirror.
"Wonderful thing, Magic." was Wafsi's simple reply.
Petunia's slender body had filled out a bit more, allowing a healthy glow showing she was physically pregnant compared to before. Her once oily, brittle dirty-blonde hair had turned to a silky strawberry-blonde while her doe-shaped eyes went from a dull teal to a brighter, vivid one. Her thin lips became a pinker fuller version, cheekbones sharper, and her heart-shaped face matched her long, slender neck. "I'm pretty," she whispered in awe.
"You were pretty, to begin with." Wafsi kindly spoke, taking the hungry happiness the human woman was receiving in the mirror.
"You don't have to lie to me," Petunia spoke blandly as she gave a bitter smile. "I learned long ago compared to Lily, I was never going to be a striking beauty like her. It's why I asked during her fourth year if perhaps there were spells like this potion that could help." she trailed off with a shrug. "What now?" she whispered setting down the mirror while giving Sage, who was too busy chewing on a wooden block, a smile.
"Now the bloodline test."
"How do we do this, Wafsi?" Petunia asked eyes filled with both wariness and curiosity as she now cradled Sage in her lap as she continued to chew on the block.
"Simple standard," Wafsi began as she took a golden colored parchment out of the draw and placed it in the middle of the liquid filled basin. "You make a cut with this ceremony knife on Sage and then dip the blade into the basin and magic shall reveal the rest."
"I'm not cutting her!" Petunia roared in fury.
"The knife is spelled to not hurt and to quickly seal the wound, Petunia." Wafsi calmly explained.
Petunia rather not cause her precious niece to bleed, but she did what she had to do and now stared at the golden piece of paper that seemed to slowly etch itself in ink. The minutes flew by and Petunia stared at the paper with wide teal eyes, "Sage inherited a great deal." she whispered stunned. "How much is that in Muggle money?"
Wafsi smirked, pleased with the findings of her client and how all the other goblins would be a steamy pile of jealousy goo when they encountered King Ragnok. "Put it this way, Mrs. Dursley, in muggle means, you nor your great-grandchildren would ever have to work."
"Oh, my." Petunia leaned back with a gasp.
"I would also like to inform you that due the Venus Potion you are no longer a squib," Wafsi informed blandly. "I would suggest obtaining a teacher and books for yourself."
Petunia sat in the office rather quietly as she attempted to go through the thoughts in her brain about what she had uncovered and discovered even if it was only the early hours of the morning. "Can you falsify documents?"
"We can for the right price." sneered Wafsi, her eyes alight with curiosity to what the newly-found witch was planning.
"I'll pay it." Petunia stated bluntly, "You have to bring me, Sirius Black, first since he is the Godfather of Sage and I remember Lily speaking fondly of him with that Lupin fellow." she commanded.
Wafsi leaned over to the side and smacked a bell that rung loudly, "Bring me Sirius Black." she ordered from the bell before it went quiet.
Blackshore Castle, December 30th, 1981
Arcturus Black was a formidable man, this Sirius knew as he sat stiffly across from him, a teacup held firmly in his hands. Sirius also knew it was this man and his beloved grandmother that he had not been cast from the family and thrown away as the heir. "You're stewing again, Sirius." Arcturus drawled out towards his grandson.
"I apologize, Lord Black," Sirius spoke as he took a sip of his bitter lukewarm tea. Kreacher knew he despised this type of tea. "My thoughts cascaded away and it made me wonder how I could not have foreseen James turning on me and his own flesh and blood? I want to seek vengeance on Dumbledore for keeping Alice and me away from our goddaughter. Remus won't speak about James to me and the same goes for when he is with James. I feel for him because he is stuck between two of his childhood friends, and he knows one day he will have to choose a side. I'M MOST FURIOUS HOW PEOPLE STILL JUDGE ME FOR MY NAME!" he ended in a roar as he slammed his teacup on the table causing it to shatter.
Arcturus simply heaved a sigh as his gray eyes flickered with an unknown emotion while with a snap of his fingers the teacup was fixed. "Now that the tantrum from you is done, allow me to speak," he commanded softly. "The werewolf will no doubt come to your side once he sees reason and likely it will take a tremendous push from someone or something close to him. So, for now, Sirius delegate it to the back burner. Our family is venerable Sirius, and carries tremendous prestige and traditions with it, after all, we have been here long before Merlin, Morgana, and the creators of Hogwarts stepped foot on this land. Do you even understand why we're labeled dark?"
Sirius gave no answer as he simply stared into the floor, refusing to admit he had snuck out of his father's lessons when he was but a child.
Arcturus only leaned back into his chair while stroking his long ash colored beard, "The first thing you must know is magic is simply magic. There is no such thing as dark or light magic, Sirius." he began to explain with his deep husky-silk voice. "Well more like the soul can either be light, dark, or gray."
"Bullshit!" Sirius spat out.
"Language!" Arcturus snapped as there was not a reason he needed to use such foul words before his elder. "Magic is magic and none of us has a full say in how we can control it because we simply can't. You'll need to know that some families understand magic and witnessed far more into the other side which resulted in side effects that still seep through into the bloodlines of today."
"The Lovegoods," Sirius spoke as it dawned on him how Xeno-something always babbled off into space about weird things or seemly perceived someone and what would happen.
"The Lovegoods are actually the second magical family to settle here after us. They are a Most Ancient and Noble house." Arcturus agreed as he informed his grandson, who still sat stiffly in the chair. "They connected to the pure unfiltered leylines once several centuries ago with permission to better understand their structure. It is why all their family members are born with pure snow colored hair and the ability of seeing the other side where beings who haven't crossed over the threshold. The downside is their rather scatter-minded, and they need someone who can help keep them grounded." Arcturus inhaled deeply from his smoking pipe. "Our family is another one affected by the magic."
"We are?" blinked Sirius, stunned at the revelation.
"Yes," confirmed Arcturus as the smoke tickled his nose. "An ancestor of ours helped defend a young unicorn foal at the cost of their own life and magic-blessed our family from it. We have been blessed with the ability of transfiguration and charms. Andromeda's daughter is the first Metamorphmagus born in nine generations."
"You cast her out of the family for marrying a Muggle-born." sneered Sirius at hearing the pride in his grandfather's voice.
"I did no such thing." Arcturus rebuked firmly. "While it may appear like she was cast out of the family, it was done so to protect her from the darker family members within who would have done her and her child harm. Who do you think paid for your cousin's house and opened a vault for Nymphadora?"
"Mother said." Sirius protested.
Arcturus gave a heavy scowl, "Your vile mother says many things, why my son wanted to marry her is beyond me." he ended, inhaling more fiercely from his pipe. "I wish you had used more of your cunning than bravery to acknowledge what the other smarter members have figured out long ago."
"Grandfather!" snapped Sirius in protest to the obvious dig towards his Gryffindorness.
"Sirius!" Arcturus mocked back wryly.
"What curse did our family get with blessings of magic?" Sirius questioned while rolling his eyes at his grandfather's antics.
"I thought it was obvious." he blandly stated. "Our souls are sensitive due to how we receive our gift from magic. Unicorns are the purest forms of magic created and to slay or drink their blood would doom you for the rest of your life and afterlife. The more evil actions you take can cause your soul to begin to tatter and rip while doing righteousness will cause it to shine and reflect through your magic. Both Bellatrix and your mother are prime examples of those who've done wrong."
Sirius paled at his grandfather's reflection as he recalls back to his sixth year and how he had tried to murder Snape. Sirius had been unable to cast a Patronus charm for a while afterwards, and his temper even to this day was quick to flare up over the littlest of things. "Can you fix the damage done?"
"It takes the sincerest remorse to do such a thing, and even then it'll still leave the tiniest of marks."
"I still have trouble understanding how I did not know this beforehand," Sirius mused as he thoughtfully bit his lip. "In school, we're taught that there's dark, light, and gray magic. Even Albus agreed with it."
"There you go agreeing with that man, again." sneered Arcturus with a shake of his head.
Before Sirius could response, however, Arcturus house-elf popped into the room. "Master Arcturus."
"What is it, Aster?", he asked kindly of his childhood elf.
"An owl from Gringotts demands Master Sirius presence regarding his Goddaughter, immediately."
Sirius jumped up from his seat and nearly pounced on the poor house-elf. "What about Sage!" He demanded roughly.
"Stop strangling my elf and go figure it out, child." Arcturus heaved with a roll of his gray eyes. "I best be informed as soon as concerns for your Godchild settles."
"Yes, grandfather." Sirius rushed out as he quickly bolted from the room and towards the fireplace.