'Thoughts'
"Speech"
~Parseltongue~
Etymology of new spells I make up will be present at the end of the chapters they are first used in. If not, please review and let me know.
Chapter 3: Batman-Sensei
At 2:25 p.m., the twins walked into the meeting place along with their cousin. Snape was quite surprised when he observed them. Despite the fact that Harry and Vera were twins, they looked like two people from different families. Vera had medium-length, shockingly red hair – closer to scarlet than vermillion compared to Lily's – as well as dark, amber eyes that faintly glowed. Her features were aristocratic – a straight, slender nose, high cheekbones, and a defined jawline. She seemed to be quite athletic, but she hadn't quite lost all her baby fat yet.
The other twin, Harry, had rather unnerving features. His hair was blacker and sleeker than anyone's Snape had ever seen, and had a style somewhere in between tousled and spiky. His faintly glowing green eyes were reminiscent of the Avada Kedavra Curse. His sharp, chiseled facial features were partially concealed by that last layer of baby fat that would only leave at the onset of adolescence. His jaw was sharp and strong for someone his age. His visage was complete with the dark red, lightning bolt-shaped scar at the center of his forehead.
And thankfully, neither twin wore those hideous glasses that Snape's old nemesis used to – like, goddamn, how could Lily have ever married a man with such terrible taste? Well, not completely terrible, Snape grudgingly admitted. A man with terrible taste wouldn't have married a girl like Lily after all.
Both twins, despite how different they looked, wore identical stoic expressions on their faces, eyes sharp and aware. Their purposeful strides were confident and graceful. They seemed to be more in sync than even those dreadful Weasley twins, which Snape had thought to be impossible. Snape was no fool – he could clearly see that the twins would do great things in the future. He expected that they would become the next once-in-a-century prodigies – comparable to the likes of Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Grindelwald. These two were certain to be popular with their teachers and peers at Hogwarts.
Their cousin was much more nervous, and his emotions were more visible. He seemed to still be awed at the idea that he was a wizard. 'This one seems to be more ordinary.' Snape thought, although he had no trouble seeing how fat the boy was. If that Dudley boy continued to eat however he did, he wouldn't make it to the age of forty. Dudley had the duller, more mute brown eyes that Petunia had rather than the warm, light brown eyes that Lily had. He had dark brown hair that lay flat on his fat head. He had a broad, slightly bulbous nose, and the rest of his features were nigh-impossible to take note of, due to the excessive amounts of fat Dudley stored in his body.
Snape observed their interactions discreetly, trying to eavesdrop on what they were saying. "What do we do now, guys?" Dudley asked.
"Just stay aware." Vera said.
"We don't know much about the person who is coming to pick us up," Harry continued.
"So better not make a bad impression by being caught off guard by them." Vera finished.
"Right, so just keep my eyes open for this Severus Snape guy, right?" Dudley asked.
"Eyes, ears, and any other senses you use to be aware of your surroundings." Harry said.
Snape was impressed. It was quite interesting that the twins were so cautious – borderline paranoid. They would certainly do well in his House. Unfortunately, Dumbledore told him to drive them away from it.
FLASHBACK
"Severus, before you leave, there is one thing I ask you to do when you guide the twins." Dumbledore said.
"And what would that be, Albus?" Snape asked.
"Guide them away from the Slytherin House." Dumbledore said. As Snape's eyes narrowed, he quickly added, "I don't have anything against your House, Severus, but the students being sorted there nowadays are the children of known Death Eaters. I don't think they will be a good influence on either of them. As you know, young Harry was marked by Voldemort, and hence he has to be the one to kill him according to Sybill's prophecy. His twin would also be an important and powerful ally in this quest. I need to make sure both of them surround themselves with good company. I would prefer that they end up in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw would be alright, but it may cause them to become too independent for my liking."
Snape considered what the old headmaster said, grudgingly accepting that he was correct. He seemed to be grudgingly conceding to or accepting many things lately. He slowly nodded. "I will try to make them shy away from it. But I won't make them outright despise or completely distrust my snakes. You can't apply the same label to everyone, Headmaster." Snape said warningly.
"That's all I ask, Severus. The twins will need as much support as possible, and allies from all four houses will be extremely beneficial to them." Dumbledore said. Snape nodded and left Dumbledore's office.
END FLASHBACK
Casting a Tempus Charm, Snape saw that there were only thirty seconds before 2:30. He flew down behind the twins silently, transforming back into his human form as he did so. Vera immediately banished the presence behind her, before Harry found his throat and pinned him against the ground.
Snape knew he was in trouble, and didn't want to give the twins a reason to use more violence against him. He quickly cancelled his Disillusionment Charm and held up a hand placatingly. However, Harry didn't relent. "Who are you? Why did you get behind us so suddenly?" Harry asked forcefully.
"S-Snape. Professor Snape!" Snape gasped, clawing at Harry's hand. How the hell was the boy so strong? And the girl…that was wandless magic! And Harry flew to him – unsupported – he literally flew.
Harry smoothly removed his grip from the man's throat, looking apologetic. "My sincerest apologies, sir." he said.
"We have had some bad experiences with adults, and do not react well to sudden movements by them." Vera added, causing Dudley to wince.
"I hope you can forgive us." Harry said with a small bow.
Snape, despite the rough handling, was once again, impressed. Of course, he was angry, but he would have honestly done the same to someone who snuck up on him. He couldn't blame the twins for their caution. However, he was surprised that they were not bluffing when they told Dudley to stay alert. "Constant vigilance, as Moody would say…" he muttered with a frown. "No harm done. Those were quite the reflexes. I suppose you will do well in the more…combat-oriented applications of magic." Snape said, dusting his robes wandlessly. Not even a trickle of emotion showed on his severe, expressionless face.
"Thank you, sir. I am sorry for forgetting to ask this before, but how may we address you?" Vera asked.
"Is 'sir' alright, or would you prefer something else?" Harry asked.
"You may call me Professor Snape, although, 'sir' would suffice as well." Snape said. Well, it was nice to see that James Potter's manners were not inherited by his children.
"Very well, Professor Snape." Vera said.
What really puzzled the Potions Master was that the twins were not acting even remotely similar to those who had just discovered that they had magic. They were calculated, well-mannered, and alert. Of how the hat would refuse to sort them into Slytherin, Snape had no idea.
"Right. Now, I have questions for both of you. How did you sense me, and how did you control your magic so well?" Snape asked.
"We will tell you, if you can keep a secret. We found out from out aunt that we are very targeted children in the magical world – with many people there wanting to kill us. We don't need any information getting out to them." Vera said seriously.
"Alright, I promise. I will keep what you tell me secret." Snape said, deciding to throw the kids a bone.
"That's not enough, Professor Snape. We have learned of magical vows. If you swear on your magic that no secrets that we share with you will be shared with an outside party without our permission or us releasing you from the vow, we will tell you everything. And yes, there is a lot to tell you." Harry said, matching Vera's serious stare.
It was quite difficult for Snape to hide his look of surprise when the twins told them they knew of magical vows. "I'm afraid I cannot do that, Mr. Potter. If you know of magical vows, surely you must know the results of breaking them." Snape said, giving them an angry sneer.
"I guess we will have to keep our secrets then, Professor Snape." Harry said silkily. It was almost eerie how much his tone matched the Dark Lord's, and Snape had to suppress an involuntary shudder.
Snape looked into Harry's mind – or tried to – before being blasted out by an electrical discharge from the boy's mindscape. Snape wondered what the boy had in store for someone who tried harder.
Snape was too curious now to remember exactly what curiosity did to a cat. Besides, he was used to making similar vows when his snakes needed his help of his confidence. "Fine, I will make the oath. How should I word it?" Snape asked with a slight nod. Vera looked thoughtful for a moment, before taking out a small notepad and pen from her pocket and scribbling furiously on it. She tore off the page she wrote on and handed it to Snape. Snape read it and found the terms acceptable.
"I, Severus Tobias Snape, hereby swear on my magic not to tacitly, indirectly, implicitly, or explicitly divulge, discuss, or hint at any information given to me or actions done by Hadrian Jameson Potter or Vera Lillian Potter that they classify to me as 'secret' with anyone other than the aforementioned and Dudley Vernon Dursley until they permit me to do so, or release me from this vow. The exception to this vow is if the information or action in question alludes to the harm of another muggle, squib, wizard, witch, or magical creature, with the exception of Vernon Dursley. So I swear, so mote it be!" Snape said powerfully. A band of dim light around his body could be seen even in the bright daylight, proving his vow to be legitimate.
(A/N: The word "mote" means "must" in the English from our times, in case anyone doesn't know.)
"Very good, Professor Snape. Now, let us go somewhere more private, so that we can let you know everything?", Vera said, matching Harry's tone.
"I'm curious as to why you included your cousin in this vow." Snape said.
"He knows that we practice magic in secret. He will end up knowing more about us than we share with others anyway
Once the four of them went to a rooftop, Harry pulled his shrunken trunk out of his pocket, resizing it to the normal size. Snape was shocked that children were capable of this kind of magic before even starting Hogwarts.
As Harry opened the trunk, Snape saw that the inside was magically expanded. "Just a moment, Professor. Dudley, you must also wait. We have to do something before you can enter." Harry said, as he and Vera climbed into the trunk. Vera brought out two syringes fitted with needles. "I need a drop of each of your blood to key you two to the trunk." Vera explained. At Snape's pointed look, Vera sighed.
"I, Vera Lillian Potter, swear on my life and magic that the blood of Severus Tobias Snape and Dudley Vernon Dursley that I extract today shall not be utilized for purposes other than keying them to the trunk of myself and Hadrian Jameson Potter." Vera said. Snape gave a satisfied nod, before he and Dudley extended a finger for Vera to extract blood from. After keying Snape and Dudley to the trunk, Vera called them in.
As they walked inside the trunk, Dudley and Snape taking in everything present inside with undisguised awe, Harry led them to a storage compartment that what secured with the most protections out of anything else in the trunk. There was a complex rune array engraved onto it. A large sign saying 'DON'T TOUCH' was written in bold, capital letters above the compartment. "Be careful. If anyone tries to access this compartment other than me or Vera, they will disintegrate into dust." Harry said.
Harry opened the compartment, and Snape saw a stone bowl that was engraved with runes, with a silvery-white liquid-gas flowing inside it.
"Is that a…" Snape started.
"A pensieve, yes, Professor, it is." Vera said. Harry heaved the bowl onto a table in front of them, as Vera drew out a massive string of the silvery stuff from her temple.
The duo got a hold of the highly regulated item after apparating into Knockturn Alley, when they figured out how to do it. They had initially gone there to buy more books, but on seeing the pensieve at Borgin & Burke's, they simply couldn't resist.
Vera put the memory in the pensieve. "These are the memories from as far back as I can remember to today – only the more critical moments, of course, but we don't have that much time." Vera said.
All of them nodded, before touching the silvery substance.
Both Dudley and Snape were shocked by what they saw – the abuse of the twins that went on for so long that they couldn't remember a time when they would not get beaten, their training for survival, their creation of their life's goal, their shopping for new sources of inspiration, as well as rare and obscure books, and their recent magical achievements, including the killing of Vernon Dursley.
Snape saw that at this rate, the twins wouldn't even have to go to Hogwarts. They were already so accomplished that Snape doubted if even he could win against them in a fight. He was horrified with their circumstances, and how much they matched his own. Snape and his mother were abused by Snape's muggle father when Snape was a young boy.
"I hope you appreciate the trust we put in you, Dudley?" Harry asked in a light warning tone. Dudley paled a little before nodding furiously.
Due to the fact that he now knew the context, Snape was able to understand this interaction.
"Now, Professor, we have some questions for you about Hogwarts, magic, and the magical world. When may we ask them?" Harry asked.
Snape inwardly sighed. "At the end of our shopping, I suppose. Many of your questions may be answered when we go to Diagon Alley." Snape said.
"I think you misunderstand, Professor." Vera said.
"We called you to escort us merely to keep up appearances." Harry continued.
"We have to pose as kids who are new to the magical world." Vera explained.
"We are very much capable of going to Diagon Alley ourselves, and getting our supplies." Harry said.
"We don't even need much – just a wand, Hogwarts robes, a cloak, a telescope, and dragonhide gloves." Vera said.
"Perhaps we will buy an owl while we're at it too." Harry said.
"Stop doing that!" Snape yelled, pinching the bridge of his nose, and breaking his stoic mask for a moment. "You both will be the death of me, really. I already thought I had enough trouble at Hogwarts with the Weasley twins."
"Doing what?" Vera asked.
"We're only explaining our actions." Harry added.
"And while we're on that, everything that was covered in my memories, our plans and actions revealed today, and any future deals or conversations we have with you that are unrelated to what happens in classes are classified as 'secret', until further notice." Vera said with a grin, causing Snape to grumble surlily.
"I was talking about your irritating 'twin talk', as people call it." Snape growled.
"We sort of do it instinctively." Vera said.
"I only hope you both choose not to make my life hell, unlike the other set of twins that attend Hogwarts." Snape sighed.
"We'll see." Harry said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"For real though, as long as you give us a reason to be one, we will not be a problem for you." Vera said.
"So an 'I stay out of your way, then you stay out of mine' kind of deal?" Snape asked.
"More like a 'you hurt us, then we hurt you' kind of deal." Harry said.
"Oh…how arrogant of you to assume you are capable of hurting me. I admit, you caught me off guard this time, what with your wandless magic abilities, but I have been studying magic much longer than you have. I also know all of your capabilities, and hence, can counter them. What makes you think you can do anything to me?" Snape sneered.
"Well, Professor, do you really think us to be stupid enough to reveal everything we are capable of to you?" Vera asked.
"Besides, even if you can counter everything that we can throw at you, there is still the vow." Harry said.
"Do you think you can explain your actions of harming us to the Ministry of Magic without sacrificing your magic to do it?" Vera asked.
"We know the laws around here, Professor." Harry said. Snape smirked.
"Well played, you two. You truly are your parents' children. Lily's cunning, along with James' audacity." Snape said, once again, impressed.
"You knew our parents?" Vera asked, with both twins' demeanors changing instantly.
"That was quite the turnaround." Snape commented with a smirk.
"If you tell a pair of orphans that you knew their parents, what do you think will happen?" Harry retorted.
"If you go to aid a pair of magical children that, apparently, have just found out they are wizard and witch, what do you think will happen?" Snape snapped back, enjoying this game.
"Touché, Professor, touché." Vera said with an acknowledging nod.
"Right, I suppose you two – sorry – three can ask your questions after Diagon Alley. I still have to escort you all to…ah, 'keep up appearances', as you say. Besides, this will be good for Mr. Dursley as well." Snape said.
"Of course. Our occlumency shields will ensure that we remember our questions anyway." Harry said.
"And sorry for not including you enough in our discussions with Professor Snape, Dudley." Vera said.
"No problem, guys, I will just ask him my questions later. Besides, if I forget to ask him anything, I will just ask you two, or any of the professors later." Dudley said.
"Right. Speaking of you, Dudley, we need to put a rune on your forehead that ties your memories to our occlumency shields." Harry said.
"We cannot count on other professors at Hogwarts to avoid using legilimency on you to find our secrets." Vera said firmly.
"The rune is essential, as you now hold our secrets." Harry said.
"Will it hurt?" Dudley asked nervously.
"Not really. It will just give you a tingling sensation – similar to the pins-and-needles sensation you get when you get up after sitting on a hard surface for a long time." Harry said.
"Oh…okay then." Dudley said. "But if it was that simple, why don't you guys do that to each other instead of practicing occlumency?" Dudley asked, causing the twins and Snape to give him a strange look.
After realizing the stupidity of his question, Dudley spoke. "Right. Sorry, dumb question." Dudley said with a small chuckle.
"Which one of us should do it?" Vera asked.
"Let's see…Professor Snape, you are a Legilimens, so could you test each of our shields?" Harry asked.
"I already tested yours, Mr. Potter, so I will test Ms. Potter's shields now." Snape said.
"You encountered only a cautionary signal to warn you of the consequences of trying to force your way into my mind. I can set my defenses to spectator mode, so that you can enter my mind to see what would happen if you tried to. Vera can do the same." Harry said.
"Spectator mode?" Snape asked in awe.
"We accidentally discovered it when we tried to test each other's defenses against legilimency. Our legilimency skills were nowhere powerful enough to penetrate each other's minds after we learnt occlumency, so we stumbled upon a way to show Legilimens what theoretically would happen if someone tried to learn our secrets." Vera said.
"Incredible…" Snape said.
"Yes, anyways, since you are a neutral third party here, if you would?" Harry asked.
Snape first looked into Vera's mind. He was surprised to see the detail in the components of the Solar System in Vera's mind. He wondered how it compared spatially to the actual Solar System. It had to be a lot smaller – several thousands of times smaller. The power necessary to create a mindscape that actually was to scale compared to the actual Solar System would be unimaginably high. He saw a powerful legilimency probe travel through the dark expanse, searching for Vera's secrets. It took an exceedingly long time for it to get from one location to another, and it had to swerve multiple times to avoid comets, asteroids, ice, and other space debris.
Snape saw how it got caught several times in the gravitational fields of the larger space matter, and was drawn into collisions with other debris that was moving at insanely high speeds. The probe seemed to make up its mind and enter the planet Mars. Snape was absolutely amazed with the detail in this mindscape, and wondered if even Dumbledore could navigate it.
The probe searched through the multiple mountains, caves, and trenches that were dispersed throughout the planet, and found nothing. The probe then started to drill into the ground, making its way through the compacted soil, looking for buried memories. The probe had to use more and more power to get through each layer of Mars, while reinforcing itself in order to avoid succumbing to the sheer gravitational force compressing it.
Snape knew all about the three steps to mastering legilimency, but the problem that a level three Legilimens would have with this mindscape would be that it was literally impossible to invade it if the legilimency probe was not solid and strong. It was truly amazing.
Once the probe reached the piping hot core of Mars, it simply disintegrated into nothing. 'Makes sense she wouldn't show me anything beyond that. I would bet that she has even more traps inside the core.' Snape thought before exiting Vera's mindscape.
"How long was I in there?" Snape asked, a little out of breath.
"Around five minutes." Harry said, and the man nodded, his face not expressing a shred of his thoughts or emotions. All three children were impressed with Snape's stoicism.
Snape then turned to Harry and entered his mind, after giving the boy a nod to let him know what he was going to do. Snape saw a vast expanse of inky black smoke that he could barely see in. He was blind to everything that was farther than two feet from his head. However, Snape did not spend years by the Dark Lord's side without learning a thing or two. He developed a small amount of skill in sensing magic – what cures-breakers were trained to do. This was how he was able to sense the approach of the legilimency probe.
The probe was sharp and sturdy – optimal properties for a legilimency probe. As it navigated the smoke, the sky rumbled and flashed as numerous lighting bolts started to attack it as it dodged. The probe then disintegrated, hoping to pass through without encountering the lightning bolts. However, a strong gale started blowing. The harder the particles tried to push through the gale, the harder the gale pushed back.
The smoke was unaffected by the gale, and the gale actually seemed to be pushing more smoke into the probe particles. However, the probe particles slowly spread out throughout the moat of smoke, before all suddenly forcing their way through. The wind did not blow this time, as it could not act in multiple directions. Snape wondered if even the Dark Lord could control his legilimency probe as well as this theoretical one.
The probe rematerialized instantly, as Snape was brought to a mountainous landscape that seemed to be surrounded by the thick expanse of the inky black smoke that the probe managed to pass through. The smoke was not dark here. Instead, it was a brilliant white and seemed to glitter with what seemed to be static electricity. This would make it impossible for the probe to dematerialize, which was probably why the materialization happened so quickly. Rather than being fully opaque, the white smoke was translucent enough for Snape to see just a silhouette of the mountains. The probe went on to search through the mountains, finding several hidden passageways that required passwords to enter.
As this point, Harry stopped, and Snape felt himself being pulled out from Harry's mind. After Snape gathered himself, Vera told him he was in Harry's mind for three minutes. "So, whose is better?" Vera asked.
After thinking for a moment, Snape replied. "Mr. Potter, your mindscape is more detailed and complex, while Ms. Potter's is more efficient at keeping an intruder out. Ms. Potter, your use of more muggle concepts, 'Physics', I believe the field of study is called, would also be more confusing to the intruder. This is because the Mind Arts are better known by the upper echelons of magical society – the pureblood families. These families look down on muggle subjects and avoid studying them. The vast expanse you used makes it much more difficult for an intruder to even get anywhere from the point of entry." Snape said.
"So, Vera's is better?" Harry asked.
"Yes, I believe so. Besides, I was simply more inherently confident in her mindscape's security." Snape said, his eyes momentarily flickering to Harry's scar. No one but Vera noticed Harry tense up for an instant before speaking.
"Yes, just as I expected. Vera is slightly more naturally gifted than me in the field of occlumency, and my innate talent in legilimency surpasses hers." Harry said.
"You're right, Professor. Thanks for the confirmation, and by the way, everything you learnt about our occlumency shields are classified as 'secret'." Vera said cheerfully.
"You two are little bastards, you know that?" Snape grumbled.
Vera shrugged, before placing her hand on Dudley's forehead. As Vera removed her hand, the Elder Futhark symbols "ᛊᛖᚲᚱᛖᛏᚨ ᛏᚢᛖᛟᚱ" appeared with a golden glow on Dudley's forehead, translating to "I protect your secrets", before fading away until Dudley's forehead skin returned to normal. Vera panted slightly from exhaustion, before regaining her bearings.
"Your memories did not show your proficiency in Ancient Runes." Snape commented.
"We have only recently started our studies of runic magic, so Vera couldn't optimize those runes into an array, but we do have a good grasp on the basics of the subject. It does need a lot of concentration, though." Harry said.
"Yeah, that was pretty tiring." Vera agreed, wiping her brow.
"Right. If you are done now, I will take you three to the Leaky Cauldron via Side-Along-Apparition. It will be suspicious if you apparate there on your own and shop at the Alley without an adult 'helping' you out." Snape said.
"Can we also go to Knockturn Alley? We have some stuff to get from there." Vera asked instantly up and alert again.
"Your choice. Disguise yourselves though. Dudley can go as he is, as he is not known in the magical world." Snape said. "Oh, and by the way, if you have any electronic items with you, leave them behind. Diagon Alley is saturated with magic, much like Hogwarts, and your electronics will short circuit, and possibly even explode in the presence of so much magic." Snape added offhandedly.
Harry and Vera gave each other a meaningful look. Their next experiment was in sight. They needed to find out how this interaction was possible and why it happened. Dudley removed a Gameboy from his pocket and kept it on one of the shelves in Harry's trunk.
The four exited the trunk, and Harry closed it, shrunk it, and pocketed it, before the group apparated to the Leaky Cauldron. Once they were greeted by Tom, who marveled at the fact that the Harry Potter had come to the Leaky Cauldron. Harry and Vera knew after reading modern Defense Against the Dark Arts books that Harry was the famous one – as his scar was proof that he was the Boy-Who-Lived. She was famous as well due to her association with Harry, though not as much as her twin.
However, neither predicted that Harry's fame would cause people to be so overly enthusiastic – bordering on impolite – on seeing the boy. A bunch of crazy old idiots, and a stuttering man in a turban – a fucking turban that smelt like an industrial garlic-bread oven that hadn't been cleaned in decades – kept shaking his hand until Harry was convinced that he had epilepsy. "Stupid hyphened epithets," Harry muttered under his breath, massaging his numb hand.
Snape was trying his best to hide a victorious smirk, which emerged after seeing how much the people in the inn were annoying Harry. However, he had no time to waste gallivanting around with some buffoons from the Harry Potter fan-club. He shifted his 'Professor' demeanor, before making his cloak billow behind him as he walked towards the twins and Dudley. The inn quieted down.
"Now, if you all have finished your groveling, I shall take these celebrities to the Alley. I'm on a schedule, so kindly step out of our way." Snape sneered. The people gathered around stuttered out apologies, before stepping out of the way. However, the twins heard someone mutter out as they left to the back alley of the Leaky Cauldron. "Pah! I can't believe it. What was Dumbledore thinking, letting a Death Eater near our savior? Ridiculous!"
"You never told us you're a Death Eater, Professor." Harry drawled, albeit discretely.
"My past is none of your business, Mr. Potter, especially since you have sworn no vows to me." Snape said evenly.
"What's a Death Eater?" Dudley asked.
"A follower of the Dark Lord Voldemort." Vera said.
"Expect a son of James to actually say his name." Snape commented.
"What? No! I'm not crazy. I only told Dudley the name so that he would know." Vera said.
"His name was taboo because people who said it were killed." Harry said.
"There are speculations that the Dark Lord will return." Vera said.
"We're not reckless and foolish enough to make a habit of saying his name." Harry said.
"The only way we would even take such a risk is if we manage to reach power levels similar to his." Vera said.
"There is no way you two will be sorted into Gryffindor." Snape said.
"Fuck no. What an idiotic House." Harry said distastefully.
"What kind of moron values bravery over everything else?" Vera said, mimicking Harry's expression.
"There is no point in being brave if you don't have skills to show for it.", Harry explained.
"We think that Slytherin is the best House." Vera said.
'At least, its qualities fit us the best", Harry said.
"As much as I would love for both of you to be sorted into my House, it would be best if you are not sorted there. There is actually a set quota for the number of students allowed in each House per year. Forty students are admitted into Hogwarts per year. You can do the math to see how many of each gender are sorted into each House. Magical children are carefully observed to note their habits and mannerisms. As some children have to attend Hogwarts mandatorily due to their parents having important positions or them being adored in magical Britain," he gave the twins a pointed look.
"The others are chosen based on the qualities found. After the Death Eaters from the last war started preaching their propaganda to their children, the Slytherin House has been filled with a bunch of duffers who don't represent any of their qualities. Those idiots were simply sorted there for their pureblood ideals and beliefs. Of course, a few of them are true Slytherins in terms of the qualities they possess, but the rest of them are dunderheads." Snape said, his lip curling in distaste.
"I think we can find these few good apples and keep their company." Vera said.
"You have nothing to be worried about in the event of us being sorted into Slytherin, Professor." Harry said.
"Although, I suppose Ravenclaw would be fine as well, if not a tad too isolated and academics-oriented." Vera mused.
"I suppose so…" Snape said.
"Besides, what if the children change by the time they get to Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
"Won't that create an imbalance?" Vera asked.
"That's why the magic of the Hogwarts Castle does a cursory analysis of each student, before the Sorting Ceremony. That way, even if there are more students of a certain House, the ones representing their House the most can be picked out for their Houses, and the others can be sorted into Houses that don't have enough students." Snape said.
"That doesn't make sense." Harry frowned.
"What about the idiots who get sorted into Slytherin?" Vera asked.
"That happens partly because of their parents' influence and threats, and partly because Slytherin values ancestry a lot." Snape grumbled.
"So the Sorting Ceremony is a farce." Harry asked.
"Mostly." Snape agreed. "However, it does have some good aspects to it, like building unity among the students, and creating a sense of exclusivity and belonging."
"How did you find this out?" Vera asked.
"Most students worth their salt figure it out after the third year at most. I truly pity those who don't by then. It becomes fairly obvious when one sees that the same number of students are sorted into each house all the time. I found this much only after digging a lot. However, to most, it is an open secret that something is suspicious about the Sorting Ceremony." Snape said.
"How are the students sorted?" Dudley asked.
"I cannot tell you, Mr. Dursley. It has been tradition for that to be a secret until you get to Hogwarts, and I am not breaking it." Snape said.
"We haven't found anything about it in any of the books about Hogwarts that we read, Dudley." Harry said apologetically.
"It seems like all witches and wizards take this tradition really seriously." Vera remarked.
"Or that this information is protected in some way…" Harry mused, going deep into thought.
Snape was amazed that Harry had made this deduction. Even he didn't think about that. All witches and wizards – purebloods, even – were always clueless about what the Sorting Ceremony entailed on their first day of school. As far as Snape knew, the twins were the only would-be students of Hogwarts that actually questioned this. Even though Harry was the one who voiced the possibility of the information on the Sorting Hat being protected, Snape was sure that both students were thinking about this.
Snape tried to tell them about the Sorting Hat – just to see what would happen – but he immediately forgot what he wanted to say and started thinking about something else. "Professor, are you alright?" Vera asked. "Yes, Ms. Potter. Now, let's go to the Alley. I have to tell you – to keep up appearances, we will have to buy a new trunk, books, cauldron, and potion ingredients as well, even though you already have them." Snape said.
"We figured that out as well, and we are fine with it." Harry said.
"We made several notes on our original subject text books, so it will be easier to hide the extent of our abilities if we use new ones." Vera explained.
"Also, we don't want to use our trunk for school purposes." Harry said.
"It's better to buy an ordinary trunk to avoid drawing suspicion." Vera said.
"Very well." Snape said, tapping the correct brick on the wall with his wand. The bricks slid away to reveal an arch labelled "DIAGON ALLEY". They all walked in, and the twins pretended to be as awestruck as their cousin upon seeing all the shops that lined the sides of the cobblestone path.
"We must optimize the time we spend here. The three of you, go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. While she gets you fitted, I shall take the liberty of purchasing your trunks and text books. You have your money with you, right?" Snape said.
"We do. How much do the robes at Madam Malkin's cost?" Harry asked.
"A standard set of seven robes, one hat, and one winter cloak would cost 2 Galleons and 3 Sickles. However, I suggest you get the more expensive set that the more important magical families buy. They look more elegant, are of better quality, come with self-cleaning and strengthening enchantments, and will increase your standing among your peers at Hogwarts. Not to mention they are more comfortable. The expensive set will cost you a more than five times the price of the standard set – 12 Galleons and 1 Sickle." Snape said.
"Very well then." Vera said, taking 50 Galleons out of the Gringotts money bag. It was better to take a little more than what was necessary, in case there were other necessary expenses.
"There are 91 Galleons, 39 Sickles, and 72 Knuts left in this bag." Harry said, handing the bag to Snape.
"We would like you to give us a bill, containing what you bought and how much it costed." Vera said.
"We are sure you would not steal from us, but one can never be too careful." Harry placated.
"You two are just so perfectly Slytherin that I have trouble believing you would be sorted anywhere else, even if you beg to be." Snape said, shaking his head with a smirk. The twins returned the smirk, before entering the robe shop.
"Those two will be the death of me." Snape grumbled under his breath, before heading to Turunculus Storage Trunks.
The twins and Dudley entered Madam Malkin's, and the squat witch who ran the shop – Madam Malkin – was busy fitting someone else with their robes.
They took a seat and noticed a blond boy sitting next to them. The boy turned to them. "Hello. Are you three going to Hogwarts as well?" he said politely.
"Yes, we are. And who might you be?" Vera asked.
"My name is Harry. The one who just spoke to you is my twin Vera, and the boy sitting beside me is our cousin Dudley." Harry introduced.
"Cool. My name is Draco. Draco Malfoy." the boy said, looking a little smug.
"The Heir of House Malfoy? That's nice." Vera said, causing the boy to give a pleased nod.
"You seem to be quite knowledgeable when it comes to the important magical families, Miss Vera." Draco said.
"She has to be. If you informed us of your heirship, it's only right if we inform you of ours." Harry said.
"I am the Heiress of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black." Vera said.
"And I am the Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter." Harry said.
"Wait. You're Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?" Draco asked in surprise.
"That gets more and more annoying every time. Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I am the Harry Potter." Harry said exasperatedly.
"Sorry." Draco muttered, his ears turning red.
"It's fine. Sorry for being short with you. I get asked that question a little too often." Harry said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"No harm done. I should have thought before I spoke." Draco said with a dismissive wave.
"Right. So, since you are an heir, have you learnt any magic yet?" Vera asked, changing the subject.
"Of course! I have to defend myself if necessary. Being an heir makes me a target, so father taught me some defensive spells, like the Stunning Charm, the Body-Bind Hex, and the Banishing Charm. I can't really do any offensive magic, though. Father said he would teach me that stuff later. What about you guys?" Draco said.
"We have learned a few spells too. Check this out." Harry said. He snapped his fingers and a blue flame appeared on his hand.
"Merlin's crusty old beard! You can do wandless magic?" Draco asked, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
"Yes. We can only do a few spells wandlessly though. We need a wand for everything else." Vera said.
"I see…but still, that's mighty impressive though. Even I tried to do wandless magic when I was younger, but it never worked. They say that only the most powerful wizards and witches can achieve such a feat!" Draco gushed.
"That's nice to know. You seem to be a valuable acquaintance. I hope that us being half-bloods by the accepted definition of blood purity won't be a problem?" Harry asked.
"Don't worry. I'm cool with half-bloods. My own godfather is one – the son of a pureblood witch and a muggle. Just out of curiosity, was your mother a muggle or a witch?" Draco asked. It wouldn't do to offend the twins by calling their mother a slur.
"She was a witch. A muggle-born." Vera said.
"I see. Since there are no remaining members of the House Potter, other than you both, of course, would I be correct in assuming that your cousin is maternal, and a mu-a muggle-born as well?" Draco asked. However, Harry and Vera could hear the faint distaste in his voice when he said the word "muggle-born".
"I take it you are not exactly fond of muggle-borns?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's putting it lightly." Draco said with a sneer.
"I see. Why is that?" Vera asked.
Draco looked surprised for a moment before responding. "They don't deserve to be magical! They are inferior to purebloods and spit on our traditions – always wanting to make us more 'civilized'! I hate them." Draco said passionately.
"That does make sense – an actually good reason other than bigotry. However, muggle-borns still have magical blood, and some can be exceptionally powerful. My mother was. She was a top student at Hogwarts and managed to capture more than twenty death eaters and kill almost ten of them in the last war. Professor Snape told me." Harry said.
"My godfather knew your mother?" Draco asked incredulously, causing both twins to nod.
"That's right. And they used to be friends since childhood." Vera said.
"I have to ask him about this later." Draco said, more to himself than to the twins.
"Right. Anyway, you never know when being friendly, or at least cordial with people that you don't like can be useful." Harry said.
"You are right about that, but I won't tolerate them spitting on our traditions, or calling us barbarians, just because of their muggle upbringing." Draco said.
"Then teach them, Mr. Malfoy. Show them our world and how it works. Be patient with them." Vera said.
"They won't simply diss traditions because they want to be pricks. They are simply ignorant." Harry said.
"I'm sure you are aware of how muggles react when magical people wear strange clothing combinations, or ask why a picture doesn't move. At least in that case, they would think that the magical in question is simply weird, due to the Statute of Secrecy." Vera said.
"However, we are different. We know that things are different in the muggle world and that would cause conflict between muggle-borns and the rest of us." Harry said.
"Allow them to express themselves and patiently explain the reasonings behind our traditions to them." Vera said.
"Just like what we are doing with you – everything has a reason behind it, and we have let you explain your feelings about muggle-borns before offering our counter-argument. Remember, Mr. Malfoy, it always pays to be diplomatic." Harry said.
"I – well – you both have given me a lot to think about. I don't know what to say. I will take my leave so that Madam Malkin can get me fitted with the appropriate robes." Draco said, nodding his head to the twins as he got up.
"Very well, Mr. Malfoy, see you at Hogwarts." Vera said, as both twins nodded back. Draco waved dismissively.
"Draco. Call me Draco. I feel that we have gotten to know each other enough to let you call me by my first name." Draco said, offering a hand to the twins.
"Only if you call us by our first names. Call me Harry and my twin Vera." Harry said, accepting Draco's hand of friendship and shaking it. Vera did the same, and the blond boy left to the fitting room.
'I feel that this will be the start of a fruitful friendship.' the twins and Draco thought simultaneously.
As Draco left, the twins turned to Dudley. "Why so shy today, Dud?" Vera asked.
"I'm pretty new to this, guys. I don't know what to talk about or how to participate in conversations with other witches and wizards. Besides, that guy didn't exactly like me very much. It was similar to how dad and I treated you guys before." Dudley said meekly, scratching the nape of his neck.
"I see. Well, you can ask us to help you out. We know the magical world quite well now." Harry said.
"I'd like that." Dudley said with a sincere smile.
Once Draco was finished, he exited the shop with a polite nod to Harry and Vera, and a hesitant look at Dudley. They stood up as Madam Malkin came up to them. "Hogwarts too, dears?" she asked with a kind smile, causing them to nod.
"Ah, I remember the days. I was in Hufflepuff back then. I remember how much fun my husband and I used to get up to in our youth – stealing food from the kitchens and sneaking into the Restricted Section of the library." Madam Malkin said, with a nostalgic expression, before remembering where she was.
"Oh, my apologies, dears. I'm sure you're not interested in the ramblings of an old lady. I'll just quickly get you fitted. Would all three of you like to come in at once? Don't worry no undressing will be necessary." Madam Malkin said.
"That would be nice, Madam Malkin, but since we are new and all, we would actually be very interested in learning more about life at Hogwarts as you fit us." Vera maneuvered.
"Yes, Madam Malkin. Our cousin here is actually a muggle-born, so he has a lot to learn about our world. Perhaps you can help him understand it better?" Harry suggested.
"Oh, that's very nice! People around here are always in such a hurry, so it's difficult to find someone willing to have a conversation. I was just about to close for lunch anyways, so I think I can answer some of your questions now." Madam Malkin said cheerfully.
"It's almost 3:00 p.m., Madam Malkin. How come you're having lunch so late?" Vera asked.
"The number of customers I get starts to thin out around this time, so I pushed my schedule a bit." Madam Malkin explained.
"I see. Would you like us to wait for you to have lunch before getting fitted?" Harry asked considerately.
"Such a caring young man!" Madam Malkin squealed, giving Harry's cheek a little pinch. "No need, my dear. I am not that hungry anyway. I'll just finish up with you three first." Madam Malkin said.
The three had a good time talking to Madam Malkin, getting to know what the Hogwarts curriculum was like, a little bit about the subjects taught, quidditch, campus life, and the library. Madam Malkin was part of the '75 cohort of Hogwarts, and three years senior to Harry's father. She was actually a prefect in her fifth year, and would often cover for James and the Marauders due to how much she enjoyed their pranks. However, she hated how they bullied "little Sev" all the time, and would often be there for Snape as somewhat of a mother figure for him when things got rough, despite the closeness in their ages. They slowly fell apart as Snape started to participate in activities with the wrong crowd, and Madam Malkin lamented a little bit about how such a nice young boy ruined his life and lost his sweet personality.
Once they were done being fitted, which was mostly them just conversing with Madam Malkin and her just using her magical measuring tape to record their measurements, Vera told her that they each wanted a deluxe set of robes and cloak. Madam Malkin agreed and told them to return to her shop in three hours. They then left the shop, and just around that time, they saw Snape in the distance, walking towards the shop.
"Have you three finished getting fitted?" Snape asked.
"Yes, Professor. We also found some interesting things about yours and Madam Malkin's past." Harry said.
"I don't see how that is any of your business, Potter." Snape said, with an undertone of anger.
"Don't worry, Professor. We didn't ask her to tell us about you. She did it herself. Although, she did grieve quite a bit at the fact that you made some…less than ideal decisions." Vera said.
"Hmm…" Snape hummed, as he looked at the sky for a moment, a strange expression on his face. He remembered how close he was with Matilda Malkin back at Hogwarts. He even accidentally called her "mom" once, which was nearly the most embarrassing moment of his life, only topped by that time when James Potter hung him upside down using the Levicorpus hex, putting his briefs on display to the whole audience.
Lily Evans – he adamantly refused to call her by her married name – was the woman he loved. She was the one who gave him hope during his years at Hogwarts. Matilda Malkin was basically his true parent – unlike his abusive father and submissive mother. She educated him about morality, good and bad habits, how to better spend his time, and when to use, as well as when not to use, certain spells. She also comforted him when he was down and helped him make a few of his self-invented spells. Contrary to popular belief, Snape had been making spells ever since his fourth year. People only believed it was from his sixth year, as James had managed to steal his Potions text book and make the information public.
The only reason he refused to see her was his guilt. He saw how heartbroken she had been when the Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley and an Auror managed to slice off his mask. He wasn't sure if he had the courage to face her again after that. He then had an epiphany. This was the same mentality that caused him to leave things unresolved with Lily before she died. He wouldn't let the same situation happen with Matilda. Whether or not she accepted his apology was not as important as Snape's closure. He couldn't imagine if something happened to the only other person he cared about in this world, and he left things unresolved with her as well.
Snape decided to go to Matilda's address later. He would man up, apologize, explain the circumstances, and leave the rest up to the kind woman. Determination made its way to Snape's eyes as he stood up straighter. He would never fail his loved ones again.
Snape realized that he was getting too caught up in his thoughts as he saw the three children in front of him looking at him expectantly.
"Right. I have bought these three trunks for you." Snape said, pulling them out from his robes' pocket and expanding them to normal size with a tap of his wand. "I have already taken the liberty of stocking them with your text books, parchment and quills, brass cauldron, potion ingredients, telescope, crystal phials, dragonhide gloves, and brass scales. Don't worry, as I made sure everything was of high quality before purchasing them. It was your money being used after all. Speaking of that, here is the account of how much money was used." Snape said, finishing with a smirk and handing a piece of parchment to Harry.
"How much do we have left? I believe the last things we need to purchase are wands." Vera asked Harry.
"It seems we have 62 Galleons, 20 Sickles, and 98 Knuts left. Should be more than enough for wands." Harry decided, as he took the trunks, shrunk them, and put them in his pocket.
"Each Ollivander wand costs 7 Galleons. You have more than enough." Snape reassured.
"Not Ollivander. He tries to match ready-made wands with witches and wizards." Vera said.
"We found a wand crafter in Knockturn Alley, who creates custom-made wands – tailored to be an exact match for the witch or wizard that uses it. We will go there instead." Harry said.
"You did your research, now, did you?" Snape asked with a sly smirk.
"We did. Woodcroft's is infinitely better than Ollivander's." Vera said, matching Snape's smirk.
Snape allowed them to go there, and decided to accompany them, as children running around Knockturn Alley unsupervised was just asking for trouble. However, Harry and Vera quickly went somewhere discreet and transformed into their disguised selves. With three stoic and elegant-looking adults escorting Dudley, the group encountered no trouble – especially with Snape's reputation in these areas.
When they found Woodcroft's shop, an incredibly old man with such profuse wrinkles on his skin that his eyes were forced to be almost completely shut welcomed them in. He used the help of a gnarly old cane to hobble into the shop and shut the door behind him.
It was now that the group got a better look at the man. He had long, matted hair, a roughly cut, dirty-looking beard, such gnarled fingers that it was impossible to tell which way the joints bend, and such a pronounced hunch that he stood barely over four feet. The man's wrinkles made it nearly impossible to tell what the man's complexion had been when he was younger. His nearly shut eyelids were crusty, and it seemed as if he did not use them to see.
"Harry Potter…Vera Potter…Dudley Dursley…I certainly did not expect you to choose me over Ollivander for your wands." the man said in a wheezy, gravelly, and somewhat nasal voice.
The twins were shocked. "H-How did you…" Vera started to ask, as she and Harry reassumed their original appearances.
"Heh heh…you don't almost reach the age of three hundred years without learning a thing or two, young lady." the man said with a disturbing smile that showed his rotting teeth.
"Right…what would your name be, sir?" Harry asked.
"I was called many things…the Scorpion of the Red Woods, the Macabre Whittler, the Cannibal Carver…but nowadays, I go simply by the alias 'the Gweithcraid'. I don't tell people my true name, but for you two, I shall make an exception. Why the potential I feel from you two, I simply must…" the man said, hobbling towards the twins at speeds he shouldn't have been capable of. As the twins stepped back and got ready to defend themselves, the man placated them.
"No, no! I don't mean you harm. Just let me…" the man placed a gnarled finger on Harry's forehead, right on his scar, before recoiling instantly. Harry tensed again.
"Aargh! Filthy! Filthy! What have you done?" the man yelled, before coming to his senses. "No…not you. I sensed immense potential in you, concealed by that abomination!" the man said, before moving to touch Vera's forehead.
"Marvelous! Simply extraordinary!" the man chirped, seemingly forgetting about Harry's scar. "You have nearly as much potential as your brother, young lady! Never let go of each other. I predict that you both will be the ones to lead the world into a new age if you stand together…but fall apart and your conflicts will destroy everything." the man said ominously.
"Um…that's nice and all, but could you please make our wands?" Vera asked nervously.
"Of course, my Lady. By the way, my true name is Gaius of Woodcroft. I am the descendent of Hengist of Woodcroft. Surely you must have heard of him?" Gaius asked.
"We have read of his impressive endeavors, yes." Harry said with a not, causing the man to smile creepily.
"Good to hear. Now, which one of you would like to come up here first?" Gaius asked, walking to a work table.
"Dudley, would you like to go first, or should we?" Harry teased, seeing how pale the boy was.
Dudley rapidly shook his head, causing Gaius to sneer at him. "I can feel the fear rolling off you, round boy!" he snarled, causing Dudley to whimper slightly.
"Don't worry, Dud. If you want, Harry and I can go first to show you how it's done." Vera said reassuringly.
"Y-Yeah, okay. I-I'll wait with Professor S-Snape until you are done." Dudley stammered out, causing Harry and Vera to nod.
"Well, ladies first." Harry said, gesturing for Vera to step forward. She stuck her tongue out at him, before stepping to the work table.
"Here, my Lady, pick out the wood from this bag that you are the most drawn to. Despite the bag being very large on the inside, due to the Undetectable Extension charm, the woods are enchanted to come to those who match well with them." Gaius explained.
Vera put her hand in the bag, but was surprised when two woods made it to her hand. Confused, she grabbed them and pulled them out of the bag.
"Ah, yes, my Lady, of course you would have the necessary power to wield a wand made from two woods. Just as I expected. Now, please take a look at these jars I have here. They are black and opaque, so you cannot see their contents. Point at the ones you gravitate to." Gaius instructed. Vera nodded and focused on the jars.
"These." she indicated, placing her hand on two of the jars.
"Interesting, my Lady, very interesting. Of course, if you have two woods, it is only logical that you have two cores as well – rather rare ones at that. Your cores are a mane hair from a Chimaera, and a single shard of the stinger of a Manticore, preserved in its own venom." Gaius said.
"Can you tell me what my woods and cores say about me, Gaius?" Vera asked out of curiosity.
"Of course, my Lady. Your first wood, cherry, shows your strength of mind and lethality of your magical abilities. Those who use a cherry wand demonstrate excellent self-control, and have an innate talent for the mind arts, favoring occlumency. Your second wood, walnut, shows that you are innovative and cunning. Only the brightest of the bright can use a walnut wand well. Your Chimaera mane hair core represents your acceptance of change and your ability to make decisions spontaneously, giving your wand an affinity for performing transfiguration. Your Manticore stinger shard core demonstrates your deadliness and your willingness to act decisively and proactively." Gaius said.
"Thank you, Gaius. When can I collect my wand, and how much will it cost?" Vera asked.
"It will take me one hour to craft each wand that I make. Once I finish taking note of the wand woods and cores of each of you, I will take half my price now and you can pay the remaining after I finish crafting your wands." Gaius said.
"Very well. Harry, come here, it's your turn." Vera said.
Harry walked up to the work table, and repeated Vera's actions. His woods were aspen and blackthorn, and his cores were a Basilisk scale (preserved in its venom) and a Thunderbird feather. When he asked the same question that Vera did, Gaius answered.
"My Lord, your first wood, aspen, shows that you are a strong-willed warrior. Those who use aspen wands have a penchant for using offensive magic, and often have the mentality, 'a strong offense is the best defense'. These wizards and witches also have an affinity for offensive mind magic – meaning legilimency. Your second wood, blackthorn, demonstrates your desire to prove yourself to those you care about and your tendency to come out stronger than ever before when you face hardships. Blackthorn users tend to have an affinity for charms – especially those of the darker variety. Your Basilisk scale core represents your ability to lead and your willingness to use lethal force to protect yourself and those you care about, while showcasing your proactiveness and disdain for complacency. Your second core – Thunderbird feather – represents your eagerness for adventure and your love for challenges. It also shows that you are fiercely protective of your loved ones and will not tolerate any harm befalling them." Gaius said.
Harry thanked him and stepped back, gesturing for Dudley to step forward.
By now, Dudley had gotten over his initial fear, and was able to be a little more confident as he stepped towards Gaius. He only had one wood – willow – and favored the Re'em horn shard (preserved in Re'em blood) core. He too asked Gaius to tell him what his wood and core said about him, causing Gaius to sneer out a reply.
"Your wood – willow – shows that you are loyal and steadfast. Willow users battle their insecurities during their early years, and if they are able to come out on top, their connection to the willow wand will be stronger than ever. The Re'em horn shard core shows that you are tenacious and have the potential to become an exceptionally powerful wizard." Gaius said, with a distasteful expression on his face.
"How much must we pay you upfront, Gaius?" Vera asked before Gaius could say something nasty.
"Since yours and my Lord's wands have two woods and cores, I will need extra pay for the extra material and the work I need to do to bind them well. Those wands will cost 50 Galleons each, and the other boy's wand will cost 20." Gaius said.
"So, 60 Galleons now and 60 after you finish?" Harry asked, causing the man to nod.
Harry handed Gaius 60 Galleons, saying he would be back in three hours. The group left after Harry and Vera reassumed their disguises, and they all made their way to Gringotts. Snape left as he had some errands to do, and said that he would meet them once it was time to collect the wands.
After drawing enough money from the Black vault so that they had 200 of each type of coin, as well as the extra 60 Galleons for the wands and 50 of each type of coin for Dudley, the twins decided to open a vault for Dudley.
"Bronchuk, we would like to open a vault for my cousin here. Could you please take the necessary fee to do that and fill his vault with 1000 Galleons, 1000 Sickles, and 1000 Knuts? I would like you to do this until he reaches majority." Harry said, causing the goblin to nod and instruct another goblin to act on Harry's instructions.
"Guys, you don't have to do this! You already paid for my school stuff! I'm sure mom can –" Dudley started to say, but Harry cut him off.
"No, Dudley. We have more money than we can spend anyway." Vera waved dismissively.
"It hasn't been very long since we started to get to know each other properly, but we are starting to see you as someone we can trust and rely on." Harry said, patting Dudley's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Dud, we're doing this because we want to." Vera said, causing Dudley's eyes to become slightly watery. He engulfed Harry and Vera in a hug and thanked them for being so good to him when they had no reason to be.
Before they left, there was one more thing the twins wanted to do. "Bronchuk, we have decided which of us should take heirship of which House." Harry said.
"Very well, Mr. Potter, Ms. Potter. Here is the template of what you have to say. Fill in your name and the House you will be taking heirship of, and speak it out loud." Bronchuk said.
"I, Hadrian Jameson Potter, hereby assume the position of the Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, as well as all my rights and responsibilities that come with the position, so I say, so mote it be!" Harry announced, causing his Potter signet ring to glow and his Black signet ring to disappear.
"I, Vera Lillian Potter, hereby assume the position of the Heiress of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, as well as all my rights and responsibilities that come with the position, so I say, so mote it be!" Vera announced.
"Vera Lillian Potter, your name will now change to Vera Lillian Black, or your heirship claim for the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black will be denied. Do you accept this?" Bronchuk asked authoritatively.
"I do." Vera said simply, causing her Black signet ring to glow and her Potter signet ring to disappear.
"Wait, you guys can change your names here?" Dudley asked.
"Yes, sir, Gringotts has services that allow clients to change their names. However, if you are looking to do so, you must either wait till majority, or have your magical guardian permit the change." Bronchuk said.
"Dudley, I get why you would want to change your name, but do you have any ideas what you would like to change it to?" Harry asked.
"Mom said she always wanted to name me Aaron, but dad convinced her to name me Dudley. Who the hell names their child Dudley?" Dudley asked distastefully.
"Your dad, apparently. Anyways, what about the middle name? I doubt you would want your dad's name to be your middle name." Vera asked, causing Dudley to grimace.
"Laurence, with a 'u' instead of a 'w', was another name my mom liked, but I like Aaron more, so I want my new name to be Aaron Laurence Evans. It will be like a new start for me!" Dudley said excitedly, causing the twins to smile at him.
"Now, Bronchuk, is there a way for me to use my power as an heir to claim guardianship of my cousin?" Harry asked.
"I thought you'd never ask." Bronchuk smirked, impressed with Harry's ability to find loopholes. "Just read this out." As Bronchuk waved his hand on a piece of parchment, words appeared on it.
"I, Hadrian Jameson Potter, by the power vested in me by my title of the Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, hereby claim Dudley Vernon Dursley as a ward of my House, so I say, so mote it be!" Harry said.
"Dudley Vernon Dursley, do you recognize Heir Potter's claim?" Bronchuk asked.
"Yes, I do." Dudley said. Immediately, a soft glow surrounded him, causing him to feel warm and protected.
"Now, how do I change his name?" Harry asked.
"Just invoke your power as Dudley's guardian. I will fill out the paperwork for you." Bronchuk shrugged.
"Alright. I, Hadrian Jameson Potter, by the power vested in me by my guardianship of Dudley Vernon Dursley, hereby change his name to Aaron Laurence Evans, so I say, so mote it be!" Harry said, tired of making magical statements so many times today.
Aaron felt warmth pass him as he now somehow innately knew his name was now Aaron rather than Dudley. He possibly wouldn't even respond to his old name now. Things were looking up for the twins and the newly christened Aaron.
End of Chapter 3
