Chapter Three
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does and unfortunately I am not her.
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
There are going to be a lot of OCs, but the focus is going to be on Freya.
HARRY POTTER
Freya looked to McGonagall with a blank stare, which McGonagall returned with ease. She was the only person that Freya ever respected. Freya truly didn't respect her parents, she thought of them to be selfish for pushing her to become a Guardian. There was no one for Freya to look up to – until she met McGonagall in her first year at Hogwarts. She could take Freya's harshness and icy demeanour and return it with her own. She was the only woman that Freya could truly confide in too.
"Miss Williams, I take it you've heard about Mister Grant?" McGonagall asked, her steely eyes staring at Freya.
Nodding her head, Freya replied. "Yes, I was at his court case."
McGonagall's eyes hardened. "Your parents?" She had made it very obvious about her dislike towards Freya's parents.
Freya smirked grimly, not at all offended by McGonagall's dislike for her parents. "They said they wanted me to see what happens to people who can't protect their charge." She said in a dry tone. It had been very difficult to see a friend being charged with neglect of their charge. But Freya knew she could not have shown an outward reaction if she had then she would have got a beating for it. Freya's parents were harsh with her training. The punishments were very severe if she didn't get her spells right on the first go. Guardian's wands were also different, they didn't have the tracking charm on them so Freya could use magic outside school and not be caught for it. It was essential for a Guardian to be able to use magic all the time.
"It is because of Mister Grant that I want you to be even more careful this year," McGonagall said, her gaze softening slightly.
Freya frowned, "Why?" It's not that she didn't trust McGonagall, but Freya liked to know why so she knew what to look out for.
McGonagall sighed deeply. "After the kidnapping of Miss Finnegan, Lance Johnson has decided to take extra measures."
Alarm and dread filled Freya, "He's not coming to Hogwarts, is he?" She quickly asked, feeling panicked. Hogwarts was the one place that Freya felt safe because Lance couldn't enter Hogwarts. McGonagall never gave him permission to come and had banned him from trying to micromanage the Guardians from inside the castle.
McGonagall scoffed. "Over my dead body. No, he is not coming to Hogwarts. But he will be assessing each and every Guardian. At one point, you will be called into the Ministry." She said, looking very unhappy with the fact Lance was going to be pulling the students out from school to assess them. She didn't like Lance Johnson and was one of the only people who would openly challenge him.
Freya frowned, not liking the sound of it.
"I'm going to be under a lot more scrutiny, aren't I?" Freya asked after a few moments. She was the longest lasting Guardian, and because of that, she would be looked at more closely. People would be looking at her, wondering what her weakness was so they could take her down. In the Guardian business, it was all about power. The most powerful Guardians were look up to and given more privileges.
McGonagall nodded her head, "Yes and that's why I want you to be careful."
Freya nods her head. "I will."
There was silence in the office until Freya broke it. "Why are Durmstrang and Beauxbatons coming to Hogwarts?" Freya asked with a frown. She had a feeling she knew why, but she wanted this information confirmed before anything else.
McGonagall pursed her lips. "We will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament." She said with an unhappy expression. When she had been told by the Ministry, McGonagall had not been happy and had been very vocal about her dislike. However, all her complaints were ignored.
Freya's eye twitched. This was not going to be an easy year.
HARRY POTTER
Having left McGonagall's office, Freya headed back to the Gryffindor dorms. Usually, on the first day back, Freya would meet up with all the Guardians and they would report to her and show her what they had learnt over the summer. However, Freya decided to cancel it today due to her meeting with McGonagall. During the summer, a Guardian would train while also watching over their charge. This was a very difficult task and many Guardians had fallen over this. It didn't matter if a Guardian was tired, Lance was not forgiving and wouldn't accept any excuses.
Looking around, Freya could see that no one was around. Everyone was back in their dorms and Prefects would be patrolling the school halls. Freya rounded a corner when she suddenly stopped. She could hear whispering. Freya tended to have a good sense of hearing and knew that the whispering wasn't pleasant.
"You think you're so special, being Harry Potter's daughter." A male voice said, a hiss in his tone.
"So what if I am!" Yelled the voice of a young girl. Now Freya definitely recognised this voice, it belonged to Lily Luna Potter.
Peeking around the corner, Freya could see two Slytherin boy corning Lily. They were glaring at her and their wands ready. Looking around, Freya tried to spot Connor – Lily's Guardian. But she couldn't see him anywhere at all. Annoyance filled Freya, it was his first day and Connor was already failing at his job. Freya looked at the scene once more, debating whether or not to intervene. It wasn't her place too, she wasn't Lily's Guardian, but she couldn't let her get hurt.
"Maybe we should go to Eric." The other Slytherin boy said this one sounded nervous.
Eric scoffed, "And let her get away with her thinking she's better than me?"
"The only reason you're doing this is that James beat you in Quidditch last year!" Lily yelled out at her attacker.
This peaked Freya's interest. Instantly, she knew who this Eric was. He was Eric Payne, the Slytherin Chaser and he was in the same year as James. Eric and James seemed to have a one-sided rivalry, Eric always seemed to want to out-do James, trying to beat him at everything. Only thing is, James always effortlessly won. James didn't even need to try, he was naturally smart and great at sports. Freya had dealt with Eric a few times and she didn't like him at all.
Eric glowered, "I'll show you! Cruc-"
Freya sprang into action, fury filling her. Erica had been about to use an Unforgivable Curse on Lily. "Immobulus!" Freya jumped out from behind and shot the charm at Eric.
Instantly, Eric froze and he couldn't move. His eyes were wide as he stared at Freya, fear shining in his eyes. He didn't remember her due to the powerful memory charm in her pendant, but he remembered the fear he felt for her.
Freya looked to Michael – Eric's friend. "Take him and leave. Now." Freya said icily, her eyes glaring at them both.
"Yes! Of course!" Michael cried out, fear also in his eyes. He then dragged his friend away quite forcefully, scurrying away as fast as he could.
Now that they were gone, Freya looked over to Lily. "You okay?" She asked, arching an eyebrow at her. As Freya was looking at Lily, she couldn't see any wounds, bruising or any marks.
Lily just stared at her, her green eyes wide.
Freya stared back saying nothing.
Soon, Lily snapped back into reality, "I had everything under control!" Lily yelled out, fire appearing in her eyes.
Freya turned to face her fully, "Really?" She said with obvious doubt in her tone. From her point of view, Lily stood no chance.
Lily frowned and looked down at the ground. They both knew that it wasn't the case. When Lily had heard Eric start to cast an Unforgivable curse, she froze. Lily had never been in this situation before, she was only in her second year. That's why she was so surprised when she saw Freya jump out of nowhere, she hadn't even heard her approach.
"Get back to your dorm," Freya said turning to walk away.
Lily's eyes widened, "Wait!"
Freya stopped in her tracks but doesn't turn around. "Yes?" She says, her voice plain and dry.
"I… Thank you," Lily whispered lowly, her head bowed. She was embarrassed that she couldn't have handled the situation herself. There was also something about the girl in front of her that made her nervous.
Freya turned her head to look at Lily. Seeing Lily so embarrassed made the edges of Freya's mouth twitch, but she soon schooled her expressions.
Lily looked up suddenly, "But please don't tell my brothers!" She pleaded, clamping both her hands together in a begging manner. The last thing she needed was either one of her brothers found out about this, they would go ballistic.
Freya smirked slightly, "Your secret is safe with me." There was no way she would talk to either Albus or James anyway.
Lily sighed in relief before running off to the Gryffindor common room.
Now that Lily was gone, Freya relaxed. But she was confident that Lily would soon forget about this encounter, and so would Eric and Michael. Freya turned around and now headed for the Gryffindor dorms, making sure to stay a good distance away from Lily. As she walked, she began to feel annoyed and it was only growing the closer she got to the Gryffindor Tower.
Freya watched as Lily entered the dorm room. Slowly, she followed after her and walked into her dorm room with ease, ignoring the Fat Lady's singing. Once inside, Freya looked around and spotted Connor. He was sitting on one of the couches near the fire.
Connor spotted Freya and he smiled shyly, "Oh! Hi Freya."
Freya ignored him and grabbed him by his arm, dragging him along with her. Connor protested and tried to break free, but Freya's ironclad grip on his arm wasn't going anywhere. Freya dragged the younger student out of the Gryffindor common room and into an empty classroom. She then locked the door and used a silencing charm around the room.
"W-what's wrong?" Connor asked nervously, looking at the ground.
Freya turned to Connor and glared at him. "Lily was just nearly attacked by two sixth year Slytherins. Where were you?" She hissed out lowly, venom in her tone.
Connor flinched back and his eyes widened, "W-what?!"
Freya walked forward, not stopping. Connor nervously stepped back, feeling very intimidated and scared. The glare from Freya was enough to scare anyone away. Freya didn't stop walking forward until she had cornered him into a wall.
"You have only been a Guardian for a few hours and yet you've already failed." Freya hissed lowly, her glare hardening. Her magic began to pulse as it swirled around inside of her. Her magic was reacting to her anger.
Connor cowered and whimpered, he could feel the spike in Freya's magic.
Looking into Connor's eyes, Freya could truly see how afraid he actually was. This seemed to bring Freya back to earth as her magic began to calm down. Sighing deeply, Freya began to speak. "I have no choice but to report this incident," She said with a blank expression.
"No! Please don't!" Connor shouted immediately, a pleading look in his eyes.
Freya arched an eyebrow, "And why not?" It was one of the many duties of a Guardian to report anyone shirking their responsibilities. It was an unspoken rule that if anyone was caught covering for another Guardian then they would both get punished severely.
"My family," Connor whimpered softly, "If my family found out that I had failed… it would be a disaster…" Tears began to form in his eyes and he began to shake. Fear was the main emotion he was feeling.
Freya frowned and looked down at the ground. She knew that feeling all too well. Ever since she had been given James to protect, her family had pressured her. She had to do well if she didn't then there would be consequences and she certainly didn't want to end up like her sister. That was what Freya had always thought to herself over the years, it's what helped her get through the bad years. She perfectly understood the situation Connor was in at the moment too. People had been wanting her to fail for years so they could grab her spot. If she were to lose her spot, shame would be brought onto her family and her life would pay for the price.
Sighing deeply, Freya closed her eyes. "Fine."
Connor's head shot up, "R-really?"
Freya opened her eyes and looked down at him. "This one I'll keep it a secret. If it happens again though, I'll have no choice."
Connor's eyes brightened up and he flung himself at Freya, hugging her tightly. "Thank you!"
Freya stiffened and didn't relax. She didn't like physical contact, it was something she avoided at all times. This was also something she did expect. Slowly, she used her free arms and pulled Connor off from her with a sneer.
Realising what he had done, Connor blushed deeply and jumped away from her. "I-I am so sorry!" He yelled out in a panic.
Freya's eye twitched at his loud volume. She turned around and erased the charms she had placed around the room before leaving.
HARRY POTTER
Two weeks later
Freya sat in her Defence Against the Dark Arts class (DADA for short) and in all honesty, she was bored. Classes for Guardians weren't fun due to the fact they weren't allowed to participate with the lessons. They are not allowed to raise their hands or participate in the practice unless the whole class joined in. However, if it is required to do a practical, then the Guardian must make themselves 'average', they couldn't stand out at all. It also didn't help when Freya didn't like the teacher either. She stared at her teacher with a bored expression.
Her teacher was Edward Lupin, but he was known as Teddy to everyone else. He was the child of Remus Lupin and Tonks. He resembled his father greatly, only he didn't have the scars on his face. Teddy did, however, have his mother's metamorphmagus abilities. Teddy was tall, with longish blue hair and brown eyes. He was also half werewolf, something that not many people knew about besides his family and some Guardians.
Teddy clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Now class, today we are going to continue on learning about mythical creatures. Today's creature is dragons." He said, smiling pleasantly at everyone.
Fred immediately raised his hand. "Will we get to see one?" He asked, a large grin on his face.
Laughing slightly, Teddy shook his head. "Unfortunately not. They're much too dangerous in person." He explained lightly.
Fred and James seem to frown, disappointed, but they soon cheered up.
Katrina leaned over to Freya, who was sitting next to her. "I feel so sorry for Cordelia," Katrina whispered softly.
Freya looked over and sees Cordelia's panicked look. No doubt, she was worried about Fred being around a dragon. It would be any Guardian's worst nightmare. Fred was reckless and fearless. It's because of that he had so many Guardians, no one could keep up with him and eventually, they broke down.
Teddy looked over at everyone with a smile, "Now can anyone tell me what a dragon's weakness is?" He asked with a kind tone.
All the girls in the class seemed to sigh dreamily at their teacher, while Freya rolled her eyes at them. The joke was on all of them anyway, Teddy was in a very committed relationship with Victoire Weasley (now Lupin) and had recently got married to her.
Teddy frowned when no one puts their hand up, "No one?"
'Their eyes and insides.' Freya thought to herself, rolling her eyes once more. To her, it was obvious. Dragon's skins were too thick to ever penetrate with magic or weapons. The only vulnerable thing about them was their eyes and inside where their dragon skin didn't cover. However, even when she knew the answer, she wasn't allowed to say it out loud.
However, Teddy moved on. "It's their eyes, as well as their insides. They're not protected there." He said, waving his wand so the answer appears on the board behind him.
Movement caught Freya's attention out of the corner of her eyes. She turned her head slightly and saw Katrina besides her writing a note. Within seconds, Katrina slyly passed her note over to Freya. Opening the note, Freya saw what's written.
Is the meeting happening tonight?
Freya looked up at Katrina and nodded her head. The other schools would be arriving within the next few days and some things needed to be set straight before they did.
Just then, the door to the classroom opened and in walked Eric Payne. Eric now sported a black eye and looked very moody. The classroom chatter instantly died and everyone turned to look at him. Even Teddy's cheerful gaze died, and blank expression filled his face instead.
Freya smirked and sat back in her chair, watching the sense unfold in front of her. Katrina, however, looked nervous.
Eric's friend, Michael, hadn't been able to keep his mouth shut about what happened. He had been wracked with guilt and ended up telling someone what happened. It then spread like wildfire in the castle and it had eventually reached James and Albus. Freya had watched the whole scene; James had been the one to give Eric the black eye. Albus also got a good hit in too, but he mainly watched to make sure no professors were coming.
"Take a seat, Mr Payne," Teddy said, his voice tense.
Eric wordlessly nodded his head and walked over to his seat. As he walked past James' desk, James stuck his foot out and let Eric trip over it. Eric fell to the ground, but quickly got back up and shot James a dirty look. However, James had been sneaky, and no one but James, Eric and Freya saw what actually happened.
"Without making a scene, Mr Payne." Teddy looked to him, his tone a bit more forceful.
Eric blushed darkly and hurried off to his seat.
James and Fred sniggered to themselves as Teddy got back on with class.
Freya looked over at Eric and saw he was glaring at James with a venomous expression. James was at the front of the class, along with Fred so he didn't see Eric glaring daggers at him. Eric sat at the back, where Freya and Katrina were too.
Eric began to make magic spit-balls, stilling glaring at James.
Seeing this, Freya stealthily took out her wand and waited.
Just as Eric was about to take his first shot at James, Freya waved her wand. "Flipendo." She whispered softly.
Instantly, one the chair legs that Eric was sitting on was destroyed. This imbalance caused Eric to go flying onto the floor. It happened so suddenly that he was thrown off his chair and onto the floor with a loud and sharp cry. Without anyone noticing, Freya then repaired the damaged leg so no one could see the damage that was caused.
Teddy stopped his lesson once more and glared at him, "Must you disturb my class one more?" He asked, crossing his arms in an impatient manner.
Again, girls swooned in the class, loving Teddy's sternness.
Blushing darkly, Eric replied, "I'm sorry sir." He had his head bowed and wasn't looking at anyone. But he did have his fists clenched under the table.
Something that Freya certainly didn't miss.
Nodding his head, Teddy turned back around and continued with the rest of the lesson without any more disturbances.
Freya watched Eric for a few more moments. He was still glaring at James and his fists were clenched in anger. His foot was tapping on the floor and he was shaking. Eric looked like he was going to fly off the handle at any moment and that greatly concerned Freya. Looking around the room silently, before looking back at Eric. She began to focus on his mind and used her Legilimency. Every Guardian was trained in Legilimency because they had to make sure no one was a threat to their charge. If a Guardian couldn't use Legilimency they couldn't be one, it was one of the biggest requirements for being a Guardian.
As she searched through his mind, she could hear his thoughts.
'I'm going to get him one day. One day, he will regret treating me like second best. He thinks he's so great, being Harry Potter's child.' Eric sneered to himself, stilling glaring at James.
Freya pulled back and frowned. She didn't like using Legilimency long because the longer she was in someone's mind, the more likely they would notice her. Freya got what she needed anyway. Eric was becoming a threat and needed to be dealt with sooner than later.
HARRY POTTER
Later that day
Dinner had now finished. As everyone was walking back to their dorms to the library, the Guardians were somewhere else. Their meeting room was the Chamber of Secrets, one of the only other secret places in Hogwarts. They had destroyed the original entrance and changed it so they could enter the Chamber easily. They wouldn't have needed to, but none of them spoke parseltongue or knew any words. The Guardians couldn't use the Room of Requirements either as that was the room James and his family always used and therefore it would be too risky.
Now standing in the Chamber of Secrets, Freya looked to all the Guardians in the room with a void expression.
"What is the weekly report?" Freya asked, looking bored.
"No changes." This was the response from most Guardians. Being one was actually more boring than expected. Yes, they had to constantly watch their charge, but sometimes nothing ever happened.
Nodding her head, Freya decided to move on. "The next thing I want to mention is Eric Payne, does anyone know him?" She asked, looking around the room.
At the mention of Eric, Connor looked nervous. He wouldn't meet Freya's eyes because he knew that he had messed up. It had been his first day and he had failed to protect Lily. For a moment, he thought that Freya would tell everyone about his mistake.
Castiel Winters raised his hand. He is a fifth year Slytherin and is Dominique's Guardian. "I do, but not very well. He seems like a very angry person." He admitted with a frown on his face.
Other Guardians seemed to nod their heads.
"He is. He tried to attack Lily Potter with an Unforgivable curse, but Connor stopped him in time." Freya said, looking impassive.
Connor's head shot up as he stared at Freya in awe.
Katrina grinned at him, "Good job!"
Connor blushed and muttered a quick thanks before ducking his head down. He couldn't believe Freya had covered for him in front of everyone. Other Guardians were giving Connor compliments too, fully believing Freya's words.
"What is going to happen to him?" Simon Wallas spoke up, his hand also raised. He was a second year Hufflepuff and the Guardian of Hugo Weasley.
"Headmistress McGonagall has dealt with him. But I believe we need to take further action. He had threatened James Potter in his mind and physically threatened Lily Potter. There is a possibility he will strike again and we need to stop it." Freya explained in a calm and commanding manner. McGonagall had indeed given Eric detention, deducted house points and called his parents – who were livid by the way. But McGonagall wouldn't be able to help them this time as Eric hadn't actually made a threat yet, Freya had only read his mind. But this was what Guardians are here for.
The room went silent for a moment.
Everyone could read in-between the lines and knew what Freya was implying.
Eric needed to change his behaviour, or else.
"Is there a chance that Eric could be Voldemort's spawn?" Joseph asked with a concerned expression on his face.
Freya frowned and began to think. The other reason for the Guardians being created was to find the spawn of Voldemort. Eric did kind of fit the description – dark black hair, a sadistic personality and had a hatred for the Potter family. If Eric truly was the spawn of Voldemort, they couldn't let that go.
"Alexander, Katrina. You two do some digging, find out about his past." Freya snapped out, glaring at anyone who would dare oppose her on this.
Alexander and Katrina nodded their heads. Alexander was Katrina's younger brother, he is a fifth year Ravenclaw and was the Guardian to Alice Longbottom – Neville's daughter. Those two also happened to be the best at digging up information. When those two came together trying to get information, nothing could stand in their way.
However, someone pipped up. "Why don't we just interrogate him now?" Castiel asked with a sour look.
Freya's glare landed on him and hardened. She wasn't surprised by Castiel's outburst. He had made it a habit to second guess her every word because he wanted to be the leader of the Guardians, but Freya wasn't giving that title up just yet. Castiel was arrogant and wanted nothing more than power. If he had his way, it would bring the Guardians down in an instant.
"There is a chance he may not be Voldemort's spawn, meaning that we would be condemning the wrong person," Freya explained, her tone as icy as her gaze. There was a punishment for the Guardians if they didn't identify a threat, but there wasn't one for getting it wrong. This means it gave more opportunity for Guardians to pin the blame on anyone and get away with it.
Castiel fell silent when people agreed with Freya.
Nodding her head, Freya began to speak once more. "Now, moving onto the arrival to Durmstrang and Beauxbatons."
The room went silent as all chatter ceased instantly.
"I have been informed by McGonagall that we will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament this year," Freya said with a frown. She still didn't like this news but there was nothing she could do about it. The best course of action was being prepared for it.
There were a few gasps but otherwise, it was deadly silent.
Freya continued to speak. "None of our charges is old enough to enter the tournament, but we all know what happened to Harry Potter." Harry had been only fourteen when he was entered into the competition and without his consent. For all any of them knew, any of his three children could, unfortunately, follow in his footsteps.
Cordelia spoke up, "What would you like us to do?" She asked, her brows furrowed together.
"Watch. Make sure no one puts your charge's name in the goblet. If they end up in the tournament, it will be very difficult to protect them." Freya warned, her stormy grey eyes darkening.
A murmur of agreement passed in the room.
"Now this brings me onto the most important topic of them all. I have received word from Lance Johnson." She said, keeping her voice calm.
Everyone in the room seems to freeze, especially Ryan. He looked resentful, which was understandable since his best friend had been killed by Lance. Everyone knew that when Lance decided to get in contact with them, it was never good.
"I have no doubt at all that everyone here already knows about what happened to Caitlin Finnegan," Freya said, looking at everyone's reactions.
There seemed to be a tense silence, which Freya took as a yes.
Lucy raised her hand, "W-what about her Guardian?" She asked, her voice small and nervous.
Ryan clenched his fists, his gaze locked on the ground he was standing on.
"He is dead." Freya bluntly said, her face void of any emotion. She didn't want to have Katrina know this, but it was unavoidable now.
Katrina gasped, her eyes wide in horror. Ryan grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly, both were sharing the pain of losing someone close to them.
Freya continued on, "It is because of this Lance had decided to do a review. He wants to interview each and every one of us. There is a good chance that some of you won't be a Guardian by the end of the year." She said, her gaze sweeping over the entire room. No one looked happy about this situation, something that didn't surprise Freya.
"When will they begin?" Ryan asked, staring Freya in the eyes.
Freya returned his burning gaze with ease, "Within the next few days."
There were multiple gasps around the room. People began looking around nervously, it wasn't enough time to prepare themselves. There was no telling what Lance would do or what he was looking for. The prospect of losing their position was too great.
"Everyone is dismissed," Freya said, nodding her head.
Everyone began to disperse and left the Chamber of Secrets. It is the younger Guardians that leave first, while the older ones lag behind. Freya was about to leave too, but she noticed that Katrina and Ryan were still standing there.
Katrina looked at her, tears streaming down her face, "You knew…" She whispered, hurt and betrayal shining in her usually bright eyes.
Freya said nothing.
Neither does Ryan, he was looking at the ground in shame.
"W-why didn't you say anything?" Katrina whimpered, wiping her face but the tears just kept running.
"Does it really matter?" Freya asked her face void of anything and everything. Seeing her friend cry did hurt her, but she pushed that aside and let her 'ice queen' side take over.
Katrina choked on a sob, the tears falling faster. "I-I hate you…" She whispered, running away and back to her dorm.
Freya could feel the twist of guilt in her chest, but she ignored it.
Ryan left too, without saying a word.