Angel's Light
Chapter 7
AN: Hello All and welcome back. Firstly thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Now that said this part of the story is where I start to tie in a few things which will hopefully all make since when the reveals are done in the end. All I will say is there is still more about James and Lily than I have already stated previously in this story. Also for those of you who haven't done so check out my other stories, especially Immortal Diaries as it ties into this one a bit if you know where to look. Also the ending of this chapter was inspired by CatsAreCool who wrote A Marauder's Plan, which is one of my absolute favorite stories on this site. I actually credit him with the oath as I thought it was exactly what I needed for that particular scene. That said here's the new chapter.
Start Now:
When he awoke he did so with a groan that was brought on by both the soreness in his back and the hangover grade headache that was currently hitting him. Despite how many times he did this the after effects of the technique was yet to be something he'd gotten used to. Pushing past the annoyance he took stock of his surroundings to discover that he was on the floor of an empty white room to his left was a large wall that served more as a window as the wall was made of a golden light which matched the door-shaped light on the wall just in front of him.
'Great, I'm in a prison.' Thought the figure a scowl forming on his features at the discovery.
It was not the first time he'd been placed in a prison. No the first time had been thousands of years ago when he'd been human, he'd gotten a reduced sentence due to his actions during the war but he'd still been forced to pay for crimes he'd committed prior to that. Delving down into the memories he tried to figure out what he'd done this time. The body was indeed that of Loki the Asgardian God of Mischief so he'd at least gotten the right body, and not the other one he had running around as that would have sucked. According to the memories he was initially the ward of Odin, the Allfather and the King of Asgard.
He had been taken in as a baby and raised in Asgard where he had studied the arts of Mysticism under Odin's wife the Queen Mother, Freyja. He had been raised under their children Balder, Hermod and Tyr and alongside Odin's youngest son Thor. He had grown up as very much a part of the family and had even been adopted by them when he was seven. Around that time he had been informed that his father was the frost giant Laufey, King of the Giants. Nothing was known about his mother only that she had been Asgardian, which had been shocking as Asgard and Jotunheim had been at war at the time. Whatever the case his mother had died in childbirth and Laufey agreed to a ceasefire in the exchange that he would be raised on Asgard in the House of Odin.
He lived through several wars with various other realms, though Hermod and Tyr hadn't been quite as lucky having been on the frontlines. During his training he had been discovered to be a natural at illusions and had taken up pranks to train up the skill. Eventually he had become known as the Trickster and following that become the God of Mischief. He'd also taken to adventuring in his youth alongside Thor and discovered numerous passages in and out of Asgard. It had been during the return from one of his unauthorized solo trips that he'd been ambushed and knocked unconscious.
He woke then in another cell and was only awake shortly however it was long enough for him that he could memorize places and faces. As he focused on the past he came up with a face alien in origin and from no world he could recognize. He had slicked back white hair, large blue eyes lacking a pupil and ears similar to an elf. He was a slim figure, bony as well judging from what he could see of his arms and he had…grey skin? After that he remembered a spell being cast and he was unconscious again. His following memories were hazy as if he saw them through fog, though he could make out details of some events. He manipulated Thor into going to Jotunheim and picking the fight with the Frost Giants and manipulated Odin into banishing him to Earth.
From there he had waited until Odin had slipped into his Odinsleep to recharge his power before claiming the throne for himself. Following that he'd sent the Destroyer after Thor and his friends. He snuck some Frost Giants into Asgard including Helblindi his brother only to stop them when they tried killing Odin. From there he used the Bifrost Cannon on Jotumheim, fought a re-empowered Thor and fell from the Bifrost Bridge. He awoke in front of the alien non-elf again who was called Ebon Maw and was brought before a different kind of giant. This one had light purple skin and red eyes and clad in armor that he now recognized as Thanos the Mad Titan and was presented with…a scepter.
From there it was all a blur he knew he traveled to Midgard once again in search of something. He'd clashed with Thor once more and a new group of his friends called…the Ascenders?
'No, that's not right, sounds too stupid even for that idiot.' Mused the man pushing the name away for later.
Whatever the case he fought them at the head of a strange army called the Futari, Centari, no the Chitari that's right. Following that had been a solo clash with some kind of weird green troll and he didn't know why but he felt he'd experienced a lot of pain in that encounter. Eventually Thor and his friends won the battle and he was brought here to this prison beneath the palace.
'So by jumping into this body and merging my consciousness with this version of Loki I must have broken whatever spells had been placed on me before.' Thought the man frowning.
A quick scan of his energy found that most of it was locked away from his reach. He could feel it but he could not pull from it, granting him just enough to produce low grade illusions. Unfortunately this version of him had not been a very physically inclined combatant. While he was a cut above the standard Asgardian in terms of skill people such as Sif and the Warriors Three were more skilled. This wouldn't do, he may not always be the most powerful but in terms of skill he couldn't have people assume they were better than him. All he would really have to do is get the body in a descent grade of shape, he still possessed all of his true skills his body just wasn't capable of pulling his tricks off. However first things would be first and he would need to get out of this cell. Looking up he was greeted to the sight of the Allfather himself only he was different not in appearance but in the way he carried himself.
Normally while physically imposing that was usually all it was to those he considered family unless he happened to be holding his sceptre. Now however he possessed an aura of power about him and it wasn't just magic. Reaching his senses out he found that the very air was touched with his power and the connection was still growing. Not only that but he appeared to be relaxed much more than normal yet despite this he seemed more dangerous than he ever had before. Such a thing however didn't frighten him instead it merely caused him to smirk.
"Father." Said the man his voice a bit raspy from disuse.
"You've returned to your right mind then. Come there is much to be discussed." Said the man motioning for the guard to open the cell.
Meanwhile in another realm entirely and with no clue of the goings on elsewhere Hermione Granger found herself within Gatwig Airport in West Sussex alongside her parents. They had arrived almost three hours ahead of their flight time as this specific one was an international flight. It was now well into the summer being the end of July, the 28th in fact. Sitting down her book and glancing at her watch she found that it was already a quarter till seven in the evening which meant there was still a small bit of a wait until the flight was scheduled to take off.
Looking around the area she found that there were many others who had accepted their invitations and were also waiting. Of course the Weasley's were all present and despite the rather long wait Mr. Weasley still looked rather excited about the actual flight. Percy was reading his own book, Ginny was sleeping and Ron was in the midst of what looked like a small snack. She was actually someone amazed as not only was he eating a fruit of all things but he looked as if he'd finally learned how to eat properly. The twins however were in another group this being composed of them along with Angelina, Alicia, Katie, Oliver and a girl by the name of Heidi Macavoy who was apparently both Oliver's girlfriend and one of the Chasers for Hufflepuff.
Penelope or Penny as she had told her to call her was also engrossed in her own reading material and she could see Justin with his face in the screen of what looked suspiciously like a Gameboy. Colin however she could see had fallen asleep as had his rather excitable younger brother Dennis. She could also see one of her newest and honestly oddest friends Luna Lovegood sitting beside Penny reading a copy of some magazine and doing so while it was upside down if she wasn't seeing things.
She could see a few other claws that she recognized as Michael Corner, Lisa Turpin, and Sue Li. From Hufflepuff she could see Susan Bones and her best friend Hanna Abbot who were being accompanied by Hannah's parents and even Amelia Bones herself. Also from Hufflepuff was Ernie Macmillan who was sitting with Michael and Justin. The most surprising arrivals had been the arrivals of the Slytherin contingent which consisted of Daphne Greengrass, Tracy Davis and Blaise Zabini. All of them were talking quietly amongst themselves however she noticed that Daphne's sister Astoria was present as were her parents and Tracy's parents. The final group was of course composed of Gryffindor's from her year. This group consisted of Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil along with her twin Padma the lone Claw, Sally-Anne Perks, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan. For that group they were accompanied by the Lavender's and Dean's parents.
"Everyone can I have your attention please!?" looking towards the voice she found Harry's uncle Leo standing before them along with the man she'd met earlier in the day named Remus Lupin.
"Thank you all for your patience thus far. Now we will be boarding in a few minutes, but there are a few things first." Stated Leo causing the rather large group to focus on him.
"Firstly there is to be no magic of any kind performed on the plane or while it is in flight. The instruments are all very sensitive as are the expansion runes we've activated and with that in mind you will all place your wands in cases we had designed for them and they will be held by our chaperones until we land. There will be a meal served approximately one hour after takeoff however as the flight is estimated to take about eight hours I suggest using the remaining time to rest." Finished Leo getting nods all around.
"Next thing I know some of you are wondering why we are using this method of travel. While a portkey would be much quicker an international one would require that we notify both the British Ministry and the American Magical Congress of our whereabouts. At this point Lord Black does not wish the location of his ward to become known to anyone who is not a recognized ally of either house. This is also the wish of Lord Longbottom and because of this we've chosen this method of travel." Explained Remus
"Take off will be in thirty minutes. I suggest you all take this time to visit the restrooms here as there are only two on the plane."
Thirty minutes later found the group walking on the tarmac towards what was soon identified as a Gulfstream G650 by Dean. Apparently Dean had a fascination with planes and having always wanted to become a pilot since he was young had planned to join the Royal Air Force. As she boarded the plane however Hermione found herself stunned as she took it in her surroundings. Having been on a plane she had been expecting to be stuck in cramped seating however instead what she was seeing were spaced out tan leather seats and couches for the ride that had enough room to fit at least fifty people.
Looking around she could see it had polished wood tables and trim along with extra-large oval windows. Soon enough she found herself sitting on a rather comfortable chair beside Daphne Greengrass of all people. Once everyone was seated and strapped in they were led through the emergency procedures by the attendant a pretty woman who had to be in at least her mid-twenties. Once that was done Remus explained about some of the features of this particular plane such as the internet connection and entertainment system. With the push of a button he had screens fold down from the roof of the plane in order to start the in-flight movie, which in this case was one of her favorites, The Lion King. Leaning the seat back just a bit to get comfortable Hermione couldn't help but think this was more for an education for the pure-bloods than anything else.
"Cannon ball!"
The exclamation had Harry looking up just in time to see Neville land with a splash into the pool. Laughing at the offended cries when a few people got splashed the two boys exchanged fist bumps as Neville surfaced from beneath the water of the pool. To say that the last month and a half had seemed like a dream to him would be putting it lightly. This time last year he had basically been a slave for the Dursley's and now he was part of a rather strange family and was pretty much free to do whatever he wanted.
The weekdays he was actually spending pretty much however he wanted. His mornings were spent at the Boys and Girls Club and at around 3:00 pm he would be picked up by Sirius and Remus. From there they would journey to the new house on Prescott Street. The three of them were actually having a crash course in muggle cinema with Paige and Henry as their teachers. Every day the five of them would watch a couple of different movies in various subjects. Sirius had developed a rather fond appreciation for gangster films and Remus enjoyed dramas. He however had taken a liking to those as well as adventure and comedy films.
He had also met some new people over the time however the one that stuck out the most could be seen in the water to his left. The person was actually a girl who was thirteen years old who had black hair that fell to her shoulders and blue eyes. She wore a black one piece bathing suit that did nothing to hide the fact that she had started physically maturing. She was actually his neighbor and her name is Zatanna Zatara and she was a witch, something that made their friendship much easier to form.
She and her father were apparently new to the neighborhood having only been there for about two months when he had arrived. Her father Giovanni Zatara however had apparently known not only his parents and the other Marauders, but had known both his grandfather Charles Potter and Arcturus Black as well. As it turns out Giovanni was a Hogwarts graduate and had been a Ravenclaw while he attended he was also the Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Zatara. Unfortunately her mother Sindella had been one of the victims of the Death Eaters shortly after she gave birth to Zatanna when they launched an attack on Saint Mungos.
Following this the two had been part of a group that had been evacuated by his grandfather and had settled in a place called Gotham City. Unfortunately due to the low standards of Hogwarts he had not been able to find real work when he first arrived. As such he had become a stage magician and he was now quite famous because of it. The two had moved two San Francisco a few years back after some of Giovanni's friends had been murdered during a mugging. With the criminal element rising the man had decided to move his daughter to a safer place and as such they'd been living in San Francisco for about six years though they'd only been on Prescott Street for a few months.
The two of them had actually met while he was going on one of his morning runs. As a member of her school's track team she had developed the same morning habit. Eventually they'd struck up a conversation which soon led to a friendship that despite the short length of time he valued nearly as much as if not more so than Ron's. Whatever the case she had become a regular guest at the Potter House, which is what they called the place on Prescott Street.
Then there was Neville who had changed quite a bit since they'd last seen each other. Having spent some time at the Seven Saints Clinic with his family he'd come out with an aura of confidence that hadn't been there previously. Not only that but he'd undergone a bit of a transformation as apparently he'd taken to doing joining his parents for their exercise routines. He himself had actually spent the last week at Longbottom Hall getting to know his godmother and during this time he had discovered that Alice Longbottom was definitely vivacious possessing a quick wit and a sense of humor that never failed to liven up the room.
Despite her general fun loving attitude however the woman could also be stern and downright scary. Harry figured she had cultivated that part of her during her time as an Auror however he had learned that she had only become an Auror due to the war. In truth however her passions were in Herbology and Potions the latter of which she had helped Neville and even Harry to improve in. Frank Longbottom however was generally a more calm individual and projected an aura that just made you relax while in his presence. The two were currently seated off to the left in foldable beach chairs as they took in some sun.
Their revival and presence Neville's life had definitely been good for him from what he had been able to observe. Just from the time they'd been around each other Harry had found the boy to be more open to others and not as hesitant to share his own opinion. While still shy upon initial meetings however he was not as bad as he had been previously which was a welcome improvement. His thoughts however by the call of their names and turning to the voice he found Sirius standing just out of splashing distance from the pool. He'd gone through a change since they'd returned from the clinic the most notable of which was his hair. His hair was now cut short around the back and sides though what remained was slicked down to maintain a slick finish to the edges, blending into the top which he left long enough to be smoothed back and he was now clean shaven.
He was wearing a pair of grey and white board shorts along with a black tank top and a pair of black Tommy Bahama slide sandals. With the aid of the sisters the former Prisoner of Azkaban had changed both his look and gotten an entirely new wardrobe that he could wear in muggle areas. This included casual, formal, business and even swimwear which he was now wearing. He had put up a bit of fight at having his hair cut however after all of the looks he'd gotten from women he came across had decided the new look was probably a good thing.
"I need you guys to climb out now, we're being called in." stated the man getting groans from the kids.
Climbing out of the pool the three quickly dried themselves off and wrapped the towels around themselves. Harry honestly wished they could just use drying charms but with all of the non-magicals in the area they didn't need any questions they couldn't answer. Still the water felt good on his skin as even with the early hour it was still rather warm out and it was projected to get even hotter throughout the day. Because of this the three of them had opted to get in an early morning swim since they were up and the adults had all wanted to sleep in longer. Once they were in the elevator on the way back to the room Sirius wasted no time producing his wand and casting the Quick Drying Charm on all three of them.
Following that he used it to hit a button cleverly hidden by use of a notice-me-not rune. As it turns out their vacation choice truly was the most magical place on Earth. The resorts for instance all had entire floors that was hidden magically from conventional languid people. Languid, it was the word that he was now using as he had stopped using Muggle once he had learned that in general slang it meant someone lacking in intelligence and of course now that he knew that it was a racial slur, and he personally was against such things. He and Hermione had talked over the phone for quite a while on the subject of coming up with a new word having also rejected mundane, vapid, trite, and banal for various reasons.
It had taken Leo overhearing his end of the conversation for them to settle on that word. He and Leo had then orbed to Hermione's house where the Elder had given an impromptu lecture on what magic actually was. Previously both had known that Magic was a fundamental force capable of altering reality at various levels. However both of them had long since come to the realization that purebloods were inherently lazy as no one had actually figured out exactly what it was and how they were able to channel it. In fact they had realized within their first year of studies that most were simply satisfied in that they could use it and didn't look deeper.
He himself had meant to look for the answer within Slytherin's library but seeing as how he hadn't been back to the school since he left, nor had he even stepped into the Chamber since the rendering and his encounter with the man's spirit had obviously not been able to do so. Needless to say that they two had absorbed the man's lecture like a pair of fresh sponges. Of course that had spawned an entire new discussion of other words to use which had included Penny, Justin and Dean via letter or phone.
Eventually they'd done away with muggleborn and settled on New-Blood however they were now entertaining the notion that they all actually descended from witches and wizards themselves. Shaking the thought away as the elevator doors opened he waited until both Zatanna and Neville had stepped out before stepping out himself and once again marveling at the décor of their floor. Once they had arrived they had been met with the resorts President who as it turns out was an old schoolmate of his grandfathers.
The man who had introduced himself as Lucas Powell had been a Gryffindor back in the day, had taken one look at the names Potter, Longbottom, Black and Lupin and had connected them all rather quickly to his old friend and classmate Charles Potter. As such he had taken them out of the regular suites and upgraded them to not only the wizarding suites but to the Lords suite. From what he understood when the man had come to work for the company he had taken the idea of the Wizarding Tents and expanded on it. From what he learned wizard tents were normal tents just charmed to be much larger on the inside becoming something like a house on the inside.
Due to the fact that as a muggleborn he'd been unable to find work he used the troubles of the Second World War to leave Britain behind him. After the war instead of returning to Britain like others had done he'd gone and moved to the States to a place called Holmby Hills in Los Angeles, the rest he said had been history. Whatever the case however the man had used his talent in runes to modify and expand on the wizarding tents and as such had gone on to create entire portions of each of the hotels he'd eventually designed to a very impressive wizarding standard. For instance where they currently were staying at instead of two bedrooms like they'd initially had they now had a place more akin to a mansion with over twenty bedrooms each with their own in suite bath. He actually wondered why they needed that many rooms as even with Remus, Sirius and Zatanna having their own rooms they were at this point only using nine.
"Harry!"
The exclamation of his name had caught him almost as soon as they entered the dining room and he looked up just in time to catch a rather familiar brown haired missile. Catching hold of Hermione rather easily and he found enduring one of her patented hugs was now much easier than it had previously been as well.
"Hi Mione!" chirped a voice to his left.
"Zatanna! Neville!" exclaimed the girl releasing Harry and pulling both into short hugs.
"So what's this?" questioned Harry turning to the grinning Sirius.
"Well as you were talking of meeting the members of the Great Alliance, Frank and I decided it would be good to simply invite them to celebrate your birthdays with us and join us on our vacation." Said Sirius.
"Of course Hermione was always going to meet us here, we just never let her know and as you're close to the Weasley's I thought it would be a good idea to invite them and the rest of your friends." Explained Remus.
"Thank you Uncle Moony." Said Harry.
Looking around the room he could see the place was filled with many of his friends and schoolmates as well who he was guessing were the parents of some of his schoolmates and Alliance members. Looking them over aside from the Weasley's who brought two more people who he assumed were Bill and Charley he could see Daphne Greengrass, Tracy Davis and Blaise Zabini. Across the room he could see his teammates all gathered with most of them laughing at the twins who for some reason were gaping in shock. He could see two more girls Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot and he was pleasantly surprised to see Penny sitting beside Luna. He could see Dean, Seamus, Justin and Ron had all gathered together in their own little group. He was also surprised to see Lavender as well as Parvati and Padma.
There were several other people as well most of them he assumed were parents and thus the members of the Great Alliance. The only people he however did recognize were three people who he recognized as the Tonks family. He'd met them almost a month ago when Sirius had called a meeting of the House of Black, during which he had introduced him to his cousin Andromeda along with her daughter Nymphadora and her husband Ted. Turns out Andromeda had surprised her family when she had married the muggleborn Ted Tonks and while Sirius's mother Walburga had wanted her disowned the late Arcturus Black however hadn't done so recognizing that Andromeda's magic had connected with Ted's and she had done only what her magic had guided her into doing.
Nymphadora or Tonks as she preferred to be called had proven this as the Black Family magic was rather strong in her. In fact it was so strong that it had awakened a latent gift of the Black Family which was her metamorphic ability. Such an ability according to Sirius hadn't been seen in the family for over two centuries until she was born. Andromeda or Andi as she liked to be called was now a fully qualified Healer employed by the Ministry while Ted had become a Solicitor. Tonks however was currently a cadet in the Auror academy something Sirius had encouraged wholeheartedly.
Over the next few minutes Sirius guided Harry through the room introducing him properly to the members of the Alliance and their children. As he didn't really personally know a lot of the children, though he had classes with them Harry was happy Sirius was there to help him navigate the waters. As Andromeda had been helping him learn certain protocols fitting his station for formal occasions he went through the motions as best he could knowing that she was most likely watching him with her hawk-like gaze.
"Alright you lot, go wash up. Breakfast is just about ready and you're going to want to eat your fill before we head out." Said Alice as she made her way into the room from the kitchen.
After a quick shower Harry found himself within a large dining room fifteen minutes with a plate in front of him. The meal had been provided by the resorts House Elves and consisted of pancakes, hash browns, eggs an English muffin and orange juice to wash it all down. Or at least his dead, Zatanna had gotten a couple of breakfast burritos and had gotten Hermione to order the same. He was seated between Sirius and Alice with everyone else seated somewhat randomly. Currently he like the others was listening as William or Bill as he preferred to be called spoke of what he did as a curse breaker for Gringotts.
"You know it sounds like you're a real life Indiana Jones." Said Phoebe getting a confused look from Bill and many of those sitting near her though he along with several others were chuckling.
"Well now that I think about it that's pretty much the job. A curse breaker is pretty much an archeologist with knowledge of a particular skill set. That's actually the field I was thinking of going into after the war." Said Sirius
"So Bill is Indiana Jones, and Harry is Luke Skywalker." Said Zatanna after a few moments of thought.
"I think I'm more of a mix of Anakin and Luke. After all I was pretty much a slave until Hagrid rescued me from Durskaban. I just have no intention of falling to the Dark Side." Said Harry
After breakfast was over and done with the magic-raised among them rather blown away by the meal that topped anything they'd ever had in the Wizarding world the group headed out of the rooms. The group led by Leo, Henry and Coop soon found themselves boarding a bus. Hermione in her seat beside Harry was nearly vibrating such was her excitement which soon proved to be infectious to the group as a whole. The rest of the day was a blur of activity as far as the kids were concerned. After getting off the bus in front of Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park and after being granted entrance they had entered the park and from their enjoyed a day of merriment.
For the wizard-raised among the group the sights of the park had left them reeling. From just the number of people that wandered the park they had been forced to come to the realization of just how small the attractions of what they'd known growing up truly were. Despite this when the day was all over and they had been through Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland did they decide to call it a day. It was as they were making it back however that they were surprised when they discovered an entire area of the park that contained true magic. There they were greeted with a multitude of activities that they could enjoy.
At one point while he and his teammates where entertaining some games built around Quiddich concepts Hermione along with Luna, Padma, Daphne and Susan had all disappeared. When they had returned they had done so burdened with new books they had purchased from a bookstore nearby. Of course having come from a shop in the actual magical section of the park they were given bags with expansion charms that would allow them to carry their load of books much easier than normal.
After exploring and partaking in the games in this section from which Harry had one more than a few prizes that he'd given away as gifts the group had finally decided to call it a day. By then the night was upon them and as they traveled down the Main Street they were just in time to get a front row viewing of the parade and a fantastic fireworks show that left even the twins in awe before they left the park for the resort.
Elsewhere a figure could be found sitting behind an ornate wooden desk nursing a glass of fire whiskey as he sat deep in thought. With Fudge booted out of office and both he and Lucius Malfoy currently residing in cells in Azkaban there had been a shift in the dynamic of the Wizengamont. Not only that but Albus Dumbledore had also stepped down from his position of chief warlock and headmaster of Hogwarts stating that his old age was beginning to take its toll and holding so many positions was simply too much. This left voids in several positions just waiting to be filled and he knew several people would now be trying to make moves.
Lucius had previously been the recognized leader of the Dark faction within the Wizengamont. Having known Lucius since childhood he had known the man could be quite crafty and cunning however ever since he'd gotten his hands on the Black family fortune his methods had become heavier handed, becoming less subtle as a result. Having that fool Fudge so deep in his pocket had effectively made him Minister in all but name and responsibility. He'd even had the foresight to have Deloris Umbridge installed as the man's Senior Undersecretary, which meant that he wouldn't have to be bothered as frequently as Deloris despite her lack of magical power was an avid supporter of their cause.
Unfortunately for him Lucius had overlooked someone, particularly Amelia Bones and as such was currently enjoying the company of the Dementors. With him now off the board he would have to take matters into his own hands. His father had always felt that he should have been the one in the lead anyway, not Lucius. Both his father and Lucius's had been Senior Circle, the original Death Eaters, though both had passed on some time ago. His family however had also supported Grindelwald, something the Malfoy's could not boast.
Though his father hadn't been very highly ranked by the end he had still been a major contributor for their side, enough that Voldemort had sought him out for a meeting when he was in the early stages of his rise to power. After the fall of Grindelwald his father had opted not to return to Hungary and instead had moved to England settling in York. His father had married a member of the Crouch family which had effectively given his family a Noble status in Magical Britain as opposed to the Foreign status that would have hampered them.
As his mother and Lucius's mother had been best friends Lucius had become his god-brother. Together they had attended Hogwarts and been sorted into Slytherin where they had eventually risen up to rule the house. The two of them had basically been responsible for the recruitment of what could now be considered the Inner Circle Death Eaters, and his biggest personal wins had been the recruitment of Barty Crouch Jr, Denis Travers and Peter Pettigrew. Both Junior and Travers had been two of their most loyal and neither had even flinched at going to Azkaban, whereas Pettigrew had proven to be an able spy in Dumbledore's Order. Further still after the fall of Voldemort he'd gotten rid one of their greatest foes in Sirius Black framing him for multiple murders something that required quite a bit of cunning especially for a spur of the moment plan.
Still while the loss of Lucius and the Black family funds would be a blow it wasn't as bad as it could be. With his record and achievements it would be easy for him to seize control of both his faction of the Wizengamont and of the remaining active Death Eaters. Following that however he would have to make some other moves, perhaps reach out to some old contacts. With that in mind the man known as Thaddaeus Nott set about his planning.
The next two days followed in a blur for the group. The day following their foray at the Magic Kingdom the dawn broke on July 30th which was also Neville's birthday. The birthday boy had spent the morning almost tucked under his mother's arm and looking quite comfortable at that. From what he knew the Longbottom's had spent over a year in the Seven Saints Clinic and they'd had plenty of time to become a rather close family unit.
The day was started by breakfast and the giving of gifts. Neville had come out quite well the Greengrass girls and Tracey had pitched in to get him a red and black backpack with the Gryffindor house crest that featured what they called an Undetectable Expansion Runes. From what had been said the rune was an advancement of a charm that expanded the internal dimensions of an object thus giving it more room while not increasing its weight or mass on the outside. It differed from the parent charm however in that the charm was only temporary and could run out of energy whereas the rune could allow the expansion to be permanent. Hermione had looked very interested when she had learned that the girls all had similar bags that they used to carry around their school supplies.
Penny had gotten him a book on fairy tales and myths that were known in the languid-world though focusing on Ireland and the United Kingdom. Harry and Justin had coordinated and gotten him the first fourteen Bond books, each of them springing for seven. Hermione had given him a book on rare and exotic plants in the languid-world that were also very valuable due to their uses. Sirius and Remus had gifted him with a watch that through the clever usage of runes could double as a communication mirror among a few other more secret features.
Hannah's family had gotten him a dragon-hide jacket and the Bones had gifted him with matching boots. Alice and Augusta had simply informed him they were building him his own personal greenhouse, much to his joy. Frank had given him two gifts the first being a Nimbus 2001, and the second had been the signet ring marking him officially as the Heir of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom. While he'd gotten many more gifts from those attending those had been the ones that stood out the most.
Following that they'd spent their day enjoying themselves within the Animal Kingdom, something that everyone had enjoyed especially seeing all of the animals, shows, rides and plants they'd had on display. They had also had a magical section where they could see various animals though couldn't interact with them. Harry had found the snakes of both breeds to be absolutely hilarious as had his companions once he explained what had caused him to crack up laughing.
The next day however was Harry's birthday and after a rather filling breakfast it had been time to receive his own gifts. He had also gotten a lot of gifts a backpack matching Neville's from the Slytherin girls though his also boasted his Quiddich number as well. His aunt Paige had gotten him a skateboard while his aunt Piper had gotten him a bike. His aunt phoebe however had given him an mp3 player with well over 2000 songs on it. His aunt Prue had given him a set of books entitled 'Chronicles of the Shinobi' and told him that reading them were important.
From the Longbottom's he'd gotten him all thirteen of the hardcopy Dresden books, he'd already gotten Neville and Frank hooked on Sherlock Holmes and they had figured one good turn deserves another. Penny had gotten him a book on myths and fairytales native to the British Wizarding World. Dean had given him a rather thick book of comic strips for something called the Boondocks and had sworn to him it was hilarious. Justin meanwhile had gifted him with a complete collection of dvd's for a series called Dragon Ball Z. Like Neville he'd gotten Dragon-hide boots and a jacket however the boots had come from the Hannah and the Abbot family and the jacket had come from Susan and Amelia. Luna had given him a book on famous magical creatures, hugged him and thanked him for being her friend.
Hermione and Moony had worked together and while the Grangers had gotten him a watch Moony had done his work and given it all of the same features that Neville's could boast. Hermione hadn't been done however as after giving him one of her trademark hugs she had given him a quick kiss on the cheek before retreating. After he'd regained his ability to breathe he'd been gifted with seemingly a whole wizarding wardrobe by Alice and Augusta considering they'd just given him a trunk full of the stuff.
Following this Sirius the man-child himself had given him his own gift, one that had nearly put him right back into his previous state. Sirius had handed him a small box much like one would buy earrings in, however inside had been not earrings but a miniaturized broom. After he had removed it however Sirius had handed him a letter, one addressed by the President of Nimbus Racing who had first thanked him for inviting his staff to the schools Quiddich Tournament and gave him praises on a marvelous performance.
As if that wasn't enough he and Sirius had been in conversation and after constant correspondence between the company and its account manager and someone else's Nimbus had become a distributor for a new line of brooms. The newest edition to the Nimbus family however would be a limited edition series and he was given the first one, customized with his name engraved on the handle was the game changer, The Firebolt the most anticipated broom around especially as it would not be released for another few weeks.
Once it had been revealed to its full size the Quiddich enthusiast had goggled at the sight before his teammates had started cheering wildly already crowing about the next cup being theirs. Sirius went on to explain that as Amelia had allowed him to watch the games by way of Pensieve, after which he'd contacted Nimbus and negotiated the purchase of the Firebolt. Upon learning that it was a birthday present for Harry and that the Potter's owned stock in the company it had been much easier to get done, though the man had paid the full market price. Harry had given him a very tight hug before calling Dobby who took the broom back to his house on Prescott street where it would be placed alongside his Nimbus 2000.
They had spent the day split between exploring the Epcot Center and then once they'd gotten too hot retreated to the Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. It had been while they were in the water park that he had realized that the girls where, well girls and that they were growing up. Though their swimwear was conservative it had still been enough to catch his attention, well except for Tonks who wore a two piece bikini that had made him along with a few others blush and goggle at her.
Following that they'd gone bowling at the Disney Springs, which had been loads of fun. Upon returning back to the suite and his room Harry had found a few things waiting for him, Hagrid had sent him a book with instructions to stroke the spine before opening it. Professor McGonagall however had sent his a sheath of all things however attached had been a note that stated that every knight needs to rest. Leo had brought him the Sword of Gryffindor which he placed within the sheath reverently. It was as he held it however that he could feel that something was off, though he couldn't place exactly what. Handing the now sheathed sword back to his uncle, he had turned to find a pair of ravens perched upon the window sill near Hedwig.
Looking upon his friend he could almost feel her shrug also confused but had approached the pair one of which offered him a leg which he could see held a couple piece of parchment. Removing the message he'd offered some spare treats. While they hadn't accepted they had flown up to his shoulders and nuzzled him before circling him happily and flying off and out of the window. Opening up the message he didn't even realize he was sitting down by the end such was his surprise.
To my dearest grandson I first want to wish you a happy birthday. You are now entering your thirteenth year and while you grow I shall always see in you the baby that I watched from afar. While there is much that I wish to say, and much that you deserve to know I shan't overload you with such knowledge, especially not by letter. What I will tell you however is that our family is old, much older than what is assumed or even guessed at, older than even we had known. Our history is rich and spans lifetimes and we possess power that none outside of the family can boast. Power however comes at a price, one that few see coming and even fewer are prepared for.
Unfortunately you are already paying one such price as you were born under a prophecy, which is why your parents went into hiding. I digress however and while it is a subject that you will learn of soon it is not why we are writing you this day. While we do not know what prompted it your recent release of power was enough to catch the attention of one of many who had been searching for you over the last few years. I want you to know that though many thought you were, we never believed you dead and as such while the party was small the search still continued.
Here the style of writing had changed as it was clear that this was someone else's hand controlling the narrative. The first writer while having an elegant style possessed a lighter hand with a smooth flowing touch. The second writer however possessed a heavier hand and their style of writing showed they were used to writing with a more formal style, as he could tell the second writer had used a quill. Looking further down the page he could see that it was something that he would have to deal with as the two switched off constantly.
Now we must speak of your parents, for not all is as it seems. Your father is a very powerful warrior and among the youngest of our children. As he grew however it became apparent that he was a natural in the arts of combat. As he aged he of course grew stronger and more powerful eventually coming to the point where very few could rival him and only your grandfather was outright more powerful. As such he grew arrogant in his power and your grandfather and I decided it was time to humble him.
Using our power your father, our son was placed into the care of Charles and Dorea Potter in the stillborn body of their son James. Make no mistake however in that for all intents and purposes he was James Potter. The idea was that he would live a human life in order to grow as a person. It took some doing as initially he was growing to be very much the same as he was still naturally gifted but now an only child. It took time however he eventually matured, your mother being a very big reason why he did so.
Your parent's first met when they were eleven on the Hogwarts Express and both were sorted into Gryffindor. While your father made fast friends with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, his relationship with your mother did not truly begin until they were in their fourth year of schooling. To be honest prior to that your mother could not stand your father, but that is a story for him to tell you.
Their relationship grew and eventually they married, I must admit I found it a favorable match, your mother truly brought out the best in him. When you were born we were already well into the planning stages of retrieving your family so that we could integrate his new memories with his older ones, something we are apparently old hands at.
Unfortunately as you know tragedy struck and your parents were both killed. With your father being stripped of his mortal form and jarred back into his true bbody and in his rage nearly destroyed us all with his sheer power. We were able to stop him but it was a close thing, and due to his madness your grandfather was forced to seal away his newer memories. Unfortunately by the time we settled that you were missing, and we were unable to locate you despite our best efforts.
Recently an old friend of your father's came to pay him a visit. The end of the visit found memories awakening in your father and even in us along with a few others. Your father however had a more severe reaction than everyone else. With decade's worth of memories sealed away from him he was rendered unconscious and unfortunately still has not yet awakened despite our efforts. That said while our first reaction upon learning you had finally been found was to immediately collect you; I have decided against doing so for now until your father has woken. While this may upset you know I do so only as I feel that for now you are not only safe and are in no danger but there is no reason to risk your safety while so many of us can only barely control our own power.
Unfortunately I must admit that I am in agreement with your grandfather. We are very powerful, undoubtedly more so now with our newly regained knowledge and abilities, however as strong as the two of us are your father can be even more powerful than we are combined. That said it is your birthday and we could not in good conscious ignore that fact. I felt that if we could not be there for you in person we could at least send word and let you know that you are in our thoughts, and even more that you are loved.
At that the letter ended. There was no signature merely two crests residing where a signature should be. Frowning at that he wondered who exactly these people were, and if they spoke true just what it meant for him. There was also the way it spoke of his father, he had long since come to terms with the fact his parents were dead, but for some reason this new information if true had already sparked up the dream of being held by his parents, or at least his father. Something he'd seen and watched for hours at a time just a year previous while staring within the Mirror of Erised over the Yule holiday.
That said he had known already that he still had family around. He could still vividly remember the letter that he had sent to himself from the future that had said as much. Despite this he'd had no knowledge of what that family would be like as apparently they had all already been killed by the time his older self even learned of them. The question of who they were had ate at him ever since he'd read that original letter, this one if anything had only given him more questions than answers.
Daphne Greengrass was the epitome of Slytherin house, she had ambition, cunning and cleverness to spare. In fact within the current crop of students in her year she was the one usually held up as an example, even Snape within the privacy of the snake pit had acknowledged this as fact. Of course such should be expected of one of her lineage, with a mother from Slytherin and a father who had been a Ravenclaw, who had both instilled within her qualities with which to succeed in life. This meant that unlike most that called the house home in the new generation she had a working brain, in fact the sorting hat had debated putting her into Ravenclaw, however it was her ambition that had led to its decision to place her in Slytherin.
It was also that ambition that had led her to where she was right now, on the East Coast of America, in a muggle hotel and sharing a room with Hermione Granger of all people. Harry Potter was the ultimate goal for many a witch, from a very old and powerful family, the wealthiest of them all and more powerful than anyone his own age has any right to be. While he could be an usually was quite unassuming preferring to blend with his peers rumors of his power had been floating around the castle since the previous year when Gryffindor's original Golden Trio had first formed after an encounter with a troll. While Weasley was publically claiming credit of the defeat by levitating and dropping its club on its head anyone more knowledgeable knew it meant nothing, mountain trolls were notoriously thick skinned and had survived much worse than some mediocre at best first year dropping a club on their heads.
It hadn't been long after that when word had reached her that Potter had stuck his wand up his nose and somehow put a whole straight through its brain and out of its head. If that wasn't enough then there was his ability to handle a broom which everyone knew worked better the more powerful someone was. Then there was the mysterious disappearance of Quirrell and Potters simultainous stay in the infirmary. This year he had added to his growing legend by slaying a thousand year old Basilisk. Then the news had come out that he descended from three of the Founders, she knew most of her peers missed that bit of the Quibbler article focusing more on his ties to Gryffindor and Slytherin, however she remembered that the spirit had stated he'd married Hufflepuff which logically meant that Potter descended from her as well.
Of course he wasn't an heir to Hufflepuff, that heir as with Ravenclaw's could only be female. Such were their accomplishments that they were granted the ability to pass on their names to any daughters they had and those daughters were afforded the same privilege. That had been the beginning of what was now called Line Continuation in which a witch of a notable family could pass on their name if there was no male candidate available to do so, though the rules were a bit complicated. For someone like Potter it would usually be a bit more straight forward, he married and the witch and any children would carry his name, however he was also the Heir of Gryffindor, and the heir presumptive of House Black, which complicated matters.
Still back to her point, when the owl had first arrived with the letter from Potter inviting her family to this outing it had been her ambition that had led her to accept. It was only later that they had realized that it was the opening move in the reformation of the Great Alliance, and even still only the most powerful political members were in attendance. Oh he had disguised it by inviting friends and his housemates but her mother had confirmed her suspicions almost as soon as they had arrived. Her mother had actually praised the move stating with the shake-ups caused by the ousting of Fudge and Dumbledore stepping down it was the perfect time for someone to sneak in and seize control.
When it had been time to decide who would room with whom and she was placed with Granger she hadn't looked at it how most in her house would. Instead she had seen it as an opportunity, after all Granger was the one he held in confidence and she had essentially become the gatekeeper to those who would even be allowed near him. Weasley had at one point had the role but he'd not only squandered it but thrown it away and Longbottom now held a position that would see his stock in the castle raising. Still over the last few days she and Granger had spoken quite a few times and she would admit if only to herself that intellectually Granger could possibly be better than her, however her muggle upbringing hindered her as things that she considered common knowledge the other girl as a muggleborn had no clue about. As such she had decided to give her a bit of tuition in those areas, and Granger had done the same introducing her to something called the internet.
The things she had learned in just that week had made her reevaluate her thoughts on muggles and muggleborns as it had become clear that they were capable of feats that were mindboggling. She had shown her that even if the Death Eaters returned in force they would be summarily smacked down and eradicated. She had proven this by showing her what she called video footage on a battle from two years prior that had happened in New York that had been entitled Rise of the Avengers, six individuals that had fought off an invading army of aliens and won, included in that number however had been none other than Thor himself.
That had shaken her and she'd run full out to her parents and informed them of the matter throwing all decorum to the wind in her haste. Needless to say that everyone who hadn't known before then was now well educated to the might of the Avengers and that Thor had returned to Earth. The Longbottom's had been ecstatic which she understood knowing that they descended from Vikings. Hermione by use of her laptop had replayed the video for everyone to see and many others beside that some which featured Iron Man on his own and some featuring Captain America fighting the Winter Solider of all people. The knowledge that the Soldier was back however horrified every one of the magical community as this was a man who had been terrorizing them since even before Voldemort. He had killed Ministers, Department Heads, Chief Warlocks and whatever auror's that had gone against him.
That however was another tangent in itself, the point was due to her background Granger had been the source of a lot of the new knowledge she had obtained. It had also led her to the conclusion that the things that she would have trouble with or not understand in her world would be things that the other girl would consider common knowledge. It had actually led to her bringing the matter up with her father who had promised he would be speaking with their new Headmistress about correcting these overlooked matters.
Still outside of that these last few days had been very good for her. Not only had she made inroads with the Heir to House Potter, but of Longbottom, Woods and others. While a lot of relationships had been started for her family which she felt may be good for business a lot of things would still be up in the air. It was good for a first outing and to see what was possible but now her father would have to work on developing those relationships even further.
The young Miss Greengrass was not the only one who was thinking over the new relationships that had formed. However unlike the young lady this individual didn't have his mind on family business, not in a broad sense at least no instead his thoughts focused on one goal how to use those relationships to protect his godson. For Sirius Black, ensuring Harry was safe and happy was the most important things he could do. It was what had led him to his current position standing within a small town known as Godric's Hollow, outside of what had at one point served as his home.
It was two story building with a small gate and hedges surrounding the front yard. It was made of stone construction, large cobblestones decorated the exterior and a beautiful garden had once been part of the décor. Of course now the hedge had grown wild due to over a decade of disuse since he had handed Hagrid the bundled form of his godson after the attack. The rubble that lay scattered amongst the waist-high grass was an obvious sign to all that something tragic had happened within. Most of the cottage was still standing, though entirely covered in the dark ivy but the right side of the top floor, what had been Harry's room had been blown apart, a testament to the power Harry had held at the time.
As he stood there scenes of the past flew through his mind, laughter and fun in abundance, holding or standing as a silent sentry within Harry's room, Lily's smile and the scent of her freshly made cookies. A beaming James as he played with his son who gurgled happily, Harry and Neville playing together while Frank and James watched over them until finally it led to that horrible night so long ago when he had pulled a crying Harry from the rubble in his room and rocked him as the two of them cried over the still bodies of their family. After that in his grief it had been easy for his rage to overtake his sense of reason, allowing him to hand Harry off to Hagrid which allowed him the opportunity to go off in search of Peter and then to take his vengeance.
Except things hadn't worked out that way, Peter hadn't been tortured or killed but had instead had been a traitor, becoming a spy and offering up those who had been his friends, his sworn brother and his family up to Voldemort on a platter. The revelation that he'd been played, his own gambit had been turned on him by Peter of all people had caught him flatfooted and stunned him just long enough for Peter to do the damage that had seen Sirius thrown unceremoniously in Azkaban.
"I screwed up James." Spoke the man his tone displaying his grief and tears falling freely down his cheeks as he spoke to the empty air.
"I let my temper get the better of me again and they chucked me in Azkaban. That I could deal with, I deserve that much for suggesting Peter and not Remus." Said the man shame overtaking him before his tone turned bitter and angry.
"Lils they gave Harry to Petunia. Remus and I have him back now, it took some time on his part but we have him back. The damage those damned Dursley's inflicted on him though."
He cut himself off, the damage done to Harry had been extensive. He'd seen the file but hadn't read it, instead he and Harry had talked about it, while Prue as his mind healer knew a lot more he and Harry were going at a pace the boy would be comfortable with. Still what he had heard so far had made some of what he experienced under Walburga seem tame in comparison.
"Peturnia and her fat ass husband are in prison now. Remus found your blood relatives while I was locked up, we have a place across the street from them now. They've been a real help when it came to helping Harry with his powers, that teleporting and shielding stuff he used to do turns out to be a family skill. Lils turns out your dad is an honest to God guardian angel called a Whitelighter. You've also got four younger sisters, all of them have taken to Harry." Reported the man after regaining his composure.
He sighed despite all the good they had done for Harry, he was insistent on going back to Hogwarts. Unfortunately for Sirius that meant he would be placing himself right back in danger, he may have been off the board for quite a while but Remus had caught him up on the score. Remus was actually his new family stewart; Elliot had recommended it actually as he was now the new Head of House Prewett and needed to concentrate on his own family's needs. With that however Remus was now in charge of both the Potter and Black families financially, and he knew eventually they'd need to get someone else on hand to help before it ran him ragged.
Still the point was he knew what the score was. They were now back into a cold war, the pureblood movement under Malfoy's direction had risen in power and importance and it didn't help that the vast majority of the Death Eaters had been allowed to walk under the pretense of being put under the Imperious with no actual proof of such a thing outside of the time they had been caught. As much as they all hated it Harry is the 'Boy Who Lived' and such a title came with enemies. Dumbledore may have taken himself out of the Chief Warlock position but he had no belief that the man had left the game entirely, he was too used to being the person in charge.
In the end it all boiled down to one thing, Power and Harry was unfortunately lacking in that regard. Sure he had the Potter seat in the Wizengamont and was heir to a few powerful titles but he wouldn't be able to touch any of it for at least another year at the earliest. By that point he could become Head of House Potter at least in name even if he'd still be considered to be too young to take up the title in all it entails. While Harry certainly held more magical power than most anyone in his age bracket could likely boast, but political power he needed wasn't there any longer. Magically and financially he may have been fine, but that most important area was not covered.
"We all swore we would do anything we needed to in order to protect Harry. You two and Remus have done exactly that, I guess now I have to do the same even if I swore I would never do it." Said Sirius.
You really couldn't do more than give your life for someone, though Lily had found away somehow. Whatever ritual she'd pulled together had put some type of powerful protection on Harry, enough that it had literally fried Quirrel once it was triggered. Now that he was spending time with the sisters and had lived with them for months within the time bubble it was apparently stronger than ever. Still while that was all well and good he wanted to prevent it from triggering in the first place. There was a comforting breeze that wrapped around him at the thought and the scent of fresh flowers it carried he took as a sign of support to which he gave a single sharp nod of his head before turning on the spot and vanishing with a pop.
He appeared with a nearly silent pop in London, about twenty minutes from Kings Cross Station. In front of him was a large building much bigger than the last one he'd stood in front of. 12 Grimmauld Place was both his childhood home and one of the ancestrial homes of the Black Family. It had been his home up until he was fourteen when he'd run away and been taken in by the Potter's, and after that point he had never set foot near the place again. He currently stood at the back of the house well within the wards and as such unseen by anyone who may be watching the place. Steeling his nerves he approached the door and after a few moments to compose himself pushed it open and entered.
As he moved down the darkened hall he found himself in gas lamps which lined the walls lit themselves illuminating the way for him. As he moved he ignored the various doorways he passed though he knew exactly where they led. At the end of the hall was a set of stairs which he quickly ascended at the top of which was a long hall with a door to his immediate left and one to his right. The one to the left he knew led to the kitchen, pantry and the room of a rather surly house elf. The room to the right however was his destination and after a small bit of hesitation he slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open.
The room like the rest of the place was covered in a layer of dust and the smell of decay which spoke of the lack of maintenance the place had received over the years. Considering his mother had died while he had been in prison he wasn't surprised with the lack of care, the old bitch had probably killed the deranged house elf of hers over some imagined slight which would explain the state of the house. Closing the door behind him as he entered he twirled his wand in a well remembered motion causing dust to be lifted from every surface and to float out of the now open window.
Approaching and moving around the desk and taking a seat in the cushioned chair behind it he sat still for a moment taking it in. The study he was currently in belonged to the Lord Black, his father he knew never got to use it. His grandfather hadn't trusted him with the power of the House of Black and Sirius had been named the heir upon his seventh birthday. Memory had him reaching down to the bottom drawer on the right side from which he pulled out a ritual bowl pure black in color along with a silver dagger which he placed on the desk. Once again drawing his wand he paused to settle himself as he knew this was his last chance to abandon his course and after a deep breath pushed passed the urge to leave and tapped the lip of the bowl with his wand.
"Familius magicus." Spoke the man his voice firm.
Immediately there was a reaction as magic surged within the room and magical silver smoke formed within the bowl coming nearly to the lip. Sitting down his wand and picking up the dagger he held his left hand over the bowl before quickly slashing across the palm causing his blood to begin pouring into the bowl.
"I Sirius Orion Black, do hereby claim by blood, magic and law the House of Black. I swear to lead with honor and fairness, strength and integrity, to protect and shelter those who belong or ally to the House of Black by blood, law, magic and oath and to bring justice upon those who would break oath with the House of Black. So I have said, so mote it be."
As he finished speaking the effect was immediate as the magic came surging forth from the bowl covering the entirety of the room. He could feel the magic, powerful and cold pressing in on him testing his worthiness and despite everything he had done he could not falter and thus did not back down. Had he run from the family, yes he had but that was more due to the political situation that he could not accept at the time. He would bow to no one especially not that bastard Voldemort like his parents had been demanding of him.
Suddenly the pressure eased away from him taking on the form of the family totum, a horned snake black with a silver underbelly. For a moment he looked eyes with the swirling pools of magic of the snakes before it bowed its head and before it two rings appeared. On the left was one he was familiar with one that his grandfather had worn for all the time he'd known him, the signet ring of the Lord Black. Silver with the crest of the House of Black sitting within a kite shield. The other ring was also silver in color and decorated with three hooded snakes. Looking up at the totum he followed the snakes prompting placing on the left ring on the ring finger of his left hand. As he did he could feel his magic surge within him as the ring shrunk down until it fit his finger.
"Lord Black."
Came the hissing voice of the snake startling him and causing him to look up in shock. Following the snakes gaze however he soon found himself eyeing the second ring and after a brief moment picked it up and placed it on the small finger of his left hand. Once again his magic surged before the ring resized to fit him.
"Lord Slytherin" came the hissing voice before the snake faded into nothingness.
"Bloody Hell." Said the marauder staring at his new ring in shock.
He had wanted power and it didn't get more powerful than being the head of two Most Ancient and Most Noble Houses.
