Due to popular demands, Halios gender-changes will be kept to a minimum (maybe once or twice in each chapter, at most), and the pronoun used will change from he to she and back, depending on his/her gender.
Shopping with gods
August 18th, The Leaky Cauldron, Noon
As he sat at a table, with his wife and daughter next to him, Sirius Black was getting really nervous. Today was the day his godson might return, and it was not long until the promised time. As they came closer and closer to noon, Sirius began pacing back and forth next to the table.
"Dear, I know you are nervous, but please, try to relax", his wife, Estée, said.
Running his right hand through his hair, Sirius stopped for a moment, before sinking down next to his daughter. Sighing, he rested his arms on the table and gave Estée a tired smile. "I know, I know... it's just..."
"Don't worry, dad", Seren said as she hugged him. "I'm sure cousin Harry will come."
Smiling down on his daughter, Sirius relaxed and watched the clock, as the last minute before noon passed. Then he felt magic gathering in the middle of the pub, magic similar to the kind he had felt when he and Dumbledore had performed the ritual that contacted Meridia. Suddenly, a portal opened up, and three figures stepped through, into the pub. One was a man, a bit over 6 feet tall, with white hair and dressed in a strange suite, split in crimson on the left and purple on the right and holding a cane. The next were a woman, about 5'7 tall, with long, flowing golden hair, dressed in a white dress that billowed as she moved. Last, a boy came through. He was about 5 feet tall, had red hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a white shirt and loose black trousers, and had soft leather boots on his feet's. As Sirius looked closer, he could see both James and Lily in the boy, yet there was also traces of the two persons that stood next to him. Standing up, he slowly made his way towards the trio.
Halios POV
Halios stood in the courtyard with his mother, waiting for his father to complete the ritual that would open a portal to his former world. He smiled a little, as he thought of the prospect of new knowledge and possible friends.
"There! The ritual is complete, and is bound to these rings", Sheogorath said as he turned around, holding three silver rings in his hand. "Now, for the portal to open, we simply pour or magic into one of these rings and throw it a few feet in front of us. Once the portal is open, it will stay that way for about 10 minutes, or until the one who threw the ring steps through. Oh, and don't worry about the rings. The ring used will be on the same side as the caster, once the portal has closed."
Taking a ring, Halios started to gather his magic inside it. "Well then, father, let us be off and we shall see what the future holds in store."
With those words, he threw the ring in front of him, and watched as a portal opened. Turning back towards his parents, Halios smiled as they stepped through the portal together. The world flashed purple, before they stepped out from the portal in a shabby looking pub. Letting his gaze sweep over the interior of the pub, he noticed a man and two women, one around 30 and one who looked like she was in her early teens. The man was slowly walking towards them, and the women had their eyes fixed on them, from where they sat behind the man.
As he came closer, the man's eyes seemed to light up when he got a better look at them.
"Harry..?", he asked with a soft voice.
Normal POV
"Harry..?"
As Sirius said that name, the three in front of him turned towards him. The young man (?) gave him a small smile before answering in a melodic voice.
"Harry? Yes, that was my name once, before my father saved me. Now, I'm Halios Meridian Sheoth, the child of Sheogorath and Meridia. And you must be Sirius Black, one of the ones who used a ritual to summon my mother. A friend to my mortal parents and my... godfather..? I believe it was? It is good to meet you, allow me to introduce my mother and father; Meridia ("Pleased to meet you."), and Sheogorath ("Greetings, lad.")."
After a brief moment of confusion, Sirius smiled before pulling Halios into a hug. "Harr... Halios, I'm so relieved that you are okay. When I arrived at your parents house, and found Lily and James dead, and you missing, it broke my heart."
Releasing Halios from his embrace, Sirius calls his family over. "Your mum and dad had decided that, if anything were to happen to them, I was to become your guardian and substitute father. That was why they made me your godfather. But since you now has a real god for a father ("Hah! Good one!" "Quite, Sheo" "Yes, dear..."), I hope that me and my family can at least become friends with you."
"Well, if you want that, you'd better introduce us, then", Halios said with a lopsided grin.
"Oh, right! Ehm..." Turning around, Sirius pulled his wife and daughter close to him. "This is my lovely wife, Estée, and our spitfire of a daughter, Seren. Seren will be starting Hogwarts this year as well, so we had hoped to join you today as it is your first time in the Diagon Alley."
Meridia gave them a smile as they greeted each other, before turning towards Sirius. "I think we all are appreciating your offer, and would be happy to agree. But first I must ask, what currency does your world use?"
Reaching into his pocket, Sirius pulls out three coins. "This is our money. The small one is called a Knut, the silver is a Sickle and the large, gold one is a Galleon. There's 29 Knuts to a Sickle, and 17 Sickles to a Galleon", he explained.
"Then, is there a place were we can trade or sell some gold and jewels, so that we can some of the local currency?" Meridia asks with a frown.
"That would be Gringotts Bank, and we'll go there first, but you don't have to worry about money, as Halios is the Heir to the Potter family, and thus has a trust vault he can access for occasions like this. He won't be able to touch the main family vault until he's 17, but since the trust vault is set for 10.000 Galleons a year, I don't think there's going to be any problems."
At this point, Sirius was interrupted by Sheogorath, who – like the unpredictable creature he is – clapped his hands in excitement and proclaimed that 'Adventures was waiting for them', before Meridia gave him a smack on the back of his head to calm him down.
As Meridia spoke with Sirius about money, Halios began a conversation with Seren. It went slow at first, but once they had gotten over the initial shyness, they hit it off really well. Seren was really interested in the whole daedric thing, and when she asked what the difference between humans and daedra was, Halios just smiled and started to change. First, he started to shrink, from his previous tall 5'4", to a more normal 4'7". Then his arms and legs began to slim down, his chest and hips filling out a minor bit, and his face became softer. When all was done, he was now a she.
Seren just stared, which caused Halios to begin laughing. This caught the attention of their parents, and when Sirius saw her, he had to double check, since she now looked like a younger version of Lily Potter. Then he went into shock. Once he was back with them, she explained that daedra were beings of magic, and thus didn't have genders originally, but those of the daedra who belonged to the upper echelon could change to fit either gender at will, and since magic itself had changed her after she'd been saved by Sheogorath, she could too.
Still a bit shell-shocked, Sirius led them out the back of the pub and knocked on the brick wall to open the door to the Alley.
He then turned towards the three daedra with a smile. "Welcome... To the Diagon Alley!"
Halios and Meridia stared in awe at the magical shopping district, while Sheogorath looked around in glee. As Sirius guided them along, they continued to stare at the different stores as they passed. When they reached the large marble building that was Gringotts, Sirius turned to them.
"Oh, before I forget... here", he said, handing over three golden keys to Halios. "These keys are the Potter vault keys. The smallest one goes to your trust vault, while the two other goes to the main vaults. You will need them to access your inheritance."
After Halios had taken the keys, they continued up towards the bank. As they got closer to the entrance, they noticed that the Goblins guarding it got more and more tense, their gaze flickering over the three daedra. Entering the bank, they walked to the closest free teller.
"Greetings, master Goblin", Meridia says. "My child here has come to make a withdrawal from her vault."
"And which vault would that be?", the teller asked with a sneer.
"The Potter trust vault."
This makes the goblin look up quickly before asking; "Oh? And which one of you is supposed to be the Potter heir?"
"I am", Halios answered, taking a step forward and holding up the vault key. The goblin teller just looked at her before snorting.
"Very well, then. The key is real, but you'll have to take an inheritance test, since the real Potter heir is male, and you, are not."
Halios simply nodded. The teller addressed a goblin next to him. "Griphook, take these customers to the Potter Account Manager. This one", he said, making a small wave towards Halios. "claims to be the Potter heir, so make sure an inheritance test is available and ready to be used."
The goblin named Griphook turned towards the group, and with a short "Follow me", he led them towards a room in the back of the bank. When they got the the closed door, he turned to them and said "Wait here", before knocking on the door and leaving. They stood there for almost ten minutes, before a voice calls "Enter!" and they open the door. Inside is a large oval table, with an older goblin sitting at one of the short ends. They all take a seat at the table, the family of daedra on one side of the table, the Black family on the other. The goblin looks at them.
"Greetings, I am Boneclaw, the Potter Account Manager. I heard that there was someone who claimed to be the Potter heir here to withdraw some gold, is that correct?", Boneclaw says, with a questioning look on his face.
"I do not claim to be the Potter heir, I am." Halios answers, looking straight at the goblin.
"That remains to be seen." Boneclaw takes out a parchment and and a dagger with runes etched on its blade. "Use this dagger, and drop some of your blood on the parchment, and we'll see if you truly are who you claim you are. But be warned, if you are not the Potter heir, you will be punished by the magic of the ritual."
Halios simply nods, and grabs the dagger before dragging it across her palm, letting a few drops of blood drop down on the parchment before the wound close. The parchment flashes bright gold, before it starts to be filled with text. Everyone looks down on the parchment in interest once its completely full. It says;
Name: Halios Meridian Sheoth (Harry Potter)
Gender: Male and Female
Age: 11
Parents: James and Lily Potter (By birth, deceased), Sheogorath and Meridia (Magical rebirth and Adoption)
Godparents: Lord Sirius Orion Black (Godfather), Lady Alice Longbottom (Godmother)
Inheritance:
Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter by Blood (From James Potter)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Gryffindor by Blood (From Lily Potter neé Evans)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Peverell by Blood (From James Potter)
Heir to the Shivering Isles by Magic (From Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness)
Heir to the Colored Rooms by Magic (From Meridia, Daedric Prince of Life and Lady of Infinite Energies)
Boneclaw looks at the parchment before nodding. "Well, it seems you are telling the truth, and not only are you the heir to the Potters, but you are also the heir to the Gryffindor and Peverell families, which were though to be extinct. Please wait a moment, while I send for the Gryffindor and Peverell portfolios and Head of House rings."
With that, he called in another goblin, whom he spoke to quickly in Gobbledegook, before turning back to Halios.
"As we now have proof that you are the heir of House Potter, as its last member, you are now emancipated. Here is the Head of House ring", he hands over a polished, black wooden box, with the Potter Emblem engraved on the lid to Halios. She opens the box and takes out the ring, before putting it on her right hands middle finger. A bright flash happens, and she suddenly feels an influx of magic in her body.
"You are now the Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, but shall we call you Lord or Lady?", Boneclaw asks.
"Call me Lord, as gender has no real meaning for our kind", Halios answers.
"Very well." Boneclaw gives her a nod, when the doors opened and a goblin entered, carrying two portfolios and two older looking boxes. "Ah, it seems the Gryffindor and Peverell portfolios and rings are here. Now, before we continue, please put the rings on the same finger as the Potter one."
Halios took both boxes, opened the Gryffindor one first and put the ring on. A light flashed again, and just as with the Potter ring, she felt her magic increase. Then she opened the Peverell box, and put the ring on. Another flash, but this time, she felt no increase in magic. Instead, a sealed roll of parchment appeared on the table before her. Looking at Boneclaw, he nodded to her to open the scroll. Picking the scroll up, she broke the seal and opened the scroll. Reading the scroll, her eyes slowly grew larger as she red what the scroll said.
Looking at her with a worried look on her face, Meridia spoke. "Dear, what does it say?"
Blinking a couple of times to gather her thoughts, Halios answered. "It... it's a Marriage Contract, between the Head of House Peverell, and – and I'm reading this word for word here – 'the oldest female formless one of House Black'. Sirius, do you know what it means?"
Thinking hard for a while, Sirius frowns before answering. "Well, the only thing I can think of is this; a couple of centuries ago, the Black family was known for producing metamorphmagi, wizards and witches that could change how they looked freely, but that was long ago. As far as I know, there is only one metamorphmagus in Europe at this time. Does the contract have any names?"
Reading through the contract again, Halios finds two names, her own and one other.
"Yes, someone name Nymphadora Tonks. Do you know her?"
Sirius begins to laugh as he answer. "Oh, I do know her, quite well, actually. Little Nymmie is the daughter of one of my cousins, Andromeda Tonks neé Black, and the metamorphmagus I spoke about. She is about five years older than you, and is a student of Hogwarts, though I don't remember which house she is in. Does the contract say anything else?"
Glancing through the contract again, Halios shakes her head. "No, only that we are to be wed within one year after that we both has reach the age of seventeen, and that the contract is magically binding. We has to get married, or we will lose our magic"
"So no way to get out of it then. At least you'll have six years to get to know her before tying the knot."
Halios scowls at this. "That's not the problem. As a daedra, I will not die of old age. My father, Sheogorath, is close to three hundred years old in this reincarnation, and my mother is much older as she has never needed to reincarnate. Unless we can find a way to give Nymphadora the same type of immortality, the marriage will never work, and the contract will take our magic, and at least kill me, as daedra are beings of magic."
That killed Sirius good mood. "Then we have our work cut out for us, only six years to find way to make my little cousin immortal..."
After a few moments of silence, Meridia turns to Boneclaw and asks him to see take them to the Potter vault, so that they can withdraw some gold so they can shop for school supplies. Boneclaw tells her that its not needed and hands her a bag connected to the vault, which will summon the gold needed were-ever they are.
Thanking Boneclaw, they leave Gringotts to begin the shopping. As soon as they left the bank, Seren took Halios hand and pulled her along as the adults laughed quietly, walking behind them. First they went to Flourish and Blotts to pick up their books, as Seren already had a trunk, and Halios had gotten a bottomless chest Sheogorath had used when he was an adventurer. Then they went and bought their potion ingredients and cauldrons. After that, they went to Madam Malkin's to get their school robes and other necessary clothes. When they entered, they saw a blond boy being measured in the back as they were greeted by a clerk. "Hogwarts, my dears? Come with me, and we'll find your clothes."
They followed her back to were the boy stood and lined up next to him. He gave them a short look, gave Seren a short nod and a "Black...", to which she answered with a "Malfoy...", before turning his gaze towards Halios.
"Going to Hogwarts too? The name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. My father is on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, and a close friend of the Minister of Magic. Do you play Quidditch? It's a crime that we can't bring our brooms during our first year, but if I talk with my father, I'm certain he can make it so I can bring my broom. Are you a Pureblood? Mudbloods really have no place amongst us, don't you agree?"
Halios simply gave him a look that said 'are you really that stupid and bigoted?' before shooting him down with a smirk.
"Pureblood? No, I don't think you could call me that, since my parents aren't part of the wizarding world. But make no mistake, blood means nothing. It's personality and skills that makes a person great, and you've just shown that you lack in both. Oh, and by the way, my name is Halios Meridian Sheoth."
As they spoke, the clerk had finished with Halios clothes, and told Halios that they where done, but she simply smiled and told the clerk that she wanted a full wardrobe for a male student too.
The clerk looked at her incredulous and asked why she would need that. Halios simply smiled and concentrated for a moment, changing into her male form.
"There. Now, can I have some male clothes, please?" he asked as both the clerk and the Malfoy brat stared at him. Shaking her head to remove the chock, the clerk swiftly went to work, and in no time he had his clothes.
Thanking the clerk and paying for the clothes, Halios and Seren left the shop and met up with their parents, before going to Ollivanders to get their wands. Stepping into the shop, they both looked around, trying to find the wand maker.
"Ah, welcome. I have been expecting you, Ms. Black-Weiss. I sold your fathers wand, 10 ¼ inches, cypress wood, with a core made of a Hungarian Horn-Tails heartstrings. Let us see which wand chooses you, shall we?"
With that, he turned around and picked a box from a shelf. Seren took it, but Ollivander took it back just as quickly. After about 30 wand, she found her wand. 11 ½ inches, cherry wood, with hair from a Unicorn, freely given. Perfect for charms and white magic. Then Ollivander turned to Halios. "Hmm... Strange... You are powerful, but I don't think any of my wands will choose you. For you, I will need to make a wand with special materials. The core will be the hardest part, but perhaps you could help with that?"
Halios turned towards his parents, and they both nodded before pulling a hair each from their heads. Halios did the same and handed the hairs over to Ollivander. Said wand-maker looked at the hair with great fascination. Halios filled him in on why they gave him the hairs. To say Ollivander was delighted to make a wand with the core of three godlike beings – hair freely given at that! – was an understatement. Ollivander promised that the wand would be finished the next day, and after they had paid for Serens' wand, they went to the Magical Menagerie, so that Seren could pick a pet to bring to Hogwarts. After almost an hour, she had finally found a pet; an Euroasian eagle-owl she named Athena. Halios didn't pick a pet, as he could create a familiar once he got home.
After a full day of shopping, they returned to the Leaky Cauldron. Saying goodbye and giving each-other hugs, they got ready to return home. But before they left, Halios created two small shrines, which he gave to Sirius and Seren, telling them that if they wanted to talk, they only had to concentrate in front of one of the shrines and think his name, and they would be able to talk to him. After promising Seren that they would sit together on the Hogwarts Express, Halios used his ring to open a portal home, and with a final wave, they went home.
This chapter took longer than planned, since I got a writers block for a couple of weeks, and for that, I apologize. In the meantime, I hope this longer chapter makes up for the wait. In the next chapter, Halios gets his wand, and they leave for Hogwarts. Next chapter will be up in mid to late January.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday and whatever else is politically correct these days. Oh, and Happy New Year!
- Baleygr
