Chapter 1: Eridanus

Dumbledore's nervous passtime had become checking and double checking the rollbook of names of incoming students for 1991. The enchanted tome kept track of all the witches and wizards in Britain who would receive Hogwarts letters every year, updating itself accordingly in the events of migration, early or late acceptances…and death.

It was this last category of student name removal that kept Dumbledore up at odd hours, checking the book ever so often, checking to ensure that Harry James Potter was at the very least still alive. The name was there, but appeared almost faded and overlapped with another that Dumbledore couldn't quite make out.

He sighed, even though the book would not tell him Harry's location, he would be content in the knowledge that the boy was out there somewhere even without the protections offered by the blood wards at Number Four Privet Drive and hopefully, come September 1st, he would be safe at Hogwarts.

—–-–—

The wards hastily erected at the Dursley residence were nothing compared to the fortress that was Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The ancestral home of the Black Family was not only protected by its unplottable nature, but it had all manner of nasty wards which would cause immense amounts of suffering to any wizard, muggle or otherwise any daring to enter its halls without permission.

Regulus had reinforced these wards himself when he moved back into the townhouse in 1985 right after Walburga's death. And of course, amongst these were blood wards, causing little issue for the small boy in tow as Regulus had decided to go the route of blood adoption instead of child murder.

Eridanus Harry Black was sat, staring now at the Black Family tapestry as his adoptive father pointed out the names of important family members who should never be forgotten. While Regulus made sure that Harry knew about his true parents and the circumstances surrounding their death, he also, deep down, treasured having a son who would perhaps carry on a new and improved Black legacy.

"Why isn't Dora on here?" asked Eridanus, pouting slightly at the lack of his favourite cousin. He'd only met her a few times as Regulus kept an extremely low profile, but both times she'd entertained him with stories of her time at Hogwarts and the mischief she'd gotten up to with her metamorphmagus abilities.

"I could only repair so much," Regulus sighed. He had indeed put literal blood, sweat and tears into painstakingly removing not only his previous handiwork of faking his death, but also Walburga's destruction of Sirius and Andromeda's portraits. While the portraits and status had been restored, the House was still refusing to acknowledge Andromeda's child as legitimate.

Eri hummed slightly, tracing the silver line that connected his own name to Regulus'.

"Do you think Potter Manor has something like this? That my birth parents are on?"

Regulus frowned slightly, "I'm not–"

He was interrupted by a large barn owl tapping impatiently on the bay window behind the pair, a large cream envelope in its beak.

Eridanus turned around and sprinted to the window the minute he saw the seal on the envelope, swinging the glass doors open and snatching the letter.

Regulus looked on with pride swelling in his chest as his adopted son tore into the letter addressed to:

Eridanus Harry Black

The Second Bedroom on the Fourth Floor

Grimmauld Place, London

The bedroom in question was Regulus' old bedroom as one glance at the scantily clad women permanently stuck to Sirius' walls was enough for him to deem the room wholly too inappropriate for Harry to even set foot in until he was of age.

"Well what does it say?"

"You know what it says, Father," quipped Eri, reading and re-reading the letter a few times to make sure it was real, "You got one ages ago."

A deep scowl set in on the older man's face as he snatched the letter out of his charge's hands, "Do not be rude, Eridanus."

Of course the boy was Eridanus when Regulus was angry, Eri most of the time and Harry when he told him stories of his birth parents.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mister Black,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"Can we reply now? My birthday is only 5 days away, I don't know why they'd make that the deadline… that's not much time to dwell on things, I'm obviously going…right?"

Regulus tuned out Eri's rambling as the child verbally listed all the pros, cons, and pitfalls of attending Hogwarts, and by the time the stream of consciousness was over, an affirmative reply had been sent, as well as a letter to Augusta Longbottom to plan a trip to Diagon Alley the following weekend, both to celebrate the boys' birthdays and pickup school supplies. Neville had been Eri's only friend these past few years as Augusta Longbottom was a formidable woman and one that Regulus trusted to keep secrets.

Loose lips sink ships as they say, and the Potter boy had been exposed to enough of that already.

Upon ending his tirade, Eri blinked owlishly at his father who was pocketing a quill, "You replied already, didn't you?"

"Honestly Eri, laying every thought out loudly will get you nowhere in Slytherin."

The boy scoffed loudly, "who said I'll be in Slytherin? Potters are always in Gryffindor."

"And Blacks are always in Slytherin."

"Uncle Sirius was a Gryffindor."

"Shut up."

—–-–—

Eri and Neville chatted excitedly as they walked out of the Leaky Cauldron, their guardians only a few paces behind them.

"And you can still see fine? Well er- the same?"

Neville was asking about the complicated optical glamour Regulus had put on Eri's eyes before their outing. While the blood adoption had tamed the famously unruly Potter hair and sharpened the boy's features slightly, Lily's bright green eyes persisted and Regulus deemed them too distinctive to be seen by the masses. Therefore, Evans green would become Black grey until Harry was old enough to decide for himself. Of course, his famous lightning scar was heavily glamoured, and its presence known to none except Eri and Regulus.

"I see alright even with the glamour, Nev" remarked Eri, shoving his friend playfully, "It's you who can't see where you're walking half the time."

As if on cue, Neville's foot caught on an uneven cobblestone, sending him tumbling to the ground. Eridanus, looking ever the little lord, burst out laughing as he helped his friend off the ground.

"Neville Longbottom, you cannot expect me to allow you to roam the halls of Hogwarts falling over every other loose stone," snapped Augusta Longbottom catching up to the two boys.

"Gran, I'm working on it," mumbled Neville, hanging his head in shame.

"Perhaps we can fit in an etiquette class while we're here in the Alley," mused Augusta, glancing in the direction of Madame Lightfoot's Perfect Posture and Poise, Lessons for Young Witches and Wizards.

"But Gran, it's our bir-"

"You will do as I say, Neville! This is quite literally for your own good!" snapped Augusta.

Regulus cleared his throat lightly, reminding the pair that they were in public, "Shall we reconvene at the ice cream parlour to celebrate, Mrs Longbottom? We can both get all the school shopping out of the way before the alley gets too crowded."

Augusta gave a curt nod and began steering Neville towards Madame Lightfoot's, much to Eridanus' amusement and Nevilles' despair.

"Can we go to Flourish and Blotts first?" asked Eri as they resumed walking down the alley.

"You can pad out the Black library only after we stop at Gringotts and get you fitted for new sets of robes," came the reply as the pair advanced on the massive marble staircase leading up to Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

Joining the queue inside, Eri quickly engaged his father in a heated, but hushed, discussion on theoretical ways to outsmart the goblins and break into the subterranean vaults. So engrossed in their conversation, they didn't notice the half-giant lumbering past them in the opposite direction holding something quite conspicuously under his coat and muttering about getting safely back to Hogwarts.

Upon reaching the next available teller, Regulus bowed, gesturing for Eri to follow suit, "I wish to speak with the Black account manager, Gornuk, should he be available."

The teller examined the Blacks with beady eyes before pointing a gnarled finger in the direction of a large oak door, "Gornuk shall see you in room 4."

Bowing again, Regulus pulled Eridanus into the specified room and sat patiently, waiting to be attended to.

"I thought Gringotts was for taking out money, and riding down to the vaults," grumbled Eri who was very upset that his first visit to the Wizarding Bank would be spent in an uncomfortable office chair.

"We have important business to attend to before visiting the family vault," snapped his father, "And sit up straight!"

The boy straightened up just as the goblin of the hour, Gornuk strode into the room, as well as one could stride at such a height.

"Lord Black," the goblin sneered, "Finally out of hiding and ready to set the family accounts to rights it seems."

Regulus nodded, "And also to formally recognise my heir."

"Coming back with a bang, eh? You Black boys always were entertaining," cackled Gornuk, pulling paperwork out of what seemed like midair.

Regulus smiled lightly in response. Having the announcement of a new Black Heir plastered all over the society pages of the Daily Prophet seemed tame compared to actually making an appearance at an actual society event to announce his effective return.

Eridanus felt entirely overwhelmed as paper after paper was shoved at himself and Regulus to sign, and by the time it was all over his hand was sore not only from writing his name so many times, but also from using the blood quill required for legal documents. Regulus quickly and cleanly healed both their hands as Gornuk filed away all the paperwork.

"All in order, Lord Black, Scion Black," remarked the goblin, nodding at each Black in turn, "Will that be all for today?"

"Actually, Gornuk, while I do have more than enough galleons on my person for us to make it through the day…"

Eri's heart fell at his father's words. This was shaping up to be a very disappointing bank visit.

"...let us perhaps visit the Black vault quickly to see if Eridanus wants to take anything," concluded Regulus as his son's face split into a bright grin.

He would get to ride the carts!

—–-–—

Eridanus Harry Black had never been more disappointed that first years were not allowed brooms. The cart ride to the bottom of Gringotts had been exhilarating and his father had cheekily informed him that it was nothing compared to flying, to playing quidditch. So alas, the prospect of not being able to play quidditch for an entire year had left Eri with a deep scowl set on his face as he trudged off in the direction of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

Regulus had decided that the best way to tackle the day would be to divide and conquer. Eri would focus on the things he needed to be present for, such as robes and finding a familiar, while Regulus concerned himself with the tedious items on the list, such as potions ingredients, class equipment and school books. Eridanus argued that he absolutely needed to be present for the visit to the bookstore but Regulus shut him down quickly, reminding him that he had probably already read everything at the store. The plan was to meet at Ollivanders afterwards to get Eridanus a wand before joining the Longbottoms for a little birthday celebration at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

Eridanus stepped into the clothing store and busied himself looking at daywear robes while waiting for Madam Malkin to finish with her current customer, a boy his age with platinum blond hair and pointed face, currently draped in a massive black robe.

"Hogwarts, clear?" Madam Malkin said, when Eridanus drew close enough to the fitting area in his browsing. "Got the lot here - just finishing up with this young man now, in fact."

Despite his desire to continue browsing, having just gotten to the silks, Eridanus found himself on a stool next to the blonde boy with a long robe slipped over his head before he clouded blink, with the seamstress beginning to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Of course," replied Eri, narrowly dodging being jabbed in the side by a long needle.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to look at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting

me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow." [scs]

Eridanus scoffed loudly, "As if no one's tried that before. I'm sure you'd be caught in less than 48 hours with whatever scheme you could think up."

The boy at least had the decency to look offended before continuing, "Think you're smart, huh? Have you got your own broom then?"

"If I did, I can guarantee I'd have a better plan to get the thing into Hogwarts than bullying the faculty," replied Eri, "Besides, I'm in no rush to become a quidditch star, the fame will still be around in second year."

"You're going to play quidditch? Same here. Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No, my father and I are on different sides of the metaphorical fence with our bets," said Eri, looking more closely at blonde, pale and pointy, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar.

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" [scs]

Then it hit him like a ton of bricks, "you're Lucius Malfoy's son aren't you?"

The Malfoy boy was being helped down from the stool, new robes in hand.

"How did you know that?" he replied, eyes narrowed slightly as if the Malfoy blonde hair wasn't distinctive enough in Wizarding Britain, "I've never seen you at any lessons or parties."

Eri smirked as Madam Malkin completed his own set of robe measurements and alterations, "It is a shame, dear cousin, that the Malfoys were not clever enough to make their own family tapestry." He loved when he knew things that other people did not.

Eridanus swept past the boy who was gaping at him like a fish and purchased his school robes as well as a few daytime robes as he'd grown a bit since he last got any clothes via owl order.

"But you can't be a Black! You're all dead," shouted the Malfoy boy after him as he left the store.

"Then I guess I'll just be one more ghost in the castle. See you at Hogwarts, cousin."

—–-–—

Regulus had been standing outside Garrick Ollivander's Wand Shop for almost 15 minutes before his son came running up to him with an empty cage in hand and a large snowy owl sitting on his head.

"Found yourself a familiar then?"

Eri nodded excitedly, wincing when the bird clamped down a little harder to maintain its balance.

"I haven't given her a name yet but she's perfect! And I'll be able to send you letters without having to walk all the way up to the owlery for a school owl."

Regulus looked over his son with a critical eye. "I gather none of the cats or kneazles were too fond of you?" he remarked, spotting several scratches covering Eri's forearms and hands.

"Faaathherr," the boy all but whined, "Let's just focus on getting my wand so I can show Neville my bird over ice cream."

The older man chuckled but relented, following Eridanus into the cramped wand shop.

An old man with wide, pale eyes swung towards the counter from the very back of the shop on a ladder, stopping inches from Eri's face.

"Ah, I was wondering when you'd be joining us, Mr Black," the man said with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"Just the wand today Ollivander, we don't have the time of galleons for the added theatrics."

Ollivander's head snapped to Regulus and he smiled slightly, "Ah Regulus, it feels like yesterday when I found you your wand – made of Fir, twelve inches and quite flexible… and of course your brother's – dogwood, 13 and a half inches and inflexible…"

The old man trailed off near the end, almost whispering about Sirius' wand as though it were a closely guarded secret.

Regulus sighed and tapped his foot impatiently, "My son's wand now, Ollivander."

"Oh yes, yes, of course! Step forward young master Black."

Eridanus stepped forward, his owl flying up to perch in the rafters, and a tape measure shot out from under the shopkeeper's counter, taking measurements of everything from the length of Eri's forearm to the space between his eyebrows.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Mr. Black. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."

Eridanus waved the wand around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of his hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try -"

The boy had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no -here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

After trying what seemed like every wand in the shop, both Regulus and Eridanus looked visibly frustrated while Ollivander looked more excited than ever.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." [scs]

Eridanus reluctantly picked up the wand and was pleasantly surprised when it did not burn him (as wand #48 had) and instead filled him with a warm sense of joy and comfort. He felt a smile spread across his face.

"Marvellous! Marvellous, Mr. Black! I believe that is the wand for you!"

Regulus handed over the 7 galleons and accompanied a smiling Eridanus out of the store, missing the odd look that Ollivander gave the boy once he had turned away.

—–-–—

"...And then woosh! And I was told the wand chose me!" exclaimed Eri to Neville in between bites of his strawberry ice cream. He would be flourishing the wand as well but his father was determined to keep the accidental magic to a minimum until September.

The other boy looked at him in amazement, "Woah, that sounds amazing. Gran-"

"Neville, your father was a great man and his wand will serve you well."

Neville sulked into his chocolate and hazelnut ice cream. His dad is a great man.

"Augusta maybe at least let the boy go and wave a few wands around, I insist. Call it my birthday present to him," Regulus said, sipping his tea. He really wasn't one for sugar.

THe woman looked affronted but couldn't find it in herself to protest when her grandson looked so excited at the prospect of a visit to the wandmaker's shop.

"Oh Eri! Look at my familiar!"

The Longbottom boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a lumpy black toad which appeared to be half asleep, "I've decided to name him Trevor."

Eridanus warily poked the lump in his friend's hands deeming it safe enough for someone as clumsy as Neville.

"I still haven't named my owl," Eri remarked, the owl in question asleep in her cage, "any ideas, Nev?"

"Oh don't look at me, I'm rubbish at names. Gran picked out Trevor for me."

"Maybe, Hedwig?"

As Eri said the name, the snowy owl perked up as if she'd been called. The boy smiled at her, Hedwig it is. He knew something useful would come of reading History of Magic cover to cover twice, even if his father said it was a waste of time.

"Okay, let's go get Neville a wand!" exclaimed Eri excitedly once they had all finished their desserts, and ran off down the alley pulling his friend behind him.

Augusta let out a very unladylike snort, "And you're sure Sirius wasn't his father instead?"

Regulus laughed, "Augusta, if Sirius was his father he wouldn't have been able to sit still long enough to eat the ice cream."

A/N: Some Draco & Ollivander quotes from the book which I'm marking [scs] for now. Regulus' miraculous escape won't come up for a while yet, but I'm sure a certain headmaster will demand answers at some point.

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