Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and can't get money for this, but I can make him into a Mafia Prince.

Warning: Some chapters (the ones including pranks) might not be appropriate to read at work. Laughter may ensue leading your co-workers to see you as even more insane than they previously thought.

Chapter 8: Letters and Truths

After the attack during the Christmas Holidays Manuel and Trevor were hesitant to let Harry and Blaise go back to school seeing as it was a less secure location and even the nearly impenetrable haven of the Darkov mansion had been breached. Then there was the fact that Sampson was still out there somewhere most likely biding his time until another attack could be made. But in the end Manuel and Trevor gave in and sent the children back to school only to pull Harry and Blaise from classes a week later after the guard-turned-assassin managed to get all the way into their classroom after taking out Matthew, one of the two guards who had been on duty that day.

Harry and Blaise had been sitting in their usual seats, half-heartedly paying attention to the boring lesson they were being treated to that day during lunch detention for goofing off in class when a bit of light glinting off a gun barrel through the glass of the classroom door caught Miss. Walker's attention. A scream ripped from the teacher's throat and acting on instinct Harry and Blaise threw themselves to the floor in time for the glass window of the door to shatter under the impact of a well-placed bullet that would have ended Harry's young life if not for Miss Walker's timely scream. Their teacher had hit the floor as well, crawling under her desk as if the flimsy piece of furniture could protect her from the hit man. Kicking the door open the assassin walked confidently into the room thinking that he had found the Darkov heir at his most vulnerable and had taken out the only guard on duty, their attacker had no way of knowing that Manuel had kicked up the security around Harry and Blaise although the man should have suspected it.

"Where are you little Darkov," the man called in a triumphant and disturbing purr, "why do you hide from death? Perhaps you wish the little Zabini brat to go first, hmm?"

Harry and Blaise looked at each other with wide eyes mouthing "Sampson" to each other silently, they hadn't been told of his part in the betrayal as Manuel and Trevor had tried to protect them by keeping the knowledge from them that one they trusted had betrayed them all.

Slowly reaching up so as not to cause her clothing to rustle Blaise turned the base of her tracking pendant to send for help while Harry slowly unsheathed a dagger from his back, he would have gone for his gun but it was in a hidden flap at the bottom his bag next to Blaise and he wasn't ready to expose himself by going for it. The footsteps stopped right next to Harry's table-like desk and the figure crouched down until he was on eye level with Harry.

"Hello Harry Darkov," Sampson purred.

Harry lashed out as he tried from keeping his fear from taking hold of him. The knife caught Sampson by surprise, leaving a wicked gash across his face and running through one eye. The severed eye began to ooze a clear, jelly-like substance mixed with blood that ran down between the fingers Sampson had clamped to the wound as he howled out in pain. It also seemed as if brown and black pigments were mixed in as well where his iris and pupil had been ruptured.

"You little fuckwit," Sampson hissed as both he and Harry rose to their feet quickly, Sampson now at a slight disadvantage.

Blaise had already risen to her feet when Sampson had crouched down to face Harry and had managed to grab their guns while the ex-guard had been preoccupied. Miss Walker watched with bated breath as the two friends flanked the man they had once trusted with their lives, Blaise tossing Harry his gun as he rose from the floor. Sampson decided to change tactics and trained his gun on Blaise, ignoring his pain as he held the gun steady with both hands.

"Put the gun down Darkov unless you want Zabini here to be hurt," Sampson growled.

But Blaise had brought her own gun up from where she had held it low to keep it hidden. Her hand shook slightly, the memory of her first kill still affecting her, but her gaze was steady and from the range she was at her shot wouldn't miss. It would also blow a big ass whole in Sampson that he most likely wouldn't survive. The three of them stood like that, at a stalemate, with their guns trained at each other. Sampson was blocking the way to the door and the windows were all closed and locked tight ensuring that Harry and Blaise wouldn't be able to make it out that way without letting their guard down and getting shot. None of them dared drop their weapons or make the first move.

Then suddenly Sampson's face froze and he wavered for a second, face clenched in agony for a moment before going slack. Sampson fell to his knees as if a puppet cut loose from its string, his gun dropping from his limp hands to clatter loudly on the floor. Bill stood behind the spot where Sampson had only a moment ago stood threatening Harry and Blaise, a bloodied fang-shaped knife in his hand.

"Are you alright," a white-faced Bill asked the two children standing in front of him, he had been cutting it close but it had taken him a bit to realize that Matthew had fallen.

Harry and Blaise looked at each other and then back at Bill before nodding, they were alright.

It didn't take long for a handful of guards to arrive and create a distraction to empty the school so the clean up crew could erase all evidence of the confrontation in the fifth year classroom. So while Manuel and Trevor talked to the Headmistress, telling her that they were pulling Harry and Blaise out of school for the year due to a family emergency, the guards were smuggling the body unseen out of the school via a fire escape before recovering the remains of their fallen companion. The moment the all clear came on the bodies Manuel was escorting Harry and Blaise out of the school and to the waiting car, leaving Bill to go back to his post and gather his equipment while Trevor dealt with Miss Walker.

"None of this ever happened," Trevor told the distraught teacher as he pulled out his wand, "Obliviate!"

With a satisfied smile Trevor left not knowing that mere moments later Bill was slipping in the classroom and muttering the same spell from the doorway, not noticing that Miss Walker already bore a slightly blank expression on her pretty face.

… … … … …

A simple funeral was held for Matthew a few days after the attack and everyone present had the satisfaction of knowing that their comrade had been avenged and anyone remotely connected with the attempts on the Darkov heirs life had been dealt with. Yet to be on the safe side Harry and Blaise were being home schooled by Trevor and the other guards, all having proved loyal to Manuel after the Sampson incident. Harry and Blaise spent the time they would have spent in school learning different things under the tutelage of the various guards. They learned math, English, science, history, art, languages, music, and survival skills. They also kept up with their physical training under Sensei's stern eye. The only difference was that because they weren't in a class with other students their instruction went by faster and they grasped concepts easier since their tutoring was practically individual lessons.

Harry was also getting more involved with the 'family business' as Manuel began to teach him tricks of the trade not involved with defense and fighting; it was a well known fact that Harry would one day preside over the Mafia Empire by his father's side. Harry learned how to hack computer systems and deal effectively with business associates that did not want to honor their agreements and pay up. He also began learning of the various codes used throughout their empire and working more closely with the guards. Manuel was going to make sure that Harry knew how to do the jobs himself before he could command others to, it was a point of pride. Of course as a child Harry did not have the ability to intimidate adults as in the adult mind children were no threat. Harry's job when he went on job related outings with his father was to remain in the shadows and learn, yet he also provided the extra protection of his gun and knives. It was surprising how often Harry could be overlooked as a threat. Manuel once overheard a reluctant ally saying how it was a bit unnerving to find those piercing green eyes boring steadily into you from the shadows, unwavering in their intent.

Even as Harry trained with his father Blaise trained under hers and both children grew physically and mentally over the next few years to a point where they were children in appearance only and even that was a close call. Yet for all their grown-up actions they were still children, children growing up with no other kids their age to play with. Their fathers and their guards were also their friends, they taught them and played with them when they had the time, but they couldn't always be around for the children when there were pressing matters to attend to and the bond between Harry and Blaise grew stronger. It was this that bothered both Manuel and Trevor as the summer both children would turn eleven approached, the time that they would get their letters and their whole world would change. As far as Manuel and Trevor knew the approaching summer would tear Harry and Blaise apart, neither knew of the great secret the other kept.

And indeed it happened. As one hot summer morning dawned in the beginning of July two owls were rapping their beaks on two separate windows at the Darkov Mansion. In one room Blaise woke slightly groggy and peered towards the window to see a brown barn owl perched on the sill and rapping its beak against the glass pane. Trained to be observant Blaise noticed the paper clutched in the sharp talons and wondered why the owl was there. The Darkov's didn't employ messenger birds and would not use owls for such a thing even if they did. Blaise did the only thing she could think of and quickly went to her father's room.

"Dad," Blaise called as she burst into the room, "there's an owl at my window holding a paper in its claws."

Trevor looked up at his daughter, his eyes leaving the laptop he was working from as he realized what she had just said. But Blaise wasn't entirely correct, the owl was no longer at her window but had followed her to now peck away at the window to Trevor's room, the intelligent creature having followed Blaise's magical signature. Trevor fearlessly opened the window and allowed the owl entrance before taking the letter and handing it to Blaise after requesting the owl to stay a moment so that it could get some water.

"You'll want to read that," Trevor told his puzzled daughter, "and then we'll have to have a talk, one we should have had years ago."

Quickly Blaise read over the letter before dropping it in shock as if it had burnt her.

"Is this for real," she demanded of her father who nodded.

"What am I going to tell Harry," Blaise groaned.

… … … … …

Meanwhile a green-eyed, raven-haired boy was woken in a similar fashion but he had been expecting something like this to happen all summer, had known of the impending letter since he was old enough to understand the words magic and wizard. Solemnly Harry let the owl in and relieved it of its burden, instinctively offering it some water from the bathroom while it rested. For a moment Harry examined the seal impressed on the letter before cracking it and reading through the letter:

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorv., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

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

Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress

Harry had been anticipating this for years and now he finally had the chance to go to Hogwarts, the school his biological parents had attended. The only problem was what he would have to leave behind, or rather who.

"Will you wait for my reply," Harry addressed the owl that had delivered the letter.

A small hoot that seemed to be affirmative greeted Harry and the owl settled down on the back of a chair, tucking its head beneath a wing while it waited. Harry headed down the hall to his father's room, glancing at his supply list and fingering a tiny golden key that had appeared even after he could have sworn the envelope was empty.

"Dad," Harry called as he entered the room, "the letter has come."

Manuel looked at his son with both pride and sadness, it would be painful to be separated from Harry for an entire school year, only seeing him during the holidays but he knew Harry had to go. Harry needed to be taught how to control his magic by professionals, even if he had seemed to be doing find on his own some proper instruction wouldn't hurt. Reading the letter through Manuel drew a piece of paper from his desk.

"You had better send your answer with the owl and in a few days we'll go to London to find the place mentioned in the letter that was left with you in the blankets," the Mafia leader sighed knowing that he had to let Harry go no matter how much he wanted to hide his child from the world.

It wasn't until the owl was winging away across the sky to be joined by another owl that something occurred to Harry.

"What am I going to tell Blaise," he groaned in sorrow.

… … … … …

In the end Manuel decided to make things easier on Harry and called Trevor and Blaise into the living room for a meeting. When all four of them were settled comfortably in their usual seats Manuel took a deep breath and prepared to speak of things most people would have a hard time believing in, things he had never spoken of to anyone but Harry.

"You both know that Harry was adopted," Manuel began, "but there is more to they story that I haven't told you and it is time for you to know."

Manuel paused to gather his thoughts and Harry, who had been examining the room about them in a slightly nervous gesture, noticed something held protectively in Blaise's hand. It was an envelope of stiff parchment with a cracked red seal. If Harry hadn't already been holding his letter he would have thought Blaise had picked his up. Hope filled Harry and he interrupted his father before any more could be said.

"Blaise," Harry blurted out, "are you a witch?"

Blaise raised shock filled eyes to Harry and saw him happily holding up his own letter.

"We're both going to Hogwarts," the excited friends shouted together, "we're going to Hogwarts."