Disclaimer: Even though Rowling now belongs in the Janus Thickney Ward coughHBPcough, she still owns the series.
-Witchcraft-
-Injuries and Oaths-
While their friend stood in awe of his new wand, much to the amusement of the storeowner, seven redheads were solemnly standing around a bed in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.
After returning home to the Burrow, Ronald Weasley had begun screaming nonsense at the top of his lungs before falling into a seizure – he had forgotten to take the potions he had been given to suppress the effects of his attack in the Department of Mysteries. After rushing their son to the hospital, Arthur and Molly Weasley were informed that his mind had been completely de-structured by the tentacle-covered brains at the Department of Mysteries.
Ron was now lying catatonic in the Janus Thickey ward, next to the Longbottoms; Frank and Alice Longbottom had been tortured into the same state.
Staring down at their son, Arthur and Molly stood proud of him, for defeating Death Eaters in a dire situation – they would forever be proud of their brave son.
Ginny, the youngest, was sitting beside him holding his hand, absentmindedly stroking it while looking into his glazed-over eyes.
The twins, Fred and George, were in tears holding each other, while Bill and Charlie stood stoic – the only sign of emotion was a single tear streaked across Bill's face.
The Healers had informed them that the only way for Ron to recover would be known to the Department of Mysteries, which was notorious for not disclosing secrets.
Ginny looked back down at her brother, her brown eyes hardened in anger, and sadness.
'I'll get them for you Ron; the Death Eaters will die by my hand.'
At the same moment the Weasley Patriarch's face hardened, he had come to the decision that he had failed to make during the last war.
"We've sat idle and content for too long. This should not have happened, it would not have happened had Ron been given his proper inheritance. In ages past the Weasley's were a warrior house, fighting for the light, fighting for what was right. Now, we'll fight for Ronald." Arthur stood taller and placed his right hand over his heart. "The Ancient and Fierce House of Weasley is hereby reinstated by Right of Vengeance. A meeting of the Wizards Council is hereby requested, May the Gods pity those who have wronged us!
"I, Arthur William Weasley, as Head of House Weasley do swear upon my soul, magic, and spirit to seek vengeance upon the servants of the Dark Wizard Voldemort, so mote it be!"
"I, Emily Morgan Prewett-Weasley, as the Regent-Head of the Ancient and Harmonious House of Prewett do swear upon my soul, magic, and spirit to seek vengeance upon the servants of the Dark Wizard Voldemort, so mote it be!"
One by one each of the Weasley children repeated their oath, until they reached the youngest. Ginny stood and looked at her family; with an angry glint in her eyes she repeated her oath.
"I, Ginevra Emily Weasley, as the Regent Heiress Apparent of the Ancient and Harmonious House of Prewett, and daughter of the Ancient and Fierce House of Weasley, do swear upon my soul, magic, and spirit to avenge the sanity of my brother upon the self appointed Lord Voldemort, the Half-Blood Tom Marvolo Riddle, and his servants, may they be forever condemned to the Underworld!"
A fast wind rushed through the ward and the Weasley family each kissed their fallen son on the forehead before returning to the Burrow, to begin recalling their vassals and ancient alliances. Across Britain, their words were heard and recorded in every pureblood home.
In a Diagon Alley apartment, another redheaded man looked upon the oath his family had just sworn.
With a grim smile, he whispered, "I, Percival Ignatius Weasley, as a son of the Ancient and Fierce House of Weasley do swear upon my soul, magic, and spirit to uphold my family's honour and grace by seeking vengeance upon the Dark Wizard Voldemort."
With a few sharp jabs of his wand, Percy Weasley had packed his possessions, and looked around the empty room. He knew that with his family name re-instated, and the Rite of Vengeance called, the Wizard's Council would be re-assembled for the first time since it's disbandment in the mid-seventeenth century. With a slight pop the last member of the Weasley family Apparated to the Burrow.
Hermione Granger, of Number 32, Alsace Court, was currently reading in her back yard. The large leather bound book, 101 Curses to Kick Dark Arses, looked quite out of place in her large suburban yard. The house was a rather small home with two stories, much like the Dursleys' on Privet Drive. She turned a page in the book and stretched her arms in a yawn. With a gasp and a rather nasty looking wince, she drew her arms back.
Sighing, she closed the book and reached for a large bottle of a white liquid. She took a large sip and ran her fingers along the puckered scar that extended from the middle of her chest to her right shoulder.
The Dark curse that Rookwood had used on her was a variant of the Flame-Whip Curse, it was created to burn and then begin to decompose the living tissue as it spread through the victim's body. It would take well over another month for the injury to heal, and then the long process of repairing the scar would begin.
She shook her head and turned her thoughts to Harry.
'I wonder how he's doing; I can't believe Sirius is gone. Harry must feel absolutely terrible!'
As the brown-haired girl sat engrossed in her thoughts, a regal looking owl descended to the wheelchair that she was confined to and held a large envelope out to her. Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked at the owl and took the letter.
'I wonder why Hermes is delivering this, maybe Percy finally came to his senses about Headmaster Dumbledore.'
She turned over the envelope and inspected the seal; it was a deep blood red and depicted a large griffin with a serpent in its talons. She pulled out a piece of parchment and began to read.
Dear Hermione,
We feel that you should be informed of Ronald's condition. Shortly after returning to the Burrow, he went into a catatonic state as a result of the attack at the Department of Mysteries. He is currently in the Janus Thickey Long-term Ward at St. Mungo's. We extend a place for you and your family at the Burrow for the duration of the summer months. We have declared a Right of Vengeance against the Death Eaters, and have re-instated the Family's name. Our vassals and lands have been recalled. We hope you and your parents will accept our offer to the three of you, and hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely Yours,
Arthur and Molly
The Ancient and Fierce House of Weasley
For probably the first time in her life, Hermione Granger was speechless. She stared at that vile word, catatonic. She felt fiery tears well up in her eyes. She stared up in the sky and took a deep breath. Thinking back, she remembered what she had read about oaths in an assignment for History of Magic. Shakily she stood upright and looked back to the letter in her hand. With a sharp pain in her arm, she held her right hand over her heart.
"I, Hermione Jane Granger, daughter of Aaron, firstborn in my line, do swear on my soul, magic, and spirit allegiance to the Ancient and Fierce House of Weasley in their pursuit of Vengeance, so mote it be!"
A hot wind swept around her, her hair flying behind her as if with an anger belonging entirely to itself. She sat and slowly wheeled herself back into her house, and began to dial her parent's office.
Anger.
All he could feel was anger.
Anger at Bellatrix.
Anger at Sirius.
Hot tears streaked down his face, his green eyes glowing slightly. Harry Potter had just woken up from a dream.
Sirius Black, his godfather, had been duelling with his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. As Sirius fell back into the veil, he looked into Harry's eyes. A single tear fell from Sirius' eyes as he disappeared, mouthing one word.
"Sorry."
All the mentions of Sirius the previous day had left him in the forefront of his mind, Harry wiped his eyes and gritted his teeth. He could not show weakness, not now, not ever. It would kill him. He was too busy, there was too much to do.
He made his way to the small desk that stood across from his bed. Harry was staying the in Leaky Cauldron; he was much too tired to make his way back to Surrey. He took a quill in hand and dipped it into the inkpot that stood above the stack of parchment. He placed the tip to the paper and in an elegant script, quite unlike his usual handwriting, began a series of letters.
Dear Headmaster Dumbledore,
Please accept my deepest apologies for my behaviour at our last meeting. It was, even given the circumstances, unforgivable. I have recently been summoned to Gringotts and several pieces of information were made available to me that need to be discussed in person. Please meet me where Snuffles fell at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow (2nd June, 1996.). We have much to discuss.
Respectfully Yours,
Harold James Evans Warren Black-Potter
The Most Ancient and Powerful House of Warren
Harry signed this letter as the Head of House Warren, he wanted Dumbledore to know they were on equal footing.
Dear Neville,
I thank you for your assistance in the battle at the Ministry of Magic this past week. You have always been overlooked by your classmates and community. You are an amazing Wizard, Neville, and, if I may, for your new wand please go to Knockturn Alley. There is a little known Wandcrafter in an alley beside Borgin and Burkes. Tell him that I've sent you. I have already covered the cost of replacing your wand. The Ancient and Beloved House of Potter is in your debt.
Sincerely Yours,
Harold James Potter
The Ancient and Beloved House of PotterP.S. Show this to your Gran, Nev. I'm sure she'll be proud of you.
Dear Remus,
I do hope I can call you Remus, it seems rather wrong to call you 'Professor' anymore. Although I think I should stick with it, who would have thought, the great Moony… a Professor! I cannot even begin to fathom how you must feel at the moment – you have lost the last friend from your days at school. I will find Pettigrew and ensure Sirius' name is cleared. Please write back and don't fall into depression, Remus, I need you to be there for me. You're the only father I have left.
Love,
Prongs, Jr.
Aspiring Marauder
For the next letter, Harry decided to date it. Cross-Continental post was significantly slower than local, after all.
June 2, 1996.
To the Sisters Halliwell,
I know you must be wondering about this method of letter delivery, but please bear with me for the moment. My name is Harry Potter. To put it bluntly, I am the last of the Warren line in Britain. At the age of one, my parents, James and Lily Potter, were murdered by an evil wizard named Voldemort.
Though you may not be aware, there are two branches of magic. Witchcraft, which you are no doubt familiar with, and Wizardry – which I am trained in; I am, however, a wizard and a witch. I have only yesterday been given information about the Warren Family, of which my mother belonged to. Our branch lost their powers after our ancestral home in Ireland was destroyed. I have recently been given a Book of Shadows dated 423 BC.
I am contacting you in hope that you would help me learn to control my powers. If you agree, I would travel to America and hopefully stay with you until September. I have lived with my Aunt Petunia since the night my parent's died – she doesn't want me and never has. If you were to agree, I would be most grateful, I hope to continue correspondence with you in the future.
Your Cousin,
Harry PotterSons and Daughters,
Let it be known that on the date of May 27th 1996, Bellatrix Black Lestrange committed a most heinous crime. Bellatrix killed Sirius Black, heir to the family. In response all dowries and alliances with the House Lestrange are hereby dissolved, and Bellatrix disinherited and removed from the House.
Narcissa Black Malfoy is hereby on familial probation as bound by family law for assisting the Dark wizard, Voldemort. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black has never allied itself with the self-appointed Lord, and never will. Any who are seen to be assisting the wizard named shall be immediately ejected from the family.
Andromeda Black Tonks and her daughter Nymphadora Circe Tonks are hereby reinstated and welcomed back into the family for their unwavering service in our name.
So it is said, so it shall be,
Lord Black
Toujours Pur
Harry sealed each letter with their respective crest and set them into the "out" box on the desk. They were instantly transported to the Post Office for immediate delivery. With a quick flick of his wand and a muttered "Tempus", grey smoke formed in the air. It read 9:00 p.m. Harry sighed and went back into the large comfortable bed and settled for sleep.
The next morning Harry awoke to a tray of hot tea and scones next to his bed. Stretching, he made his way back to the desk and picked up the correspondence he had received over night.
Dear Harry,
I am most intrigued at the signed name on the letter I received from you. Please do not worry about my office, I understand your position and your actions. I do think that if our positions had been reversed I would have reacted in much the same manner. I will meet you at the pre-arranged location and time. I do hope you are able to be there.
Sincerely,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
The Most Ancient and Wise House of Dumbledore
Smiling lightly, Harry opened the next letter.
Dear Harry,
Thank you for the letter, my Gran saw it and I must say she is quite a lot prouder than she has ever been of me.
Thank you for paying for the wand, I hope that I can get a good one at this wandcrafter you mentioned.
Now for the formalities, the Ancient and Humble House of Longbottom do hereby accept the debt of The Ancient and Beloved House of Potter.
Take Care,
Neville Franklin Longbottom
The Ancient and Humble House of Longbottom
My Lord Black,
As a daughter of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black I accept my state of probation. I apologise to the whole family for the actions of Bellatrix, I had simply offered her a place in my home. It was she who called the house-elf Kreacher.
I do hope we meet soon, my Lord; I have gone through steps to ensure my son will not serve Riddle.
Deepest Regards,
Narcissa Black Malfoy
Toujours Pur
After reading the last letters, Harry stood and made his way into the bathroom. After a quick shower, he quickly dressed and made his way to the Ministry of Magic.
As he stepped out of the Floo Harry noticed that there were scorch marks on the walls and the Fountain of Magical Brethren was yet to be rebuilt. He walked to the security desk and placed his wand upon it, his old wand. Harry didn't want to be fined for carrying an 'illegal' wand after all.
"Ah, Mr Potter. Holly, 11 inches, has been in use for five years now?"
"Yes, thank you."
Harry strode through a crowd of people towards the elevator. Once inside, he spoke in a loud voice.
"Department of Mysteries!"
He heard the feminine ministry voice whisper a quiet, "How rude!"
Chuckling slightly, Harry stepped off the elevator and entered the department. As he made his way through, a few people began to stop him, but walked away as they caught sight of his scar.
When he entered the familiar circular room, he looked around. A door was open. Through it, he could see the raised stone dais the Veil was fluttering lightly. Harry stopped and thought back to the last time he had been in this room. No. He couldn't dwell on the past – he had to be strong.
Clenching his teeth, he entered the room and saw Albus Dumbledore studying the arch with a forlorn, weary look upon his face.
"Professor, you should be glad that I wasn't a Dark wizard. Constant Vigilance, Sir!"
"Oh, Harry. Please, (you should) call me Albus, I do think you have earned that right many times over."
"Of course, Albus, I expect you are quite curious as to what has happened in the past two days."
"Please do tell Harry, I am quite intrigued."
The old wizard flicked his hand and two fluffy chairs appeared out of mid-air. He sat down and motioned for Harry to sit. Harry explained about the chamber unearthed within Gringotts, and continued his story up to buying a new wand.
"I, too, was called to Gringotts yesterday. Some ancient family Grimoires were discovered that we had thought lost almost a millennium ago. Around the same time, I felt a great shock of power that even I would be hard-pressed to match. I am guessing that was you, from what you have told me I can determine that you will be as powerful, and possibly even more, than I, after you have trained your Wizarding magic."
"If I understand the ranking system correctly, I am less powerful than you. I'm only a High Sorcerer while you are a Grand Sorcerer. I don't see how I could be more powerful."
"Ah, Harry, you forget. The Ritual said you had yet to reach your Magicus Subolesco, the maturation of your magic. Your Subolesco will occur at a moment of intense magical concentration. I myself reached it at the age of sixteen during an attack in Diagon Alley by the then Dark Lord, Malwick. When you achieve Subolesco, I believe that you will, much as I did, progress to the stage of Grand Sorcerer. Your Environmental abilities will also be a great help in focusing your magic."
"Oh. Sir, what exactly is an Environmental?"
"An Environmental is a wizard with the ability to manipulate the latent magic around him. You would be able to pull magic from your environment, hence the name. This would allow you to conserve your core magic, that is, the magic that resides within yourself. The ability will allow your spells to be significantly stronger."
"But Sir, you aren't an Environmental, and one of your Stunning Spells from the Battle was so powerful I could hardly breathe. How did you do it?"
"That, my dear boy, comes with a hundred and fifty years of experience." Dumbledore chuckled. "The ability is within everyone, you must simply allow your magic not to 'bleed'. Have you ever noticed in class, how a fellow student's spell will light up the air around it leaving a trail?" He waited for Harry to nod yes. "That was the magic escaping the spell causing it to become less powerful. With your Environmental abilities, it should be much easier for you to control magical bleeding."
The two Sorcerers sat in conversation for the better part of an hour before parting. They had agreed to train Harry in magical control.
As Harry walked back through Diagon Alley, he made his way back into the marble building that was Gringotts. Inside, he was immediately ushered towards a cart and was on his way towards his family vaults. After a long, breathless ride through the caverns the cart stopped.
"Vault 115, the Potter Family Vault. It opens for a Potter only, place your hand on the door and command it to open."
Harry stepped out of the cart still a little green from the trip. He approached the thick wooden door and placed his hand upon it. The door clicked as numerous locks released and then swung open with a cloud of smoke escaping into the deep caverns below Gringotts. When Harry stepped inside the vault, he was stunned. The entire vault was situated in a cave of bedrock and resembled a large library, with shelves upon shelves of filled coin bags, jewels, weapons, books, and other curios.
At the front of the vault, upon a pedestal, sat a glass-topped box; Harry approached it and again felt tears flow to his eyes.
Inside the box sat various medals and awards with his own and his parents' names engraved upon them. He slowly lifted the lid and ran his finger along the names on a pair of Order of Merlins. In the centre of the box sat a gnarled claw upon a piece of parchment. When he picked it up, he was assaulted by a strong sense of magic. He blinked and saw that the claw was glowing with a bright sky blue light.
Picking up the parchment he read an elegant script that was his father's.
Harry,
If you are reading this note, your mother and I have perished in protecting you. I am sorry for leaving you so early in life. I look down at you while reading this – you are chewing on a stuffed dog given to you by Sirius. I hope that he will provide you with the love you need growing up.
I have left the Potter Estate in great order for your Inheritance. The claw you are holding has been passed down to those worthy in our family since the time of Hogwart's founding. It is the Raven's Claw. The life's work of Rowena Ravenclaw, given to her nephew Gregory Potter, is a means to help re-structure the mind. It allows for faster learning and memory-recall. The incantation 'Incipio Magus Mentis Edificium' will activate the talisman.
I Love You,
Father
Harry placed the note and the shrunken box in his robes.
On the pedestal, previously unnoticed was a large book with the Potter Crest upon it. Opening it, he saw that it was a magical inventory/recall book. He began tapping his wand to all of the useful items, which instantly flung themselves off the shelves and into a large trunk.
Harry had retrieved a great number of robes and cloaks, many of the books taken were on Ancient Runes and Wards (the hereditary skill of the Potter Family). Harry also took various amulets and protective talismans.
He left the vault and was on his way towards the Black family vault.
In the Black family vault, Harry found many of the same items that had been located in the study at Grimmauld Place. He gathered books on Dark Magic, and on Ancient Blood magics. Among them were titles such as Darke Magicks – A Concise Guide, Black Arts – Familial Spells of the House Black, and Highe Bloode Magick. Harry also gathered almost two-dozen basilisk-hide battle robes along with a selection of war staves.
When he arrived at the Warren Family Vault, number 10, he was in awe at the size of it. There were books on demons and warlocks, rare potions ingredients, and ancient books on Atlantean Battle Magic.
Taking only the most valuable of items, he returned to the surface and exited into Diagon Alley.
When he entered the now full Alley, Harry was met with stares of pity and remorse. Confused, he continued back towards the Leaky Cauldron when he was hit in the back of the head with something.
"Hey Scar-Head, are you sad now that ickle Weasel-poo isn't able to service you anymore? It looks like the only person he'll have for company now is Lockhart!" Came the voice of Draco Malfoy.
The entire crowd around him stopped moving; they were silently watching the exchange between the two young men.
Harry turned slowly and saw a smirk upon the other boy's face. When Harry looked down an issue of the Daily Prophet sat at his feet. A picture of Ron Weasley lying in a hospital bed was on the front page. Harry picked it up and began to read the story.
The Ancient and Fierce House of Weasley – A Family name Returns with Vengeance
By Jonathan Paglam
Last week in the now infamous Battle of the Ministry, Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, led a group of friends in an effort to foil another of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's plans.
The group, which included Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ginevra and Ronald Weasley, entered the Department of Mysteries and began a battle outnumbered by a group of Death Eaters.
Sometime during the course of the battle Ronald Weasley, 16, (a Hogwarts Sixth-Year) fell to an attack by unknown creatures kept in the Department. Upon returning to their home on 1st June, he fell into a comatose state. After arriving at St. Mungo's, it was determined that the attack has left Ronald in a state similar to that of the renowned Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom (who were tortured into insanity).
At approximately 4:30 p.m. yesterday, a message was delivered to every Pureblood family's home. The House of Weasley have oathed a Right of Vengeance, in doing so they have recalled all of their vassals and are currently in the process of rebuilding the Weasel's Den, the Ancient Fortress where countless Dark wizards and witches met their downfall.
The Rite of Vengeance is one of the mandatory criteria for a meeting of the Wizard's Council. Many families unhappy with the Ministry have been waiting for such an Oath to be sworn. This reporter hopes that many families will follow their actions and openly oppose the Dark Lord. It is only by acting together as we did in centuries past that we will defeat this evil. (See The Ancient and Fierce House of Weasley – A History, p. 5)
As Harry read this, his face darkened. The Death Eaters had done this to his friend, his best friend, locked in a mental ward. He looked up at the still smirking Draco Malfoy. Harry felt something rising within him, he was angry, and someone needed to pay, someone needed to feel pain.
A sharp wind picked up around him, his robes billowing behind him. There was an ominous silence as the crowd looked on. His eyes began to glow a bright green as a visible aura appeared surrounding him like fire. With a sharp jab, he raised his wand to the sky. In a deep, magical voice he intoned something that sent chills down the spines of everyone in Diagon Alley, and made the evil in Knockturn Alley shriek in pain.
"I, Harold James Evans Warren Black-Potter, do hereby decree as Lord of House Potter, Lord of Ancient House Black, and Lord of Ancient House Warren – the wizard known as Voldemort is thus sentenced to death. The Families of Potter and Black hereby recall all subjects and Vassals to a state of war. May those who serve him feel the wrath of the ancients upon their souls!"
The nimbus surrounding Harry had begun to shimmer and swirl with red. Bolts of electricity sparked from his eyes as he looked towards the sky. A bolt of lightning streaked towards the sky and exploded with a sonic boom. Harry let his hands fall back to his sides.
As he looked at Draco, who was now bowing before his Lord Black, electricity was still sparking out of his eyes, which had turned a solid emerald, and his hands. With a slash of his wand, Harry disappeared in another flash of lightning, leaving behind a stunned crowd and a crater in the ground.
Author's Note: Are you liking the new version?