CHAPTER TWELVE

Harry was one of the last people to go to bed that evening. After the day she had – studying, flying with Artemis and continuing her pureblood education with Walburga, Ophelia, Ygraine and Druella (this time, learning about Sabbaths and the politics that could arise at Sabbath feasts) – she was happy to have some time to herself. Well, Nott was up with her but he was too absorbed in his book and Harry didn't want to disturb him. Athenaïs was snoozing next to Nott.

Absent-mindedly, almost, Harry began sketching her occupied friend and her sleeping familiar. She had noticed with a small smile that Nott was choosing to keep her company more and more. Rosier had gone to bed hours ago and when Nott had said he wasn't tired when asked if he would come with Rosier to the dorm, she could still see how put-out Rosier looked. Dolohov could barely contain his jubilation.

Harry had no idea if it was because she had made the Quidditch team or it was that Nott liked that Harry, Druella and Orion didn't snap at him for minor infractions or belittle him, but she did see that Nott was no longer simply sitting still and watching as his best friend was being ripped away from him. He was finding another person he could be comfortable with and that already gave Harry some hope.

It had led to another train of thought. How had Nott tolerated it for so long? How had he endured the ignominy of being insulted before Harry had come along? What happened when Harry wasn't there to be another friend for him to fall back on? Did he suffer in silence for his entire school days, and beyond?

The only sounds in the deserted common room was the fire crackling in the fireplace and the sound of Harry's pencil on her parchment. Suddenly, a new noise came drifting into the room, making both Nott and Harry look up in unison. A young girl of twelve, dressed in an emerald green night gown, had entered the room, her face blotched from crying. Harry frowned; those raven locks and even darker eyes looked oddly familiar.

"Prince," Nott greeted coolly. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Ah. That explained it.

"I had an-nother n-nightmare," Snape's mother croaked.

"Do you need some Dreamless Sleep?" Harry asked kindly.

"It doesn't w-work," the young girl sniffed. "The nightmares always return. It is like I am cursed."

"What do your parents do to help you sleep?" Harry set aside her parchment and pencil.

"They tell me I am a big girl and must face my fears," Eileen Prince mumbled. "They tell me I am scared of shadows and that I need to stop being a coward."

"You are not a coward," Harry reassured her gently.

"I am, though."

"So, you think I am a coward too then?"

Eileen's eyes widened. "No! No, of course not! You lost so much and yet-"

"I have nightmares," Harry cut across gently. "Almost every single night. They have only recently calmed slightly. Sometimes they are about my friends, sometimes about my family … even the Dark Lord. I still hear their screams, you know. It is OK to be afraid."

Harry beckoned the girl over to her. Eileen approached Harry in a manner that resembled a scared, wounded animals. As Eileen sat down, Harry continued. "What you need to learn is to not let your fear rule you. Because once it rules you, you are a prisoner of your own mind. Let your fear fuel you. For that is all bravery really is."

"Is that what you do?" Eileen asked curiously.

For the first time what felt in an eternity, Harry decided to bare her soul.

"Yes. The war … it scares me to my core. The fact I am hunted, scares me. But I knew that no matter what, I had to fight to protect my friends, my family," Harry's eyes burned with the tears. "So, no matter how hard things may be, you keep going. Besides, there is one known proven cure for fear."

"What is it?" Eileen asked eagerly.

"Hope," Harry answered with a sweet smile. "Hey, you know what always cheers me up? Music."

Eileen lit up. "I heard from Walburga Black and Ygraine White you can sing very well."

Harry flushed with embarrassment. "You want me to sing?"

"Yes, please!"

"OK then. One song."

Eileen closed her eyes and snuggled close to Harry's side as Harry settled on a song she had once heard Luna sing. Harry still didn't know where Luna had heard it, but decided it was calm and mystical enough to try and calm the scared child next to her. Harry embraced the mother of her Potions Master close and began singing.

# Domini o veniteo,
Sacramentum eo de
ī,
Déithe ar airde, Déithe linn,
Déithe ar airde, Déithe loim,

Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum,
Omnem crede diem tibi diluxisse supremum. #

.

While wiping away the tears rolling down her cheek she only noticed after singing the song three times, Harry carefully checked on the young witch – Eileen was fast asleep. Harry sighed with relief and moved carefully to pick the pre-adolescent girl up into her arms.

Nott, who had all the while watched and listened in shock and dealing with his own tears, suddenly found his voice. "Harry … I am so sorry."

The apology was unexpected. At first, she had no idea why Nott would be apologising, but she could take a good guess as to why. Harry gave him a small smile. "You have nothing to apologise for. You are not to blame."

Not if I can help it.

Without saying another word, Harry carried the slumbering Eileen back to the second-year dormitories.

Little did she know, it wasn't just Nott and Eileen who had heard her song.

Tom Riddle, who had become aware of at least two people out of bed after hours, had grumpily gotten out of bed and was more than prepared to give them a good lecture and deduct points from them. Once he got to the entrance to the Slytherin boy dormitories, however, he had been halted in his tracks by the haunting melody that had drifted out of Harry Evans' mouth. Tom did not cry – he simply refused to allow himself to show that kind of weakness. He waited for Harry to bring little Eileen Prince back to bed before stepping into the common room.

As he had expected, the moment Nott saw him, the boy straightened and regarded him coolly. "Tom. Did we wake you?" he asked carefully.

"Yes and no," Tom answered just as crisply. "You are aware it is one in the morning? You should be in bed."

Nott nodded once curtly before getting to his feet and spying something on the ground. Harry's parchment and pencil. His curiosity always getting the better of him, Nott picked it up and had a look. The entire time he was reading, Altair couldn't help but wonder what Harry was drawing.

Him. Him, while reading a book with her sleeping familiar next to him. No one had ever drawn Altair, or even paid attention to what book he was reading. He had never even considered himself handsome, but Harry had managed to make Altair feel a little good looking.

"What have you got there, Altair?" Tom asked, frowning when he saw the ecstatic smile appear on the Nott boy's face.

The smile vanished when Nott looked back up at Tom. "Harry's sketch. She's been working on it for a while. Turns out, she was drawing me and Athenaïs."

White-hot rage suddenly began coursing through Tom's veins and his hand itched to draw his wand and curse Nott into the next month. It wasn't just the irritatingly smug expression Nott had donned, but it was the fact that it was this imperfect little miscreant who was subject to Harry Evans' little doodle. She could have chosen anything in the room – the architecture was spectacular after all – and she chose the boy whose own father couldn't stand the sight of him!

As if sensing the growing tension in the room, Athenaïs awoke and sat up alertly, eyeing the two young wizards carefully.

"What's going on?"

Nott and Tom turned around simultaneously; Harry had returned, and she was regarding them with raised eyebrows and crossed arms.

"Tom is sending us to bed," Nott informed her with a small smirk.

"Yes, it is rather late," Harry agreed, letting out a jaw-breaking yawn. "Sorry."

"No worries," Tom reassured her with a small smile.

"Here's your sketch back," Nott handed the drawing to her with a wide grin. Harry flushed almost as red as a Gryffindor tie in less than five seconds. Athenaïs got up and trotted to her, nuzzling her leg.

"Oh, Merlin! You saw it, didn't you?"

"I don't see why you're so embarrassed. You made me look pretty decent," Nott reassured.

Harry's face lit up. "You think?"

"Well, yeah, otherwise I would not be saying it."

Tom coughed. Twice. Quite firmly.

"Ah yes! Bed time. Good night you two," Harry said quickly, looking quite flustered.

"Night, Harry!" Nott replied happily.

"Good night, Harry," Tom answered quietly.

Harry could not get into her bed fast enough. She had no idea why, but when she had returned there was a tension between Nott and Tom that she could not discern, but knew that it was one that could have escalated quickly. For some reason, Athenaïs was giggling quietly, as though she knew something Harry didn't.

By morning, though, it was practically forgotten. Mostly due to the fact Harry was unceremoniously awoken by Ophelia's cat jumping through the drawn curtains of her four poster bed and landing on her face with loud yells and screeches. Harry shrieked to an impressive frequency that would have made the Fat Lady quite green with envy, her magic humming dangerously.

"OPHELIA! GET YOUR DAMN CAT OFF MY FACE!"

"Harry, Merlin – I am sorry! Sigyn absolutely hates baths!" Ophelia apologised profusely. "Sigyn get back here!"

Ophelia reached through the curtains for the cat but the startled Russian blue was not going to give in that easily. It scrambled under Harry's bed sheets and meowed indignantly, clearly telling its owner to bugger off with giving it a bath. Ophelia was having none of it and dived onto Harry's legs, trying to catch her disobedient familiar. Athenaïs, who was startled awake by her Witch's scream, watched with a look of pure bewilderment.

Unfortunately, when cats get alarmed or angry they scratch. And the closest thing for the beast to scratch was … Harry's left leg.

"AITHUSA'S UNHOLY FARTS!" Harry screeched and rolled in pain out of bed, her left calf bleeding quite profusely.

"Harry, are you OK?!" Ygraine was at her side in an instant. Only then she saw the blood; the part Veela girl paled. "Wally, go and get the Prefect!"

Walburga did not need to be told twice and without a moment's hesitation, ran out of the dorm to go and fetch whoever it was who was the female Prefect of Slytherin during the school year of 1944/45.

Athenaïs was staring down Sigyn with a look of pure fury. Sigyn had edged away as cautiously and carefully as she could from the irate dragon. Seeing the open door and her chance to escape, the evil cat jumped off Harry's bed and rushed towards the open dorm room with Ophelia, Druella and Harry's angry Gargouille in hot pursuit, yelling some very colourful words at the familiar as they did so. Harry laughed at this sight – she was used to her dormmates being very refined, so hearing them swear like sailors was a welcome distracting for the pain that she was feeling in her left leg.

That damn bloody cat!

Fortunately it didn't take Walburga long to find the Prefect. Following the Black Heiress was none other than War, who looked very disgruntled and like she had been dragged out of the shower since her hair was still damp. When War caught sight of Harry, she burst into hysterics. "Morning, Evans! Quite an alarm clock you have!" she teased.

"Shut up, War," Harry muttered as grumpily as she could manage. "Why didn't you tell me you're the Slytherin Prefect?"

"Never came up," War grinned. "Besides, the whole House listens to the word of His Parseltongue Highness, Tom Riddle, so no one really listens to me or needs me until there is an injury or something."

"Why?" Harry frowned.

"I am adept in Healing magics. Duh," War rolled her eyes and she unsheathed her wand. "Now sit on your bed, give me your leg and shut up."

Harry did as she was told. War was equally intimidating off the pitch as she was on the pitch. Besides, War's shampoo smelled distinctively of bluebells and wild flowers and so distracted Harry from the stinging that she felt as War got to work on the wound.

"I must say I am impressed," War informed her with a grin. "It took you longer to get an attack from that beast than anyone in Slytherin put together! Sigyn got Riddle in his first year almost on day one, I heard!"

Harry snorted. "I genuinely thought she liked me."

"Oh dear," Walburga sighed, shaking her head at Harry as though she were disappointed in a naïve child. "You poor thing."

"That demon has no love to give," War agreed.

Harry laughed shortly.

"Victory is ours!" Druella announced triumphantly, as she, a proud Athenaïs hot on her heels and a worried Ophelia came bursting back into the room, a disgruntled and resigned-to-her-fate Sigyn in Druella's hands. "Now for her bath. I am going to enjoy this! Revenge is mine, you insufferable feline!"

"Dru, don't you dare chuck Sigyn into the fountain!" Ophelia scowled, clearly knowing exactly what was running through Druella's head.

"Don't worry, I won't chuck her in. I will dunk her in!"

Normally Harry would be the one protesting along with Ophelia, but with War still cleaning up the battle wound that the Russian blue had occurred on Harry's leg, Harry felt like joining Druella in dunking the cat, quite carefully for her doing, into the ice cold waters of the font in their room. In fact, Harry was tempted to conjure up a small flag and sing a chant in Druella's honour. In a manner of speaking, it was Harry's revenge too.

The meowing and howling of indignation and regret that came from the cat for the next two minutes was music to Harry's – and much of the dorm's – ears. Athenaïs was unabashedly rolling around in laughter the entire time. Even Seraphina mewed once or twice in amusement.

Once Druella had finished, Ophelia dried Sigyn off, humming a gentle melody while the cat glared multiple daggers at Druella and Athenaïs. War was also done with Harry's leg. She had bandaged it, gave Harry a potion to take at breakfast for the pain and told Ophelia that her 'bloody cat is a menace' and promptly left.

Harry found that she did have to walk with a slight stinging feeling because War's magic was still at work, so the journey to the Great Hall took only slightly longer than normal. For once, the girls were among the first to arrive at breakfast; Tom, his Knights, Orion and Nott were not there at all. None of Ophelia, Ygraine and Walburga's friends were present either so they simply decided to sit with each other for once.

Harry mostly kept to herself as her dormmates began debating on whether when Grindelwald would be invading Britain and if Dumbledore would be able to face up against his old friend. It was a subject that she really wasn't in the mood to debate so early on a Sunday morning. Thankfully she was distracted by Eileen Prince coming over to thank Harry for her help the night before. Harry flushed and froze when the young witch hugged her tightly, but eventually returned the hug.

"What was that about?" Ophelia asked curiously when the young witch skipped back to join her friends.

"Miss Prince had a nightmare yesterday and I … sang her to sleep," Harry admitted, suddenly taking a deep interest in her croissant.

Harry's dormmates blinked at her, which she guessed was the pureblood variant of gaping.

"Why?" Ygraine asked curiously.

"She needed comfort, so I tried to give it to her. That's why," Harry took another bite of her croissant.

"You really are strange," Ophelia commented, and then blanched. "Not in a bad way; I mean it is a compliment!"

Harry scoffed. "I never got an iota of care about whether or not I was sleeping well, except from my best friend Hermione. I am not going to treat someone in the same way I was treated."

"Your parents didn't care whether you slept well or not?" Druella asked incredulously.

Harry shrugged. "Sirius cared a little, mostly when I had a nightmare. Only Remus actually worried about it. But it was Hermione who managed to lull me back to sleep after …"

Harry felt her throat clog up at the memories and closed her eyes to stop her tears from forming. Druella put a reassuring arm around her. "Sorry. That was tactless of me. I scold Nott and Orion, and here I am doing it myself!" Druella scoffed.

"No, it's … it's fine," Harry said weakly.

She sat back up straight, determined to pull herself together and poured herself some coffee. As she did so, War joined them for breakfast and plonked herself next to Harry, much to her surprise.

"Leg doing OK?" War asked casually.

"Have a slight limp, but yes," Harry answered. "Thanks, by the way."

War waved her gratitude off. "It's what I am here for."

"Harry, Dru!" Orion skidded to a halt in front of them. "There you are! Harry, are you OK? We heard that Ophelia's mangy furball-"

Ophelia blanched. "Hey!"

"-attacked you!"

"I am fine, Orion," Harry reassured with a smile. "I just have another battle scar; only this one has a story that's boring."

"Boring?!" War snorted. "I got to see Rosier put that fleabag in its place! That is already worth it."

"Here is something you don't know!" Orion said gleefully. He plonked himself down inelegantly next to his future wife, who smiled quite fondly at him.

"Don't you bloody dare!" Druella and Ophelia chorused angrily, knowing exactly what Orion was about to divulge.

Orion dared. "The cat had managed to escape into the boys' dormitories, chased down by a very angry Athenaïs and then broke into the fifth year boys' rooms. Athenaïs then chased Sigyn into Riddle, Lestrange, Mulciber and Avery's room, making noises that sounded like she was threatening Sigyn with death. Sigyn had gone under Mulciber's bed, followed by Athenaïs. Ophelia and Druella only managed to get Sigyn as your familiar chased her from Lestrange's bed to Tom's. Tom was bloody furious! The only reason he didn't take points or told Slughorn was that, judging by the vitriol shown by Athenaïs, Ophelia and Druella were hunting the beast for escaping after injuring Harry."

Harry paled quite quickly.

"Well, that is certainly something you don't hear every day," she commented weakly.

This elicited a few hearty chuckles.

To Harry's surprise, Orion wasn't the only one to come and check up on her. Nott, with an unwilling Rosier behind him, had practically searched Harry from head to toe to make sure nothing was too badly damaged. Avery and Mulciber had come to check up on her, and she reassured them that the scratch wasn't going to stop her playing Quidditch, which got the two of them to chuckle. Though he didn't say anything, Harry could see that Heron had been worried about her too.

"Why are you sitting here and not with us?" Nott then asked.

"Because none of us fancied eating on our own," Druella answered steely.

"You'll survive breakfast without us," Harry reassured him.

She wasn't entirely convinced though, and it seemed that Nott was not so sure either, if his small smile and the look of pure glumness was anything to go by. Rosier dragged his reluctant best friend back to where the Knights were sitting; Druella's twin couldn't wait to get out of Harry's hair.

"What's your brother's problem?" Harry found herself asking Druella once Rosier and Nott were out of earshot.

Druella scoffed. "No idea. Arcturus has a problem with anything and everyone who aren't in the British pureblood ring. You could be old European money with an entirely pureblood line, dining with royals and he would think you're nothing more than dirt on his boots. But this time, I really don't know. He is weirder than normal."

Somehow, Harry had a feeling that the problem extended beyond the fact she was practically foreign. Tactfully, she kept silent.

"Morning, Harry!" Artemis practically skipped over with her usual grin plastered on her face. "I heard Rowle's demon cat finally got you! By the way, Dippet wants you in his office after breakfast. Something about a Floo Travel to Diagon Alley and he wants you to know something about kraken scales?"

Harry cast a quick Tempus, realised it was 9.30 and jumped to her feet. "Shit! My Gringotts meeting! I need to get going! Thanks Artemis."

"No problem!" Artemis called back. "Good luck!"

Harry sped out of the Great Hall before anyone could stop her, almost knocking over more than a few first and second years – they had to fling themselves out of the way of the charging Slytherin. Harry hollered down the corridors all the way to the entrance to the Headmaster's office. She skidded to a halt in front of the giant eagle that guarded the Headmaster's office. "Kraken scales!"

"Ah, good morning, Miss Evans," Headmaster Dippet greeted kindly as she charged into his office. "I got a letter from one Mr. Burke about opening the Floo Network between my office and his business in Diagon Alley. He is accompanying you to a meeting with Gringotts, I take it?"

"Yes, sir," Harry answered with a smile.

"Very well then. I am glad there are other people looking out for you. I won't detain you much further." Without further ado, the Headmaster waved his hand nonchalantly and opened the Floo Network. "Good luck, Miss Evans."

Harry stepped into the fireplace, taking some Floo Powder as she did. "Mr. Burke's Books," she said clearly and flung the powder down, closing her eyes as the green fire shot up and only opened them again when she stumbled out of the fireplace. Fortunately she didn't fall flat on her face because Mr. Burke had been there to catch her just in time.

"There you are, Harry! I was worried you forgot your own appointment," Mr. Burke admitted with a wry smile.

"I almost did!" Harry admitted with a grin. Then she noticed they were not alone. Grinning at them was a man who resembled Mr. Burke quite closely, but there was enough of a difference between them to see that they weren't identical twins. Mr. Burke had chocolate hair, while this man had curly dark oak hair. He could also be classified as classically handsome. Opposite him sat a girl only few years older than Harry dressed in some very … unladylike clothes. Harry had not seen a leather jacket in so long, and to see it on a girl in the 40s took her by surprise. The girl was clearly related to them somehow – she smirked in the same way the man opposite did. Her hair had some silver and blonde highlights and her grey eyes were haunted. Almost as haunted as Mr. Burke's.

"So you are Harry," the girl stated with a grin. "Thomas has told us a lot about you. I cannot wait to get to know you better."

"Eeeerm…." Harry blanched.

"Melanie," Mr. Burke hissed. "Behave."

"You should get going before Harry is actually late," Mr. Burke's brother or cousin, Harry wasn't so stupid as to assume the guy was Burke's father or son, pointed out with a chillingly triumphant grin. "We will still be here when you get back. Would you like to join us for lunch before you return to Hogwarts, Miss Evans?"

"Yes, please," Harry answered politely with a small bow of the head.

Mr. Burke could not get out of the room fast enough; Harry couldn't decide whether the redness in his face was because of embarrassment or annoyance. Whatever it was, Harry could not help but smile.

"You didn't tell me your family is visiting," she commented lightly as they set off towards Gringotts.

"I know. I am sorry. I have been trying to make them leave," the dower man sighed as they set off towards Gringotts.

"Why? In this day and age family contact is more important than ever," Harry pointed out. "A bomb could accidentally kill them for all you know."

Something in Mr. Burke's eyes made Harry frown a little. There was a glint there that closely resembled … amusement. As if the idea that his siblings could be killed by a rogue unexploded V1 or V2 bomb was funny to him!

Harry suddenly wished she had Legilimency skills.

"So," Harry said carefully. "They're your siblings?"

"Henry is," Mr. Burke replied. "We are twins, but not identical. Melanie is our young cousin but very distantly. Our family is very complex."

"How many siblings do you have?" Harry asked curiously.

"In total? Around seventeen."

"Seventeen siblings?!" Harry started in shock. "How?!"

"My mother had quite a few triplets," Mr. Burke blushed. "Did you ever want siblings, Harry?"

Harry shrugged. "I wanted a family, not necessarily siblings, but I guess I would have liked to not be alone for so long. I mean, Hermione … was as good as my sister and I considered my friend Luna a younger sister, but I would have liked to maybe have my own brother or sister to fight with."

Mr. Burke barked a laugh. "You'd be fighting all right! Our home was a war zone growing up."

Harry snorted. "I would have thought something was wrong with you if it weren't! Seventeen siblings … your poor parents. Did they … struggle at all?"

"Nope," Mr. Burke responded with a small smile. "Our family helped out quite a bit, and by the time some of the younger ones were born, the older ones had already left home. I barely see most of my siblings. I only ever really see Henry, Melanie, her parents and her sister Aria. I don't talk to my parents really."

"Wow," Harry whispered. "I am sorry."

"Don't be; for one, it is not your fault. Over the years we simply all grew apart. It happens," Mr. Burke gave her a reassuring smile.

"May I ask you something?" Harry bit her lip.

"Of course."

"How do you know my ancestors? The Peverell brothers? I mean, from what you wrote to me, you didn't sound as though you were going to tell me a myth, like others did. You sound as though … you knew them."

Mr. Burke tensed up a little; Harry even thought she saw a sliver of a wince. Harry sighed. "Please, sir. I just want the truth."

"At lunch. I promise," Mr. Burke vowed. "Let's first get this business settled first."

Harry sighed in defeat, but knew he was right.

Griphook was awaiting them and as soon as they arrived, he hurried over to them, grinning toothily. "Ah, Lady …" He stopped short when he saw Mr. Burke and narrowed his eyes at the man. Mr. Burke regarded him blankly, not in the least bit impressed by the scrutinization. "Does this man know your secret?" Griphook turned to Harry.

"He does. I trust him," Harry informed.

Griphook straightened almost immediately. "Well, then. Let us get to business, Lady Peverell. And may I be the first to congratulate you on your sterling work so far? You really are quite skilled."

"I had help along the way," Harry admitted.

"Most Curse-breakers do," Griphook reassured. "And you're young. You are still learning. Anyway, you wish to see the properties. We will start with the paper descriptions and then we will visit each one. Is that amenable to you?"

"Yes, sir," Harry answered with a small smile.

"There is one other item on the agenda," Griphook informed her. "Something that is best done before your house hunting."

Harry's eyes widened and exchanged a look with Mr. Burke.

"Do not be alarmed. We are simply fulfilling requests of members of the Peverell family," Griphook reassured with a chuckle.

"What? I have living family?" Harry suddenly went very pale. "Do they even know I exist?! What was their-"

"You will see soon enough." Griphook sounded too gleeful for Harry's liking. The goblin looked set to skip to the carriages, and probably would have done if no one else had been around to see it.

Griphook took Harry and Mr. Burke back down to the Peverell vaults, this time to vault 995, which confused both Harry and her strange companion a lot. Both began pondering on what and who could have summoned Harry down to the vaults again.

Or better yet, whom?

Griphook took the key to the Peverell vault from Harry and once it was open, bowed to her in a manner akin to a portier. Harry frowned but was too curious as to not go inside. As soon as she did, there was a distinct sound of … chuckling.

"Well! There she is!"

"Antioch, behave!"

"Turn around you gormless girl and let us have a look at you."

Harry turned around and her eyes landed on three exquisitely painted portraits of three very wealthy-looking, and also very stiff, men. One exuded arrogance, another radiated a kind of conceit and the other was relatively meek compared to the other two. In fact, in the third, Harry swore she could see a sliver of herself, Artemis and James in the man. Perhaps it was something in the eyes, or the cheeks?

"Erm, hi," Harry said awkwardly.

"Well, girl? What is your name?" The oldest man asked impatiently.

"My real name or the name I am going by?" Harry wanted to know slyly.

The middle brother chuckled. "She has a functioning brain, at least. Your real name."

"Hera Elizabeth Potter," Harry answered. "Everyone calls me Harry."

"Potter? Then you're one of my descendants!" the younger brother exclaimed happily. He frowned. "Though, why are you going by a fake name?"

"I go by Harry Evans here because I am … not from this time period," Harry replied, turning quite pink with embarrassment.

"Oh? Which time period are you from?" the elder brother – Antioch? – asked eagerly.

"1997. It's currently 1944."

"HA! Fifty years into the past. Not bad for your first Travelling!" the middle brother – must be Cadmus – praised. "You will be able to do better than that soon enough. That is if you are Mistress of Death."

"I am," Harry swallowed.

"Speaking of which – we can sense you! Come in here, old chap!" Ignotus, Harry's ancestor and the third brother, called.

Mr. Burke tentatively stuck his head around the door and when he saw the portraits of the Three Brothers, looked just about set to make a run for it. Or Apparate the hell out of there.

"So you do know each other!" Harry exclaimed triumphantly.

"Oh, we more than know each other!" Antioch chuckled. "You're looking good, Tosti! Though, the last time we met you were looking a bit more macabre with that impressive cloak of yours."

Mr. Burke's face flushed quite red. "For the one thousandth time, do not call me Tosti, Antioch!"

"Wait, wait, why do they call you Tosti?" Harry asked her friend with a small frown.

"You haven't told her?!" Cadmus spluttered. "You really have a knack of messing things up, Tosti. Some things really do not change with you immortals, do they?"

"Harry, you are Mistress of Death," Ignotus told his descendant gently. "Death, Harry."

Mr. Burke, who looked set to hex the portraits into oblivion, turned to Harry. "Harry, my name is not Thomas Burke. My name is … Thanatos."

"Which is why we call him Tosti," Cadmus added. "Would you like to see his true form? Show her, Tosti!"

The person Harry had known as Mr. Burke looked extremely reluctant but almost in a blink of an eye, the dower, well-dressed bookshop owner was clean-shaven and looked ever so slightly younger. His suit had been replaced by black leather armour and a long billowing cloak that swirling in a non-existent wind. A sizeable hood covered almost half of his face; Mr. Burke had to lift his hood up slightly for him to reveal his face. Strapped to the belt around his waist was an executioner's sword and a lantern. He was still pasty in pallor, Harry noticed.

Harry felt her heart skip multiple heart beats and froze to the spot, looking at the man who she had been getting to know for the past month and a half. Normally, she would flip her lid at being lied to about something this bloody crucial – Death was running a bloody bookshop! – but all she felt was … pure shock instead of anger.

"I think we broke her," Antioch commented.

"Harry?" Mr. Burke … no, Thanatos called her name mournfully. "I am so sorry. Hypnos wanted me to tell you sooner but I felt you … weren't ready."

"Hypnos … Henry," Harry muttered, half still in her trance. "God of Sleep; your twin brother. Why in the name of Merlin did I not see it before?! And who is Melanie really?"

Thanatos looked sheepish. "Melinoë. Goddess of Ghosts."

"Right," Harry stated faintly. "That's how you knew everything … you know your own Mistress."

"Indeed," Thanatos admitted meekly.

Harry nodded, stopped and then looked sharply at her three ancestors. "Hey, why didn't you say anything when I was here a month ago?"

"Because we finally were freed from that irritating magical cover!" Antioch lamented. "We tried to call out to you but of course you couldn't hear us."

"The goblins put a covering over us because Antioch snores," Ignotus grumbled.

"I most certainly do not snore!"

"Yes, you do," the two portraits and – to Harry's surprise – Thanatos chorused. Harry bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. There was no way that she was not going to interrogate Tosti about his friendship with her ancestors.

Antioch Peverell, much to her shock, pouted childishly.

"Lady Peverell," Griphook called from outside as Thanatos quickly resumed his Mr. Burke persona. "We still have your second business matter to conclude."

"Second matter?" Ignotus repeated curiously.

"Yes, I am deciding where to live," Harry admitted, flushing a little.

"Take us with you!" Cadmus begged. "We need a wall to hang on, and we could help you with deciding which property is best!"

Harry smiled at the men who were her ancestors and nodded. The Three Brothers lit up. It was already easy to forget that they were portraits, inanimate – to spend so long in a vault was no way to live … or, hang? Merlin, this was headache inducing!

Harry carried Ignotus out, while Thanatos took Antioch and Cadmus. As Griphook led the unique little family back up to the main offices of the bank, Antioch and Cadmus took great pleasure in telling Harry the tales of their youth and how each of the three brothers gained a passion for spell creation and invention. Ignotus filled in the parts that were a little too overexaggerated in his older brothers' retelling.

"The bridge was what caught Tosti's attention, but was not the reason he decided to 'help' us," Antioch continued. "We made the bridge a year before Tosti and his Reapers noticed no one dying in that spot anymore; I was working as a wand maker at the time, Cadmus was embracing our family legacy as a Necromancer and Healer, and Igny, rather fittingly, was working on his spellwork, our old Family Magic and his music."

"Music?" Harry repeated reverently. "You were a musician? How was this never-"

"A fairy tale is more popular than reality, my dear," Ignotus answered sagely.

"Anyway," Antioch continued. "Tosti visited my wand shop, dressed as a hooded traveller if you can believe it, and told me that the bridge was rather impressive. He then asked if he could be of any assistance. Now, I had no idea who he was at first but then I remembered the descriptions of Azrael or Thanatos, as he is often called, and I knew I was speaking to the old deity himself. I asked for components for the best wand in the world."

"I asked for a stone that could bring back the dead," Cadmus added quietly.

"And I asked for a Cloak of Invisibility because I am not a complete moron," Ignotus finished, which made his two brothers scowl. Both Harry and Thanatos chuckled at this. "I had not finished my research or my music, and I wanted to make sure I had enough time. Do the Potters still have it?"

"They do," Harry reassured. "It passed from Fleamont Potter to his son James and then will be given to me. That Cloak has saved me more than enough times. I wish I had it here with me, to be honest."

Thanatos chuckled. "That can easily be arranged."

Harry frowned but decided to question the god on it later. Griphook, who had enjoyed the entire journey more than any other menial task he was set to do that day, happily led the odd family into his office to discuss the properties. The brothers could not agree on the properties – Antioch wanted Harry to take the Peverell seat of power since she was now the Lady Regnant; Cadmus wanted Harry to take Arcana House since it was sizeable but still hidden; and Ignotus told the both of them to cease and desist and leave the decision up to Harry. Thanatos cleverly kept himself out of the discussion and simply sat back and watched the chaos with a grin.

All the while, Harry's headache grew because of the bickering brothers. Eventually she agreed to a compromise. She would live in the smaller Evren Estates until she either married or claimed the Peverell seat in the Wizengamot, which was when she would move to Peverell Manor. Harry had snorted at the name when she saw the picture of it – it wasn't a manor house, it was a bloody castle. Little wonder that Antioch, the power hungry of the three, wanted her to go back.

"You will hang us in your main study," Antioch said in a voice full of authority.

"Well you are not hanging in my bedroom!" Harry flushed.

Harry had no idea portraits had the ability to blush. Well, she learned now!

"Would you like us to do any renovating, my Lady?" Griphook asked. "The houses do need some modernisations and your chamber might be considered a bit too … masculine for a Lady Regnant."

"Thank you, Griphook," Harry smiled gratefully. "What will be your rate?"

"For the Mistress of Death, twenty per cent of the usual price."

"Fifteen?" Harry haggled.

Griphook grinned. "Seventeen per cent."

"Deal."

"Huh. She really does have a functioning brain!" Cadmus exclaimed happily.

The Peverell brothers' portraits remained at Gringotts before being moved to Harry's new home. Thanatos and Harry started to make their way back to Thanatos' book store in awkward silence, knowing that a difficult conversation needed to be held. However, before Harry and her godly companion could even make it to the front door, someone stepped into their path.

The man in question was in his early to mid-thirties and to many conventions would be considered rather handsome. He had startlingly dark eyes, their colour blue so dark Harry was reminded of the darkest depths of the ocean. His dark hair was well styled and his stubble well-kept. Unlike most of the wizards and male Muggles of the time, he was dressed in black and silver robes in a similar style Harry had seen in the robes of the Durmstrang students who came from Eastern Europe. As Harry studied him closely, she swore that the man's perma-smirk reminded her slightly of Ophelia.

"So, the rumours are true," the man stated, eyeing Harry with an expression she couldn't deduce, but knew she didn't like. She had seen a similar glint in the eyes of Gilderoy Lockhart. "Gringotts finally has some fresh blood!"

"Are we acquainted?" Harry asked, frowning suspiciously.

"Oh where are my manners?" the stranger cajoled himself with a slight laugh and extended his hand. "My name is Rollo Rowle. I work as the Head of the Cursebreaker Department for Gringotts. When I was informed by Griphook and several others about an exciting new provisional Cursebreaker I have to admit I was initially sceptical. But considering what has been thrown at you I simply had to meet you. I didn't expect you to be so young, though. I believe you are in the same year and House as my young cousin, Ophelia."

"Yes, I am," Harry replied, relaxing only a jot. "She's one of my dormmates, and friends."

"Well, she certainly speaks very highly of you," Rollo Rowle informed. "Every letter home now has at least one story about you in it. I daresay Aunt Livia is very well-informed, and possibly quite exhausted by now. Evans, was it? I must admit I was rather surprised that a half-blood was put into Slytherin. That House isn't the most … tolerant."

"I think it depends on the company you choose to keep," Harry argued. "I have met plenty who do not hold my heritage against me."

"Well, I am glad to hear that!" Rowle grinned. "I must say, I am very pleased to have made your acquaintance at last, Miss Evans. I cannot wait to see the results of your next project. Indeed, there are many here at Gringotts who are waiting with bated breath."

Harry had no idea how to react to that. "Thank you, sir. You are too kind."

"Not at all. I am afraid I must dash. A few of my own Cursebreakers have just returned from South America and I really must attend the debriefing. Excuse me." With that, Rowle was gone.

Harry blinked in shock. "Did that … just happen?"

Thanatos chuckled slightly. "He is a bit of a strange fellow, but what he says is true. You are making quite an impression on Gringotts; I think it safe to say they are getting more and more eager to employ you after you finish Hogwarts."

"Urgh," Harry's heart sank at the thought of people gossiping about her during coffee breaks. "It never ends, does it?"

Thanatos looked at her with a bit of sympathy. "Come on. Let's go home and have something to eat before we send you back to your school. There is much to discuss."

"I'll say," Harry agreed. "Tosti," she added with a grin.

"Cheeky bugger!"

Little did they realise that their retreating figures were being watched very closely from one of the top-floor offices.

#############

Harry has taken the revelation better than even I thought she would take it! However, there is now no escaping it – plus her reputation has grown! Not clear what Grindelwald has planned yet? Don't worry; that will come into play soon – but as you all know, the man loves his schemes to take its time! As for the song, she sang, it is originally an Enya song that first came out in 1995 – so during Harry's initial time period – and was adapted by Luna herself. The rights to the song belong to Enya, obviously.

Stay tuned and as always I love hearing from all of you!

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