The Winged Wolf Chapter 4, a Harry Potter + Avengers Crossover fanfic

AN: Hello my dear readers, what you're seeing here are chapters 10 and 11 of my original fanfiction.

Chapter Four: Meetings and Missions

After spending the night in a rented room at the Leaky Cauldron, I'm now standing before a blank brick wall that acts as the entrance to Diagon Alley, rather excited to experience seeing it for the first time, like so many others did when reading the books or seeing the movies. Tapping a pattern of bricks on the wall with my hand while pushing my magic into them, that liquid light inside of me eager to respond, and I watch as the wall begins to fold open, revealing the scenery, Diagon Alley!

Pulling out my churchwarden, I pack it with about half a bowls worth of Mornings Start, lighting it with a summoned flame and packing it down with some telekinetic magic. Tasting the sweet and earthy blend as I fill my mouth with the smoke, I exhale it with a smile, enjoying the relaxing feeling of smoking my pipe as I make my way into the alley, my cane tapping the ground as I walk. The complex notes of the tobacco blend roll across my tongue as I take in the magical wonder surrounding me.

Witches and wizards fill out the alley as they shop at different stalls and head in and out of various stores, cloaked in a variety of different robes and pointed hats. I tend to stand out in my black yukata with a red blossom pattern on it, my pitch-black hair tied up into a bun held together with a senbon, and my tobi-clad feet hidden beneath the fabric. The black hadajuban blends seamlessly under my yukata, and my entire ensemble helps hide my identity.

People see what they want to see and have their own expectations a lot of the time, and they certainly don't expect to see Elizabeth Violet Potter, The Girl Who Lived, being dressed like I am, and lacking any lightning bolt scar. The only thing that could give me away would be my black hair and bright emerald green eyes, but even then, I'm so out of expectations that I doubt anyone would make the connections.

Making my way through the alley, I ignore the various odd stares here and there to simply enjoy the experience so many Harry Potter fans longed for, seeing the magic that surrounds me. Various potion shops, flying broom shops, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Ollivanders, and more all line the alley, with different offshoots to other alleys that connect to the main one.

Taking my time walking through the alley I puff on my pipe, using my magic to keep it tamped until all that remain is ash, taking that as a sign to make my way to Gringotts. Channeling some magic into the pipe I vanish the ash, a nifty little enchantment the store owner told me about before I left, and put my pipe away inside my yukata, making my way into the goblin run bank.

With my cane hanging on my arm and my wand in its holster, I waited in line for a few minutes to meet a teller, Ugrod according to the name tag on his desk. I make sure to remember the advice given to me by my grandfather when dealing with goblins as I approach the teller.

"May your enemies fear your name as they die, and your gold flourish. I need to meet a goblin about my account, Teller Ugrod" I say, using a customary greeting and showing no fear.

Showing a slight surprise at the greeting but nothing else the goblin looks down at me from his seat, "Very well young witch, what account" he asks, sounding just a tad more polite to me than he did with others he talked to ahead of me.

"The Potter account" I say confidently, looking at him in the eyes unflinchingly under his scrutiny.

"Hmm, we shall see about that" he says, "Griphook!" he calls out, bringing a goblin I recognize, in name at least, from the books and movies.

Looking back to me "Griphook here will take you to the Potter account manager, you better hope you're honest about your claims child or you'll be spending some time in the mines. May you enemies be gutted and die a slow death and your gold flourish" he says, leaving me with a goblins customary parting greeting.

"Understood Teller Ugrod" I say, parting with a smile as I follow Griphook, leading deeper into the bank, I arrive with him at an office door, the name Roggok written on the door in gold.

Griphook soon leaves me behind to my meeting as I knock on the door, a slight nervousness gripping my heart, a light weight inside my chest.

"Enter" I hear from inside, an aged and gruff voice.

Entering I find the office well adorned with various weapons, with a mahogany desk, with Roggok sitting behind it, writing on what I assume is to be some paperwork.

Standing next to the chair in front of his desk as he finishes his work, my cane hanging on my arm, I wait for him to address me, showing my patience and respect. He doesn't make me wait long though, finishing up a few moments later and turning to me.

"So, you want access to the Potter accounts then? And who might you be?" he asks me, his stare calculating.

"May your enemies fall and rot as your vault fills with their gold, I am Elizabeth Violet Potter, last heiress of the Potter family, Account Manager Roggok" I say, keeping to more formal language for our first encounter.

"I have been the Potter Account Manager for the last three generations, my Clan for many more, and if you are who you say you are young witch, I will be happy to be the Account Manager for four generations of Potters. If you're found to be lying though, you will be spending a month in the mines, shorter than usual given your age" he tells me, his words as sharp as steel.

"Understood Account Manager Roggok, I'll take whatever test you need me to" I tell him, confident in the results.

"Good, I admire your courage young witch if nothing else" he told me before taking out a piece of paper and a small blade from his desk, "simply prick your finger and place a drop of blood on this paper, all blood will be destroyed after" he informed me.

Nodding I took the blade and quickly spilled a drop of my blood, placing it on the paper, and watched as it slowly mapped out my linage, shocking me in the process.

James Potter (Father)(Deceased)

v Charlus Potter (Grandfather) (Deceased)

v Dorea Potter nee Black (Grandmother) (Deceased)

Lily Potter nee Romanoff, adopted Evans (Mother) (Deceased)

v Natalia Alianovna Romanova (Grandmother) (Alive)

v James Howlett (Grandfather) (Alive)

Sirius Black III (Blood Oath Godfather) (Alive)

I admit I was incredibly shocked at the revelation of my mother's parents, though considering she looked absolutely nothing like Petunia, it's not too surprising she was adopted. Though considering the age of my mother, I guess this world has the Marvel version of Black Widow from the Soviet Union, and not the MCU version, who I think was given some form of the Super-Soldier-Serum.

Either they didn't sterilize her in the Red Room, the serum healed her, or the Red Room sterilized her after she had my mother. And I know grandfather told me the mutants are extremely rare, so I doubt there will be enough for something like the X-men, but Wolverine seemed to make it through the statistics. Which, when I think about it, explains my own claws and healing, instead of the simple randomness of the x-gene that causes mutations.

Though seeing that I do have family alive, I'll have to see if I can find them, but I'll have to get situated myself first, deal with my various enemies, and expand my skill set. So yeah, when all of that is done, then I'll go looking, so probably after Hogwarts is all done and finished. Maybe I'll go out and make a bit of a name for myself after school one way or another, see if I can come across them that way? Just have to see how things unfold.

Looking up from the paper I hand it back to Account Manager Roggok, giving him the time to read it over, though I doubt he'll get as much of a shock from it as I did.

"I'm happy to see that I will in fact be working with another generation of the Potter family, I am Roggok Neckbreaker of Clan Bladebreaker, your Account Manager Ms. Potter, you may simply call me Raggok. How can I help you today?" He asks, burning the parchment and using some form of magic to clean the blade of blood as well.

"A pleasure Roggok, you can do the same and call me Elizabeth. Firstly, I would like any vault key I have access to, being that I never received mine, and I would like an overview of my accounts and properties as well" I inform him as I take a seat on the chair in front of him.

Frowning he started to pull out some paperwork and looked it over, "it says here that Dumbledore should be your magical guardian and that he has possession of your vault key. There hasn't been any withdraws since he gained the key though" he informs me.

"Being that I've never met the man, and one of the last people he left me with tried to kill me, I don't think he's a very good guardian, magical or not. Taking that into account, I figure that I should have control of my vault key rather than him" I let him know, hoping I can control some of my own money.

"Agreed" he, well, agrees, and puts his finger on a small box on his desk, pausing for a moment before opening it and revealing a small golden key.

"This key is to your Trust Vault, which is the only key Dumbledore has access to, and with this, his will no longer work for your vault.

"Thank you very much Roggok" I tell him with a smile, a weight being lifted from my shoulders, both at being in control of my money, and that I'm not dealing with a thieving version of Dumbledore. "What's the state of my finances overall? And what vaults do I have access to now?" I ask, wanting to get a measure of what I have, to work with now and later.

"At the moment you only have access to your trust vault left to you by your parents, which currently has around 125,000 galleons, 800 sickles, and 353 knuts. Then there is your family vault when you become of age at seventeen, and Sirius Black named you his heir, so you are in line to the Black family fortune, but being that he still lives, that information is still private" he informs me, surprising me. Though the books did say there were piles and piles of galleons in Harry Potter's vault, I guess they were right.

"That's, wow, that's a lot" I tell him, hoping he can explain it to me a bit.

"Certainly, but the Potter family is very old, your family owns the patents on Skele-gro, the Pepper-up Potion, and Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, whose royalties totaling 500g a year, your family receives whenever they are sold" he tells me.

Again, he surprised me with the information, I knew about the hair potion but not the other two potions, and considering how often all three must be used, I can see why my family's wealth grew. Ignoring home potion makers at least.

Looking back to him he continued when he saw he had my attention again, "Both your mother and father also set extra money aside in your trust vault in case anything happened to them, so you could be taken care of. Your mother also made some wise investments in the Nimbus company that has been doing very well, further growing your family's wealth. Considering that the no withdraws have been made for the past eleven years, while also accumulating royalties, you are doing very well for yourself Ms. Potter" he tells me, shocking me at how well off I am, even if I can only access my trust vault for now.

"What's the total amount I have in the main family vault then?" I ask, curious how well off I actually am.

"Well, ignoring enchanted items, weapons, and antiques stored in the vault, you have 353,000 galleons in total, with a few hundred sickles and knuts each" he informed me, making my heart beat like a drum.

They say money can't buy happiness, but it undoubtedly makes many things and plans a lot easier, and even with my trust vault, a lot of things in the future will be much smoother for me. It's greed, the hungry, rabid beast that it is, that destroys a person in the end.

Their greed becomes unshakable and unquenchable which diverts them down the path of self-destruction, consuming their morals and life. And though I may grow my wealth in time, I'll make sure to avoid the rabid beast of greed, with such avarice as others show, I can take the better and wiser path.

"Is there any way I can invest some of that money?" I ask him, having a certain broom company in mind

Roggok looked amused at my question, probably thinking I'm far too young and uninformed to be thinking about investing yet, "According to the Ministry of Magic, you may not enter your family vault to take money until you are seventeen, though if you are declared of age in some compacity by the Ministry before seventeen, you can authorize how your family vault money is spent" he informed me, which might also explain some of his amusement.

Looking at him with a raised eyebrow, my back slightly tensed in annoyance I take a slow breath, my magic twisting inside of me, "So, what you're telling me is that there's a law that basically makes it possible for politicians to look at rich heirs or heiresses like me, that are orphans, and con us out of our money, using something like 'donations' to their campaign? Probably letting some politicians get close to a naïve heir and get control of their family wealth" I ask, the sarcasm dripping from my voice like acid.

"Exactly," he says with a smirk, "don't you just love the blatant audacity of corrupt witches and wizards? Not even bothering about being subtle about their lack of honor" he spits out, his true feeling about the Ministry of Magic coming out.

"I can't say you're wrong about that" I say, a dry tone falling from my lips. "I don't really want to rely on corrupt politicians, and you never mentioned that the Ministry has to be the one to declare me of age to handle my finances, are there any other options?" I ask him, hoping for a solution.

"Sadly no, as of now you're the gold in your family vault must stay as is, though you can deal with active investments since that is not yet in your family vault, simply tied to your family's money. A small loophole, but one all the same, and you can use the money in your trust vault as you please" he told me, which worked out rather well for me, even if I won't be able to grow my family vault directly just yet.

"How much do I get from the Nimbus company monthly? And are there any other broom companies open for investment right now?" I ask, wondering if I can get in early for investing in the Firebolt.

"Right now, you get 100g a month from what your mother invested, netting 1,200g a year, a very wise investment on your mother's part. As for other broom companies, currently, there is a company open for investment, wanting investors for their opening model broom called the Firebolt" he informed me, causing excitement to slither up my spine.

"What are they asking for investment?" I ask, wondering if I could just transfer my investments.

Taking a minute to scrutinize me he then goes over the math, "Right now the Firebolt company is asking 500g for a percentage of their company, which shows they are either extremely confident or immensely foolish, asking so much being a newcomer in the market, even with the addition of goblin workers making the iron parts" he let me know, making me smile.

"Great! What I want you to do is take 20,000g from my trust vault, and tell them that if they throw in another 5% and their first off the line model, they can get an open endorsement from The-Girl-Who-Lived, the first and probably the last I will ever give" I let him know, knowing that my endorsement could mean a lot, especially my first one.

I might not like how I received my fame and thinks it's stupid how blind people can be by believing that I alone was responsible for beating Voldemort.

Though since people are eager to give me that fame, I might as well make use of it to help benefit me, for right now at least. Maybe I'll even look into making my own model of brooms in the future as well, but that's after I learn a lot more about how they're made and if I can do better.

Taking a moment to ponder my decision, his curiosity plainly written across his face, he nods "it's smart using the power of your name to make the most of your gold, but are you sure you want to make a risky investment? As your Account Manager, I will tell you that you could lose quite a lot if this fails" he lets me know, no condemnation coloring his voice, simply pointing out the dangers that may lay ahead.

Shifting to a much more serious countenance, my eyes becoming diamond-hard, I look to Roggok "I understand that this is a risk, but as you said, the company is either extremely confident or foolish, and I'm betting it being confidence in the end. But I also know that I can't throw everything at a bad investment, so that's why even though I am spending a lot, it's just from my trust vault" I explain, making sure he knows I understand what I'm doing.

"This way, if my judgment is bad and it falls through, I may take a loss, but it won't be overly damaging to me either. I see it as a measured risk, understand Roggok?" I say, showing him that it's not some foolish child making this decision, but someone who knows the pros and cons of spending this kind of gold and he nods in return.

Considering the broom becomes a top-of-the-line broom and very expensive as well, but still used by professional Quidditch teams all over the sport, I should quickly make up for any losses. Taking in 45% of the earnings should recoup my losses in a year or two, maybe even faster with my endorsement as well. Overall, I think it will be a great investment for the future that should further help grow the wealth of my family.

"Lastly, I would like 300g from my vault to take with me for later use" I tell him, and he simply nods and writes something down in the ledger on his desk, and a bag appears on his desk, filled with the galleons I asked for, which he passes to me.

"I think that should cover everything money-wise for now Roggok, but do I have any properties that I should concern myself with?" I ask, thinking that a family as old as the Potters should have something to their name besides their vault.

"You have two properties under your name, a small cottage under Ministry control, as a testament they say, to the cost of the war. There is also Potter Manor under various wards, which you can receive a portkey to so that you can open the floo and password lock it" he informs me, annoyance spiking inside me at the Ministry taking over the home my parents fought and died in.

"Is there anything I can do to get back my cottage? Are they at least renting it?" I ask, the beast inside me stirring at the thought of the place of my parent's murder being paraded like that by the incompetent government.

"It would be very difficult to gain control of it again from Ministry control, though they have been paying a galleon a month as rent for the property, a decent rate" he lets me know, making me take a calming breath and put the matter to the side for now.

Looking a Roggok, a bit mentally tired by now, I'm ready to finally end things for now "I'll take the portkey for now, and please mail me my monthly statements so I can stay up to date on everything. Thank you Roggok" I tell him.

"Understood Elizabeth, I'll make sure you stay up to date on all your financial matters. I'll have your portkey ready in just a minute" he says, heading from his office to get the portkey.

Standing once more I stretch after the long meeting, stretching out my spine and muscles, and even though my regeneration keeps me in peak condition, it still feels great.

Feeling Yumie stir inside my tattoo I turn my mind to her, "Thank you for being so patient Yumie, I know this must have been boring" I tell her, my heart warm that my familiar and friend is always with me, just beneath my skin, silently twisting and resting within ink and blood.

"I'm a snake Elizabeth, one who doesn't even need to eat thanks to you, though I enjoy it when I do. My patience is near endless, and I understand that you needed to get a handle on what you had available. Let me out to sunbathe a bit and get me a mouse, and I'll be more than happy" she informs me, her amusement and affection coming through our bond, causing affection to tug at my lips, turning into a smile.

Soon after Roggok comes back in, holding what looks like a tie, and the male and human scent coming from it, a mix of sweat and oil wafting through the room, telling me it's probably from a random employee. Why? Who knows, maybe he annoyed Roggok or another goblin.

"Here, simply say your family name and manor, and you will be portkeyed to your manor, your magic and blood will be recognized by the wards" he lets me know as he hands the tie over to me.

"Once again, thank you Roggok" I tell him, my sincerity heavy in my tone as I give him a small bow.

He returns the bow to me with a first over his chest, "may your enemies die fearing your name, and your vaults run over with gold" he tells me, making my smile spread even wider.

"Potter Manor" I say, feeling the magic from the tie reach out taut and hooking around my navel, pulling me into the formless void, spinning into nothingness, out from Roggok's office.

ΩΩΩ

Arriving at Potter Manor with my knees slightly bent I manage to keep my balance from the disorientating entrance, the magic of the portkey still clinging to me like feather-light webs across my skin, tingling across my senses. I take my time to look around, seeing that I've arrived in some kind of large greeting hall, white marble spread across the floor like fallen snow.

Yumie separates from me to explore a bit for herself, finding a good sunspot to relax in probably, the lazy lovable snake and that's fine with me.

I take my time wandering throughout the manor, old scents still clinging in the air, two so faded that I can barely detect them, smelling of potions and parchment, my grandparents I assume. But the other two, one the woodsy and earthy smell of deer and potions, my dad, feeling sorrow grip at my throat like a vice.

But the other scent smells even stronger of parchment, ink, and potions, the faint scent of flowers mixed lightly in, as if dusted across, causing pain to claw at my heart. Memories of both my mother and father from so long ago permeate my mind as the faint scents of their passing cloud over my heart.

It hurts, it hurts so much that I should be set ablaze with the pain of that loss, knowing I need to move on, and I have, but scents have a tendency to bring up the past like nothing else, especially for me, and it's so true here. But nonetheless, I take a calming, shuddering breath, moving on from old wounds and haunted memories to explore the manor even further.

After going through the manor, I find it both beautiful and expansive, with the master bedroom and bathroom being the largest but housing multiple guest bedrooms and bathrooms as well. Everything was kept clean with some form of enchantment I assume, and all the bathrooms were kept in working order due to being inscribed with runes and enchantments once again.

There is also a gathering room with a fireplace and leather chairs, an expansive library seemingly with a strong focus on potions and transfiguration going to mastery level but the basics of many other subjects are also covered. Previous generations of Hogwarts books can also be found within, with even an introduction on runes and western alchemy, making me rather happy.

Another great find was a music room with a Steinway full grand piano and a violin, the former of which I plan to play quite often and the latter I may try my hand at. Both instruments were kept in perfect tune, making me love magic all the more in how it can help with my other passion in music. Something I feel is a magic all its own in a way, able to communicate through sound, a language of raw emotions.

There is also a game room with a pool table, which seems fun, a master study that will be useful when going over some of my finances as well as studying, and even a dueling and potions room. All in all, a fantastic home for me and something I will treasure considering how long it has been in my family, centuries it seems.

Outside there are a few greenhouses that seem to be under a stasis charm, with everything including the wards being powered by a ward stone at the center of a manor. The room seems to be very fortified but opened easily to me given that I'm the last living Potter, and I made sure to put a drop of my blood on it to make me the new controller of the wards. Feeling layers upon layers of old protections to make the manor a fortress all on its own was impressive. Though still, many manors such as this were attacked by Voldemort and still fell in time, yet I doubt it was easy.

Past the grounds of the manor, I can see a large expansive forest that seems to stretch on for miles, all protected by various wards to turn away any non-magic and even magical attention. Seeing how isolated and peaceful everything is, I know that Logan, my grandfather, who always seemed to want to be left alone, could maybe find some peace here as well. Something to think about for the future, at least for now since I have other things I need to deal with first.

Firstly, I know that there is a house-elf that could use some help, one who could be an incredibly loyal friend and ally, so let's see if I can help him out. Stepping into shadow and engulfed by the darkness, I go to meet a new friend, Yumie merged with me once again and my cane staying in my new home for now, unneeded.

ΩΩΩ

Arriving within the shadows of Malfoy manor I couldn't be happier to have watched the movies, giving me an image to search for through the shadows. While someone like Dumbledore might, and that's a big might, ward against shadow travel, most wizards don't since it's so incredibly rare. A sorcerer would be much more likely to ward against it, given the fact that I can't seem to see into any of the Sanctums.

Looking through the manor I finally come across Dobby in the laundry room, already bruised and beaten, wearing rags, with the scent of pain and sadness worn around him like a well-worn cloak. How anyone could treat a house elf like this I don't know, but I suppose hurting the innocent and defenseless are just what Death Eaters like, no matter what they say about preserving their culture.

Stepping out of the shadows I kneel down, waiting for Dobby to notice me, my senses easily telling me that there's no one else nearby, the day coming to a close, and the Malfoys getting ready for bed, with Lucius still in his office.

A few moments later Dobby turns my way and jumps slightly in surprise before seeming to close in on himself and becomes defensive, "who is you?" he asks nervously.

I smile at him, hoping to help put him at ease, "hello Dobby, I'm Elizabeth, Elizabeth Potter, and I wanted to know if you wanted to become my elf" I ask him gently, making sure I didn't frighten him.

"The Great Elizabeth Potter!" he whispers excitedly, "but why would the great and kind Elizabeth Potter want Dobby?" he asks, his big eyes misty with emotion.

"Don't you want me to prove who I am?" I ask, curious what he'll say.

"Oh no! Dobby knows who you be once you told Dobby!" he whispered happily.

"How?" I ask, very curious about what kind of ability would allow that.

"Of course I can, I's an elf" he tells me as an explanation, and I suppose that makes as much sense as a lot of magic does at times.

"Well Dobby, you can say I'm a bit of a seer, and I could tell that you would be an amazing and loyal friend, would you be my friend Dobby? My elf?" I ask him, truly sincere in my request.

Dobby looks at me, eyes wide in shock, "Dobby has heard of your greatness, miss, but never has he been asked to be a friend by a witch, or ever! Like an equal" his voice thick with emotion as he begins quietly sob, and I give him a consoling hug, making him cry even more.

After a few minutes, he begins to settle down again and looks at me "so what do you think, do you want to be my personal elf? I can even pay you if you want" I tell him

"Dobby would love to be Elizabeth Potter's personal elf!" he says, "but, Dobby already has masters, the Malfoys" he says sadly.

"Don't worry, leave that to me. Do you have to announce when you are freed?" I ask, seeing how I might have to adjust the plan I have in mind, and he nods his head no. "Good, then meet back here when your freed, understand?" I ask, wanting to make sure it all goes fine, and he agrees quickly.

Grabbing one of the dress socks in the laundry, I shadow travel to the office Lucius is in, seeing him sipping on some whisky as he finishes up some work at his desk. Keeping merged with the shadows I use my magic to push some of the papers near the edges of his desk to fall to the ground, making him curse in annoyance.

As he bends to pick them up, I slip the thin dress sock into the back of one of the books on his desk, enjoying the parallel to the movie, and push his drink to the side. When he comes back up, he tips his drink over, spilling it onto the book that was now slightly closer.

"Fuck! Dobby!" he calls out, and I wait with bated breath as he appears, seeing Lucius pick up the soaked book and toss it angrily to the elf, "go get this clean! And there better not be a single stain remaining elf or you'll regret it" he hisses out, using his wand to vanish the rest of the whisky from the desk.

Dobby looks at the blond man, responding with a simple "yes master" before vanishing. I quickly follow after him, smirking at Lucius within the shadows before I go, and appear next to Dobby once more in the laundry room.

Opening the book Dobby sees the sock within and smiles, "Dobby is free! I can be the great Elizabeth Potter's personal elf now!" he says with excitement, the cloak of sorrow and pain drifting away from him at long last.

"Yes, you can" I say from behind him, though he's less surprised now, seeming to know I was there with his own kind of senses as well. Holding out my hand to him I smile "let's go Dobby, this will be a bit cold, but just bear with me for a little bit" I tell him, and he nods happily, hopping on the balls of his feet.

Once more traveling through shadow, Dobby in tow, I arrive back in Potter manor, Dobby seeming no worse for wear, happy that I have a new friend and helper, and the Malfoys lost an elf.

"Welcome home Dobby" I say with a wide smile but tired eyes, knowing the day's end is coming for me as well.

With tears in his eyes, a smile of pure happiness spread across his face,

"Dobby is home" he says, hope and joy filling his voice, "Dobby is home."

ΩΩΩ

Sitting in a comfortable chair within the Potter library, reading a book on battle transfiguration, I admit that I've been underestimating the potential of magic users, at the very least, those who truly delve into what magic can do. My own martial and shadow abilities will more than allow me to take on your average witch or wizard on the street, the same as any other civilian. Though by going through various books on magic, I doubt someone like Bellatrix, let alone Voldemort would be that easy.

When reading through the higher-level battle transfiguration books, the authors talked about how the witch or wizard needs to feel their magic and the magic around them when shaping the landscape to whims. So that they know how much power to use, and when what they are trying to transfigure will fight them because it has its own or their enemy's magic.

By reading the various elemental spells that are possible, both from the books I got from Japan and the ones in my library, I've come to understand how varied just a single field of magic can be. Having to shape these spells with intent and structure, so they have purpose and power to truly cause damage.

My own basic elemental and telekinetic spells won't be able to do more than distract a normal witch or wizard simply because they don't have a stable enough structure to hold a lot of power and their own magic protecting them.

Considering how well protected the magic of a witch or wizard makes them, breaking bones in crashes like Quidditch, where a non-magical would die, and even being resistant to spells to a point, which is why accidental magic isn't a big concern for parents, since the non-structured spell doesn't pose any real danger to them. It was also a good thing I didn't actively direct any magic at Lucius, since he may very well have sensed that.

While I may have been able to flee easily enough, Dobby would have still belonged to him and that's unacceptable in my mind. I may very well have been able to kill him with my martial and shadow abilities, but I feel that it's also too early for that at the moment, being that Voldemort will be active at Hogwarts this year

But after a week of reading through basic magical theory books, charm books, and transfiguration books, I know that I do have some amazing advantages over the average witch or wizard at the get-go. My magical sensitivity seems to be beyond the norm according to what I've read from various books, something Voldemort and Dumbledore may also have, but they trained to get.

Again, I can only guess at this, but my own mutation heightening my senses may have also done the same to my magical sense, raising it beyond the norm. A byproduct of this heightened sense gives me another advantage over the normal witch or wizard, and that's my control over my own magic. I can feel it inside of me, flowing through my body like liquid light or even flowing darkness considering my shadow affinity, but a warmth inside of me nonetheless.

This control over my magic has helped my wandless magic immensely and let me start working out the structures of some spells windlessly as well, even if my wand makes it much easier by making the structure more stable. But this is something that strong witches and wizards can do as well; I just have a head start for now.

Grindelwald showed this by using a healing spell windlessly, something that can't be easy, Voldemort could move aside a giant easily with his magic, and Dumbledore cast Arresto Momentum without a wand when Harry fell from his boom after the Dementor attack.

Even McGonagall was able to cast a wandless Avifors spell, showing that not only the most powerful have control over wandless magic. McGonagall may be a very strong and experienced witch; she is still not equal in power to the likes of Dumbledore and Voldemort.

But by going over all this knowledge available to me over the last week, one thing has become very clear to me, and that is I won't be able to compete with the likes of Voldemort and Dumbledore regarding magical knowledge. Even in power, I'm sure to come up short, because while I may be stronger than normal, right now I may be as strong as a top second year, stronger when I turn eleven and have my first magical maturation, but even then, nowhere close to them.

At the very least, by the time I have my second and final magical maturation at 17, I should be a lot closer in power than any normal witch or wizard. My naturally larger reserve helps with that, and magic is like a muscle in a way, the more you work it, the stronger it can get. And with my regeneration helping with my magic, I can work that muscle a lot harder than most and have great control over that power.

I can start growing my magic even further after 17 with a lot of practice and even rituals, with most hitting their peak at 21 and staying around that peak even into old age, though with my regeneration keeping me in peak condition and open to evolution, I don't know if I have a hard limit on my growth. But even then, Voldemort was considered a genius himself in his youth and will far outstrip me in what he knows and will be able to do, power won't be enough, even if I can match him eventually if given enough time.

I have to be able to blend everything that I know along the way, working in what magic I can learn at Hogwarts and on my own, into my martial arts and chi usage. Even with my chi, I haven't been able to blend using it together with my magic just yet outside of passive meditation, but that is the end goal.

Creating my own style, being ruthless, and my future knowledge should help me deal with Voldemort in time, though even then I will have to make sure I don't underestimate him. As for Dumbledore, well, I still don't know the kind of man he will end up being, and if he will cause me any problems.

Right now, I just need to take one problem at a time, working to become as strong as I can and keep planning to make Voldemort pay for what he took from me, as well as find a way to revive my mother. But again, the last two things are long-term goals for now, though from what I've read so far about Japanese soul magic, there are plenty of ideas I can start looking into.

The first task I can actually address right now is to deal with a certain rat problem because Peter Pettigrew has avoided the Dementor's kiss for far too long. And there's a certain dog I need to get out of the kennel, making sure to have words about his idiotic recklessness. He's suffered enough for his choices after spending years with those soul-sucking, happiness-draining demons, but if the third movie says anything, he's still reckless even if well-intentioned, but if I have neuter my godfather so he learns some sense, I will!

ΩΩΩ

Sirius POV

Deep within Azkaban a certain black Grim suddenly felt unrelenting danger to his male bits, causing him to huddle even closer not himself than when the Dementors get close. He hasn't felt this way since he last pissed Lily off by giving Elizabeth a broom for her birthday, leading to an hour-long chase around the house.

Since only one person comes to mind right now, he hopes whatever he did to get his goddaughter mad at him will be forgotten soon, for the sake of his man bits at least.

Now, as soon as he can figure a way out of this hell, maybe he can ask her what got her so mad at him in the first place.

ΩΩΩ

Elizabeth POV

For the past week, I didn't only read but actively practiced my magic, mainly focusing on three spells enough that I could get a feel of their structure, doing them silently and windlessly. Firstly, was the stunning spell since I need Pettigrew alive, and stunning him certainly helps with that, next was a piercing spell in case I need to bring him down if things don't go to plan, and lastly was a shield charm just in case I'm seen. Honestly, the first spell should be enough, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Another thing I asked Dobby to get while I practiced my magic was a small rat cage that Dobby charmed to be unbreakable, at least to the point that a transforming wizard couldn't break it. Already Dobby is showing how helpful he can be, and he also gets on well with Yumie, getting her mice now and again. Since I wanted him to wear more than just rags, I gave him some money to go to Madam Malkin's and get enough fabric to make his own clothes.

He wanted to be the best elf he could be for me, filling me with warmth at his dedication, but I wanted to make sure he was more than just an elf, but a friend as well. We talked whenever he wanted, shared meals together which made him more emotional, and I even paid him a month a knut, all he would accept, for his work, so he could buy whatever he may want in the future. Lastly, I gave him quite a few books about butlers so that he has a better example of a servant who is treated much better, and he's even made his own suit which looks very nice and adorable on him.

Overall, I think Dobby, Yumie, and I are all bonding well, now I just need to free my reckless godfather, so time to go rat hunting.

ΩΩΩ

Arriving at the Weasley home late at night, having shadow traveled here using the image of their home from the movies, I keep to the shadows as I make my way up the stairs. Making sure to use my training from my grandfather to keep my footsteps silent, blending with the shadows to help that even further.

The various scents of the family fill their home as I make my way through the home, filling my heart with a heavy sense of melancholy that I push to the side for now. Considering Scabbers aka Peter should be Ron's pet by now, I follow the youngest male scent up the stairs to find his room.

As I slip into the room, avoiding opening the door simply by further merging into the shadows into his room, I see a young Ron Weasley snoring in his bed, Peter in his animagus form sleeping on the pillow next to him. Smirking at the unaware rat I make my way to him and place my hand softly around his body, so I don't wake him. Just barely feeling the heat of his rat form, and his coarse brushing on my palm I quickly cast a strong stunning spell from my palm, the light from the spell highly minimized due to being covered by his body.

Seeing that his form is no longer moving I send one stronger stunning spell just to make sure he stays down and slip his body into the small rat cage I brought along. Looking over at Ron, I admit to being rather glad that even if I end up in Gryffindor, I won't be rooming with him, as he snores loud enough to wake the bloody dead.

Seeing as I'd rather not tempt fate one way or another, I quickly merge back into the shadows and shadow travel back to Potter Manor. No need to put my Potter luck to the test, though, to be fair, that would usually just come into play when more lethal options are available.

"Dobby" I call out to my friend, seeing him appear in a puff of smoke with a smile, wearing his spiffy butler suit, looking quite the dapper elf.

"Can you turn this rat back into a man?" I ask him, giving him a kind smile.

"Yes, Mistress Potter, Dobby can" he said with a happy smile and excited tone, snapping his fingers to reveal a pudgy and unkempt man, the man who betrayed my parents.

"Thank you Dobby" I said, going to Pettigrew to check his pockets, finding both his wand and the one he had been hiding, Voldemort's wand which I take with a smile, planning to store it my trunk. One, I always thought it was a very cool wand, two, I can take Voldemort's preferred weapon away from him, and lastly, since I did play a part in his defeat, it does respond to me well enough as a backup wand just in case I'm somehow separated from my main wand.

The last thing I do is practice my still very new legilimency talents on him to look into his mind as he's unconscious, finding the Morsmordre spell in his mind. While I will never have any personal use for the spell, I never know when it could be useful in helping to frame the Death Eaters for something I do. I admit, the thought does bring a small smirk to my face.

Asking Dobby to turn him back into a rat, he did so with a smile, not liking Pettigrew any more than I did, since he caused the death of my parents, and he's family now.

Handing him the cage I give him a serious look "since the man who betrayed my parents is in here Dobby, I want you to stun him if you see him moving at all, I'm going to take him into the DMLE tomorrow, understand Dobby?" I ask, wanting to make sure nothing goes wrong.

"Dobby understands" he nods earnestly making me smile, warmth filling my chest, so I give him a hug before I head to my room to meditate.

ΩΩΩ

I've been reading books in the library on occlumency and legilimency, as well as going over the mental protections the Japanese have come up with. The English version had you clear your mind, focusing either on a single image or thought so that you have a calm and even-tempered mind.

When your mind is clear the book then tells you to start building up an image of where to feel safe, making it more complex over time, until you have the basics of a mind palace. You then use this safe place to organize your thoughts and memories in reference to your mind palace.

If you make a home, then your thoughts and memories could be in a library, stored in various books, or if it's an ocean, then they could be tied to various sea life. For me, it's the forest surrounding Mt. Fuji, a place that was a home to me for over four years with my grandfather.

But more so than that, I see it in such a way that is reminiscent of my radar vision, my thoughts, and memories tied to various trees throughout the forest and organized with associated scents to things and emotions. In the very center of the forest lies the magical Sakura tree that contains my mother's soul, or at the very least a mental representation of it, and is one of my most well-protected areas.

For now, she sleeps, held within the embrace of my mind, protected by my magic, and if there is anything or anyone that could endanger her, I will do my best to ensure that they meet a quick and merciless death.

Having learned to mediate from my grandfather for years now, getting the basics down was rather easy for me, already having a firm foundation. Though I went my own way in how my memories and thoughts are organized, it works for me, and if someone does try and read my mind, they would get a sensory overload quickly.

Even if they manage to overcome that, they would have to understand how I see to make their way through the forest, and then be able to understand the depth and complexity of the scents I make note of to understand my organization of everything.

Having your own reference in how you organize your mind palace is one of the first defenses against a legilimency attack, the attacker having to take the time to understand how your mind works for a deep dive, outside of surface thoughts at least. Though by taking the time to delve into a person's mind, seeing various memories and how they're organized, they can better look for information. A master at legilimency, someone like Voldemort could do this very quickly against a normal person, though it should be much harder for me.

The next step would be making the mental organization automatic, but that will still require much more practice for me, having to do it each night for right now. Though because of this mental organization, I have been requiring less sleep overall, since my mind doesn't need the sleep to organize my mind, though mental strain does still play a role in needing to rest.

The next layer of mental protection in the English style is to create metaphysical shields around your mind, something you can easily envision as strong and unbreakable. The strength of these shields depends on a few things, such as how strong you believe it is, your willpower, and the amount of detail you can put into the shield, getting an even stronger mental image to use for protection.

I however completely ignored this method and am currently working on the Japanese version.

The Japanese version is about embodying the spirit or kami of an element in your mind, fully understanding it to such a level that the spirit of that element is at the forefront of your mind, protecting you. Say for example one chose fire because they were attuned to that particular element, they would need to start understanding fire on an intimate level to understand its spirit.

To understand the passion of fire, its hunger to consume, its ability to take life and give it, and the balance it holds in nature. Watching the fire for hours on end so that it can become embedded inside your mind, burning those that try entering your mind, touching that fire. The better your understanding, the hotter and more real the fire is, masters even being able to burn intruders in reality that delve into their minds.

For me of course, fire wasn't what I chose or the element I was best attuned with, unsurprisingly it was shadow, darkness, that black void ready to consume all there is, that was, and that there could be. A cold and hungry maw for the light that all things will one day fade back into, but for the dark, for someone like me, it is the warm embrace of a parent, welcoming me into its arms.

I brushed against the dark when I was one, the first brush of death and loss tainting my young mind, stained in the shadow of loss, even as death passed me by. Yet for years the dark welcomed me, a respite from the abuse of the Dursleys within my cupboard, a prison and shelter, my cage and home. With Yumie becoming my familiar, the dark welcomed me even closer, the shadows whispering their welcome as I fell into their embrace.

I can feel it within me, there is still that spark of light, of life and magic that keeps me tethered to the living world and heals my wounds, it is integral to me and my soul as well. Yet home, that deep comfort of safety and security is still within the embrace of shadow. Mediating in a pitch-black room, waiting for the first light of morning, I seek to understand this home of mine.

It is the whispering shadow of a child's fear, the beginning of all things and the end, for light was born from the darkness and will one day fade into it once more. The grasping cold of death, but the welcomed release for those in pain and ready for the end to come. It creeps, crawls, slithers, and oozes into all of creation, never truly banished by the light for they are in constant balance. Neither being good nor evil, simply the primordial constant of what was and what will always be, and while the Light will never hurt me, neither its spells nor my connection to it, it will never be my home as the darkness is.

Merging into the darkness, feeling its welcome embrace, this void that stares into me as I seek to understand it, I spend the next four hours imprinting the spirit of this void into my mind. Blending deeper and deeper into shadow, merging flesh, spirit, and mind with its creeping hunger invading all that I am, falling into its waiting arms like a child to its mother, and if I could see my eyes now, they would be the black of the void, two glowing green emeralds shining out from within the darkened pits.

Hearing a knock on the door from Dobby, letting me know morning has come, I sigh out a deep breath, pulling myself away from the shadows, the deep blackness surrounding me like liquid ink seeming to relax and lighten. Almost, maybe another week or two of meditation and I'll have achieved my goal for my mental protection.

Right now, I have the spirit of shadow and darkness protecting my mind, so that enemies that try and invade will freeze from its cold touch and find no purchase within the shadows to delve further into my mind. But I want more, more than the spirit and imitation of shadow dwelling within.

The darkness has welcomed me, held me close into its embrace, and I will do the same as well. There will be no shade of what it is because as I deepen my connection to the darkness, and merge ever closer, it will dwell within me as I dwelled within it.

"How are you feeling Yumie? No issues during the meditation?" I ask my friend, wanting to keep her safe as well.

"I've said it before Elizabeth, I'm fine, I am a Shadow Serpent and the darkness is my home as much as yours, though you have gone beyond even my connection and started to truly merge with the Dark more than even me. But even so, I am and will always be fine. But thank you for making sure" Yumie tells me, warmth and love easily felt through our bond.

"Always," I tell her with a smile, sending my own love for my friend and familiar through our bond in return.

Changing my clothes and heading out of my room I greet Dobby with a smile "Thank you very much Dobby for letting me know it's morning" I tell him, getting a happy smile in return as he hands me the rat cage, Pettigrew still out cold.

Heading to the floo I call out "Ministry of Magic", disappearing in a flourish of green flame, the warm magic washing over me as it seems to embrace my entire body, pulling me toward my destination.