Harry Potter and the Nine Tails of Heroism: A Harry Potter Fanfiction
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its associated characters: all rights belong to JK Rowling. I do not own any crossover references used in the story: all rights belong to their original creators. I do own any OC spells explained at the end of a chapter.
Plot: When Harry survived the Killing Curse, it came with a transformation that changes the future for the Boy-Who-Lived as he learns to embrace true magic, find love and family, and understand who he is and what he can do. Learn fast, Little Kit, and soon!
Author's Note: So, here is an idea that actually helped inspire a challenge in my forum, but rather than an actual response to said challenge, I thought I'd present you with the brainchild that started it all off. Now, if anyone's interested, the challenge in question is called A Foxy Hero and, well, let's see what sort of chaos can come from the moment where everything began for that nugget and this one, shall we?
Recommended Reads: Apex, Damaged Raven, Trickshot, Silver King and Hydrus Black by JustBored21, Harry Potter and the Veela Life Debts by jojobevco, The Rise of the Last Potter by HPfanfictioner66, Saviour of Magic by Colt01, Never Betray A Fox by Aileen Dickinson, Kitsune Blood by Amras2007, The Adopted Kitsune by AsumiOni, Devilish Romance and Serpent's Ascending by Madriddler, A Tale of Wings and Fangs by Okaze, Harry Potter: Bloodline by Timeframe, Power, Freedom and a French Flower by Mori99, Gods Amongst Men by Slimah and A Quest for Europa, A Cadmean Victory Remastered and A Taste of Ismenian Water by DarknessEnthroned
Key Pairing: Bonded-Creature-Harry/Gabrielle/Fleur; Sirius/Amelia;
Other Pairings: To be determined
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
'Mental Speech'
/Parseltongue/
{French}
Chapter 1: The Boy-Who-Lived Is A What?
Albus Dumbledore prided himself on a lot of things.
His defeat over the Dark Wizard, as well as old lover, Gellert Grindelwald.
His work with his oldest of friends, Nicolas Flamel, as they explored the hidden secrets of Alchemy.
His discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, which had earned him the rank of Grand Sorcerer, as well as international recognition.
But, most of all, he was proud of his accomplishments as leader of the Order of the Phoenix, as well as the current, reigning Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – easily making him the longest-running member of staff, unless one counted Cuthbert – and the symbol of good, justice, truth and equality in Magical Britain.
It was true: even over his posts as Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Albus felt proudest thinking of all those innocent souls whom could feel safe within the walls of Hogwarts, as well as coming to him and some of his colleagues for advice and counsel when it was needed.
Every child that came into Hogwarts didn't know it, per se, but when they did so, they all became a part of the extended family that Albus had built for himself over the last century, and left as close, personal friends and dear honorary siblings. Naturally, not everyone accepted this, and others chose paths that Albus sorely wished he'd had a chance to convince them was not the future they should pursue – yes, he was looking at one Tom Marvolo Riddle more than any other – but, as Headmaster, Albus took pride in the fact that he had, at least, tried to do what was right.
Some might even say for the Greater Good.
Nine
It was for this reason that Albus felt certain that he had done what was for the Greater Good, when he'd made the choice to not only go against the wishes of two dearly-departed friends, and honorary son and daughter to him, but also make sure that the object of those wishes had been kept as far off the radar as he could go.
When little Harry James Potter, the Last Son and Scion, as well as Heir, of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, as well as one of the last true heirs to the ancient Peverell Dynasty, had been made an orphan in the fallout of the Magical Civil War, Albus had been afraid for him.
Even before coming to Hogwarts, the boy was already like an honorary grandson to him, mostly because of the fact that, when he'd been given the honour of being the first to hold the child in his arms after Lily had given him life, Albus had looked into Harry's shining, emerald-green eyes, and seen the cutest, sweetest, most-empoweringly-adorable smile cross the little boy's face.
And the power…
Nine
Oh, some newborns had impressive magical abilities, skills and levels right off the bat.
But this child?
Here was a borderline-god in Albus' arms; the old man felt it, as had Albus' faithful familiar, Fawkes, who'd swooped in when Albus held little Harry and, to Albus' awe, Fawkes had bent down and used one of his claws to cut the baby's skin, before he'd used a tear, willingly, to close the wound, leaving a small scar that had been shaped like a bolt of lightning.
One that Albus decided to glamour, if only so people wouldn't grow too suspicious or judging of the boy's potential.
That was when Albus had felt the power, and had a premonition, of sorts, which showed him the future.
And, in it, Harry was the equivalent of the Founders, Merlin and even Albus put together, radiating a magical glow that brought others to him in their droves, all of them praising him, calling him their saviour, their leader and the new, great sorcerer.
Perhaps even greater than Albus Dumbledore himself.
Nine
Now, in any other, darker, more-disgustingly-minded times, such potential and ability might have coerced Albus himself down a darker path, where he'd steal from the boy, make him a pawn and martyr and cheer if and when Harry sacrificed his life and died, while Albus stole the glory.
But this is not that kind of story…
Nine
Instead, Albus had his premonition and, all of a sudden, he felt a greater purpose guiding his paths in the future.
At close to a century in terms of age and experience – at the time of little Harry's birth – Albus knew it was almost time for him to consider the big R in terms of his future, and with such dark days currently affecting the Magical World he'd protected and supported over the past fifty, he knew it was high time he thought about naming a successor.
At first, he had considered asking Minerva, or even Filius, both of whom were as tough as him and as honourable towards their charges as one could get.
But now, holding this potentially-golden boy of magic in his arms, Albus knew he had found the one who would succeed him, but, first, naturally, he had to be taught, he had to be guided and, most of all, he had to grow into a fine young man.
So, handing him back to his loving parents, Albus made Lily and James a solemn vow there and then;
I solemnly swear, my old friends; no matter the hour, no matter the day, no matter the risk, I will always try and do right by your son.
If only he knew…
Nine
Fifteen months after Harry's birth, the dark days grew darker before they grew lighter when word reached Albus' ears that his old friends and honorary family, Lily and James, had been murdered by Lord Voldemort, after being betrayed by someone they called friend.
That was the first time Albus felt shame, as it had been him who'd pushed so hard for the least-expected candidate to be trusted with their secrets.
When he heard little Harry had survived, however, Albus felt a spark of hope; however, at the same time, he was afraid.
If the servants of the now-vanquished Dark Lord managed to track down the vulnerable youth, they could kill him, or worse, and everything that Albus had promised to do for Lily and James, now in their memory, would end up being torn into a billion-billion pieces.
And then, the world would truly be doomed.
Nine
So, for the sake of the future, and for little Harry, Albus made a choice.
One he was sure he would be able to help Harry understand when the time was right.
However, as Albus found out, almost ten years after he made that choice, Fate, it seemed, had other plans for the now-dubbed Boy-Who-Lived.
Nine
Hope.
That was what Dumbledore felt when he walked up the familiar driveway of Number Four, Privet Drive, stopping only once to admire the nice flowerbeds, as well as what looked like newly-budding flowers around the edge of the garden. As he reached the door, the hope swelled into an even greater sense of desire and wonder as he felt the familiar stirrings of the blood wards, which told him that Harry was still at this address, and that he called it home.
This meant he was safe from Tom's forces, despite the fact that their numbers had depleted somewhat over the past decade.
Lifting a hand, Dumbledore knocked on the door, which was the cue for a series of hurried footsteps to sound from the other side, before Albus saw the handle turn, as the occupants of the house opened their front door, admitting him entrance and giving him a look at what had become of the family in ten years.
Therefore, when Albus saw a small boy, whom was dressed in a simple-looking set of clothes, looking up at him in awe and wonder, Albus frowned before he asked, "Good morning, young man: forgive my curiosity, but is this the home of Mr and Mrs Dursley?"
"Not anymore, Mister," said the boy, his eyes reminding Albus of thunderclouds, with a light in them that actually made it look like he had lightning in his gaze. "They haven't lived here for lots and lots of years; Papa says that's a good thing, though."
"I…see," said Albus, a note of curiosity lacing his words as he asked, "Would you be so kind as to ask your Papa to come to the door, so he can answer some questions for me, please?"
For a moment, the boy looked back behind the door, before he peeked out through the door again as he said, "Papa says you can come in, but you have to leave your wand near the door. He also says you're not allowed to use Le…Le…um, mind reading stuff; if you try, Papa says he'll kick your butt out the door."
Suddenly, Albus felt a sense of déjà vu, which made him feel unusually-curious; however, he nodded regardless, watching as the boy opened the door, allowing Albus to draw his wand and, as the boy had said, he set it down on a small unit near the front door. Once inside, Albus felt a shiver run through his aged body when he felt more magic lining the halls and corridors of Number Four; a quick glance to the walls also told him that no Dursley had lived here, as the boy said, for…quite some time.
However, when Albus saw who was in the pictures, his eyes widened briefly before, turning to the living room, he saw the small boy holding the door open, beckoning him towards the room as he said cheerfully, "Come in, Mister Dumbledore, sir; Papa says he's got tea on the boil for you."
Albus didn't bother waiting.
Heading into the living room, his eyes widened when he saw exactly who he'd seen in the pictures in the hallway.
Wild, scraggly, black hair that framed a roguishly-handsome visage.
Grey eyes that darkened ominously as they watched Dumbledore enter the room.
Stylish, comfortable clothing that, Albus assumed, was a fashion trend in the Muggle World.
And a mischievous, but also dangerous glint to his eyes and expression, which was echoed in his voice as he addressed Albus.
"So, Albus, tell me honestly: how surprised are you to find me here looking after my pup?" asked Sirius Orion Black, his voice tinged by amusement as he watched Albus stare at him in speechless wonder.
"S…Sirius," said Albus, a note of wonder in his voice as he looked around; apart from Sirius, there was only the small boy, whom, just from his looks – especially those eyes, as well as chestnut-brown-coloured, wild hair – Albus knew wasn't Harry.
But that didn't answer the question Albus wanted to know, "How…how are you…last I heard, you…you'd gone chasing after Mr Pettigrew when you handed Harry over to Hagrid ten years ago!"
"And I'd have caught up with the coward, were it not for my dear wife," argued Sirius, before he nodded to a door that Albus noticed led through to the back of the house; as if on cue, the door opened, revealing a stern-faced, young woman with chestnut-brown hair that was showing a few grey flecks here and there. She also had hazel-coloured eyes and was dressed in a suit of robes that Albus recognised as official robes of office from the Ministry of Magic.
Not that he was too surprised by her appearance, given how, this past Winter Solstice, after a long and gruelling two years of interim replacements, following the surprise retirement of Bartimaeus Crouch Senior, she'd won a national election that led to her becoming Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
However, he was surprised to see her here, regardless, "Amelia? My word; all those meetings together…you never said anything about…this!"
"Perks of a vow to one's spouse, Albus," argued Amelia Black – as Albus corrected himself, remembering Sirius introducing her as his wife – moving to gently hug the small boy close to her as she smiled fondly, "Well done with the polite introduction and greeting, Orion; now, why don't you go and tell your big brother and sister that we have a guest?"
"Should Big Brother hide his…thing, Mama?" asked the small boy, Orion, earning a shake of the head from Amelia, while Sirius followed suit.
"He knows he shouldn't, Ori," explained the Black Lord, gesturing upstairs as he added, "Not if we're to help him adapt, just like how Professor Dumbledore helped your Uncle Remus adjust when he was a student, remember, Albus?"
A feeling of dread suddenly filled Albus, before he watched as Orion Black ran off, his footsteps receding as he vanished off to the upper level of the house; Albus, meanwhile, cleared his throat before he turned back to face Sirius and Amelia, the latter of whom seemed to be watching him very carefully, as though she didn't completely trust him.
Given the rule about not using Legilimency, Albus went back to basics, "You…you compared Harry to Remus, Sirius; please…please tell me he…he hasn't been…"
"No, Albus, he's not a werewolf," replied Sirius, before he drew in a slow breath as he explained, "But the situation is a similar one, as you'll soon see; it's also why Amie and I made sure to do everything we could to mask my living here with Harry. You see, on that fated night, just when I was about to catch up to Wormtail…and, rest assured, Albus: one day, I will catch him, but, back then, just as I was about to do so, I was stopped. And not by Aurors or friends…but by the pull of magic connecting Father to Son."
"You…you mean that little boy…"
"Orion Regulus James Remus Black," said Amelia, a note of pride in her voice as she told Albus, "Born at 11:59pm exactly, on the night of October 31st, while the rest of the world was celebrating his downfall. And, lucky for us, and for my surrogate son, Sirius was snapped out of his vengeful bloodlust long enough to come first to his child, and then to track down Harry."
"And…the Dursleys?"
"Convinced to move out, but not before selling the house to us, so Harry's so-called protections endured," said Sirius firmly, pointing a single, straight finger at Dumbledore as he added, "I'd say you had no right leaving him here with those Muggles, Albus, but, to be frank, I'm glad you did. You see, I don't know whether or not you or Hagrid noticed, or even Minerva…but our boy…he's not…well, he's not quite like other kids."
"If you mean his magic…" Albus began, but before he could finish, a soft, enchanting tone of voice cut him off.
"Dad's not talking just about my magic, Grand Sorcerer Dumbledore, sir…"
Turning to the voice, Albus' eyes widened when he saw a healthy, tall young man who could have passed for fourteen or even fifteen standing in front of him; it was true that wizards matured faster than Muggles, but this boy…he looked even more godly than he had as a babe. His dark hair was wild and unruly, but it was styled in a way that made Harry look like he was wearing a crown of darkness, save for two raised bangs on his forehead, which made Albus think of bat wings, or bolts of lightning.
An irony, given how Albus could also see the aforementioned scar, which had been left by Fawkes – while, as many believed, a remnant of the night Harry had vanquished Lord Voldemort – standing out proudly just above the boy's left eye, its form and shape a warm, reddish tint that seemed to make Harry look really devil-may-care.
Of course, there were also his emerald-green eyes, which seemed to shine even brighter, and with a more mesmerising air that Albus could recall, while, with his height and build, he was definitely going to turn a few heads when he got to Hogwarts.
But that was all moot, Albus thought, compared to what else Harry had.
Namely two bright, blood-red-and-pure-white-furry tails that seemed to drift behind him, rising up proudly behind his head as Harry flared them for all to see, without so much as a hint of fear or concern.
As soon as Albus saw the tails, his eyes widened as, after ten years – well, eleven now, since this was also the day of Harry's 11th birthday, and the day Albus had come to deliver his Hogwarts letter to the young magical boy in question – a piece of the puzzle that had plagued Albus' thoughts finally fell into place.
Harry's power.
His potential.
Fawkes' gift of a tear and the scar on the boy's forehead.
The vision Albus had received upon holding Harry in his arms.
And the way Albus became determined to do anything to protect the Potter Heir, both before and after his parents' sad deaths.
Now, it all made sense.
"Harry," gasped Albus, watching as a young, redheaded girl with mousey features then stood with Harry, not even fazed by the tails; nor was Orion, who seemed content to try and grab them, before Sirius cleared his throat, even as Albus addressed the calm, emerald-eyed scion.
"Merlin's beard, my boy…you…you're…you're a kitsune!"
So, talk about good news, bad news, am I right?
Good news: Harry's safe from the Dursleys and their hatreds, Sirius is free, Harry has siblings and Sirius even has love, family and, most importantly of all, his pup!
Bad news: Harry must now face potentially-dangerous opinions, owing to him being…a kitsune?
How is he even one?
What will this mean for his future?
Could this have anything to do with Albus' vision and the air of goodness he now feels determined to hold onto with the boy?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Sirius fills in a couple of blanks, while Harry demonstrates a skill that might come in handy at school; also, speaking of school, Albus discovers his presence is quite unnecessary, which leads to a countdown to Day Damn One for the Kit Who Lived;
Please Read and Review
AN: Portrayals
Albus Dumbledore: Jude Law
Amelia Bones-Black: Calista Flockhart
Orion Black: Winslow Fegley
Susan Bones: Malina Weissman