Three
Harry woke up to the sound of angry voices shouting. In the midst of all the shouting, he recognized Lucius' voice as well as that of James Potter. What the hell had happened? He cursed out loud as the memory of Jamie Potter attacking him came rushing back. That slimy little arsehole had cursed him. Oh, when Harry got a hold of him he was going to die. Opening his eyes, he looked to his right and found Asterion standing near his bedside.
"Harry! You're awake." Asterion burst out, catching Lucius' mid-sentence.
Lucius turned from James Potter with a low growl and came to stand at Harry's bedside.
"Harry. Thank goodness you're all right. Madam Pomfrey was sure you wouldn't wake for another hour or two." he said.
"I heard Potter's voice." he said simply, his face curving into a sneer.
Potter was standing behind Lucius, sneering openly at his former son. Harry didn't mind that sneer. He'd grown used to it over the years he'd spent in the Potter house. James Potter could sneer every bit as good as a Slytherin.
"Do you remember anything about the attack?" Asterion asked quietly, ignoring Potter's angry huff.
"Of course I do. I'd know the little worm's voice anywhere. Jamie Potter attacked me with the Bone Breaking Curse."
"Certainly you're mistaken, Harry. Jamie wouldn't such a thing." said another voice.
Harry looked around and had to stifle the urge to sigh in anger. Albus Dumbledore stood inches away from Harry's bedside, looking as though he were disappointed in Harry.
"You think I don't know what Jamie Potter looks and sounds like, then? Because that is who I saw curse me. And there's no one else who would do it." Harry said, keeping his voice void of emotion.
Professor Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Harry..."
Lucius Malfoy whipped around, his gaze furious. "If you continue to call my son a liar, I will make sure you are removed from this school. Do you understand me?" he hissed.
"I wasn't calling Harry a liar. I was simply suggesting that he could be slightly mistaken."
At the same time, James Potter was staring at Lucius with wide eyes. "Son? Harry's not your son. In fact, he's nobody's son."
Asterion smiled and, for the first time, Harry could see a hint of Lucius in Asterion. The older boy spoke in a low voice, one filled with every bit of the power and authority that he'd learned from Lucius.
"Father adopted him twenty minutes after you disowned him, Potter. Harry is my younger brother's best friend and Draco would have insisted on it anyways. We're quite proud to have such a talented wizard as part of the family."
Asterion's smile was cold, his blue-gray eyes filled with malice as they stared at James Potter. He turned to Harry, his gaze warming.
"I'll be back later. Father's given me permission to leave the school. I'll meet you and Draco by the Black Lake after dinner." he said.
Professor Dumbledore stepped in Asterion's way. Asterion raised one perfect eyebrow and set his face into a smirk.
"I'm afraid I cannot authorize you to leave school grounds, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore said.
Asterion's smile grew more pronounced at that. "You have no choice. I'm the Head of an ancient and noble house. I have family business to attend to."
"You cannot possibly be a Head of Family. You're too young." James Potter cut in.
Asterion simply smiled. "I'm sixteen. That is old enough to take the Head of Family place as long as there is no acting Head. The Black Family had no Head as of my sixteenth birthday and therefore I was allowed to take the title."
"Unfortunately, James, Asterion here is right." Dumbledore said, stepping aside.
Asterion walked out of the infirmary, his back straight. Harry knew, however, that he would burst into laughter the second he was out of earshot. At his bedside, Lucius straightened his back and stared at Dumbledore, one thin eyebrow raised.
"What will his punishment be, Dumbledore?" Lucius' voice was carefully controlled but the venom in it wasn't.
"Punishment? If my son attacked your brat, Malfoy, he had a reason. Jamie wouldn't do something like this without being provoked." Potter snarled.
Lucius didn't rise to the bait. "You're forgetting that this happened right outside of the dungeons, Potter," he said smoothly, "I would have heard my son spouting off a curse."
Potter looked livid but said nothing. Dumbledore sighed and, still looking at Harry as though he were disappointed in him, said, "Jamie Potter will serve three weeks detention."
"That's ludicrous, Albus. If Jamie is punished than the Malfoy brat should be as well."
Albus shook his head. "There is no evidence of wrongdoing, James. I'm sorry but I cannot punish Harry without evidence."
James Potter glared at Harry. Harry stared back, schooling his features in an uninterested expression.
"Stay away from my son, vermin. You'll be sorry if I catch you near him again."
Harry fought to keep the fear from his face. He'd heard that voice too many times, knew what it meant when James used that voice. His body remembered the pain inflicted by that tone of voice. Still, the only outward reaction Harry gave was an eye roll. James Potter couldn't hurt him anymore. Harry had made sure of that.
Giving Lucius one last glare, James Potter turned on his heel and left the infirmary. Albus Dumbledore swept after him, leaving Lucius and Harry alone. Lucius gave Harry a smile and sank into a chair beside the bed.
"I suspect that Draco will be here fairly soon." Lucius said.
No sooner had he spoken than the doors open and Draco stepped inside. He walked towards Harry's bedside and sat on the edge of it, looking furious.
"The Slytherins are planning a revolt against the Gryffindors, so you know. They're livid at what Potter did. Also, two first years and the Weasley twins were actually yelling at him in the hallway and I'm pretty sure that the male first year was another Weasley." Draco said by way of greeting.
"Why were they yelling at him?"
"The girl, Potter called her Granger, was angry because he'd attacked someone else without reason. She was also angry that he'd lost them points. The Weasley's just seemed like they didn't like him all that much."
"That's because we don't." said a set of identical voices.
Harry looked around to see four people entering the infirmary. There were the Weasley twins and their youngest brother, Ron. Walking alongside them was a girl with a thick mane of bushy brown hair and chocolate eyes. She had lightly tanned skin and the general look of the Black family.
"Why don't you like the Potter brat?" Harry asked, unable to keep the contempt out of his voice.
"He's an arrogant little toad. Constantly bragging about how much money he's got and how famous he is." The girl said.
Ron shrugged. "Pretty much what she said."
Harry hummed. "What's your name Miss...?"
"Granger. Hermione Granger."
"Were you adopted by any chance?" Lucius asked, his voice very quiet.
Hermione looked startled. "Yes. I was two weeks old when I was adopted. I think my parents must have been magical."
Lucius cast a silent privacy charm, his face very white. Draco too looked astonished. The two of them looked at each other, before Lucius spoke in a hoarse voice.
"It can't be. No. It simply isn't possible..." he muttered.
"What isn't possible?" Hermione asked.
Lucius looked at her. "My sister-in-law...her daughter was kidnapped at exactly two weeks of age. We always assumed that she was dead. But...even though you're obviously under a very powerful glamour, I can see traces of the Black family in you."
"Like what?"
"Your hair. Bellatrix's was always bushy. Your cheekbones, they're high. May I attempt something? If what I've just told you is the truth, you'll revert to what you're supposed to look like. If not, the spell will simply bounce off of you."
Hermione hesitated. "If...if I am...if I am her daughter, will this get me away from the muggles I live with?" she asked.
Lucius nodded. "Yes. You'll come and live with your aunt Narcissa and I, of course. Your mother was imprisoned a long time ago but we will take over as your guardians."
"Then do it."
Lucius raised his wand and cast a silent spell towards Hermione. The second it hit her, she changed. Her hair, while it maintained it's bushiness, was now a deep black, almost blue. Her eyes were a very light blue. Lucius had been right. Before them stood Lyra Talitha Lestrange, formerly known as Hermione Jean Granger.