A/N So this is the new story I promised. I know I said I have more, but I promised I would update every weekend, so since none of them have even three chapters, I'm keeping them in storage until I run out of ideas or until I finish a story.
As for this story, it's one of those, one small change can make waves. If you want to make guesses, have ideas, etc. feel free to dm me, just please sign in and keep your inbox is open so I can message you back. I will leave questions at the end of each chapter, if you answer correctly (or something that fits, really) I will send you a glimpse of the next chapter. I try to answer within a day, but sometimes it takes a short while because i'm busy with school and the like. Also, I have a prequel but it's one big spoiler, so I will send it as a reward for the most correct guesses, or I'll publish it when I finish the story as a bonus chapter. If you really want a spoiler, like the biggest one in the entire story, fav, follow, then dm me, and I'll share it. i don't mind, I just feel like most people don't like spoilers.
Also, all the best authors seem to have betas. Is that like an editor, because if so, I need one. If you're interested, please message me. I don't do this through FFN, I write in google docs, I just copy paste at the last minute, and write the authors notes directly in here as well. So please also give me a gmail, cause i work through google docs.
Now, onto the story.
Filius Flitwick was excited for the sorting ceremony. This was the year Harry Potter would go to Hogwarts. But that was not the reason Filius was excited. He knew from his goblin father that one of The Lady's adopted brother would be coming to Hogwarts. And boy would he shake things up.
As Minerva McGonagall led the first years into the Great Hall for the school year of 1991, Albus Dumbledore observed the new first years. Harry Potter would be amongst them, and he had no idea what to do. Harry Potter had been kidnapped from the Dursleys at four years old, and been adopted by a witch and a wizard. Who they were was entirely unknown. He had no idea what the famed boy who lived would be like, the documents of his wizarding guardians had been sealed, and the wizengamot session with his guardianship was locked away in everyone's memories until he was sorted at Hogwarts.
The sorting started unsurprisingly for Albus Dumbledore. Hannah Abbot and Susan Bone made Huffelpuff, Terry Boot and Mandy Bocklehurst to Ravenclaw, Lavender Brown going to Gryffindor, followed by Millicent Bulstrode. Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Seamus Finnegan went to Gryffindor as well, Dumbledore spaced out for a second, then heard the hat calling for Neville Longbottom, who went to Ravenclaw, after his mother, then barely remembered to give the hat back to Morag McDougall, who made Gryffindor and was looking to become the next Minerva McGonagall. Then came Draco Malfoy, getting sorted into Ravenclaw after two minutes, much to his shock. The boys who had been flanking him, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had been sorted into Gryffindor, so would have to find someone else to understand their grunt-like speech. Dumbledore spaced out again, until McGonagall called Potter, Harry. The eleven year old boy was nothing like Dumbledore planned him to. He looked comfortable in robes, confident, but not a braggart. The hat on his head, the boy sat up straighter, face solid and determined. He rolled his left shoulder, a flash of violet showing through behind his ear. The hat seemed to sigh, then yelled out, "SLYTHERIN!" more enthusiastically than the sigh suggested. Harry gave the hat back to McGonagall, walking proudly back to the Slytherin table, which was nearly entirely silent, excepting sixth year prefect Nymphadora Vulpecula Black.
Dora was glad. Her little cousin had made it. She was just as nervous at her sorting. Her aunt Bellatrix and Uncle Sirius were just getting used to their newfound freedom from the confines of Gringotts bank, and her little cousin was getting used to a loving environment after being rescued from his abusive muggle relatives. The hat had originally wanted to place her in Hufflepuff, but Dora had thought it over and realized that if she went to Hufflepuff, she would be Nymphadora Tonks, the metamorph everyone asks to shift all the time and she complies to keep her friends. In Slytherin, on the other hand, she would be Nymphadora Vulpecula Black, first metamorph in Britain in a decade, a respected Daughter of House Black. And she was. A Princess of Purebloods in Slytherin House (though having been blood adopted by Sirius Black as a father since hers was dead and buried in the last months of the war didn't hurt either).
As the feast continued, the Slytherin and Ravenclaw first years were upholding a long standing tradition of eating silently, measuring each other up all the while. Dora decided to give them something to measure up. Having received permission from The Lady to do so, she finished the food on her plate, and stood up. The eyes of Slytherin house were on her as she walked down the table to the younger years. Next to them, Ravenclaws also started watching. Nobody stood up and went to talk to the younger years during the welcoming feast, especially not a sixth year princess of her house. But she did. And she walked down the table. And further. And even further down. Past the third year, then the second, then she stopped at the newly sorted firsties. And she stopped in front of one very surprising sorting. Harry Potter. The last person anyone expected to be in Slytherin. Hell, even a muggle-born would be more expected.
And he turned to meet her. "Told ya, Nymmie. Min told dad, and you know she's never wrong."
"Of course she's never wrong. I was just not entirely sure Merlin's beard, she's accurate. The entire bloody ceremony."
"Nym, it's more like Merlin's descendant. Not his beard. Though I think that polyjuice she fed dad did have a small piece of merlin's beard. Though dad said it didn't taste like the most powerful wizard to have ever lived." Dora smirked inwardly. Harry sure did know how to put on a show.
The Hogwarts Gossip Central, also called Hufflepuff House had heard. Slytherin's Princess Nymphadora Black was friends with Harry Potter, knew his adopted dad, and they were all very close to a daughter of House Emrys, who was also a seer. Ten seconds later, and gryffindor, on the other side of the hall knew. Another minute and Sprout was discussing the news with Flitwick, who didn't look so surprised. By the end of dinner, Dumbledore had heard.
As the prefects lead the firsties to the Slytherin house territory, nobody doubted that their planned ostracizing of Harry Potter from Slytherin House would not work in the least.
In the end it was Theodore Nott who couldn't hold his curiosity after a seventh year prefect, Gemma Farley, had made the "were the best but whatever you do, don't get caught" speech.
"Hey, Potter" Harry didn't respond. Nott came up and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Yes, Nott?"
"Why didn't you respond when I called you?"
"Because you didn't call me. Harry Potter died under the hands of Lily Potter's abusive muggle sister and her abusive muggle husband. Though I'm in the same body, I wass blood adopted into the Black Family as soon as Aunt Bellatrix broke down the wards the old goat had made to hide me from the world. It's Hydrus Sirius Black. Harry's just a nickname that only Nym gets to use."
"Then why's McGonagall call your name as Harry Potter at the sorting?"
"Because Dumbledore won't recognize that I'm not his little Gryffindor bootlicker of a lapdog. I just didn't want to cause a scene. Did you really think a son of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Black would be stuck with a muggle name like Harry?" The raven-haired youth asked rhetorically, and that was the end of that conversation, Nott forgetting what he wanted to ask about 'Min', heiress of merlin and seer.
Ronald Weasley was in his own personal hell. He had gotten sorted into the worst house of them all. Not only had he not gotten sorted with the brave Gryfindors, he had also missed out on the bookworm house, which was second best, and the hat had said even the duffers weren't right for him. So he was stuck in this miserable snake pit, with no way out. And the boy who his mother had said should have been his best friend, if he had found him on the train, Harry Potter, wasn't even Harry. He was a member of that rotten no-good death eater Black family. And on top of that, he was named after an actual snake! Ugh, might as well find out what the snakes are up to, he thought, and went to join the rest of his new house.
Tracey Davis knew something was up, and vowed to talk to the one it was about, Hydrus Black. The first night in Slytherin house, she gathered her courage, and slipped a note into his pocket. I need to talk to you. My room isn't warded yet, it's the third one on the left of the first year's corridor. Meet me there in fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes later, Hydrus Black decided to act on his curiosity. Tracey Davis was waiting, sitting at her desk, another chair offered to him.
"Black. Thanks for coming."
"Who am I to refuse a lady such as yourself?" Tracy Davis barely kept from blushing.
"You're Hydrus Black, born Harry Potter, and you just so happen to have a mark that is entirely too similar to you-know-who's, grindelwald and dumbledore's." Tracey blurted out.
"And how, my lady, would you know about two of those three marks and the accusation tha I have one?" He questioned coldly.
She shivered under the force of his magic. "Whenever an oath of fealty is sworn to a magical lord, a symbolic mark appears. Grindelawald's mark being the deathly hallows symbol, and Dumbledore's a white flame."
"And why" Hydrus growled, "would you say that I have one? That I would get on my knees and grovel to a megalomaniac old man?"
"Oh, yours isn't a bond of servitude. You have a liege lord or lady." He gave her a blank look.
"So you want me to tell you how right you are and that you now have blackmail on me and you should be careful what you use it for?" Hydrus deadpanned.
"Oh no." Tracey giggled in a way Hydrus had only heard in one other, the Lovegood and Ollivander heiress, "I want in."
Hydrus' eyebrows climbed even higher up his forehead. "Excuse me?"
"What I just said. I can see auras, and I can see the power in your mark alone. The size is also telling. The more powerful the giver, the larger the mark. You-know-who's was only on the wrist, Grindelwald's covered the entire ankle, and Dumbeldore's is around the bicep. Yours, on the other hand, covers your entire back."
Hydrus raised his hand, and flexed his shoulder blades. He then took off his robes and shirt, showing a violet dragon with spread wings across his back and a tail coiled in a gordian knot. Tracey felt heavy wards flare around the room, and then Hydrus opened his eyes and they were glowing violet, not his usual green. A very feminine, but clearly disguised voice came from Hydrus' mouth. "Tracey Davis, is it? What can you offer the Lady of shadows, Head of House Pendragon? Why do you want to serve?" There was a stifling amount of sheer powerful magic spreading across the room.
Tracey dropped to her knees, unable to remain standing. If this Lady could channel this amount of magic through another person with no physical contact, Tracey knew who she was tossing her lot with, and it certainly wasn't Dumbledore or Voldemort's remaining followers, many of which were convinced he would return. She knew she shouldn't be revealing this, but she needed to get on this lady's good side, she did not want to cross that much power, especially one which had House Black's approval and House Pendragon's control. She had some secrets to reveal, because knowledge is power, and this knowledge would get her the stepping stone she needed. "I am Patricia Davis, heiress to the ancient and noble house of Fawley through my mother, and Lady of House Lestrange through my paternal grandfather, an undisowned squib of House Lestrange." The Head of House ring with the Lestrange crest and motto, Un jeu différent. She continued. "'I can also see auras."
The lady scoffed through Hydrus' body. "I already have people of even higher status and magical ability. What can you offer me? What can you offer the cause of restoring magic to it's past greatness?"
"I have information. I know when someone is lying, I am a natural legilimens and have fifth rank occlumency shields, and I already have a small network of acquaintances that I can get to talk without them realizing it, I can gather information, Hogwarts has always been information central for anyone with a goal."
"Hm… I could use a spymistress." She then made her face look like she was pondering something. Tracey felt a light brush against her mind, which was blocked, and then an unimaginable force rammed into her mind. It was strong, it was powerful, and it was extremely unpowerful. It felt like a dragon ramming into her mind. And for what felt like hours, though it was only a minute, she held it off. When the force retreated, Tracey began rebuilding the dents in her shields. "Adequate. You could be useful." Tracey looked up, hope gleaming in her eyes. From what she knew of this lady, it was high praise.
Tracey closed her eyes for a second then opened them back up. This was it. There was no backing out. She was about to sign her life, loyalty, and magic away. "I, Patricia Diana Davis, swear… "
"No." The harsh word interrupted her. Oaths can harm your magical core in the beginning. When you are at the level when you can cast a patronus, you can swear the oath. Starting tomorrow, you will collect information on anyone who could be useful, whether they know it or not. Hand your information in to Filius Flitwick as extra credit assignments. There is a secrecy ward active, don't trigger it." The lady speaking through Hydrus then made the clothes on Traceey's back temporarily disappear, and a her magic concentrated on Tracey's back, giving her a feeling of addictive, enticing, and alluring euphoria like she had never felt before, as she felt the magic spread across her back, taking a physical form. The small speck of magic behind her left ear went temporarily unnoticed. A violet dragon spread across Tracey's back, from the jaws, to winds reaching out across her shoulder blades, to a tail forming a gordian knot that ended slightly below the small of her back. As the magic settled into Tracey's skin, she felt herself being bound, not by the words of a vow, but by her intention of serving thee lady, her willingness creating her side of the bond. When the tattoo settled, her clothes reappeared, and the tattoo on Hydrus' back stopped glowing the magic in the room receded, the wards fell, and his eyes returned to their old emerald green. Hydrus staggered a little, regaining his balance. nymphadora Black came rushing into the room as soon as the wards fell.
"What were you doing, Harry? I haven't felt wards like these since mom, Aunt Bella, and Uncle Sirius were meeting with… " she trailed off seeing another person in the room.
Harry looked at his cousin, though she was more than a big sister and rolled his eyes. "Nym, you know there's only one person who can put up wards like that. I was channeling The Lady, and did you really think she would let anyone know anything without secrecy wards stronger than those of the wizengamot? Gringotts loves the Lady more for the challenge her wards give their curse-breakers than for her vast fortune and heritage, and that's saying a lot."
Nym rolled her eyes, then turned to Tracey. "You're one of us now. Congratulations, but I'm also going to warn you. The only person to ever getray The Lady and live is currently our head of house, so do not, under any circumstances, let him know of your association to us. However, any dirt on him would be rewarded. The Lady's been trying to get rid of him without announcing her presence for years."
"Get rid?" Tracey asked softly.
Nym chuckled. "Don't worry. So far the cause is underground, and until we have a significant advantage that's more than The Lady and her power, political and magical, it'll stay that way. Or until Harry graduates."
"Why Hydrus?"
"He's the one who'se closest to Our Lady. He's also the only one who's ever seen her in her natural form, knowing who she was. He's also the decoy. Our Lady is not stupid. All of us have heard stories of what happens to Dark Lords who rush in without having the world under their control by the time they announce themselves. Harry's the decoy. If worst comes to worst, we will have the Dark Lord Black until he wins, then the world will meet Lady Pendragon. BUt we were told not to worry. Min, heiress of House Emrys, a very powerful seer, hasn't told us that it will be necessary."
Tracey was amazed. This was not just a powerful heiress of a powerful house. This was an operation that had been working for years and would be working for years to come. This wasn't Voldemort and his Death Eaters, who tried terror tactics, but all they managed was to get a large and powerful opposition. This was an operation that had so many plans, it would win, no matter what. Yes, this was a good choice. Now as for getting permission to let her best friend Daphne in, that would be even better. It was then that she heard the voice in her mind.
You thought I needed a light show to communicate with my brother every time? No. In case you are caught, the mark on your back disappears. The decoy is a small copy behind your left ear, it will make Dumbledore and his ilk underestimate us. Do not fear him, I don't. But I respect him as a worthy opponent, so be wary around the old manipulator. The melodic voice in the back of Tracey's mind told her. I am your Lady. If you think someone might be introduced, get them alone and I will put up secrecy wards through you, however, until you are sure of their intentions, you will refer to me as Lady Aretha Pendragon. Your friend could be useful, and you may even show her the mark behind your ear. Your first assignment, however, is to get Fred and George Weasley of Gryffindor House to meet with the son of Prongs and Padfoot in the old ward weaving classroom tomorrow after breakfast. Do not fail. The wards around your room will stay passive until you say Pendragon, at which point they will activate for a half an hour.
The melodic voice seemingly left Tracey's head, houg she knew the Lady would always be here if she was needed in an extreme emergency, such as getting fed veritaserum.
By the end of the evening, Daphne Greengrass saw her best friend channel a powerful violet-eyed descendant of King Arthur, and got a dragon tattoo on her back and a decoy behind her ear. And by the next morning, Fred and George Weasley were not even planning a prank, worrying McGonagall, eager to meet the son of Prongs and Padfoot, also wondering whether moony and wormtail had married each other, although they would later regret that chain of thought..
The Lady smiled. Her plans were playing out just fine.